Fertility and its relationship with sociocultural factors in Kuwaiti society

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of some sociocultural variables on the fertility of Kuwaiti women. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 7749 married women [aged 15'78 years] selected randomly from 10 primary health care clinics in Kuwait. The fertility rate was 3.58 live births per woman. Fertility was higher among Sunni Muslim women, those of Bedouin ethnicity, and those in a consanguineous marriage [P < 0.001]. There was a significant negative relationship between fertility and respondents' educational level, occupation, age at marriage, socioeconomic status and type of marriage [consanguineous or not]. There was a positive relationship between fertility and the respondents' age and the family income