Abstract:
The objectives of the study were to find out the characteristics of the respondents who desired for birth-spacing and fertility termination by means of sterilization and to determine which economic, social and demographic factors had the influence on such desire possessed by the household heads. The data used in the study was from the project entitled Population Migratory Movement and Development undertaken by the Institute of Population Studies, Chulalognkorn University in April-May 1981 by interviewing a total of 1,700 sample household heads. Of this number, 505 were residents of Bangkok Metropolis, 598 lived in the intermediate-sized urban areas, 301 were in the rural more-developed areas and 296 were in the rural less-developed areas. The significant findings from the study are as follows: 1. The number of household heads with the desire for birth-spacing was three times higher than the number of household heads with no desire for birth-spacing. Household heads who lived in the rural least-developed areas had the highest desire for birth-spacing. And household heads who lived in the most developed areas (Bangkok Metropolis) had the lowest desire for birth-spacing. The household heads with the desire for sterilization and household heads with no desire for sterilization were equal in number. And household heads who lived in the urban area had higher desire for sterilization than household heads in the rural area. 2. Factors Affecting Desire for Birth-Spacing Direct determinants. It was consist of age, desired number of children, practice of family planning and method of family planning used. It was found that age negatively affected the desire for birth-spacing as hypothesized, i.e. the proportion of the household heads who desired to space their childbearing decreased by age. Method of family planning used was found to correspond with the set hypothesis, i.e. household heads who used temporary methods had higher d[e]sire for birth-spacing than the household heads who used permanent method. Desired number of children did not relate with the desire in the direction as hypothesized. Indirect determinants. It was consist of education, occupation, career status, modernity, income and locality. It was found that education negatively affected the desire for birth-spacing, i.e. higher educated household heads had lower desire for birth-spacing than the less educated household heads which was opposite to the hypothesis. Occupation was found to be uncorresponding to the hypothesis, i.e. the household heads who were farmers had higher desire to space their childbearing than the household heads who held other professions. Residence was found to be corresponding to the set hypothesis. Findings from the multiple regression analysis showed that for whole country, modernity affected the desire for birth-spacing the most; next was occupation. In the urban areas, family planning method used was the only variable which affected the desire. While in rural areas it was found that age affected the desire the most, and next was career status. 3. Factors Affecting Desire for Sterilization Direct determinants. It was found that age negatively related with the desired for sterilization, i.e. the younger household heads had higher desire for sterilization than the older household heads, while desired number of children did not affect the desire as hypothesized. Indirect determinants. It was found that education affected the desire for sterilization as hypothesized, i.e. the higher educated household heads had higher desire for sterilization than the lower ones; while occupation and locality related with desire for sterilization in the opposite direction as hypothesized. Findings from the multiple regression analysis showed that in all of the three areas, namely, the urban, the rural and the overall country, age affected the desire for sterilization negatively and significantly. Education and practice of family planning also related significantly with the desire.