An attempt was made to study the sociodemographic characteristics of tubectomy acceptors in a rural community of West Bengal (Singur), India from 1960-76. The study was conducted during the 1975-77 period in the service area of the Rural Health Unit and Training Center, Singur, the field practice area of the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health in Calcutta. There were 1326 tubectomies recorded in the area from 1960-76. They were divided into 3 groups based on their period of operation, i.e., 1960-72 as Group A, 1973-75 as Group B, and 1976 as Group C. A 33.3% random sample was drawn from each group. 439 cases were drawn in the sample, of which 401 cases (91.1%) could be interviewed through a structured, pretested schedule. It was observed that disproportionately fewer Muslim women than Hindu women chose to have a tubectomy. Muslims constituted 11% of the total population in the area, whereas only 0.8% in Group A, 1.3% in Group B, and 1.2% in Group C were Muslims. Although the proportion of scheduled caste/tribe population in the area remained more or less constant around 23%, the tubectomy acceptance rate increased from 2.9% in Group A to 19.8% in Group C. This was a statistically significant difference. The illiteracy rate among the females in the area was 64%. The proportion of illiterates among the tubectomy acceptors was 67.4% in Group A and 61.7% in Groups B and C. Acceptance of tubectomy among the agricultural laborers increased from 21.9% in Group A to 30.9% in Group C, showing an overall increase of 9% over the years. The mean age at marriage among acceptors increased from 14.7 in earlier years to 15.2 and 15.4 in recent years. The average number of live births declined from 5.3 to 4.4 and 4.3 in recent years. None of the couples in Group B, only 0.4% of the couples in Group A, and 3.7% of couples in Group C accepted sterilization as a birth control method without a male child. The majority accepted tubectomy when they had at least 1 male child. 55.6% of acceptors in Group C were operated within 10 days of delivery compared to 35.5% in Group A and 30.8% in Group C. The average family size of the acceptors was higher than the national average, i.e., 7.04 in Group A, 6.47 in Group B, and 6.55 in Group C. 92.8% of the acceptors had 3 or more living children of whom 43.2% already had 5 or more children. It appears that tubectomy will fail to have much effect on population growth unless mothers are motivated to accept sterilization with a smaller number of living children.

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The objective of this discussion is to determine how much India's fertility decline has occurred due to acceptance of all birth control methods combined and separately over the 1965-75 period. Age distribution of the conventional contraceptive users was assumed to be the same as that of IUD acceptors, and it was also assumed that the age distribution of sterilization acceptors, IUD users, and conventional contraceptives remains constant over the 1965-75 period. Fertility of the acceptors was taken as the same as that of nonacceptors. Wife's age was 5 years less than that of her husband. Level of mortality over the 1955-75 period was assumed to be constant. Use effectiveness of sterilization was 100%, IUD, 95% and conventional contraceptives 60%. The procedure for obtaining the annual performance of reduction in fertility level due to the family planning program involved 3 steps: estimation of the number of couples currently protected due to the practice of various family planning methods; conversion of all the currently protected couples into standard couples; and calculation of percentage of standard couples protected and percentage of reduction in birthrate. It was observed that the standard couples protected by the family planning program in the early reproductive age group were less, where the fertility rate was high as compared to the older age group. In the case of sterilization the percentage reduction in birthrate, during the 1st few years after 1965 was not so much, but the percentage reduction was significant as the program gained momentum from 1968-73. The percentage reduction in birthrate due to sterilization was as follows: 1966-67, 2.049; 1967-68, 2.660; 1968-69, 4.657; 1969-70, 6.289; 1970-71, 7.509; 1971-72, 8.524; 1972-73, 10.280; 1973-74, 13.037; 1974-75, 13.221; and 1975, 13.823. A cause for the IUD decrease from year to year might be the inadequate follow-up care after insertion. Overall, the number of standard couples protected by the family planning program indicated that the program had reduced the birthrate by 17.97% in 1975 against 3.404% in 1966.

[ABSTRACT]   Full text not available     [PubMed]

Full text not available    [CITATIONS]  [PubMed]

Full text not available    [CITATIONS]  [PubMed]

Full text not available     [PubMed]