《当代中国人口与发展》2022-02
Rong Chen & Baochang GuChildbearing intention and Childbearing Behavior in Low Fertility Society: evidence from Shanghai
AbstractExploring the patterns of population change under low fertility is a historical mission for demographic research in the 21st century. Taking Shanghai as an example, this paper discusses the new patterns and characteristics of people’s childbearing intention and behavior under low fertility settings. The results show that Shanghai, as a typical society with ultra-low fertility, people’s childbearing intention and behavior demonstrate the characteristics such as “downward inconsistency” between childbearing intention and childbearing behavior, “convergence” of childbearing intention and childbearing behavior between different sub-groups, “inversion” in childbearing intention and childbearing behavior with education and income, and the “decoupling” between marriage and childbearing. The childbearing intention and behavior of low fertility society as seen in the case of Shanghai show the patterns as somehow different from what was observed in a high fertility society. It suggests that many of the childbearing patterns shown in the high-fertility era may not necessarily be applicable in low fertility settings, and urges more research to be carried out in this regard.
KeywordsLow fertility rate·Childbearing intention·Childbearing behavior·Convergence·Inversion·Decoupling
Website of the paperhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42379-022-00107-y
Rui Lu, Gert Stulp & Anne H. GauthierQuantifying the sources of heterogeneity of fertility preferences in China
AbstractThere are no unanimous estimates on fertility preferences in China; they vary considerably across studies. Understanding this cross-study heterogeneity of reported preferred family size will contribute to the debates on the uncertainty of fertility in China. This paper quantified how much heterogeneity in aggregate-level fertility preferences can be explained by taking into account the demographic characteristics of the sample, its geographical location, and the measurement of fertility preferences. We retrieved 124 estimates of average preferred family size from 94 publications (from the year 2001 and onwards) in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI) and used mixed-effect meta-regression model to investigate heterogeneity. We found that the average preferred number of children in China since 2001 ranged from 0.91 to 2.88, with an average of 1.70 (SD = 0.26). Demographic differences accounted for 23%, human geographic regionalization for 21%, and the measurement of fertility preferences for 13% of the between-study variation. Sample characteristics (demographic and regional differences) and the measurement of fertility preferences together accounted for 46% of the variation in average preferred fertility. The averaged preferred family size varies by different characteristics and measurement. This study also points out whether particular groups have higher or lower preferences. It helps researchers to put estimates from fertility preferences from single studies in perspective. Moreover, this study can help resolve why researchers have such different outlooks on the future fertility of China.
KeywordsFertility preferences·China·Heterogeneity·Meta-analysis
Website of the paperhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42379-022-00110-3
Wenlei Shi & John LievensCohabitation among Chinese minorities in Western countries: an alternative family formation strategy for disadvantaged groups?
AbstractUsing data of Chinese immigrants extracted from the Belgian National Register registering a cohabitation or marriage between 2005 and 2015 (N = 3945), this study aims to advance the understanding of cohabitation among disadvantaged groups in local marriage markets. From the difference in prevalence of cohabitation between Chinese men and women, we conclude that Chinese immigrants could use cohabitation rather as a practical living arrangement in the context of recent migration rather than as an alternative to marriage, as the receiving society does. The practical living strategy of ethnic minorities enhances our understanding of cohabitation among disadvantaged groups, for whom the choice for cohabiting would be largely influenced by the home familial culture.
KeywordsCohabitation·Family formation·Disadvantaged groups·Gender inequality
Website of the paperhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42379-022-00108-x
Lijun Chen & Qiang RenEffect of birth month on educational attainment and adult cognition in Rural China
AbstractThe association of season of birth with cognitive development, academic performance and educational attainment has been well documented in western countries. However, little research has been conducted in developing countries to examine the seasonality of cognitive achievement. In this study, we analyzed data of a nationally representative sample of over 8500 rural adults born in the 1960s and early 1970s from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies survey. The results of logistic regression models demonstrate a significant association of birth month with educational attainment even with relevant individual and parental information controlled. Specially, we found that rural respondents born in the months of March and April are much less likely to obtain a high school degree than those born late in the year from October to December. The seasonal pattern is also found to significantly affect current cognitive achievements of the respondents even after their educational attainment and family social economic conditions are taken into account. Finally, we discussed the merits of age position theory and fetal origin interpretation as potential mechanisms for the seasonal pattern of education attainment, and suggest that seasonal changes of nutritional intake for pregnant mothers are the most likely cause.
KeywordsEducational attainment·Birth month·Cognitive achievement·Fetal origin
Website of the paperhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42379-022-00111-2
Xiaozhao Y. Yang, Nan Wu & Jiawei HouGender-health disparities: exploring the counterbalancing mechanisms of labor disadvantage and health behaviors in rural China
AbstractThe health disparity associated with gender has raised attention on the rampant health inequity issues in China. This gender-health disparity is further complicated by the contrasting evidence in several substantive demographic phenomena such as the female survival paradox and female morbidity paradox. The current study proposes a theoretical model to reveal the counterbalancing mechanisms contributing to gender-health disparity in China. Specifically, health behaviors and labor market disadvantages are two sets of counterbalancing factors that, when considered altogether, reveal the true extent of gender-health disparity. Using a 2020 survey in the poverty counties in two provinces of China, the current study investigates the counterbalancing mechanisms in gender-health disparity through mediation and suppression effects. With painful feeling and the number of chronic illnesses as dependent variables, this study showed that health behaviors and labor disadvantages are indeed counterbalancing mechanisms. The gender disparity in pain/ chronic illnesses disappeared after labor disadvantages were controlled for, but reemerged in greater magnitude after health behaviors were controlled were. For chronic illnesses, the previously non-existent gender disparity emerged after health behaviors were controlled for. Were it not for women’s salubrious health behaviors, they would suffer worse pain and chronic illnesses than men’s. This study informs the literature of the hidden counterbalancing mechanisms in gender-health disparity, and women’s inferior position in formal and informal labor domains blocks the goal of eradicating health inequity in China.
Keywords Gender·Health·Labor·Behaviors·Rural·China
Website of the paperhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42379-022-00106-z
Jiayu Zhang, Yana Ma, Haoyu Dong, Qiaoliang Huang & Hongpeng SunThe level of Health Literacy of Residents in Suzhou, China: a three-wave cross-sectional study
AbstractThe purpose of this study is to explore the degree of change in the health literacy (HL) level of residents and the impacts of health education related to COVID-19 on the HL in the context of the new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) epidemic, combined with the 2018–2020 health literacy survey data of residents in Suzhou of China. A population-based sample of 9003 participants, 15–69 years of age, in Suzhou was used from China’s 2018 to 2020 National Health Literacy Surveillance Data. Multivariate logistic regression models were established to analyze the degree of change in health literacy. The residents’ awareness rate of HL in Suzhou, China, from 2018 to 2020 was 32.7%, 37.1%, and 46.6% (P < 0.05). Most of the dimensions of HL improved in 2019, except for Basic Knowledge and Concept (BKC), Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease (CD), and Basic Medical (BM), for which the awareness rates in 2019 were lower than those in 2018 (39.1% versus 38.0%, 20.3% versus 18.0%, and 13.0% versus 7.8%, respectively). All of the dimensions of HL in 2020 increased to a certain extent, being higher than those in 2018. The largest improvement among the 3 dimensions was Healthy Skills (HS), which increased by 4.819 times (95% CI 4.810–4.828), and the major improvement among the 6 dimensions was Basic Medical (BM), which increased by 4.427 times (95% CI 4.239–4.256). In the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, the level of health literacy of Suzhou residents was significantly improved in 2020.
KeywordsHealth literacy·COVID-19·Southern China·Cross-sectional studies
Website of the paperhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42379-022-00109-w