Status of Morbidity in SAARC Countries: Analysis with Panel Data

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Title

Public Health and Nutrition the South Asian and Southeast Asian Landscape

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the fertility differentials of Bangladesh by considering some socioeconomic and demographic factors using BDHS 2018 data. Differentials of fertility are examined by some selected background variables: age at marriage, education, place of residence, religion, region, work status of women,, women's participation in nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), husband's education, husband's occupation, and birth status of women of Bangladesh. The average number of children ever-born per ever-married woman of different age groups from <20 to 45+ is used as the measurement technique of the differentials of fertility to the selected variables. The results have been presented that the current scenario of fertility differentials of the selected variables have positive or negative indirect effects on the reproductive behavior of Bangladesh. The analysis reveals that age at marriage has a reducing effect on fertility furthermore the increase in the age at marriage and level of education may effectively reduce the reproductive performance of the women in Bangladesh. Again, the urban–rural differentials of fertility show that the rural fertility is higher than the urban. Besides these socioeconomic variables, women's and men's labor force participation influences fertility negatively. It is usually seen that those who are engaged in non-manual (mental) work have less number of children, as compared with those who are in manual (physical) work. There are eight administrative divisions in Bangladesh, which are Barishal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet. Regional differentials of fertility have reflected that fertility is higher in Sylhet, Chittagong, and Mymensingh divisions with the average number of children ever-born per woman being 2.968, 2.844, and 2.873. Fertility is lowest in Khulna (2.075), Rajshahi (2.198), and Rangpur (2.208). Dhaka and Barisal have intermediate levels of fertility, with an average of 2.355 and 2.438 children per woman. The regional differentials reveal the regional variation in fertility and those may be the result of education, occupation, religion, urbanization, and economic condition of that area.

First Page

187

Last Page

208

DOI

10.1007/978-981-97-7890-4_13

Publication Date

1-1-2024

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