Proximate Determinants of Fertility in Ghana
Date
2012-07
Authors
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
The study examines trends in the proximate determinants of fertility (sexual activity,
contraception, and postpartuminfecundability) in Ghana over a decade (from 1998 to 2008)
with a view to finding out their contributions to fertility decline and explaining the factors
responsible for fertility decline in the country .
The study was mainly based on data collected from the Ghana Demographic and Health
Surveys carried out in 1998
2003 and 2008. Four thousand eight hundred and forty
three(4,843) female respondents were interviewed in 1998, 5,691 in 2003 and 4,916 in 2008.
The study utilizes Stover‟s reformulation of Bongaarts‟ model of proximate determinant. The
findings show that postpartum infecundability has a farmore dominant inhibiting effect on
fertility than the other proximate fertility determinants and has been relatively stable over the
decade. The findings of the study further show that forage at first sexual intercourse, women in
the rural areas initiate sexual intercourse a year earlier than those in the urban areas except in
the 1998 survey, where those in the rural and urban areas initiated sexual intercourse at the
same age. Age at first sexual intercourse increases as the level of education increases from
secondary to higher education. The age at first sexual intercourse remains the same from no
education to primary education (17years). Age at first intercourse remains relatively stable
across age groups within the regions. Brong Ahafo had the lowest mean age at first sexual
intercourse(16 years in1998). Overall the mean age at first sexual intercourse for the regions
ranges between 17 and 18 years.
The Northern region had the highest percentage reduction in fertility due to the index of
postpartum infecundability,
Upper East and Upper West also had very high percentage
reduction due to Index of Postpartum infecundability. The index of Postpartum infecundability
had the highest fertility inhibition effect in 1998, 2003 and 2008 for both rural and urban
areas with the rural areas having the highest.
In all the regions in Ghana, Greater Accra had highest percentage reduction due to abortion.
The inhibiting effect of abortion is relatively high in the In 1998, induced abortion had the
lowest fertility inhibition effect.
Description
Thesis (MPHIL) - University of Ghana, 2012