Warren C W
Stud Fam Plann. 1987 Jan-Feb;18(1):42-8.
This paper examines the proximate determinants of fertility in Puerto Rico using data from a 1982 island-wide study. Contraceptive use was found to be the primary direct determinant of fertility in Puerto Rico, both for the total population and for each level of education studied. Female sterilization is the most prevalent method of contraception used in Puerto Rico at each educational level. Marriage is also important in Puerto Rico and is the only proximate determinant that varies across education groups. Late age at first marriage, in addition to high contraceptive use, accounts for the below-replacement fertility of women who have more than a high school education. In contrast, women who have not completed high school tend to marry early and not practice contraception for birth-spacing purposes. This study shows the advantages of analyzing fertility determinants at the population subgroup level (i.e., women of various educational attainment levels) so that the fertility of the total population can be better understood.
本文利用1982年全岛范围研究的数据，考察了波多黎各生育率的直接决定因素。研究发现，无论对于总人口还是所研究的各个教育水平群体而言，避孕措施的使用都是波多黎各生育率的主要直接决定因素。在波多黎各，女性绝育是各教育水平群体中最普遍使用的避孕方法。婚姻在波多黎各也很重要，并且是唯一在不同教育群体中存在差异的直接决定因素。除了避孕措施的高使用率之外，初婚年龄较晚也导致了受过高中以上教育的女性生育率低于更替水平。相比之下，未完成高中学业的女性往往早婚，并且不会为了生育间隔而采取避孕措施。这项研究表明了在人口亚组层面（即不同教育程度的女性）分析生育率决定因素的优势，以便更好地理解总人口的生育率情况。
