Economics influence birth rates more than other factors
Washington, May 1: Economic changes have the greatest impact on
reducing family size, and thus slowing population growth,
compared to other factors, according to a recent study by a
University of Missouri anthropologist.   "Improvements in
economic development, such as higher educational attainment,
increasing employment in the formal labor market, and the shift
away from agriculture, seem to have a doubly-powerful effect
because they not only raise individuals' standards of living,
but also correlate to declining fertility rates, according to
the results of our study," said Mary Shenk, assistant professor
of anthropology in MU's College of Arts and Science.  "Another
important finding of our study was that intervention programs
that made changes that really affected individuals achieved the
best results. For example, although advertising campaigns
encouraging lower fertility may reach a wider audience for less
money, face-to-face intervention campaigns