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R D Retherford

Publications and source records attributed to R D Retherford.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Are fertility differentials by education converging in the United States?

"According to the theory of demographic transition, fertility differentials by education tend to become strongly negative in the early stages of transition, because family limitation tends to catch on first among the more educated. As the transition proceeds, contraceptive use diffuses to the less educated, and fertility differentials by education eventually tend to reconverge. The question addressed here is: Do fertility differentials by education disappear or become positive in advanced industrial societies? Evidence presented in this paper indicates that in the United States they do not. As late as 1990, the latest year that we consider, fertility differentials by education were still strongly negative." (SUMMARY IN ITA AND FRE)

Americas↗

Prospects for increased contraceptive pill use in Japan.

Although oral contraceptives are not commercially available in Japan, a low-dose contraceptive pill is expected to become available soon. The current rate of pill use is less than 1 percent, but recent survey data indicate that about 10 percent of currently married women of reproductive age intend to use the pill when it comes on the market. Those who favor the pill do so because it is highly effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies, and because it reduces the need for abortions. Many other women report uncertainty about the pill because of concern about side effects. Given that Japan has a contraceptive failure rate of about 25 percent, with 29 percent of women having had at least one abortion, many women who do not yet favor the pill may shift to it once the low-dose pill comes on the market and they are reassured about its safety. Thus, the rate of pill use is likely to rise well above 10 percent.

Adult↗

Infant mortality trends and differentials in Nepal.

Infant mortality trends and differentials are estimated from the 1981 Nepal Contraceptive Prevalence Survey (NCPS) and compared with similar estimates from the 1976 Nepal Fertility Survey (NFS) and the 1981 Census of Nepal. The analysis indicates that infant mortality rates derived directly from the NFS maternity histories are the most accurate. Infant mortality rates derived directly from the NCPS maternity histories are severely underestimated and yield a strongly biased trend that is the reverse of the true downward trend. Indirect estimates of infant mortality trends derived from child survivorship data do not result in a consistent pattern. Infant mortality differentials, when expressed in relative rather than absolute terms, are generally consistent with findings from earlier studies. Possible reasons for data quality differences among the three data sources are discussed.

Actuarial Analysis↗