Structural Equation Modeling to Assess the Impact of So¬cio-Demographic Variables on Fertility of Ethnic Manipuri Women

Fertility is being determined by the actual bearing of children and or the demand for children. It is a measure of rate at which population increases to itself by relating number of births to size of some selection of population such as number of married couples or number of women of child bearing age [1-3]. Fertility is high in Bangladesh even by the principles of developing countries. The reduction in fertility in Bangladesh was not preceded by any remarkable change in the socio-economic status. However, recent evidence suggests that fertility has started to decline in Bangladesh. The total fertility rate has declined from nearly seven births per woman in 1975 to about five births per women in 1989, 4.3 in 1990, 3.3 in 2000 and 2.3 births per woman in the recent survey of 2014 [4-7]. The total fertility rate in the rural areas is 2.4 births per woman which is higher than that in urban areas 2.0 births per woman [7]. Fertility behavior is not only determined by the characteristics of individuals, but also by social, cultural, community factors. Ethnicity is also an influential factor that affects all aspects of life at the individual and community levels. Hence, in a community intermediate fertility behavior is influenced by beliefs, norms, ideology and other predominant socioeconomic characteristics [8].