The Place of Fertility Intentions: Analysis of Subsequent Childbearing Behavior among Married Thai Women

Hongxia Zhang, Mahidol University
Aphichat Chamratrithirong, Mahidol University
Iqbal H. Shah, World Health Organization (WHO)

This study examines the relationship between fertility intentions and subsequent childbearing using event history analysis. All married women who were born during 1955 to 1985 were followed from July 2001 to August 2004. Their pregnancy histories were recorded on a monthly basis using Laing’s Calendar. A total of 1,912 women were included in the event history analysis. The results suggest that fertility intention and socio-demographic characteristics can predict subsequent fertility behavior. Intention to have additional children shortens the time until the subsequent birth occurred. About one fourth of the women took approximately two years from intention to have a child. It is also indicated that subsequent childbearing is more likely to occur among the women who are younger, who married late, who have fewer living children, and who are non-Thai. The analysis indicates that it is challenging to facilitate fertility intentions and thus more effort is needed to do so.