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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Recent Trends in Childspacing Among American Women
Contributor:
Grabill, Wilson H.;
Davidson, Maria
Published:
The Population Association of America, 1968
Published in:
Demography, 5 (1968) 1, Seite 212-225
Language:
English
ISSN:
0070-3370;
1533-7790
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
The downward trend in annual birth rates in the United States since 1957, as shown by birth registration data, has been interpreted by some writers to mean that families are becoming smaller and that couples are spacing their births at longer intervals. This paper presents data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey for June, 1965 which indicate that the average number of children ever born declined appreciably only for women aged under 25 years, changed little among those aged 25-29 years, and was still increasing among those aged 30-34 years and over. Furthermore, when account is taken of the parity of women and of the length of time they have been in that parity, the Current Population Survey data show that birth rates during the years 1960-64 were at least as high as in the period 1955-59 and that there was no tendency for a longer spacing between successive births. It appears, therefore, that much of the downward trend as shown by birth registration data is attributable not to changes in family size but rather to the fact that most women of mature age had already had their first two or three children earlier, leaving fewer other women who had not yet had such children. Finally, data from a test run of a subsample of 1960 Census data on childspacing by socioeconomic characteristics are presented here. These data provide an indication that the more elaborate data from a full sample, expected to become available in 1968, will help to advance our knowledge of childspacing patterns.