ABSTRACT This study compares fertility-related behaviour in the adjacent regions of West Bengal (a state in eastern India) and Bangladesh. The starting premise of the paper is that common history and language has led to diffusion of fertility practices from West Bengal to Bangladesh. This is hypothesised to create a homogenous pattern of fertility behaviour in the bordering districts of both political regions. The study uses Demographic Health Survey (DHS) and District level Household Survey data for 1992, 2002, and 2012. Despite some reservations – as DHS is directed to produce state-level estimates, while DLHS is geared to yield district-level estimates – the similarity in sampling strategies and coverage of all districts (in West Bengal) and divisions (in Bangladesh) implies that the two data sets may be pooled, particularly in the absence of any alternatives. We tested whether fertility behaviour in (i) bordering districts differs from non-border districts in both countries, and (ii) bordering districts of both countries are similar using multi-level linear and logistic models. Outcome variables are contraceptive prevalence rate, and number of ever born children. The results reveal similarities in fertility behaviour between border divisions of Bangladesh and West Bengal, indicating possible cross-border diffusion of fertility practices.

中文翻译：

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语言区域的生育行为：重新审视大孟加拉国的扩散假设

摘要本研究比较了西孟加拉邦（印度东部的一个州）和孟加拉国的邻近地区与生育相关的行为。本文的出发点是，共同的历史和语言导致了生育习俗从西孟加拉邦扩散到孟加拉国。据推测，这将在两个政治区域的毗邻地区创造出一种统一的生育行为模式。该研究使用了1992年，2002年和2012年的人口健康调查（DHS）和地区级别的家庭调查数据。尽管有些保留–由于DHS旨在产生州一级的估计，而DLHS旨在产生地区一级的估计–抽样策略的相似性以及所有地区（西孟加拉邦）和分区（孟加拉国）的相似性都意味着这两个数据集可以合并在一起，特别是在没有其他选择的情况下。我们使用多层次线性和逻辑模型测试了（i）两国毗邻地区与非边境地区的生育行为是否存在差异，以及（ii）两国毗邻地区的生育行为是否相似。结果变量是避孕普及率和出生婴儿数。结果表明，孟加拉国和西孟加拉邦的边界分区之间在生育行为上具有相似性，这表明生育行为可能跨界扩散。和生下的孩子数。结果表明，孟加拉国和西孟加拉邦的边界分区之间在生育行为上具有相似性，这表明生育行为可能跨界扩散。和生下的孩子数。结果表明，孟加拉国和西孟加拉邦的边界分区之间在生育行为上具有相似性，这表明生育行为可能跨界扩散。