This study examines the influence of religion on fertility among the Yoruba of Western Nigeria. There is a distinct differential in fertility by religion. Fertility is lower for Moslems than for Christians. The difference is attributed to the traditional characteristics of Moslems as opposed to the relatively modern characteristics of Christians. For example, Moslems have low education and low occupational status. Consequently, Moslems rather than Christians are more likely to observe longer periods of post-natal abstinence, and to experience higher pregnancy wastage and sterility rates.

Differences in fertility between the three major ethnic groups (Malays, Chinese and Indians) in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore have existed since before the onset of fertility decline in the late 1950s and remain today, although the relative positions and the actual differences have changed due to the varying rates of decline. By 1987, the Malays experienced the highest fertility and the Chinese the lowest in both countries but in Singapore the Malay fertility was lower than the Chinese fertility in Peninsular Malaysia. The fertility differentials will lead to changes in the ethnic composition in both countries but more so in Peninsular Malaysia.

An attempt has been made to determine which of several social, demographic and economic variables best account for the variance in contraceptive use in a low-income, urban Colombian population. The results indicated that of the independent variables included, occurrence or non-occurrence of intercourse in the past month, education, employment status, marital status and age were the best predictors, in that order. Altogether these factors accounted for 17% of the variance in contraceptive use and 87% of the variance within the model. The remaining variables had relatively little predictive utility; and this was particularly true for interspousal communication, race and religious commitment.

This paper examines the sociodemographic factors which influence familiarity with methods of family planning among 85 males holding low paying jobs in the University of Zambia, Lusaka. The results showed that wife's education had a significant and positive effect on husband's familiarity with family planning methods. In the longer term, female education is likely to emerge as an important factor in the onset of fertility decline in Zambia.

The determinants of fertility variation among districts of Sri Lanka are explored by multiple regression analysis. The proportion of young women who are married (age 20–24), and the proportion of women of reproductive age who have received at least 5 years of education, account respectively for 46% and 24% of district variation in total fertility. Infant mortality variation accounts for only 8%. From the results it is argued that encouragement of education of women and postponement of marriage is one practical measure which will help to reduce Sri Lankan fertility.

Transition to the role of mothering is one of the most important events in a woman’s life. While childbirth is a biological event, pregnancy and the experiences around it are more influenced by social structure, which is shaped by cultural perceptions and practices. The aim of this study was to explore cultural context during maternal role attainment in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Iran. The study was part of a grounded theory study on how the mothers of preterm neonates go through maternal role attainment. Data collection was carried out by purposeful sampling from 20 participants (15 mothers of preterm neonates and 5 NICU nurses). Data were analysed according to Corbin and Strauss’s (2015) approach. Four categories of childbearing culture emerged: ‘The necessity of childbearing’, ‘Childbearing rituals’, ‘Maternal persistent presence’ and ‘Attitudes and religious beliefs’. The findings showed that the special beliefs and practices in Iranian culture affected all of the participants’ reactions to mothering process. Culture is one of the most important factors affecting the development of motherhood in Iran. In order to provide sensitive and culturally appropriate care, nurses should be aware of the general impact of cultural norms and values on the process of maternal role attainment and strive to meet the cultural needs of all mothers.

This study of family planning in rural Adana, Turkey, collected data from 519 women aged between 16 and 55. Questionnaires were distributed in different districts during February 2006. The results showed that 81·3% of women used a contraceptive method. The IUD was the most widely used modern contraceptive method. There is a decrease in the average number of births per woman as the educational level of women increases.

The HRR test was used to study the frequency of colour vision defects in 297 Zulu men and 43 Zulu women of Natal, two Basuto men in Natal, and two Swazi men and 21 Swazi women in the Transvaal.

The frequencies agree with the work of other authors, that the numbers of red–green defectives in the black populations of Africa are less than half those among European whites. The observed frequency of women defectives is greater than that expected from the number of males, and the difference is probably due largely to the inclusion of a small number of women with considerable heterozygous manifestation.

No yellow–blue deficient subjects were found.

There are as yet few studies of body hair variation in man. Of all human populations, the Ainu of Japan are most famous for their alleged hirsuteness, and the history of this somewhat controversial subject is reviewed. Data are presented on chest, back and facial hair pattern and quantity in a sample of Ainu and Ainu/Japanese hybrids, resulting initially from field work by the Cambridge Expedition to Northern Japan in 1964. Methodological problems are discussed. Social attitudes to hairiness in Japan over the past few centuries are commented on, in view of their possible relevance in maintaining the biological distinctiveness of the Ainu. It is concluded that although the Ainu have more body hair than other Japanese, compared with some other groups—for instance American ‘Whites’—they can not be considered exceptionally hirsute.

A study of the differentials in fertility of Iraq's Mohafadhas, and the association of fertility with various socio-cultural factors, is handicapped for want of the reliable vital statistics from which measures of fertility can be satisfactorily derived. The alternative method, using a simple measure of fertility, the child–woman ratio, which requires only a knowledge of the population in age groups is therefore used. Since this measure is computed from census statistics, it is affected by differences in enumeration errors and in mortality and migration. An attempt has been made in this paper to keep these factors constant by using a modified child–woman ratio for comparing fertility levels.

The analysis showed that fertility rates vary from region to region, between Mohafadhas within a region and between rural and urban areas. One important broad geographic variation was that the Northern region was the area of high fertility. For the Mohafadhas, significant differences were noted in only six of the sixteen Mohafadhas of Iraq. Rural–urban difference was minimal, with few exceptions, and it was not always in the same direction. The intra-rural variations in the fertility ratio were far more important than intra-urban differences.

Correlation analysis showed that the average age at marriage, the proportion never married and the sex ratio in the reproductive ages were the important factors in explaining fertility differences between Mohafad has. There was virtually no correlation between fertility and urbanization or literacy.

The number of Northern Ireland women obtaining abortions in England has risen sharply from 36 for April–December 1968 to 775 in 1972. The figure for 1973 when it becomes available will probably be about 1000.

The sample on which this paper is based consisted of 522 women who between January 1971 and August 1973 sought an abortion through the Ulster Pregnancy Advisory Association. The sample amounted to about one-quarter of all residents of Northern Ireland obtaining an abortion in England over the same period and was therefore not a random one. It was, however, fully representative for age and marital status and was thought to be generally reliable.

The 522 women included 108 Roman Catholics, who were therefore under-represented in the sample compared with the general population at risk.

The 108 Roman Catholics included 72.2% of single women, compared with 65.1% of single Protestants; they were also younger, 42.6% coming with the age group 20–24 years compared with 33.4% of the Protestants, and a higher proportion, 46.3% compared with 30.9%, had stayed at school to the age of 17 or 18 years. Only 15.7% of the Catholics had been told of the UPAA by their own doctors, compared with 45.7% of the Protestants.

Regression surface analysis was used to examine relationships between sibling variables and measures of cognitive performance at different levels of family environment measures, for children from different Australian ethnic groups. Included in the sample were 460 Anglo-Australian, 170 Greek, and 120 Southern Italian families. Each family had an 11-year-old child and interviews with parents related to those children. There were no associations between the sibling variables and intellectual ability scores. For word-test scores the findings provided some tentative support for an admixture explanation of sibling correlates of children's cognitive performance. Generally, the study revealed that at different levels of family environment dimensions, sibling variables had few associations with various cognitive measures for children from different ethnic groups.

Cytogenetic investigations were undertaken on 120 couples in Newcastle with repeated pregnancy loss for which no anatomical or other obvious reason could be established. The level of major chromosome anomalies was high, with 6·7% of couples showing one member with an abnormal karyotype. One major anomaly occurred in a control series of 240 random newborns. The couples also showed an elevated incidence of chromosomal heteromorphisms. Similar studies in the literature are reviewed. It seems that major chromosome anomalies make an appreciable contribution to repeated reproductive loss, but proof of the involvement of minor chromosome variants though suspected is less clear.

Survey of recently married couples was carried out in Reading, Berkshire, UK in 1974. Its purpose was to provide information about the geographical and social origins of marriage partners, and to show how the town's social and geopraphical features might influence marital choice.

A list marriage certificate was preferred to the electoral register as a sample frame. Despite a lower than usual response rate the method was judged successful. Basic data on the geographical distribution of the husband and wife are given here, together with the fitting of the aggregate frequency distribution of distances to the log-normal distribution and their summary description in terms of the geometric means.

Adult members of a kindred with various cases of Fabry's disease were asked by questionnaire about their attitudes and behaviour towards prospective genetic counselling. All individuals were aware of the fact that the disease occurred in their family and that it is hereditary, but none had a correct understanding of its inheritance. The disease was considered to be severe and the general attitude was that it should be prevented. Elective abortion after prenatal diagnosis was recommended by the majority, but some would prefer to abstain from having children. Prospective counselling was received positively even though it provoked anxiety in some of the counselled persons. The counselling has so far had the result that two heterozygous females asked for prenatal investigation. But when affected male fetuses were detected after prenatal diagnosis abortion was rejected in both cases. The reasons for this were not considered to be typical. It is concluded that prospective genetic counselling for Fabry's disease should be offered to other families, even though it may be expected that some will choose not to prevent further cases.

In the area studied in the Machakos Project the total fertility estimate amounts to 7·46, which is somewhat lower than reported in the preceding article (van Ginneken et al., 1984). Evidence is provided that the low observed infant mortality rate of 49 per 1000 live births is plausible; this rate is in accordance with the relatively low and rapidly declining infant mortality rates found in Kenya. No accurate estimate on adult mortality could be obtained, probably due to serious overstatement of ages in the older age groups.

In the absence of reliable fertility statistics in the Sudan, estimates are based on census or sample survey data. Methods of analysis are applied which are suitable to the kind and quality of the collected information. This paper uses data provided by the World Fertility Survey of the Sudan. The number of children ever born tabulated by the duration of marriage is used to derive an estimate of the age pattern of fertility. The level of natural fertility is found to be low. However, the calculated crude birth rate is high and consistent with rates calculated by other methods using different data.

Medical and social characteristics of couples who obtained a vasectomy at a Leicester Family Planning Association (FPA) clinic were compared with those from earlier studies. There were several differences which would suggest that the operation is now more popular with the public than in the late 1960s.

This paper uses the 1981 National Rural Demographic Survey to document childhood mortality variations in rural areas of Ethiopia. Four significant findings are highlighted. (1) Health status of parents is identified as an important determinant of childhood mortality. (2) Religion, region of residence and ethnicity interact in their effects on childhood mortality and the effect of ethnicity varies in different regions for the same religion; in some areas ethnicity may serve as a proxy for economic and cultural differences. (3) Childhood mortality is inversely related to literacy status of parents, which may also reflect socioecomic status. (4) The data show a clear difference in childhood mortality between the famine-prone areas and the rest.

Fertility variation in Japanese agricultural immigrant women in Bolivia is examined by birth cohort, educational status, religious affiliation, the agricultural system of their households, and prefectural origin in Japan. Only the place of origin in Japan makes a singnificant contribution to variations in fertiligy; higher fertility was found among the women from the Nagasaki prefecture. The results suggest that fertility differentials in this community represent the survival of different fertility norms from the area of origin, which are not due to educational and religious differences.