The study was conducted in Ahmedabad city. The city is divided into five zones. There are about 2024 slums and chawls with 40 % population residing in the same₅

The study was carried out in the randomly selected slums, in the West Zone of Ahmedabad city.

The Married Women of reproductive Age group (MWRA) (15-49 years) constituted the study group. As MWRA constitutes 22% of total population₆ and taking .05 allowable error the sample size of 287 MWRA was taken₇. Considering the compliance and dropouts sample size of 315 MWRA was taken, but 293 MWRA could be studied inspite of our best efforts.

The study was conducted during February 2003 to May 2003.

A pre-designed, pre-tested Proforma was used for collecting information regarding fertility profile of married women of reproductive age group in the selected community. All pregnancy and their outcomes taking place between February 2002 to January 2003 were recorded for computation of the fertility indicators.

Data thus collected were tabulated and analyzed using EPI 6.04 software. Qualitative data were analyzed using appropriate methods.

Tabel-1 shows that 20-24 years age group contains maximum numbers of females.(21.8%) followed by 30-34 years age group(17.7%). Only 6.8% female comprised 15-19 years age group, as more and more females now tends to marry at later age. Majority of women being in 20-34 years age, family planning efforts should be concentrated towards them. Mean age of MWRA in the study area was 31 years (±8.7).

Figure 1

Table 1: Distribution of MWRA in age group of the study area

Nearly half of the women, (49.2%) were illiterate. Among literate female, 29% were educated up to higher secondary level, only 2% were graduate and 0.7% were postgraduate. Thus more and more female needs to be encouraged for taking up education.

Mean and median age at marriage was 17 years for female and mean and median age for their husbands was 20.7 years and 20 years respectively. Difference between age at marriage for males and female is three years. National average age at marriage has increased from 13 years in 1951 to 19.6 years in 1999₈. Still over 50 percent of girls marry below the age of 18, the minimum legal age of marriage, resulting in a typical reproductive pattern of “too early, too frequent, too many₉. 25.3% of women marry before 18 years of age in Gujarat in 1998-99₆. In a similar study age at marriage was 20.31 years in an area of Ahmedabad City₁₀. By increasing the age at marriage, married reproductive span can be reduced and the number of years women is exposed to the risk of pregnancy can decrease, thus reducing fertility.

Age at First pregnancy: The median age at first pregnancy was 20 years, thus there is an interval of average three years between age at marriage and age at first pregnancy. A study found it at 21.54 years in Ahmedabad City₁₀.

Table-2 indicates that 21.35% of MWRA had two children, while 43.67% of MWRA had more than two children. 20.13% of MWRA yet to have a child. NFHS-II6 found that in Gujarat the mean number of children ever born are 2.9 for MWRA. In this study it was 2.21.

Figure 2

Table 2: Distribution of MWRA according to total number of living children

Figure 3

Figure 1: showing mean conception and mean live births according to age groups

Average number of conception of MWRA in the study population was 2.93 ± 2.05. The average conception in women up to the age 29 years was 2.89. As indicated in table-4 and figure-1, the average conception of MWRA was more than or equal to 4 in women beyond 30 years indicating increase the acceptance of fertility control measures in the younger age groups. It was observed that 56.33% of MWRA had two or less than two living children, indicating that the majority MWRA prefer to limit their family to two children. Average number of conception in Ahmedabad was 2..75± 1.95 in similar study₁₀. As per figure-2 both the mean conceptions and live births were inversely related with education- higher the education, lower are the values. The impact of education on reduction of fertility is appreciable once the woman has been educated at least up to secondary level.

Figure 4

Figure 2: Education status and mean conceptions and mean live births by age groups

The proportion of pregnancy loss to all conceptions was 13.97%. Table-3 shows that the pregnancy loss due to natural causes was 47.5% and the proportion of Medical termination of Pregnancy as a cause of pregnancy loss was 52.55, may be due to increased awareness and accessibility of MTP services in the area.

Figure 5

Table 3: Distribution of Pregnancy loss

All the fertility indicators were calculated as per definitions given in the Reproductive indicators for the global monitoring, WHO 2000₁₂. Age Specific Fertility Rate (ASFR) is highly sensitive index of fertility control behaviour in any community. In present study there were no births in 40 and higher age groups as shown in the figure-3.

Figure-3 shows that the highest ASFR was observed in 25-29 years and it drastically declined after 29 years indicating increased acceptance of fertility control measures by the MWRA. Various indicators of fertility, which reflects current status of fertility in the community like Crude Birth Rate, General fertility rate, Total fertility rate and Gross reproductive rate of the present study are mentioned in the table-4. The Marital fertility rates like General Marital fertility rate have higher value than General fertility rate as denominator for the later also include unmarried women. Table-5 shows the comparison of fertility indicators of present study with the national and state fertility indicators.

Figure 6

Figure 3: Age specific fertility rate of the study population

Figure 7

Table 4: Various Indicators of fertility in the present study

Figure 8

Table 5: Comparison of fertility indicators