2014年-世界发展银行全球_Son_Preference_Fertility_and_Family_Structure___Evidence_from_Reproductive_Behavior_among_Nigerian_Women_46页_1mb

Summary of "Son Preference, Fertility and Family Structure: Evidence from Reproductive Behavior among Nigerian Women"

Core Content

This working paper explores the phenomenon of son preference in Nigeria, a country in Sub-Saharan Africa, and its impact on fertility behavior, family structure, and women's health and well-being. While son preference is often associated with regions like Asia, the paper investigates whether it also influences reproductive and social dynamics in Nigeria. The findings suggest that son preference is indeed prevalent and has significant consequences for adult women, particularly in terms of health, marital outcomes, and family structure.

Main Views

• Son preference affects fertility behavior and family structure in Nigeria, even though sex ratios at birth are within the normal range.
• Women with first-born daughters are more likely to have more children, shorter birth intervals, and lower contraceptive use compared to those with first-born sons.
• These behaviors are associated with higher risks of maternal and child mortality due to the negative health impacts of short birth intervals and reduced maternal care.
• Polygyny is more common among women with first-born daughters, as they are more likely to be in a polygynous union. This is attributed to the desire to have a son to ensure lineage continuation and inheritance rights.
• Divorce and female headship are also more likely among women with first-born daughters, highlighting the disadvantaged position of women in such contexts.
• The paper also examines child fostering patterns and finds that daughters are more frequently used as substitutes for foster girls, while sons are not substitutes for foster boys. This suggests that son preference influences fostering decisions in a non-symmetric manner.
• The asymmetric response to gender imbalances indicates that families with more daughters may continue bearing children to achieve a male child, while those with more sons may receive foster daughters for domestic labor.

Key Information

• Data Source: The 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), a representative cross-sectional dataset of women aged 15 to 49.
• Sample Characteristics:
  • Mean number of children ever born: 4.35
  • Mean number of daughters ever born: 2.12
  • Mean number of sons ever born: 2.23
  • Mean number of children alive: 3.53
  • Son preference is more pronounced in older women (over 30), as seen in the lower share of women with a first-born girl in this age group.
• Contraceptive Use: Only 16% of currently married women use contraception, which is lower than the proportion of women who want another child (63%).
• Birth Intervals: Short intervals (less than 24 months) are more common among women who have daughters as earlier-born children, increasing the risk of maternal and child mortality.
• Polygyny: 34% of women have a polygynous husband, with those who have a first-born daughter being 1.2 percentage points more likely to be in a polygynous union.
• Marital Outcomes:
  • Women with first-born daughters are 1.4 percentage points more likely to have a non-resident husband.
  • They are 1.2 percentage points more likely to be ever divorced or separated.
  • They are 1.1 percentage points more likely to be the head of the household.
• Child Fostering: There is an asymmetric pattern in fostering decisions, with families having more sons more likely to foster in a daughter, while families with more daughters are not more likely to foster in a son. This implies that son preference is a key driver of fostering behavior.
• Cultural Context: In patrilineal societies, sons are central to lineage continuation, inheritance, and social status. Fostering is used as a mechanism to balance family labor and reduce childrearing costs.
• Policy Implication: The findings suggest that son preference may contribute to excess female mortality among adult women in Sub-Saharan Africa, and that addressing gender preferences could be a key factor in improving women's health and well-being.

Conclusion

This paper contributes to the understanding of son preference in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa by showing how it affects fertility, marriage, and family structure. It highlights the negative health outcomes for women and asymmetric fostering patterns that are influenced by son preference. The paper also suggests that son preference may play a more significant role in shaping social institutions than previously thought, and that policy interventions aimed at reducing gender bias could have positive implications for maternal and child health.