The Effects of Population Characteristics on Fertility Preferences in Eastern Delta Governorates, Egypt: A GIS Based of Spatial Local Modelling

Type Journal Article - American Journal of Geographic Information System
Title The Effects of Population Characteristics on Fertility Preferences in Eastern Delta Governorates, Egypt: A GIS Based of Spatial Local Modelling
Author(s)
Volume 4
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2015
Page numbers 105-120
URL http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.ajgis.20150403.03.html
Abstract
Socioeconomic characteristics of population such as household wealth status and woman educational levels play a crucial role in fertility preferences. Nevertheless, there is limited research on addressing spatial patterns of fertility preferences in Egypt. Therefore, this paper aimed at modelling spatially the influences of population characteristics on fertility preferences and examining how the relationships between a set of socioeconomic factors and fertility intentions vary across the Eastern Delta Governorates in Egypt (Damietta, Al Dakahlia and Al Sharkia). Using data on fertility and women socioeconomic characteristics from the 2008 Egyptian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), spatial linkage to census administrative boundary was conducted. Specifically, a Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) technique was used to identify the variables that are associated with the proportion of women who prefer to have another child. This technique is valuable in investigating local variations of spatial relationships when the response and predictors variables are non-stationary. The results revealed that the effect of population characteristics on fertility preferences is plausibly heterogeneous across the study area. Furthermore, most coefficients covariates on fertility preferences (e.g., wealth classes, education level, number of living children and husband attitudes) had statistically significant spatial variations. The proportion of women with higher education was negatively correlated with fertility desire to childbearing. In contrast, husband attitudes was positively associated with the desire to have more children. The findings of this research provide several noteworthy contributions to understanding local variations of fertility preferences in Egypt specifically on family planning issues and population growth.

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