Impact of Proximate Determinants on Fertility Transition Behind the Socio-demographic Factors in Bangladesh: A Hierarchical Approach from the National Survey

Introduction: Fertility is a vital ingredient in measuring population fluctuation. Bangladesh is still above the level of replacement level fertility. The target of this research was to determine the proximate factors on fertility rate reduction in Bangladesh. Methods: The 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) was used as secondary data. The association between fertility and sociodemographic variables was determined by bivariate analysis. Multiple regression analysis in a hierarchical approach was applied to determine the impact of factors on fertility rate reduction. Results: In the 2014 BDHS, the mean fertility of women aged 15-49 years was 2.45, and 76.5% of women were married at an early age. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that education has a significant effect on fertility rate. Increasing the education status of women decreased fertility, while other variants of Model I were controlled. Women who accomplish a secondary or higher education are more likely to have fewer children than illiterate women. Conclusion: The findings of the current study strongly recommend that efforts be made to augment female education, to inform women of the negative impact of early marriage, and to enhance the quality of contraceptive use for all ever-married women, particularly those living in the eastern region. Such steps would be the largest contribution to a future reduction in fertility rates in Bangladesh.