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Are births underreported in rural China? Manipulation of statistical records in response to China's population policies.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Merli, MG; Raftery, AE
Published in: Demography
February 2000

Under the current family planning policy in China, the criterion for evaluating all parties involved in the birth planning system provides an incentive for everyone to see that the policy is met, either in reality through strict enforcement of family planning regulations, or statistically through manipulation of statistical records. We investigate underreporting of births in four rural counties of northern China, using data from a 1992 sample survey featuring a reproductive history. To clarify the mechanisms of underreporting, we focus on the ways in which reporting errors may affect the distribution of first births by time since marriage. The results of our investigation suggest that in three of the four counties, first-birth intervals are lengthened by underreporting of girl babies and by replacing them with second births reported as first births.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Demography

DOI

EISSN

1533-7790

ISSN

0070-3370

Publication Date

February 2000

Volume

37

Issue

1

Start / End Page

109 / 126

Related Subject Headings

  • Sex Ratio
  • Rural Population
  • Regression Analysis
  • Public Policy
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Population Control
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant Mortality
  • Humans
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Merli, M. G., & Raftery, A. E. (2000). Are births underreported in rural China? Manipulation of statistical records in response to China's population policies. Demography, 37(1), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.2307/2648100
Merli, M. G., and A. E. Raftery. “Are births underreported in rural China? Manipulation of statistical records in response to China's population policies.Demography 37, no. 1 (February 2000): 109–26. https://doi.org/10.2307/2648100.
Merli, M. G., and A. E. Raftery. “Are births underreported in rural China? Manipulation of statistical records in response to China's population policies.Demography, vol. 37, no. 1, Feb. 2000, pp. 109–26. Epmc, doi:10.2307/2648100.
Journal cover image

Published In

Demography

DOI

EISSN

1533-7790

ISSN

0070-3370

Publication Date

February 2000

Volume

37

Issue

1

Start / End Page

109 / 126

Related Subject Headings

  • Sex Ratio
  • Rural Population
  • Regression Analysis
  • Public Policy
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Population Control
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant Mortality
  • Humans