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Proximate Determinants of Fertility in Japan

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Biodemography of Fertility in Japan

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Population Studies ((POPULAT))

Abstract

Proximate determinants link both social and biological factors to fertility. In this section, we will summarize available data related to proximate determinants of fertility in Japan while referring to some of the related literature targeting populations overseas. In addition to data from published studies, we present our original data collected in the biodemography project, an Internet-based cross-sectional survey on reproductive history conducted in 2014 targeting Japanese women between 20 and 44 years of age. Following Wood’s conceptualization, the specific components of the proximate determinants of fertility referred to in this chapter are lactational infecundability, fecund waiting time to conception, and fetal loss (both spontaneous and induced). Additionally, papers on factors that are expected to significantly affect fecund waiting time to conception, i.e., frequency of sexual intercourse, length and regularity of menstrual cycle, and use of contraception and infertility treatment, will be reviewed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Total number of participants in the biodemography project was n = 3196, among whom n = 1965 (61%) were married. Among the married women, n = 562 were nulliparous and currently not pregnant; among this smaller group, n = 235 were not using any contraception.

  2. 2.

    For n = 89 women who reported that they had never used contraceptives, the right-censored TTP was defined as the duration between marriage and the time of the survey. For n = 146 women who reported that they had stopped using contraceptives, the right-censored TTP was defined as the duration between the cessation of contraceptive use and the time of survey.

  3. 3.

    n = 23 did not report the month and year of marriage, and n = 95 did not report the month and year they discontinued contraception.

  4. 4.

    Cycle length variation was calculated by taking the difference between the maximum and minimum lengths among 10 consecutive ovulatory cycles randomly selected from 65 subjects.

  5. 5.

    Appendix shows the original survey questionnaire items used to measure cycle length and regularity.

  6. 6.

    Infertility is defined as more than one year of having unprotected intercourse without pregnancy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Ecology, School of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Shoko Konishi

  2. Faculty of International Social Sciences, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan

    Emi Tamaki

  3. Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Shoko Konishi

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  1. Shoko Konishi
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  2. Emi Tamaki
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Appendix: Survey Questionnaire Items in the Biodemography Project

Appendix: Survey Questionnaire Items in the Biodemography Project

  1. 1.

    How long is your menstrual cycle (not the length of menstrual bleeding but rather the length between the first day of one menstrual period and the first day of the next period)?

    1. 1.1.

      About (   ) days

    2. 1.2.

      No particular cycle length

    3. 1.3.

      I have never experienced menstruation.

  2. 2.

    In the past 6 months, have you experienced any changes in the onset of a menstrual cycle by more than 6 days?

    1. 2.1.

      Yes, I have experienced such a change at least once

    2. 2.2.

      No, I have not experienced any change (almost always on schedule)

    3. 2.3.

      My menstrual period is too irregular to know my usual schedule

    4. 2.4.

      I have not menstruated in the past 6 months.

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Konishi, S., Tamaki, E. (2018). Proximate Determinants of Fertility in Japan. In: Biodemography of Fertility in Japan. SpringerBriefs in Population Studies(). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0176-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0176-5_2

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