Full Citation

Title: The Birth Interval and the Odds of a Male Birth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for the Sex-Ratio

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2017

ISBN:

ISSN:

DOI:

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: Many studies seek to understand the social and biological determinants of the sex ratio at birth, but the literature has neglected to explore how rates of fetal loss might affect a population’s sex ratio at birth due to a difficulty in measuring early fetal loss at a population level. Fetal loss is important for understanding sex ratios at birth because it occurs more often for male than female fetuses (Pelletier 1998; Caselli et al. 2006; Kraemer 2000, Carlo di Renzo et al. 2007; Byrne and Warburton 1987), and poor maternal wellbeing is linked to higher levels of fetal loss (Kim et al. 2012; Nepomnaschy et al. 2006; Agarwal et al. 1998; Norsker et al. 2012). To address this gap in the literature, I use birth intervals as a proxy of fetal loss after controlling for other determinants of birth intervals such as contraceptive use. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), I find a negative relationship between the length of birth interval and the odds of a male birth. I suggest that this relationship can be explained by repeated early fetal loss which both decreases the odds of a male birth and lengthens the birth interval.

Url: https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/14654axm5832

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Morse, Ann Roback

Institution: Pennsylvania State University

Department: Sociology and Demography

Advisor:

Degree:

Publisher Location:

Pages: 1-28

Data Collections: IPUMS Global Health - DHS

Topics: Fertility and Mortality

Countries: