Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T16:10:18.239Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fertility preferences among Malaysian women: an analysis of responses to the new population policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Geok Lin Khor
Geok Lin Khor
Affiliation:
Takemi Program in International Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

About 10% of 3887 ever-married women included in the 1984–85 Malaysian Population and Family Survey revealed that they were influenced by the new population policy to desire more children than they had originally wanted. These women were more likely to be rural Malays from the lower socioeconomic class. Ideal family size was more than four children. Children are desired for economic benefits and emotional support. The natality of the Malays has risen since 1980: their total fertility rate has increased while their contraceptive prevalence rate has dropped sharply. Coupled with a decline in the crude death rate, the present fertility preferences and behaviour of the Malays will render the target of the population policy more attainable than is reflected by the survey data.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , October 1990 , pp. 465 - 476
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arshart, H., Tan, B. A. & Tey, N. P. (1985) Differential utilisation of health facilities and services for childbirth in Peninsular Malaysia—the ethnic factor. Malaysian J. Reprod. Hlth, 3, 105.Google Scholar
Arshart, H. & Tey, N. P. (1988) An overview of the population dynamics in Malaysia. Malaysian J. Reprod Hlth, 6, 23.Google Scholar
Bongaarts, J. (1986) The Transition in Reproductive Behavior in the Third World. Center for Population Studies Working Paper No. 125. Population Council, New York.Google Scholar
Chaudhury, R. H. (1982) Social Aspects of Fertility with Special Reference to Developing Countries. Vikas, New Delhi.Google Scholar
Coombs, L. L. & Fernandez, D. (1978) Husband-wife agreement about reproductive goals. Demography, 15, 57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
David, H. P. & Lee, S. J. (1974) Social and Psychological Aspects of Fertility in Asia. Transnational Family Research Institute, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Department of Statistics (1988) Vital Statistics Peninsular Malaysia 1987. Department of Statistics, Kuala Lumpur.Google Scholar
Fawcett, J., Arnold, F. & Bulatao, R. A. (1974) The Value of Children in Asia and the United States: Comparative Perspectives. Papers of the East-West Population Institute No. 32. East-West Population Institute, Hawaii.Google Scholar
Freedman, R. & Coombs, L. L. (1974) Cross-cultural Comparisons: Data on Two Factors in Fertility Behavior. Occasional paper. Population Council, New York.Google Scholar
Government of Malaysia (1983) Fourth Malaysia Plan 1981–1985: Mid-Term Review. Government Printer, Kuala Lumpur.Google Scholar
Lim, L. L., Jones, G. W. & Hirschman, C. (1987) Continuing fertility transitions in a plural society: ethnic trends and differentials in Peninsular Malaysia. J. biosoc. Sci. 19, 405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Population and Family Development Board Malaysia (1984) Toward a Population of Seventy Million. National Population and Family Development Board, Kuala Lumpur.Google Scholar
Noor, Laily A. B., Tan, B. A., Tey, N. P. & Rohani, A. R. (1985) Ethnicity and Fertility in Malaysia. Research Notes and Discussion Paper No. 52. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.Google Scholar
Tan, B. A. & Chak, C. S. (1987) Knowledge and use of contraception. In: Proceedings of Seminar on Findings from Population Surveys and their Policy Implications. National Population and Family Development Board, Kuala Lumpur.Google Scholar