Gaceta Sanitaria
Volume 22, Issue 6, 2008, Pages 574-577

Differences in reproductive patterns between autochthonous and immigrant women living in Catalonia, Spain [Diferencias en el perfil reproductivo de mujeres autóctonas e inmigrantes residentes en Cataluña] (Article) (Open Access)

Gispert Magarolas R.* , Clot-Razquin G. , del Mar Torné M. , Bosser-Giralt R. , Freitas-Ramírez A.
  • a Servei d'Informació i Estudis, Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
  • b Servei d'Informació i Estudis, Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
  • c Servei d'Informació i Estudis, Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
  • d Servei d'Informació i Estudis, Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
  • e Servei d'Informació i Estudis, Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Objective: To describe differences in reproductive patterns between autochthonous and immigrant women living in Catalonia (Spain). Methods: Data on legal abortions were obtained from the abortions register in the Regional Ministry of Health, while data on births and the population were drawn from the Institute of Statistics of Catalonia. Depending on the source, the variables «country of birth» or «nationality» were used to compose the groups. Rates of fertility and abortion by age were computed for 2005 and the women's sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed. Results: A total of 20.8% of the 79,504 births and 37.8% of the 16,798 abortions involved immigrant women, while 14.2% of pregnancies in autochthonous women and 27.7% of those in immigrant women terminated in abortion. Crude fertility and abortion rates were 1.4 and 3 times higher, respectively, in immigrant women. Conclusions: There are important differences in abortion and fertility rates, as well as in social and demographic patterns, between autochthonous and immigrant women. © 2008 Sociedad Española de Salud Pública y Administración Sanitaria.

Author Keywords

Fertility Pregnancy Female health Induced abortion Immigration

Index Keywords

Spain female comparative study Reproductive Behavior Humans Transients and Migrants sexual behavior Article Young Adult human adult migration
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-59749105732&doi=10.1016%2fS0213-9111%2808%2975356-1&partnerID=40&md5=a36bfb29363d29058240037568b350d6
DOI: 10.1016/S0213-9111(08)75356-1
ISSN: 02139111
Cited by: 15
Original Language: Spanish