This paper examines patterns of fertility and family planning in China, particularly by an analysis of recently available provincial data for the period around 1981. Fertility rates in the more urban and developed parts of China are very low, approximating those of countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world. Family planning in these areas is also very common and widespread. The more rural and interior areas of China, however, are characterized by much higher fertility rates and by much lower family planning rates. Family planning variables are very good predictors of provincial fertility.

Using data from the Nigerian Fertility Survey of 1981–82, the effect of polygyny on fertility is examined, by age cohort, for four regions of the country. Comparison of mean completed and current fertility suggests that changes in reproductive behaviour are taking place in Nigeria, restricting the fertility of women in polygynous unions, especially of younger women, when socioeconomic factors are taken into account.

A major cause for the disparity in maternal and infant mortality and morbidity between the developing world and industrialized nations is the uncontrolled population growth seen in the former, largely brought about by failure of authorities to realize the importance of fertility regulation. Some governments and international agencies have introduced family planning programmes which have had a striking effect on the health of mothers and children. This study traces demographic changes in Singapore in the context of legislation disincentives and incentives.

The levels of fertility of two rural areas, Matlab and Teknaf, of different environmental and cultural settings of Balgladesh are markedly different. The proximate fertility determinants that may explain this difference are identified and their possible effect is examined.

Most of the variation of natural fertility is explained by the difference in breast-feeding practices of the two populations, median duration 30 months for Matlab and 22 months for Teknaf. This difference suggests that prolonged breast-feeding is as important a factor contributing to the relatively low fertility in Matlab as contraception. While the increase of contraceptive use in Matlab has greatly affected fertility, the concomitant contribution of prolonged lactational amenorrhoea is also important.

Medical records from maternity clinics in three Norwegian cities, Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, have been used to study the relationship between lactation and post-partum amenorrhoea during the period 1860–1964. Resumption of menses after a period of post-partum amenorrhoea has been examined separately during lactation, after cessation of lactation, and in the absence of lactation, in 5250 cases. During ongoing lactation the median duration of post-partum amenorrhoea was found by survival analysis to be 12 months for women who had given birth before 1900 and 6 months for women who had given birth after 1900. In a Cox regression analysis, age of menarche and parity were found to influence the duration of post-partum amenorrhoea, in addition to the child's birth year. With a later age of menarche there was longer amenorrhoea, and primiparae resumed menses earlier than multiparae. After cessation of breast-feeding the median duration of amenorrhoea was 1 month, the only variable significantly influencing it being the age of menarche, a younger age showing a shorter duration. In the absence of lactation the survivor function started to decline after 3–4 weeks, and had a half-life of 2 months.

None of the variables indicating the woman's social condition seemed to influence the duration of amenorrhoea. The decline in the duration of post-partum amenorrhoea during ongoing lactation from 1860 until today is therefore probably caused by a changed breast-feeding pattern rather than by improved nutrition for women giving birth.

In a multi-centre survey in 1986, 400 married Filipino women aged 15–40 were interviewed about their use of contraceptive methods, and specifically about their perceptions of the effects on health of oral contraceptives and their attitudes to contraceptive methods. The sample was randomly selected in the urban and rural areas surveyed and cannot be considered representative for the country as a whole. The results showed that women hold definitive views on the health risks posed by oral contraceptives and point to the importance of family planning clinics as a source of contraceptive counselling. The overall rate of contraceptive use must be regarded as insufficient to meet contraceptive needs.

In summer 1987, 584 students at Oxford University were sent a questionnaire enquiring about their sexual behaviour and contraceptive practice, and about the effect that AIDS has had on these. Of the 374 students who replied, 65% of the women and 62% of the men had experienced sexual intercourse. Twenty-seven per cent of female undergraduates did not use adequate contraception on the first occasion of intercourse. During the 4-week period preceding the questionnaire, 15% of sexually active female undergraduates did not use adequate contraception. The use of contraception has changed over the last 5 years, with fewer students using oral contraceptives as their most frequent means of contraception and more using barrier methods. In general, knowledge about AIDS was high. Most students did not consider that they were at risk of becoming infected by the AIDS virus and, by their reported sexual behaviour, very few students appeared to be at any risk. However, 35% of women and 44% of men who were sexually active said that because of risk of AIDS they had been more likely to use the sheath, and 49% of women and 30% of men said that they had, or would have, fewer partners. These findings suggest that attitudes, and possibly behaviour, are changing towards a reduction in risks of sexually transmitted infection.

This paper presents information on the incidence of hysterectomy and tubal ligation in South Australia in the period 1980–82, and on the age, marital status and ethnicity of women undergoing these procedures in public hospitals during the period. A typical woman undergoing one of these procedures was married or previously married and in her mid-40s for hysterectomy or mid-30s for tubal ligation. South Australian women had a lifetime chance of one in six of undergoing hysterectomy and of one in five of undergoing tubal ligation. The findings are consonant with the suggestion that increasing numbers of women are choosing forms of sterilization as means of contraception.

The duration of amenorrhoea among a group of chronically malnourished women in a rural area of Bangladesh is examined by application of multivariate hazard models with time-varying covariates, including the influence of maternal nutrition, seasonality and patterns of infant feeding. Both maternal weight at pregnancy termination and the pattern of infant feeding affected the length of post-partum amenorrhoea. Analyses focused on season of birth showed the importance of differences by education in infant feeding.

Using data from a 1982–83 survey, infant and early childhood mortality are investigated in a large rural region of Senegal. Because of evidence of under-reporting of early mortality an adjustment factor was applied to the data. Infant mortality was estimated to be about 113 deaths per 1000 live births. Childhood mortality was very high relative to infant mortality. Some noteworthy differentials in mortality between geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups were recorded. It was estimated that diarrhoeal and respiratory diseases accounted for about one-half of reported deaths. Tetanus was an important cause of death during infancy. Measles and malaria were important causes only after the first birthday.

Data on daily work-output (kg of leaves plucked) of Oraon pluckers in tea gardens of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India, are analysed. While on any particular day of the week there is no significant difference in work-output of males and females, there is a significant between-day variation in work-output for both sexes. Mean work-output steadily decreases as the week progresses, perhaps due to the cumulative effect of fatigue.

The relationship between female labour force participation, and other socioeconomic factors, and the probability of having a third birth is examined, using British data collected in the 1980 Women and Employment Survey, by hazard regression modelling with time-varying covariates. The results demonstrate the strong association between demographic factors, e.g. age at first birth and birth interval and subsequent fertility behaviour. Education appears to have little effect. Surprisingly, women who have spent a higher proportion of time as housewives have a lower risk of having a third birth. This finding is in sharp disagreement with the conventional expectation that cumulative labour force participation supports lower fertility. These findings are briefly compared with similar research carried out in Sweden.

There is no agreed explanation of the social class gradient in infant mortality. The longstanding debate continues between those who favour explanations based on natural or social selection and those who stress the influence of environmental circumstances. These explanations are often presented as competing hypotheses between which it is necessary to make an absolute choice. An article which takes this approach is critically examined. It is argued that such an approach may lead to erroneous conclusions, and may divert attention away from the primary task of understanding how to bring about further improvements in the survival of infants in the manual social classes.