Fertility trends among acceptors of sterilisation in an urban situation: a socio-demographic explanation.

This report examines the characteristic trends in socioeconomic, demographic, fertility, and marriage patterns of a sample of 48 acceptors of sterilization in an urban situation in India. The sample represents a universe of 211 acceptors out of 1171 eligible couples and 10,000 population. The analysis yields valuable information on the correlation between socioeconomic and demographic variables. Wives' education and residential status are negatively and significantly correlated with family size. The mean ages at vasectomy and tubectomy are 38.3 and 28.1 years respectively. The mean number of living children at the time of tubectomy is 3.4. About 69% of the women have had only live births. The mean number of years of fertile marital union is 12.19. The mean number of conceptions is 4.4. The mean achieved family size is 3.3 living children and the mean ideal family size ranges from 2.13 to 2.5.