Year: 1989
Type: report
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: ABS'IRACTThis paper estimates a reduced form equation of the socioeconomic determinants of fertility in cote d'Ivoire.The number of children ever born ls regressed on the mother's age and schooling, the location of the household, and household income variables.This equation is estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS), maximum likelihood Tobit, and a Poisson count model.The advantages and drawbacks of the different econometric models in modelling fertility are discussed.Data are from 1444 women interviewed by the 1985 cote d'Ivoire Living Standards Survey.For the entire sample, female schooling has a depressing effect on fertility, while household income is associated with higher fertility.Among the subsample of urban women, only the negative effect of schooling is observed; among the subsample of rural women only the positive effect of household income is observed.The absence of a schooling effect among rural women ls attributed in part to the low proportion of women with any schooling.When the sample is broken into three age cohorts, the negative effect of schooling on fertility is observed for the youngest and middle cohorts (ages 15-24 and 25-34, respectively), while the positive effect of income is observed for the middle and oldest cohorts (25-34 and 35+, respectively).This suggests that a fertility decline may be underway among young educated women.The robustness of the results to the specification of income ls also examined.Three income measures are used: the value of household consumption per adult (a proxy for permanent income); household income per adult; and household nonlabor income per adult.Results were most robust for the permanent income measure, less so for current income, and generally insignificant for nonlabor income.
Source: Econstor (Econstor)
Author: Martha Ainsworth
Language: English
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1773198136