This study examines the direct effect of economic and social conditions on
the ideal number of children of females who were just married and residing in the
“population awareness areas” of Kanchanaburi Province. According to the review
of primary data of Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance System in
Kanchanaburi Province, round 2, 2001, from a sample group of 242 females aged
15-29, with a period of marriage of not exceeding 3 years, it was found that the
educational levels of females, which were divided into 3 groups including
“primary education”, “secondary education”, and “higher education”, had an
impact on their desires to have only one child; meanwhile, when considering
factors which had an impact of females’ desires to have two children at a
replacement level in terms of females’ incomes, it was found that there were no
significant differences of females’ desires to have two children; on the other hand,
females who completed higher education and potentially desired to have two
children were in a larger proportion than those who completed primary education.
When considering factors which had an impact on females’ desires to have the
ideal number of children more than three children, it was found that almost all
economic and social factors had a negative impact. In particular, the “income”
factor had an insignificant impact. Meanwhile, when considering the educational
factor, it was found that females did not desire to have the ideal number of
children more than three children with statistical significance. It was obvious that
factors determined the ideal number of children of just-married females including
the economic and social conditions of females such as educational levels and
occupations. Therefore, studies of fertility of just-married females of reproductive
age should emphasize the importance of educational levels and occupations of
females.
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