Suchergebnisse

ntroduction Gender inequality has been associa ted with child mortality; however, sex-specific mortalities have yet to be explored. The aim of this study is to assess the associations between gender inequality and the child mortality sex ratio at country level, worldwide and to infer on possible mechanisms. Methods Da ta on sex-specific under-five mortality rates (U5MR) and the corresponding sex ratio (U5MSR) for the year 2015, by country, were retrieved from the Unicef database. Excess under-five female mortality was derived from previous published work. Gender inequality was measured using the Gender Inequality Index (GII). Additional biological and social variables have been included to explore potential mechanistic pathways. r esults A total of 195 countries were inc luded in the analysis. In adjusted models, GII was significantly negatively associated with the U5MSR ( β =−0.29 (95% CI −0.42 to –0.16), p<0.001) and borderline significantly positively associated with excess under-five female mortality ( β = 3.25 (95% CI −0.28 to 6.67, p=0.071). The association between GII and U5MSR was strong and statistically significant only in low-income and middle- income countries and in the Western Pacific area. Conclusion The more gender unequal a society is, the more girls are penalised in terms of their survival chances, in particular in low-income and middle-income countries. In order to decrease child mortality and excess girl mortality, global policy should focus on reducing gender inequality surrounding measures of reproductive health, women's political empowerment, educational attainment and participation in the workforce

Introduction: Gender inequality has been associated with child mortality; however, sex-specific mortalities have yet to be explored. The aim of this study is to assess the associations between gender inequality and the child mortality sex ratio at country level, worldwide and to infer on possible mechanisms. Methods: Data on sex-specific under-five mortality rates (U5MR) and the corresponding sex ratio (U5MSR) for the year 2015, by country, were retrieved from the Unicef database. Excess under-five female mortality was derived from previous published work. Gender inequality was measured using the Gender Inequality Index (GII). Additional biological and social variables have been included to explore potential mechanistic pathways. Results: A total of 195 countries were included in the analysis. In adjusted models, GII was significantly negatively associated with the U5MSR (β=-0.29 (95% CI -0.42 to -0.16), p<0.001) and borderline significantly positively associated with excess under-five female mortality (β = 3.25 (95% CI -0.28 to 6.67, p=0.071). The association between GII and U5MSR was strong and statistically significant only in low-income and middle-income countries and in the Western Pacific area. Conclusion: The more gender unequal a society is, the more girls are penalised in terms of their survival chances, in particular in low-income and middle-income countries. In order to decrease child mortality and excess girl mortality, global policy should focus on reducing gender inequality surrounding measures of reproductive health, women's political empowerment, educational attainment and participation in the workforce.

Introduction: Gender inequality has been associated with child mortality; however, sex-specific mortalities have yet to be explored. The aim of this study is to assess the associations between gender inequality and the child mortality sex ratio at country level, worldwide and to infer on possible mechanisms. Methods: Data on sex-specific under-five mortality rates (U5MR) and the corresponding sex ratio (U5MSR) for the year 2015, by country, were retrieved from the Unicef database. Excess under-five female mortality was derived from previous published work. Gender inequality was measured using the Gender Inequality Index (GII). Additional biological and social variables have been included to explore potential mechanistic pathways. Results: A total of 195 countries were included in the analysis. In adjusted models, GII was significantly negatively associated with the U5MSR (β=-0.29 (95% CI -0.42 to -0.16), p<0.001) and borderline significantly positively associated with excess under-five female mortality (β = 3.25 (95% CI -0.28 to 6.67, p=0.071). The association between GII and U5MSR was strong and statistically significant only in low-income and middle-income countries and in the Western Pacific area. Conclusion: The more gender unequal a society is, the more girls are penalised in terms of their survival chances, in particular in low-income and middle-income countries. In order to decrease child mortality and excess girl mortality, global policy should focus on reducing gender inequality surrounding measures of reproductive health, women's political empowerment, educational attainment and participation in the workforce.

AbstractDespite an overall downward trend in child sex ratios in India, some of the most imbalanced districts in 2001 (fewer girls than boys) showed signs of becoming more balanced in 2011. This analysis looked in depth at these districts to better understand the nature of the improvement in the child sex ratio using two rounds of data from the Census of India from 2001 and 2011. Data were used from the 153 districts that showed improvement in their child sex ratio between 2001 and 2011. The improvement was decomposed into: (1) less sex-selective abortion and (2) improved girl compared with boy mortality. Most of the improvement in child sex ratios were shown to be due to reductions in sex-selective abortion, although this still made up the majority of the cause of imbalanced sex ratios in 2011. Child sex ratio improvement has been happening in both rural and urban areas of India, and there is evidence of stagnation in mortality decline for urban girls.

SummaryDemographic research in India over the last two decades has focused extensively on fertility change and gender bias at the micro-level, and less has been done at the district level. Using data from the Census of India 1991–2011 and other sources, this paper shows the broad pattern of fertility transition and trends in the child sex ratio in India, and examines the determinants of the child sex ratio at the district level. During 1991–2011, while the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) declined by 1.2 children per woman, the child sex ratio fell by 30 points in the districts of India. However, the reduction in fertility was slower in the high-fertility compared with the low-fertility districts. The gender differential in under-five mortality increased in many districts of India over the study period. The decline in the child sex ratio was higher in the transitional compared with the low-fertility districts. The transitional districts are at higher risk of a low child sex ratio due to an increased gender differential in mortality and increase in the practice of sex-selective abortions. The sex ratio at birth and gender differential in mortality explains one-third of the variation, while region alone explains a quarter of the variation in the child sex ratio in the districts of India.

The article focuses on the geographical dimension of child sex ratio (CSR) and its evolving pattern for the last 40 years (1981–2011). Using a spatial statistical approach, it has been possible to identify homogeneous groups of objects in the study area. The study considered the role of spatial proximity of cultural diffusion which spreads rapidly regardless of the position of groups within a social structure. In doing so, the article tried to conceptualise the role of region in shaping its gender. The study explained declining CSR through the process of two mechanisms: one, the regional pull, that is, a region exerts a force so as to cause a movement towards itself and the other, diffusion of knowledge and ideational changes. Finally, the study has tried to measure the effect of socio-economic variables on CSR through a regression model.

Introduction -- Background on population sex ratio -- Conceptual framework -- Research methods -- Characteristics associated with male birth proportion -- The effect of prenatal sex selection on mortality -- The effect of prenatal sex selection on health care and morbidity -- Discussion and conclusions

The media and generalist scholarly work have created a conventional wisdom that China's one-child policy is the driver of the country's skewed sex ratio and so should be relaxed in order to ameliorate the imbalance. However, we show through historical, domestic and international comparisons that son preference, which we treat as an observable and measurable variable made up of labour, ritual, inheritance and old-age security practices and policies, is crucial to explaining the imbalanced sex ratio at birth. China's sex ratio cannot fully normalize without addressing son preference. (China Q/GIGA)

AbstractThe media and generalist scholarly work have created a conventional wisdom that China's one-child policy is the driver of the country's skewed sex ratio and so should be relaxed in order to ameliorate the imbalance. However, we show through historical, domestic and international comparisons that son preference, which we treat as an observable and measurable variable made up of labour, ritual, inheritance and old-age security practices and policies, is crucial to explaining the imbalanced sex ratio at birth. China's sex ratio cannot fully normalize without addressing son preference.

This study has twofold objectives: (1) to investigate the progress in sex differentials in child mortality in India in terms of within and between group changes and (2) to identify the factors explaining the sex differentials in child mortality and quantify their relative contributions. We have used three rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data, 1992 to 2006. Life table approach and Pyatt and Oaxaca decomposition models were used as methods of analyses. The results revealed that though sex differential in child mortality is still high in India, it declined during 1992 to 2006 (Gini index from 0.36 to 0.24). This decline was primarily led by a change in within inequality of female child mortality (Gini index from 0.18 to 0.14). Among the selected predictors, breastfeeding (40%), birth order (24%), antenatal care (9%), and mother's age (7%) emerged as critical contributors for the excess female child mortality in India. From the findings of this study, we suggest that any efforts to do away with gender differences in child survival should focus more on within female child disparity across different population subgroups alongside male-female disparity. Implications are advanced.