Is the mortality–fertility nexus gendered? A research note on sex differences in the impact of sibling mortality on fertility preferences

Abstract

Research guided by demographic transition theory has shown that exposure to mortality influences women’s fertility preferences and behaviours. Despite the myriad contexts, methodological approaches, and linkages featured in past studies, they have shared a focus on women, leaving questions on the gendered salience of mortality exposures for adults’ fertility-related outcomes unanswered. In this research note, we analyse data from three African countries with distinct fertility profiles (Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) to examine associations between sibling mortality exposure and ideal family size among women, men, and couples. We also investigate the stability of these associations over time. The associations between adults’ sibling mortality exposure and their own and their spouses’ ideal family sizes vary across countries. However, the gendered nature of the results in every country and evidence of cross-spousal effects uniformly demonstrate the need to incorporate sex differences into the study of the mortality–fertility link.

Keywords:

• gender
• mortality
• fertility
• fertility preferences
• demographic transition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Please direct all correspondence to Emily Smith-Greenaway, University of Southern California, Department of Sociology, 851 Downey Way, Office 309, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; or by E-mail: [email protected].

2 Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant award 2116350. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF. The authors thank the Editor (John Ermisch) and two anonymous reviewers for helpful feedback.