Title: Fertility attitudes and behavior of Saudi Arabian students enrolled in U.S. universities
Abstract: Although fertility declines have taken place in several Arab countries, the Arab nations are growing rapidly. In Saudi Arabia, the total fertility rate (TFR) is 7.1, and the growth rate is 3.5 per cent per year, among the highest in the world. This research examines the structural determinants (indirect indicators) of fertility attitudes and behavior among Saudi Arabian students studying in American universities. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between fertility attitudes and behavior, and background characteristics which included age, religiosity, education, income, length of stay in the U.S., and wife's age and wife's education. Results indicate a highly significant effect of religiosity as a major positive determinant of fertility attitudes. However, the major determinant of fertility behavior, the number of children respondents had, was wife's education which was negatively related with family size.This study examines the relationship between fertility attitudes and behavior of male Saudi Arabian students enrolled in American universities. Religion was predicted to have a positive influence on fertility and educational level a negative influence on fertility. A cluster sample of 622 male students was selected from all 2000 male Saudi students who were sponsored by the Saudi Education Mission. The response rate was 45% and included 279 students. Dependent variables included ideal family size, desired number of children, and actual number of children by marital status. Length of stay in the US was used as a control variable. Multicollinearity was not determined to be a problem. The results of multiple regression models revealed that the only significant variable was religiosity in explaining ideal family size for the whole sample, for married respondents, and single respondents (beta = 0.390, p 0.01). Religiosity remained positive and significant in relationship to desired number of children (beta = 0.408, p 0.01). Actual number of children was found to be significantly and negatively related to wife's education (beta = -0.280, p 0.01) and positively and significantly related to husband's and wife's age. The number of children increased with the age of the parents. Duration of residence in the US did not have a significant effect on any of the dependent variables but showed a negative sign with ideal family size among total respondents and married respondents. The importance of religion in influencing Saudi attitudes prevailed despite a high socioeconomic profile. Wife's education was the only socioeconomic factor affecting actual fertility behavior.
Publication Year: 1994
Publication Date: 1994-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 9
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