The high fertility of Sri Lanka Moor concentrations

All centres of Sri Lanka Moor concentration were identified, together accounting for 87·2% of the total Moor population of the island. The variations in the child/woman ratio that occur locally between wards within these communities show strong negative correlations with two measures of departure from conservatism, the proportion of females of school age attending school and the proportion of males engaged in non-agricultural occupations. These two variates together account for the greater part of the variation in the child/woman ratio from ward to ward in 1971.

Social and demographic determinants of fertility in Sri Lanka

The paper explores the social and demographic factors that influence fertility in Sri Lanka since the second world war employing multiple regression analysis, and how these factors change with time. The dominating contribution made by female proportions currently married in the age group 20–24 in explaining fertility variation is emphasized.

A reassessment of world population trends

This reassessment is limited to observations concerning trends in mortality and fertility and concerning longrun prospects for population growth. Recorded changes in mortality are compared with 3 projections made many years ago. Projections of European mortality made in 1941-42 understated by a wide margin the actual increase in expectation of life because of unforeseen technological changes in the prevention and cure of fatal disease. On the other hand, a projection made in 1955 for India, foreseeing a rapid rise in the 1950s and slower progress later on because of the exhaustion of the easier gains, appears to have been accurate and also to depict the prospects in other populations of relatively high mortality and low income. A different projection of life expectancy in Mexico was also quite close to actual changes in Mexican mortality; it was based on a universal curve constructed to represent how life expectancy rises, increasing ever more slowly as it approaches an upper limit. This curve (1 for each sex), constructed for projection of Mexican mortality, is employed as a standard of comparison for mortality changes in many countries. A number have followed the standard for females very closely for more than 3 decades; in developed countries, male life expectancy has generally fallen short of the standard. The almost universal low fertility in developed countries contrasts with the great diversity of levels and trends of fertility in developing countries, some of which retain undiminished high fertility and others of which have recently attained rates of childbearing as low as in the developed areas. Instances of surprisingly little change and surprisingly rapid change in fertility are described. In the future, growth of populations of developed countries will probably be slight; the future rate of increase in the developing areas depends on the unpredictable timing and pace of childbearing reduction in populations where fertility remains high. In the long run, world population growth may resume its typical pattern of moderate growth interrupted by catastrophic setbacks.

Factors influencing the infant mortality rate in Sri Lanka

This study examines by multiple regression analysis the factors influencing district variation in infant mortality rate in Sri Lanka in a given year (1971). It shows that 83% of the district variation is explained by differences in the proportion of the population that is Indian Tamil, the proportion of female employees, and the proportion of females aged 15–19 with at least 5 years of education.

Modelling determinants of health

The linear regression procedure of stepwise elimination has been used to examine the association between a range of environmental variables and infant mortality rates (IMR) in Sri Lanka. The nature of the water supply was found to be significantly associated with IMR. Latrines were significantly associated with IMR once qualitative differences between districts were allowed for. Other 'environmental determinants of health', 3 indices of housing quality and the presence of electricity supplies, were not significant. The cost of effecting changes in IMR by extending subsidies to water supply improvements is estimated.

Toxic polyneuropathy due to gingili oil contaminated with tri-cresyl phosphate affecting adolescent girls in Sri Lanka

An outbreak of acute polyneuropathy affected over 20 young females in Sri Lanka during 1977-78. The illness was restricted to girls attaining menarche and to women after childbirth. The cause of the neuropathy could be traced to tri-cresyl phosphate found as a contaminant in gingili oil. Contamination probably occurred during transport of the oil in containers previously used for storing mineral oils.

Ethnic and religious factors in marriage in Sri Lanka

The study examines the sex imbalance at the marriageable ages according to ethnic group and religion, utilizing data obtained from the complete tabulations of the 1971 Census of Population in Sri Lanka. The active enforcement of Indian repatriation, commencing in 1971, played a major role in increasing net migration rates to significant levels in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975 and thereby reducing the island's growth rate to 1·45% and 1·71% in 1974 and 1975. These out-movements were further increased by the exodus of Sri Lanka citizens which began in 1972 and continued in the years 1973–75, presumably dominated by males aged 20–44 years. This emigration of Sri Lanka citizens is expected to continue and will aggravate further the difficulties of contracting a marriage within each ethnic and religious group. Possible demographic consequences are suggested.

Chromatographic patterns of urinary ethynyl estrogen metabolites in various populations

Radioactive mestranol (ME) and/or ethynylestradiol (EE) were administered to women in Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and the USA, and the types and patterns of radioactive urinary conjugates examined by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. There are no differences in the total excretion of urinary radioactivity over 3 days. Consistent geographic differences appear to be present in the proportion of 3-, 17-, and 3,17-glucuronides. If confirmed on larger population samples, these observations may indicate significant geographic differences in the hepatic metabolism of ethynyl estrogens. High performance liquid chromatographic patterns of the urinary aglycone metabolites of ME and EE were examined in a number of women. The separation was accomplished on a Chromegaprep Diol column with a gradient of isopropanol in heptane. Ethynyl estrogen metabolism shows considerable individual variation. EE is usually the principal compound escreted following ME or EE administration. Unmetabolized ME is present in the ME profiles. The profiles of EE and ME are similar, with EE demonstrating a more complex pattern. Oxidative metabolism occurs chiefly at positions 2, 6 and 16 and is fairly extensive in the USA subjects. The Sri Lankan women generally show less of the oxidative products and the Nigerian group display a notable lack of oxidative metabolism. There is no difference in the metabolic patterns of long-term oral contraceptive users vs. non-users. Using silver sulfoethylcellulose column chromatography, from 14.1 to 34.7% of the excreted radiolabeled aglycones are non-ethynyl (i.e., either D-homo or de-ethynylated estrogens).

Changes in Sri Lankan marriage law expected

The Sri Lankan government is about to introduce sweeping changes in the marriage laws, the Minister for Home Affairs announced recently. One of the most important changes will be an increase in the minimum age at marriage, from 16 to 18 years for males, and from 12 to 16 years for females. Additionally, the government plans to codify the laws and make them more available to the public. The changes will come into force soon, the Minister stated.