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Lin Y, Zhang B, Hu M, Yao Q, Jiang M, Zhu C. The effect of gradually lifting the two-child policy on demographic changes in China. Health Policy Plan 2024; 39:363-371. [PMID: 38334690 PMCID: PMC11005836 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czae008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Low-fertility rate has been a common problem in many industrialized countries. To reverse the declining trend of new births, Chinese government gradually lifted its restrictions on the number of births per family, allowing for a household to have no more than two children. Little is known about the additional births or population increase contributed by the gradual relaxation of birth restrictions. To fill this gap, this quasi-experimental design study including data from 124 regions used the synthetic control method and controlled interrupted time series analysis to evaluate the differences in birth rates and rates of natural population increase between China and its synthetic control following implementation of the two-child policy from 2011 to 2020. A total of 123 regions were included in the control pool. Data collected during 1990-2010 were used to identify the synthetic China for each study outcome. The mean rate differences of birth rates and rates of natural increase between China and synthetic China after two-child policy implementation were 1.16 per 1000 population and 1.02 per 1000, respectively. These rate differences were distinguished from variation due to chance (one-sided pseudo-P-values: P for birth rates = 0.047, P for rates of natural increase = 0.020). However, there were statistically significant annual reductions in the pre-post trend of birth rates and rates of natural increase compared with those of controls of <0.340 per 1000 population per year [P = 0.007, 95% CI = (-0.584, -0.096)] and <0.274 per 1000 per year [P = 0.028, 95% CI = (-0.518, -0.031)]. The results suggested that lifting birth restrictions had a short-term effect on the increase in birth rates and rates of natural population increase. However, birth policy with lifting birth restrictions alone may not have sustained impact on population growth in the long run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidie Lin
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16 People’s South Road, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Baiyang Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16 People’s South Road, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Meijing Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16 People’s South Road, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qiang Yao
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16 People’s South Road, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Min Jiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16 People’s South Road, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Cairong Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 16 People’s South Road, Chengdu 610041, China
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Zhang X, Liu X, Wang W, Zhou L, Wang Y, Li M. Effects of incentive-based population policies on sustainability of China's recent maternity insurance system reform: a system dynamics simulation. Health Res Policy Syst 2022; 20:140. [PMID: 36578006 PMCID: PMC9797110 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-022-00945-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This paper seeks to assess the sustainability of the reformed maternity insurance system and the extent to which China's current maternity insurance system can support different levels of fertility incentives in the future. Our findings will serve as a reference for countries in a similar demographic predicament and those about to face it. METHODS This study used a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative assessment, we used a grounded theory model to generalize the factors influencing the sustainability of maternity insurance funds. For the quantitative analysis, we used a novel and comprehensive system dynamics model to visualize the status of the combined operation of maternity and health insurance. Data are mainly derived from the historical data of the Statistical Yearbook of Jiangsu Province and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. RESULTS In the short term, fertility incentive payments can be set to motivate people to have children. It is therefore recommended that when the scope of the fertility incentive policy is limited to two children, and an average amount above RMB 10 000 could be set, it would be prudent to set the amount at a level not exceeding RMB 10 000 when the scope of the fertility incentive policy is for all newborns. In the long term, a system of incentives for childbirth should be built from education policy, house price regulation, tax relief and childcare services. CONCLUSION Our research not only highlights the significance of improving the resilience of maternity insurance by combining maternity insurance and health insurance funds, but also suggests a way to economically incentivize beneficiaries to have children so as to mitigate the decline in China's birth rate and cope with the crisis of an ageing population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Zhang
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319China Centre for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100191 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyun Liu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319China Centre for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100191 People’s Republic of China
| | - Wanxin Wang
- grid.439712.a0000 0004 0398 7779Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Tonbridge Rd, Royal Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4QJ United Kingdom
| | - Lulin Zhou
- grid.440785.a0000 0001 0743 511XSchool of Management, Hospital Management and Health Policy Research, Centre for Medical Insurance, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Wang
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319China Centre for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100191 People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingyue Li
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319China Centre for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100191 People’s Republic of China
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Neil AL, Chappell K, Wagg F, Miller A, Judd F. The Tasmanian Conception to Community (C2C) Study Database 2008-09 to 2013-14: Using linked health administrative data to address each piece in the puzzle. Soc Sci Med 2021; 284:114216. [PMID: 34274707 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tasmania, Australia has a small widely dispersed regional and rural population. The Conception to Community (C2C) Study Database was established as a research platform to inform service planning and policy development and improve health outcomes for Tasmanian mothers and children. The aims of this study were to establish by maternal socio-demographic characteristics: 1) the distribution of births in Tasmania; 2) hospital utilisation for children from birth to 5-years; and 3) the association between child and maternal emergency department (ED) presentation rates. METHODS Perinatal and public hospital ED and admitted patient data were linked for every child born in Tasmania between 2008-09 to 2013-14, and their mothers. Individualised rates of ED presentations and hospital admissions were calculated from birth to 5-years. Frequent presenters to ED were defined as having at least four presentations per annum. Ratios of ED presentation and hospital admission rates by sociodemographic characteristics (region (north, north-west, south), rurality, maternal age, and area socioeconomic disadvantage) were estimated using mixed-effects negative binomial models, with random intercepts for each child and family. RESULTS The C2C Database is comprised of records for 37,041 children and 27,532 mothers. One-in-ten Tasmanian babies lived in a remote area. The mean yearly rate of ED presentations per child varied by sex, age, region and rurality. Frequent presenters were more likely to reside in the north-west or north, in urban areas, have mothers under 20- years, be male, and live in more disadvantaged areas, with 2.3% of children frequent presenters in their first year of life. The odds of a child being a frequent presenter during their first-year was 6.1- times higher if the mother was a frequent presenter during this period. CONCLUSION Associations between maternal and child health service use and combined effects of regionality and rurality highlight opportunities for targeted intervention and service innovations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Neil
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Kate Chappell
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - Fiona Wagg
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services South, Tasmanian Health Service, Hobart, Australia
| | - April Miller
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - Fiona Judd
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Australia; Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Team, CAMHS South, Tasmanian Health Service, Hobart, Australia
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Guo C, Ma W, Fan D, Ma Y, Liu L. Non spontaneous vaginal delivery was associated with lower probability of subsequent fertility. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2020; 248:30-36. [PMID: 32172023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous systematic reviews have reported that cesarean birth is associated with reduced rate of subsequent fertility. However, other common mode of delivery was poorly understood. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the subsequent fertility in patients having different modes of non-spontaneous vaginal delivery, if compared to normal vaginal delivery. STUDY DESIGNS Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science, Embase (via Dialog), CENTRAL (via Cochrane Library), ScienceDirect (via Elsevier) and ClinicalTrial.gov were searched up to October 2019, without language restrictions in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Articles assessing the mode of delivery and subsequent fertility were included. Quality assessment was evaluated using the nine-point Newcastle Ottawa Scale by two independent reviewers. RESULTS Twenty-one articles, including 4,423,544 women of reproductive age, were included. Results showed that women had a 9% (RR: 0.91 [95 %CI 0.88, 0.94]) lower probability of subsequent fertility in primary cesarean birth group, compared with spontaneous vaginal delivery. Further analysis discovered that a 13 % (0.87, [0.85, 0.90]) lower probability of subsequent fertility was observed in women delivered by emergency cesarean birth, a 14 % (0.86, [0.82, 0.91) lower probability by elective cesarean birth, a 39 % (0.61, [0.57, 0.66]) by maternal-requested cesarean birth, and a 2% (0.98, [0.97, 1.00]) by instrumental vaginal delivery. CONCLUSIONS Non-spontaneous vaginal delivery may be associated with lower probability of subsequent fertility. Decision makers and obstetricians should be cautious when choosing the mode of delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Guo
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Southern Medical University Affiliated Maternal & Child Health Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, 528000, China
| | - Wenmin Ma
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Southern Medical University Affiliated Maternal & Child Health Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, 528000, China
| | - Dazhi Fan
- Foshan Institute of Fetal Medicine, Southern Medical University Affiliated Maternal & Child Health Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, 528000, China.
| | - Yubo Ma
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Library, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
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Hsu JC, Su YC, Tang BY, Lu CY. Use of assisted reproductive technologies before and after the Artificial Reproduction Act in Taiwan. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206208. [PMID: 30383814 PMCID: PMC6211666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Low birth rates and infertility are growing concerns for many countries. The Artificial Reproduction Act (ARA) was implemented in 2007 to better support the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Taiwan. This study aims to examine trends in the use of ART and to determine impacts of the ARA on ART use. Method This study used data from the Health Promotion Administration in Taiwan. We used auto-regression models to examine the recent trends (1998–2017) in fertility related indicators and the use of ART. An interrupted time series design and segmented linear regression models were applied to analyze the changes in number of ART treatment cycles and birth rates by ART following the ARA. Results The number of births by ART has gradually increased, with an annual growth rate of 21.55%. The rate of births by ART increased from 0.86% in 1998 to 1.44% in 2007, and to 4.33% in 2016 (annual growth rate: 41.23%). We estimated a relative increase of 78.51% (95%CI: 46.13%, 110.90%) in the number of births by ART and a relative increase of 35.67% (95%CI: 18.87%, 52.47%) in rate of births by ART 5 years following the ARA was implemented. Conclusion ART has been seen as an approach to improve fertility. Our analysis suggests that the ART use and births associated from ART use both increased in Taiwan following the implementation of ARA. This experience in Taiwan may offer important lessons for other countries that are facing low fertility challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C. Hsu
- School of Pharmacy and Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
| | - Yu-Chi Su
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Yun Tang
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Christine Y. Lu
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Chen M, Lloyd CJ, Yip PSF. A new method of identifying target groups for pronatalist policy applied to Australia. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192007. [PMID: 29425220 PMCID: PMC5806865 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A country’s total fertility rate (TFR) depends on many factors. Attributing changes in TFR to changes of policy is difficult, as they could easily be correlated with changes in the unmeasured drivers of TFR. A case in point is Australia where both pronatalist effort and TFR increased in lock step from 2001 to 2008 and then decreased. The global financial crisis or other unobserved confounders might explain both the reducing TFR and pronatalist incentives after 2008. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate causal effects of policy using econometric techniques. The aim of this study is to instead look at the structure of the population to identify which subgroups most influence TFR. Specifically, we build a stochastic model relating TFR to the fertility rates of various subgroups and calculate elasticity of TFR with respect to each rate. For each subgroup, the ratio of its elasticity to its group size is used to evaluate the subgroup’s potential cost effectiveness as a pronatalist target. In addition, we measure the historical stability of group fertility rates, which measures propensity to change. Groups with a high effectiveness ratio and also high propensity to change are natural policy targets. We applied this new method to Australian data on fertility rates broken down by parity, age and marital status. The results show that targeting parity 3+ is more cost-effective than lower parities. This study contributes to the literature on pronatalist policies by investigating the targeting of policies, and generates important implications for formulating cost-effective policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengni Chen
- Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chris J. Lloyd
- Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul S. F. Yip
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- * E-mail:
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Lynagh M, Bonevski B, Sanson-Fisher R, Symonds I, Scott A, Hall A, Oldmeadow C. An RCT protocol of varying financial incentive amounts for smoking cessation among pregnant women. BMC Public Health 2012. [PMID: 23181988 PMCID: PMC3520690 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-1032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Smoking during pregnancy is harmful to the unborn child. Few smoking cessation interventions have been successfully incorporated into standard antenatal care. The main aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a personal financial incentive scheme for encouraging smoking cessation among pregnant women. Design A pilot randomised control trial will be conducted to assess the feasibility and potential effectiveness of two varying financial incentives that increase incrementally in magnitude ($20 vs. $40AUD), compared to no incentive in reducing smoking in pregnant women attending an Australian public hospital antenatal clinic. Method Ninety (90) pregnant women who self-report smoking in the last 7 days and whose smoking status is biochemically verified, will be block randomised into one of three groups: a. No incentive control group (n=30), b. $20 incremental incentive group (n=30), and c. $40 incremental incentive group (n=30). Smoking status will be assessed via a self-report computer based survey in nine study sessions with saliva cotinine analysis used as biochemical validation. Women in the two incentive groups will be eligible to receive a cash reward at each of eight measurement points during pregnancy if 7-day smoking cessation is achieved. Cash rewards will increase incrementally for each period of smoking abstinence. Discussion Identifying strategies that are effective in reducing the number of women smoking during pregnancy and are easily adopted into standard antenatal practice is of utmost importance. A personal financial incentive scheme is a potential antenatal smoking cessation strategy that warrants further investigation. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) number: ACTRN12612000399897
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Affiliation(s)
- Marita Lynagh
- Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, The University of Newcastle & Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
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Einarsdóttir K, Langridge A, Hammond G, Gunnell AS, Haggar FA, Stanley FJ. The Australian baby bonus maternity payment and birth characteristics in Western Australia. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48885. [PMID: 23145010 PMCID: PMC3492246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Australian baby bonus maternity payment introduced in 2004 has been reported to have successfully increased fertility rates in Australia. We aimed to investigate the influence of the baby bonus on maternal demographics and birth characteristics in Western Australia (WA). Methods and Findings This study included 200,659 birth admissions from WA during 2001–2008, identified from administrative birth and hospital data-systems held by the WA Department of Health. We estimated average quarterly birth rates after the baby bonus introduction and compared them with expected rates had the policy not occurred. Rate and percentage differences (including 95% confidence intervals) were estimated separately by maternal demographics and birth characteristics. WA birth rates increased by 12.8% following the baby bonus implementation with the greatest increase being in mothers aged 20–24 years (26.3%, 95%CI = 22.0,30.6), mothers having their third (1.6%, 95%CI = 0.9,2.4) or fourth child (2.2%, 95%CI = 2.1,2.4), mothers living in outer regional and remote areas (32.4%, 95%CI = 30.2,34.6), mothers giving birth as public patients (1.5%, 95%CI = 1.3,1.8), and mothers giving birth in public hospitals (3.5%, 95%CI = 2.6,4.5). Interestingly, births to private patients (−4.3%, 95%CI = −4.8,−3.7) and births in private hospitals (−6.3%, 95%CI = −6.8,−5.8) decreased following the policy implementation. Conclusions The introduction of the baby bonus maternity payment may have served as an incentive for women in their early twenties and mothers having their third or fourth child and may have contributed to the ongoing pressure and staff shortages in Australian public hospitals, particularly those in outer regional and remote areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristjana Einarsdóttir
- Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
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The contribution of increases in family benefits to Australias early 21st-century fertility increase: An empirical analysis. DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH 2011. [DOI: 10.4054/demres.2011.25.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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