The fertility of farmers and pastoralists of the West African Sahel
Hill, A.G.
Fertility Determinants Research Notes, Population Council, USA 6: 6
1985
Document Number: 416193
In contemporary Africa, both the level and age pattern of childbearing are affected by contrasting systems of marriage, breastfeeding duration, and frequency of sexual relations. The results of a comparative study of several ethnic groups in West Africa are presented and provide some new insights into the contribution of these determinants of fertility in fixing the level of childbearing. Although fertility is already high among these ethnic groups, there are indications that it may reach higher levels if the forces of modernization operate in the area studied as they do elsewhere in Africa.