Micro-determinants of human fertility: study of selected physiological and behavioural variables

Satyajeet Nanda, Gujarat Institute of Development Research

Fecundity variable like higher average years used for only child bearing emerged as a important predictor of lower fertility (except for SC women). Although length of menstrual cycle beyond optimum, ANC not received for last delivery and age at menarche more than 12 years were found to reduce fertility, but results were not very consistent when adjusted for other confounding factors. Higher desired family size and longer perceived ideal birth interval have been consistently associated with lower fertility. For Scheduled caste population, the association of woman's correct knowledge about probable days of conception within menstrual cycle, with lower fertility gives impression that this knowledge may provide chance to the woman or couple to go for some kind of fertility control mechanism. The verbatim and incidents studied give impression that at one hand the child survival is at demand and in other hand there seem to have a need for access to controlled and intended fertility.