Volume 54 - Article 22 | Pages 677–718  

The impact of household structure on fertility: A study in Vietnam

By Khoa Nguyen, Tuyen Duong

Abstract

Background: A declining fertility rate and aging population are major challenges for Vietnam.

Methods: This study utilizes panel data from the Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey, conducted from 2008 to 2016, tracking 1,200 households over nine years. A fixed effects model was employed to control for unobserved factors, such as cultural traditions and fertility motivations, thereby addressing endogeneity issues commonly encountered in previous research.

Results: The results indicate that the presence of grandparent(s) in a household has a positive impact on the number of children born (particularly when both grandparents are present), with estimates ranging from 0.0771 (95% CI: 0.0175 to 0.1368) for both grandparents to 0.1373 (95% CI: 0.0824 to 0.1922) overall. This effect is especially prominent in the Central Highlands and the Northern Midlands/Mountainous Area. In contrast, the effect is less pronounced in the Mekong River Delta, likely due to socioeconomic factors and data limitations.

Contribution: This study highlights the importance of household structure in shaping fertility behavior and provides policy recommendations to support multigenerational households and promote sustainable fertility rates in Vietnam.

Author’s Affiliation

• Khoa Nguyen - Can Tho University, Viet Nam EMAIL
• Tuyen Duong - Soc Trang Seafood Joint Stock Company, Can Tho, Viet Nam EMAIL

Similar articles in Demographic Research

COVID-19 emergency cash transfer and pregnancy in Brazil
Volume 54 - Article 17    | Keywords: COVID-19, emergency cash transfer, emergency cash transfer, fertility behavior, panel data, pregnancy, quasi-experiment, quasi-experiment, quasi-experimental analysis

The short- and long-term determinants of fertility in Uruguay
Volume 51 - Article 10    | Keywords: fertility, panel data, stages of female reproductive life, time series, Uruguay

Predictive utility of key family planning indicators on dynamic contraceptive outcomes: Results from longitudinal surveys in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Uganda, and Côte d'Ivoire
Volume 50 - Article 45    | Keywords: contraception, contraceptive adoption, contraceptive discontinuation, contraceptive use, family planning, longitudinal data, methods, panel data, Performance and Monitoring for Action (PMA) surveys, sub-Saharan Africa

Gone and forgotten? Predictors of birth history omissions in India
Volume 50 - Article 32    | Keywords: fertility history, interviewer effects, interviewer observations, measurement error, missing data, panel data, survey methodology

The influence of parental cancer on the mental health of children and young adults: Evidence from Norwegian register data on healthcare consultations
Volume 50 - Article 27    | Keywords: cancer, children, fixed effects, longitudinal, mental health, parents registers