Sex preferences for children in Ghana: the influence of educational attainment

Grace Agyemang Frempong, Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Education influences aspects of demographic behaviour and outcomes including a child sex preference. Sex preferences of children have been studied in different societies because of its associated social and demographic implications. Using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, we examined the association between educational attainment and sex preferences of children. Findings from the study indicated that there is preference for sons (26.1%) compared to daughters (17.4%). At higher levels of education, there is a higher likelihood for no preference for a sex of a child. Among the characteristics of respondents that influenced sex preferences are: gender, lineage, religion, occupation and desired family size. Acquisition of knowledge through education to some extent alter fertility preferences and hence the need to motivate individuals to attain some level of education.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)313-325
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Population Research
Volume34
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2017

Keywords

  • Daughter
  • Education
  • Sex preference
  • Son

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