The impact of the individual, the household and the community on fertility behavior in Petén, Guatemala

Abstract

This research explores fertility correlates in the Petén, a high fertility region of Guatemala, during the 1998-99 time period. By taking into account land use and labor characteristics at the household and community levels in addition to individual level factors related to the cost/benefit of children this research aims to update the traditional application of the demand framework used to examine fertility. Data from the 1998/99 Demographic and Health Survey containing a unique environmental module was used in concert with 2002 Population and Agricultural census data. The model was fit using a count variable (total children ever born) as the response. The results of the analysis highlight the significance of individual land use variables even after adjusting for socioeconomic status and ethnicity.