Impact of Sex Composition of Living Children and Couples’ Agreement on Subsequent Fertility in India

Abstract

SummaryThe desire for children could be considered a reliable predictor of subsequent fertility. At the same time, the sex composition of surviving children, along with other demographic and socioeconomic factors, may affect a couple's fertility desire and, therefore, their subsequent fertility. This study examined the impact of the sex composition of living children and a couple's agreement on fertility desire on their subsequent fertility in India using data came from two rounds of nationally representative surveys: the India Human Development Survey (IHDS)-I (2004-05) and IHDS-II (2011-12). To understand which factors affect the chances of an additional pregnancy or childbirth, a random effects logistic regression model was applied to the panel data. It was found that the fertility desires of both marital partners were important in determining the chances of subsequent fertility. About 35% of the couples wanting to limit children had undergone pregnancy or childbirth, while 76% of the couples wanting more children had conceived or given birth to children. In the case of discordance between the spouses, subsequent fertility was found to remain intermediate between those agreeing to continue childbirth and those wanting to limit it. The findings also affirmed that child sex preference, specifically son preference, still persists in Indian society. More than 80% of the couples with only daughters in IHDS-I mutually wanted to have additional children, whereas in families that only had sons, the chance of a subsequent pregnancy was inversely associated with the number of sons. Strong patriarchal settings, combined with cultural and socioeconomic factors, affect the persistence of sex preference in India. Programmes aimed at increasing family planning use need to address son preference and should include components that promote the value of girl children.

Examining the Influence of Intimate Partner Violence on Fertility Planning Status of Couples: Evidence from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey

“…Middle and poor couples were less likely to have planned their fertility. This is in tandem with Kastor and Chatterjee (2018), who found that the odds of conceiving additional pregnancy or bearing another child were significantly lower among married women from rich households. This implies that poverty is a risk factor for unplanned fertility among couples in Nigeria.…”

“…A couple might prefer and plan towards having another child, but of a different sex. Any child that deviates from that desired sex might end up unwanted and unplanned, and this may determine the further desire for fertility (Kastor & Chatterjee, 2018). This study draws attention towards the essence of studying the importance of child sex preference in couples' fertility desires, as also reported by Titilayo & Palamuleni (2015) in their study of unwanted fertility in Malawi.…”

How does the sex composition of children affect men's higher ideal family size preference relative to women and contraceptive use patterns among couples? A cross-sectional analysis of dyadic couple's data in India

“…Prior research has shown fertility-related attitudes to be predictive of their reproductive health behaviors and fertility ( Freedman et al, 1975 ; Hagewen & Morgan, 2005 ; Lightbourne, 1985 ). Several studies conducted in the South Asian context have identified strong associations between sex composition of children and fertility desire and other reproductive decisions including contraceptive use ( Calhoun et al, 2013 ; Chaudhuri, 2012 ; Edmeades et al, 2012 ; Jayaraman et al, 2009 ; Kastor & Chatterjee, 2018 ; Kumar et al, 2021 ; Stash, 1996 ; Yadav et al, 2020 ). However, most of these studies, focused on women's fertility preferences with very few studies considering men's fertility preferences alongside that of women.…”