Comparative Analysis of Variations in Human Sex Ratios of Live Births Among African Populations and at Global Levels

Definition： The final net live birth delivery from the mother＇s womb, with distinct male and female genetic traits, forms a ratioof male live births per 100 female live births, termed as Sex Ratio at Birth （SRB）. Study areas and source of data： The studyareas are Africa and major worldwide continents and countries. The basic data are compiled from the National Populationand Housing Censuses, Demographic Sample Surveys, Demographic and Health Surveys, and Vital Registration Systems.Analytical approaches： The factors influencing the variations in SRB are identified by reviewing various documents, analysisof variance （ANOVA） techniques, and statistical measures of central tendency and dispersion. Results： The ratios areconsistently higher for advanced countries than the developing countries, with highest for China and India. The ANOVAresults show slight differences among the S0 African countries but show differences among the African regional states,whereas the standard deviation of the SRB among the advanced countries, including some Asian and Latin Americancountries shows non-significant variations. In conclusion, the mean SRB for African populations is 103 as against 106 forother countries.

Fertility Mediating Factors in Sub-Saharan Africa （SSA）： Macro-Level Cross Sectional Perspectives

The aim of this paper is to investigate the mediating factors of fertility levels and trends in Sub-Saharan African CSSA） countries. The major sources of data of the study are the 2001 and 2002 UNDP （United Nations Development Program）, covering 42 SSA countries. The selected antecedent variables of fertility levels and trends include： GDP per capita; female adult literacy rate; infant mortality rate; contraceptive prevalence rate; breastfeeding; access to health services; undernutrition; and level of urbanization. The main analytical techniques of the study include simple central tendency descriptive statistics and advanced multiple regression models. The outputs of the correlation matrix and regression models are shown to influence the levels and trends of fertility positively or negatively, increasing or decreasing fertility levels among the countries. But, contraceptive prevalence level appears to be relatively powerful at 5% significance level, relatively more decline with the level of urbanization and positively related with poverty level, which cumulatively gives rise to 5.9 total fertility rate per woman. Accordingly, with declining mortality and high fertility level, the era of rapid population growth in SSA countries has not yet been over with all its implications on sustainable development.

Correlation Analysis of Attitudinal Responses of Men and Women Toward Wife Beating by Husband in Rural and Urban Ethiopia

The Central Statistical Agency （CSA） of Ethiopia included some questions in its 2005 Demographic and Health Survey （DHS） questionnaire, asking for the opinion of men and women if wives beaten by husbands is justified if wives commit some mistakes while they are undertaking their day to day family responsibilities and other personal functions. The sample size was about 14,000 women in the reproductive and productive ages of 15-49 and about 6,000 men in the age brackets of 15-59. The reasons for wife beating by husbands are examined against some selected independent background variables of the sampled men and women respondents, while the dependent variables are the responses to questions of wife beating. With respect to the analytical model, the author decided to focus on some descriptive statistics, such as frequency distributions tables, proportions, comparative analysis, and application of chi-squares （Xz） techniques to examine the variations in the responses of women and men amongst the independent backgrounds.

Housing Correlates of Under-Five Mortality in Urban Ethiopia

Little studies and analysis have been undertaken to investigate the housing determinants of under-five mortality in Ethiopia. This study, therefore, explores the impacts of urban housing variables on the levels and patterns of under-five mortality in the country based on the SPSS （Statistic Package for Social Science） file of the 2005 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey （EDHS）. This survey covered a sample of about 4,420 households/housing units of urban Ethiopia. The under-five deaths are computed for women in the age group 15-49 by subtracting the number of children living from children ever born （CEB） and established the proportion dead by dividing deaths by CEB corresponding to the categorical variables of housing structure, facilities, and household durables. The analytical techniques of the study included univariate, bivariate, and multivariate data analysis of the proportional variations of childhood mortality patterns being manifested by ＂bar graphs＂ with respect to housing situations as well as household durables. Amongst the categorical variables of the housing structures, facilities, and household durables with the highest no prevalence of under-five mortality levels are found to be the units of unconventional walls, thatched/leaf/reed roofing, animal dung flooring, shared pit latrine/use of bucket/bush, using kerosene, firewood/straw/charcoal for cooking, unconventional lighting, unprotected water supply, households with no durables.