ABSTRACT

This study investigated parents' perception of fertility and the changing cost and value of children among the Igbo communities in Abia State and their impact on reproductive behaviour. The study was based on a longitudinal panel survey of parents in Abia State. 1,200 household respondents from interview schedule (heads of household or their accessible spouses) and 106 focus group discussion participants drawn from 6 Local Government Areas (2 communities per L.G.A) in a loose proportion. The multi-stage sampling technique was used in determining the sample selection and size. The sample size was determined by adopting sampling with constant sampling fraction. Within ±10 percent estimate of 95% confidence level. The soft and hard qualitative data generated were analyzed using anthropological method. Ethnographic summaries, such as simple percentages and relative frequencies and a measure of variance (Chi-Square) were used. The result of the study revealed that the dominant household structure was monogamy with an average family size of 6 children (4 male and 2 female). More than 80% of the respondents were literate. The population is mostly Christians with Igbo as the ethnocultural base. Sex preference exists in favour of the male child in an average ratio of 4:2 under favourable economic conditions and 3:2 for unfavourable economic conditions. The result suggest that sex preference has significant effect on fertility and family size (X2= 510.75 < p, 0.05) which revealed that parents do not make differential investment on their male and female children in terms of education and healthcare. The awareness of family planning, birth control and national population policy is very high, while the usage is low and has no significant corresponding correlation with levels of education. More than 85.% of the parents, also perceived the cost of child bearing and rearing burdensome, and 84.2% affirmed that the burden is on the high side. Parents perception of fertility and the changing cost and value of children were related to common factors such as age, education , socio-economic status, and residence. Finally some recommendations were made.