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Fertility change in Costa Rica 1960–84: analysis of retrospective lifetime reproductive histories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Luis Rosero-Bixby  and
Mark W. Oberle
Luis Rosero-Bixby
Affiliation:
Institute for Health Research, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
Mark W. Oberle
Affiliation:
Division of Reproductive Health, Center for Health Promotion and Education, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA
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Summary

Lifetime reproductive histories of a 1984–85 nationally representative sample of 870 women aged 25–59 years provided data to describe the evolution of fertility, contraception, breast-feeding, and natural fecundability in Costa Rica between 1960 and 1984. The contraceptive prevalence rate increased from 23% in 1965 to 58% in 1975 and 66% in 1984. Duration of breast-feeding was stable during the 1960s, decreased in the early 1970s, and increased after about 1976. Fecundability among women who did not practise contraception was lower than expected and declined between 1960 and 1975, probably because of selection effects. Despite a high consistency between estimations from the reproductive histories and other sources of data, some suggestion of omissions of short periods of contraceptive use in the distant past was detected. The survey may have reduced recall errors by using a calendar that summarizes major life events together. The analysis demonstrated the feasibility and usefulness of asking for lifetime reproductive histories in fertility surveys in developing countries.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , October 1989 , pp. 419 - 432
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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