Questionnaire Text

Questionnaire form view entire document: text image

Section 9. Fertility - For female 14 years old and over

37. Number of live births ever had

How many live births has (N) [the respondent] ever had?
_ _

Interviewer:
(a) Discreetly probe to include all births ever had that showed some sign of life at birth. Probe respondent for any child, likely to be omitted, who is not a current member of the household.
(b) If none, skip to question Q.39(b)

Questionnaire instructions view entire document: text image

Section 9 - Fertility

This Section will provide information on fertility of all females' 14 years and over. The census, moreover, seeks to obtain supplementary data of demographic interest than that provided from the Registrar's General Office.

The data collected are of even greater importance when cross-classified and analyzed by marital and union status, religion, ethnicity and other socioeconomic factors like occupational and educational attainment. Two examples of measures of fertility that can be obtained from the census are the ratio of young children to women of childbearing age and the number of children ever born to women. Additionally, fertility studies could be extended to population groups or communities within Trinidad and Tobago.

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Fertility simply indicates the rate at which women of childbearing age are having children. This will have a direct impact on resource allocation in terms of medical, educational, health and training facilities.

Question 37 - Number of live births ever had

You may wish to introduce this section as follows: - "now I would like to ask a few census questions on number of live births, age at birth of first live born child, of all female members of this household who are fourteen (14) years of age and over". Although the question may be sensitive, you should not ask the question in an apologetic tone or change your approach.

Should you do this, you will discourage response or cause the respondent to observe your hesitancy to ask the question. Act naturally and maintain the pace of the interview.

Note to interviewer: The information sought is not the number of children alive at the time of the census but the total number of live born children the woman ever had, whether currently residing with her, elsewhere in Trinidad and Tobago or abroad. Included also, are those who were born alive but are now dead. However, still births are not to be included.

Remember a live birth occurs when a baby cries or shows other signs of life when born. If the respondent states none then enter _0 in the boxes provided. If "none" is entered for question 37 then skip to question 39(b), since the women may have had a still birth. If the number of live births is six (6), entry is recorded as _6.