Determinants of Fertility in Tharu Community (A Case Study of Bijauree Village Dang District)

Abstract

This study deals with the "Determinants of Fertility inTharuCommunity: A CaseStudy of Bijauree VDC 6 and 8, Dang". Out of total population,50.9 percent aremales and 49.1 percent are females accounting the sex ratioof103.6. Among the total population of 756 aged 6 years and above, 70.4 percent of both sexesare found to be literate. Among the literatepopulation,69.5 percenthave completedprimary level of education, 19.2 percent have completed lower secondary level ofeducation. Likewise, percent of population completing secondary and aboveSLClevel of education is 5.1 and 6.2 respectively. Among the total population, 626 areaged 10 years and above.Main occupation of thepopulation in the study area isAdhiya (cropping sharing in agriculture)(30.9%) followed by household work(15.4%) and daily wage labour in non agriculture sector (12.5%). In both sexes,60.1percent of the total population aged 10 years and above are found married with a verysmallproportion of widows (0.5%). In the study the total 125 households are selected and from each household currentlymarried women for ages 15-49 years are included for this study. Among the total 125respondents 42.4 percent are literate and among the literate only 9.4 percentcompleted the SLC and above level of education. The distribution of therespondentsby their occupation shows that the higher (38.4) percent proportions of women areinvolved in household work and least (2.4) percent are involved in service occupation.The average mean age at marriage is found 16.5 years and the average number ofCEB is found 3.7 of the study population. The mean age at marriage of literate is 17.0 years andamongilliterateit is16.1 years.Children ever born by age at marriage is found negatively associated, with age, i.e.10-14 years age group has highest mean children ever born of 4.6 whereas for20years and above it is 2.3. Theoverall mean children ever born is 3.7. The literatewomen has lowermean children ever born (2.8)thanfor thoseilliterate(4.4). The result of the study shows that the literacy status and occupation are the majordeterminants of age at marriage of the study population. It also found that knowledgeand uses of contraception determine the number of children ever born of the study area.Age at marriage and number of children ever born are negativelycorrelated i.e. the increase in age at marriage decreases the number ofchildren ever born.