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Determinants of fertility in Nepal: applications of an aggregate model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Shyam Thapa
Shyam Thapa
Affiliation:
Family Health International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Summary

Bongaarts' aggregate model of the proximate determinants of fertility is applied to data from the 1976 National Fertility Survey in Nepal. Breast-feeding is shown to be the most important limiting factor, resulting in a reduction of about six children per woman. Decline in the duration of breast-feeding by one-fourth would increase fertility by one additional child per woman. The temporary separation of spouses due to migration is conjectured to be the second most important fertility inhibiting factor, not explicitly accounted for in the standard model. Results are presented for the three major ecological regions, urban-rural residence and educational attainment of the women.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 19 , Issue 3 , July 1987 , pp. 351 - 365
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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