Contributions of the proximate determinants to fertility change in Senegal
Onuoha, N.
Social Science and Medicine 35(10): 1317-1320
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0277-9536 PMID: 1439915 DOI: 10.1016/0277-9536(92)90185-sDocument Number: 299637
The 1978 World Fertility Survey (WFS) and the 1986 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data are used to examine the relative contributions of three proximate determinants (nuptiality or marriage, contraception and post-partum infecundability) to fertility change in Senegal. The aim is to identify the important variables that is amenable for policy towards fertility reduction. Analysis shows that there are increases in the absolute measures of all three determinants. The magnitude of change is greatest in contraceptive use, moderate in marriage but least in duration of breast-feeding. However, the index of contraceptive use exerts the least impact on fertility reduction while that of post-partum infecundability makes the strongest impact on fertility. The impact of the nuptiality index on fertility change lies in-between contraception and breast-feeding.