Exploring Socio-Demographic Determinants Of Completed Fertility Among Elderly Women In Manipur, India

Abstract

Manipur, positioned in the easternmost border of India, presents a diverse landscape of demographic transition stages and notably high fertility rates. Despite the outlined objectives within the National Population Policy (NPP)-2000 to achieve stable population growth through 12 strategic themes, there remains a notable absence of community-based studies elucidating the determinants of completed fertility in Manipur. This study aims to assess the socio-demographic factors contributing to variations in completed fertility among elderly married women aged 50-55 years in Manipur. Utilizing a retrospective cross-sectional design, data were collected from 1263 ever-married women who had experienced menopause, residing in the valley districts through a cluster sampling scheme. The survey, conducted between March 2022 and January 2023, with the 1^st March 2022 as reference date for the survey, employed multiple binary logistic regression models to analyse community-based empirical data. The findings reveal a significant association between completed fertility (3.2) and factors such as education (P<0.01), sex of the second child (P<0.01), and the couple's preference for a son (P<0.01) within the population. These identified determinants provide foundational insights for future research endeavours focused on maternal health development and aligning with India's national objectives for population control.