Dudley L. Poston|Baochang Gu
Socioeconomic development, family planning, and fertility in China
Peking University
relationships socioeconomic development family planning fertility among 28 subregions china circa 1982 examined dependent variable total fertility rate 1981 17 development variables include many social economic demographic factors shown earlier studies influential accounting fertility among chinese subregions table 1 presents means standard deviations total fertility rate tfr 17 development variables 11 family planning variables total fertility rate 1981 average value among 28 areas 269 varying lows 132 shanghai 159 beijing 165 tianjin highs 436 guizhou 412 ningxia 410 guangxi relative effects varibles fertility varied considerably 4 family planning variables highest correlations firstbirth rate 092 contraceptive use rate 086 birth planning rate 083 1child certificate holder rate 082 8 socioeconomic development variables correlations fertility 060 higher additional 5 correlations 050 060 3 separate tests theoretical model indicated consistently strong negative direct effects family planning behavior weak direct effects family planning costs structural development strong negative direct effects fertility introduced equation rural quality life reduced effects used equation development index gauging female status direct negative effects quality life fertility structural development 2 development indexes used equation due high collinearity regard indirect effects development fertility female status index high negative indirect effects family planning behavior 4 development indexes trivial indirect effects via combined path family planning costs family planning behavior findings essentially consistent analyzes