Abstract:
Fertility in Ghana has declined steadily since 1980, however, a slight increase was observed
between 2008 and 2014. While several factors may account for this pattern, research on the
contribution of type of union is limited. This study examined differentials in the fertility of
women in different types of union. Secondary data from 6,285 (weighted) ever-married
women aged 15–49 years were analysed using compare means, t-test, analysis of variance,
Poisson and binary logistic regression analyses. The findings indicate that, independent of
other factors, fertility among remarried women is higher compared to first-time married
women but this does not hold true when other factors are controlled for. Additionally, there
was no significant difference in the fertility of remarried women who were in union and
women who were in union in a first-time marriage. However, compared to remarried women
who were currently in a union, fertility was significantly lower among remarried women who
were not currently in union (β = -0.121, p<0.01) and women who have been married only
once but were not currently in union (β = -0.212, p<0.001). Further analysis revealed that
remarried women were significantly more likely to desire more children and less likely to use
any method of contraception compared to first-time married women. There is the need for
further research to better understand the fertility needs of remarried women
