Factors associated with Total Fertility Rate (TFR) In Kermanshah-2011

Background: Fertility is an important issue for economic, social, political and cultural development of every nation. The aim of this study was to investigate some factors related to fertility in Kermanshah city.

Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on the married women (15-49 years old) of Kermanshah city in 2011. Data were collected from the statistical center of Iran to measure the factors affecting total fertility. For data analysis and modeling, structural equation modeling in AMOS software was used.

Results: The marital fertility rate and T.F.R were 49.40 and 1.72 per thousand, respectively. The means for the marriage age of men and women were 26.80 and 23.20, respectively. The results of path analysis showed that women’s schooling rate (19%), society’s schooling rate (12%), illiteracy rate (0.07%), women’s literacy rate (0.04%), urbanization rate (0.03%), women’s mean age of marriage (0.02%), men’s mean age of marriage (0.02%), society’s literacy rate (0.02%) and women’s illiteracy rate (0.01%) affected T.F.R.

Conclusion: reduction of fertility was correlated with education and urbanization rate and increase of literacy and education in society was correlated with fertility reduction. Therefore, to achieve an optimum level of fertility in society, appropriate strategies should be taken to influence the attitudes of women towards fertility, especially among the educated people.