Sex ratios at birth in Australia according to mother's country of birth : A national study of all 5 614 847 reported live births 1997-2016
Edvardsson, Kristina ; Davey, Mary-Ann ; Powell, Rhonda and Axmon, Anna LU
(2021)
In PLoS ONE
16(6).
- Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Son preference and sex selective practices have resulted in a deficit of girls in several countries, primarily across Asia. Emerging evidence indicates that son preference survives migration to Western high-income countries. The objective of this study was to assess male-to-female (M/F) ratios at birth per mother's country of birth in Australia 1997-2016, in total and by parity, and by states/territories and over time.
METHODS: Data for this national population-based cross-sectional study were obtained from the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC) and included all live births in Australia 1997-2016 (N = 5 614 847). M/F ratios with 95% Confidence Intervals were estimated.
RESULTS: The M/F ratio for births to... (More)
OBJECTIVES: Son preference and sex selective practices have resulted in a deficit of girls in several countries, primarily across Asia. Emerging evidence indicates that son preference survives migration to Western high-income countries. The objective of this study was to assess male-to-female (M/F) ratios at birth per mother's country of birth in Australia 1997-2016, in total and by parity, and by states/territories and over time.
METHODS: Data for this national population-based cross-sectional study were obtained from the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC) and included all live births in Australia 1997-2016 (N = 5 614 847). M/F ratios with 95% Confidence Intervals were estimated.
RESULTS: The M/F ratio for births to Australian-born mothers was within the expected range (1.03-1.07) regardless of parity and time period. M/F ratios were elevated above the expected range for births to mothers born in China in the total sample (M/F ratio 1.084, 95% confidence interval 1.071-1.097) and at parity 2 (1.175, 1.120-1.231), and for births to mothers born in India at parity 2 (1.146, 1.090-1.204). Parity 2 births were the most consistently male-biased across time. Across states, elevated M/F ratios were identified for both groups in New South Wales (China parity 2: 1.182, 1.108-1.260; India parity 2: 1.182, 1.088-1.285), for births to Chinese-born mothers in Victoria (total births: 1.097, 1.072-1.123; parity 1: 1.115, 1.072-1.159) and Australian Capital Territory (total births: 1.189, 1.085-1.302) and births to Indian-born mothers Western Australia (parity 2: 1.307, 1.122-1.523).
CONCLUSIONS: Son preference persists in some immigrant communities after migration to Australia. The consistent pattern of elevated M/F ratios across the larger states indicates that sex imbalances at birth are largely independent of restrictiveness of local abortion laws. Drivers and consequences of son preference in Western high-income settings should be explored to further promote gender equality, and to strengthen support for women who may be vulnerable to reproductive coercion.
(Less)
- author
- Edvardsson, Kristina
; Davey, Mary-Ann
; Powell, Rhonda
and Axmon, Anna
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- PLoS ONE
- volume
- 16
- issue
- 6
- article number
- e0251588
- publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:34170929
- scopus:85108740961
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0251588
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 7170da28-fb3d-4bb0-9ebf-4559f3136ce8
- date added to LUP
- 2021-08-02 08:18:41
- date last changed
- 2024-06-15 13:47:44
@article{7170da28-fb3d-4bb0-9ebf-4559f3136ce8,
abstract = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: Son preference and sex selective practices have resulted in a deficit of girls in several countries, primarily across Asia. Emerging evidence indicates that son preference survives migration to Western high-income countries. The objective of this study was to assess male-to-female (M/F) ratios at birth per mother's country of birth in Australia 1997-2016, in total and by parity, and by states/territories and over time.</p><p>METHODS: Data for this national population-based cross-sectional study were obtained from the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC) and included all live births in Australia 1997-2016 (N = 5 614 847). M/F ratios with 95% Confidence Intervals were estimated.</p><p>RESULTS: The M/F ratio for births to Australian-born mothers was within the expected range (1.03-1.07) regardless of parity and time period. M/F ratios were elevated above the expected range for births to mothers born in China in the total sample (M/F ratio 1.084, 95% confidence interval 1.071-1.097) and at parity 2 (1.175, 1.120-1.231), and for births to mothers born in India at parity 2 (1.146, 1.090-1.204). Parity 2 births were the most consistently male-biased across time. Across states, elevated M/F ratios were identified for both groups in New South Wales (China parity 2: 1.182, 1.108-1.260; India parity 2: 1.182, 1.088-1.285), for births to Chinese-born mothers in Victoria (total births: 1.097, 1.072-1.123; parity 1: 1.115, 1.072-1.159) and Australian Capital Territory (total births: 1.189, 1.085-1.302) and births to Indian-born mothers Western Australia (parity 2: 1.307, 1.122-1.523).</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Son preference persists in some immigrant communities after migration to Australia. The consistent pattern of elevated M/F ratios across the larger states indicates that sex imbalances at birth are largely independent of restrictiveness of local abortion laws. Drivers and consequences of son preference in Western high-income settings should be explored to further promote gender equality, and to strengthen support for women who may be vulnerable to reproductive coercion.</p>}},
author = {{Edvardsson, Kristina and Davey, Mary-Ann and Powell, Rhonda and Axmon, Anna}},
issn = {{1932-6203}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
publisher = {{Public Library of Science (PLoS)}},
series = {{PLoS ONE}},
title = {{Sex ratios at birth in Australia according to mother's country of birth : A national study of all 5 614 847 reported live births 1997-2016}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251588}},
doi = {{10.1371/journal.pone.0251588}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2021}},
}