Predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in Ghana.

<h4>Background</h4>A woman's ability to achieve her preferred family size is critical in addressing issues of high fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. The socio-cultural context in sub-Saharan Africa presents some difficulty for the attainment of preferred fertility for many women. Few...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Isaac Yeboah, Stephen Owusu Kwankye, Faustina Frempong-Ainguah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250881&type=printable
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850239967572262912
author Isaac Yeboah
Stephen Owusu Kwankye
Faustina Frempong-Ainguah
author_facet Isaac Yeboah
Stephen Owusu Kwankye
Faustina Frempong-Ainguah
author_sort Isaac Yeboah
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>A woman's ability to achieve her preferred family size is critical in addressing issues of high fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. The socio-cultural context in sub-Saharan Africa presents some difficulty for the attainment of preferred fertility for many women. Few studies in sub-Saharan Africa have examined the extent to which women are unable to achieve their preferred family sizes. This study, therefore, examines the factors that are associated with the non-attainment of women's preferred fertility by the end of their reproductive years.<h4>Data and methods</h4>The study analyzed pooled cross-sectional data with a sub-sample of 1,888 currently married women aged 45-49 years from five rounds of the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 1993 to 2014. Test of associations and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to examine the predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility relative to achieved fertility.<h4>Results</h4>The results indicate that 44 per cent of the women recorded overachieved fertility while about 36 per cent underachieved their fertility. Partner wants more, experiencing child loss and married more than once were significantly associated with overachieved fertility. Nonetheless, increased years of a woman's education and delaying her at first birth were negatively associated with overachieved fertility. On the other hand, underachieved fertility was significantly associated with having a partner with fewer fertility preference, being of the Islamic faith and ever use of modern contraception.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Partner's fertility preference, child loss experience, marrying more than once and ever use of modern contraception were important predictors of a woman's inability to achieve her fertility preference. Policies to regulate men's fertility behaviour, delaying age at first birth, use of modern contraception, encouraging longer years of education, and reducing infant and child mortality are important strategies to achieve fertility preference in Ghana.
format Article
id doaj-art-e04f19666ade4f79a59bc1aeae818495
institution OA Journals
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-e04f19666ade4f79a59bc1aeae8184952025-08-20T02:01:00ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01166e025088110.1371/journal.pone.0250881Predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in Ghana.Isaac YeboahStephen Owusu KwankyeFaustina Frempong-Ainguah<h4>Background</h4>A woman's ability to achieve her preferred family size is critical in addressing issues of high fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. The socio-cultural context in sub-Saharan Africa presents some difficulty for the attainment of preferred fertility for many women. Few studies in sub-Saharan Africa have examined the extent to which women are unable to achieve their preferred family sizes. This study, therefore, examines the factors that are associated with the non-attainment of women's preferred fertility by the end of their reproductive years.<h4>Data and methods</h4>The study analyzed pooled cross-sectional data with a sub-sample of 1,888 currently married women aged 45-49 years from five rounds of the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 1993 to 2014. Test of associations and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to examine the predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility relative to achieved fertility.<h4>Results</h4>The results indicate that 44 per cent of the women recorded overachieved fertility while about 36 per cent underachieved their fertility. Partner wants more, experiencing child loss and married more than once were significantly associated with overachieved fertility. Nonetheless, increased years of a woman's education and delaying her at first birth were negatively associated with overachieved fertility. On the other hand, underachieved fertility was significantly associated with having a partner with fewer fertility preference, being of the Islamic faith and ever use of modern contraception.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Partner's fertility preference, child loss experience, marrying more than once and ever use of modern contraception were important predictors of a woman's inability to achieve her fertility preference. Policies to regulate men's fertility behaviour, delaying age at first birth, use of modern contraception, encouraging longer years of education, and reducing infant and child mortality are important strategies to achieve fertility preference in Ghana.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250881&type=printable
spellingShingle Isaac Yeboah
Stephen Owusu Kwankye
Faustina Frempong-Ainguah
Predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in Ghana.
PLoS ONE
title Predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in Ghana.
title_full Predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in Ghana.
title_fullStr Predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in Ghana.
title_full_unstemmed Predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in Ghana.
title_short Predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in Ghana.
title_sort predictors of underachieved and overachieved fertility among women with completed fertility in ghana
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250881&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT isaacyeboah predictorsofunderachievedandoverachievedfertilityamongwomenwithcompletedfertilityinghana
AT stephenowusukwankye predictorsofunderachievedandoverachievedfertilityamongwomenwithcompletedfertilityinghana
AT faustinafrempongainguah predictorsofunderachievedandoverachievedfertilityamongwomenwithcompletedfertilityinghana