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  • Title: [General methodological guidelines for the study of fertility in the course of studying the health status of a population].
    Author: Alvarez Vazquez L.
    Journal: Rev Cuhana Adm Salud; 1987; 13(3):293-301. PubMed ID: 12314854.
    Abstract:
    At least 3 aspects of fertility should be studied in relation to the health needs of a population: the impact of fertility on the population, the level of fertility, and the age structure of fertility. The required indicators are the birth rate, the total fertility rate, and the age specific fertility rates. If the birth rates and mortality rates are both known, the natural increase rate of the population can be calculated. A rapid rate of increase means that resource requirements for health care will also rise even if maintenance of the current level of care is the only objective. The size and structure of the population must be known in order to gauge halth care requirements. The number of births must be known to predict changes in health service requirements. The total fertility rate is indipendent of population size and structure. High values are associated with such factors as a low educational level and low female activity rates. Age specific fertility rates are related to social norms and behavior. High fertility in the extremes of the fertile period may indicate greater likelihood of health problems for mothers or their infants. Sources of data for calculating the proposed indicators depend on available statistics. Vital statistics data and midyear population estimates, survey data, or vital statistics data and population estimates complemented by survey data may be used. If vital statistics data and midyear population estimates are available, data can be obtained on live births registered during the year by age of mother, estimated underregistration of live births that year, the total estimated population as of June 30, and the female population aged 15-49 years by 5-year cohorts estimated as of June 30. The adjustment procedure in cases of underregistration depends on whether information is available on subregistration by maternal age. The principal indicators may then be obtained by using a few simple formulas. If vital statistics data are not available, information should be gathered in a sample survey. The minimum data requirements are age in completed years, sex and total number of live born children, and children born in the preceding 12 months to women aged 15-49. The principal indicators can then be calculated according to the appropriate formulas. More refined estimates of the total fertility rate can be made using Brass's method.
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