Socioeconomic determinants of abortions in the regions of the Czech Republic

Abstract

As fertility continues to decline in modern societies, it becomes increasingly important to understand the factors that influence individuals' decisions on whether or not to have children, in order to inform and appropriately target policy interventions. This thesis examines the socioeconomic determinants of induced abortions and contrasts them with the factors influencing fertility. A Fixed Effects regression analysis is conducted using regional-level data from the Czech Republic, incorporating both economic and social variables. The find- ings indicate that female unemployment discourages childbearing, while male employment has a supportive effect. Higher levels of education are also found to be negatively associated with both fertility and abortion rates. In addition, a broader set of regional characteristics appears to play a role in shaping repro- ductive decisions. Keywords abortions, Czech Republic, regions, socioeconomic deter- minants Title Socioeconomic determinants of abortions in the regions of the Czech Republic Author's e-mail 58001399@fsv.cuni.cz Supervisor's e-mail jana.votapkova@fsv.cuni.cz 1

S trvajı ́cı ́m poklesem plodnosti v modernı ́ch spolec ̌nostech je sta ́le du ̊lez ̌ite ̌js ̌ı ́ porozume ̌t faktoru ̊m, ktere ́ ovlivn ̌ujı ́ rozhodnutı ́ jednotlivcu ̊, zda mı ́t de ̌ti, c ̌i nikoli, aby bylo moz ̌ne ́ vhodne ̌ zacı ́lit politicka ́ opatr ̌enı ́. Tato pra ́ce zkouma ́ socioekonomicke ́ determinanty indukovany ́ch potratu ̊ a porovna ́va ́ je s faktory ovlivn ̌ujı ́cı ́mi plodnost. Analy ́za vyuz ̌ı ́va ́ regresnı ́ model s fixnı ́mi efekty za- loz ̌eny ́ na regiona ́lnı ́ch datech z C ̌eske ́ republiky, ktera ́ zahrnujı ́ jak ekonomicke ́, tak socia ́lnı ́ prome ̌nne ́. Vy 'sledky ukazujı ́, z ̌e nezame ̌stnanost z ̌en sniz ̌uje ochotu mı ́t de ̌ti, zame ̌stnanost muz ̌u ̊ ma ́ podpu ̊rny ́ vliv. Vys ̌s ̌ı ́ u ́roven ̌ vzde ̌la ́nı ́ je negativne ̌ spojena jak s plodnostı ́, tak s mı ́rou potratovosti. Reprodukc ̌nı ́ rozhodova ́nı ́ je rovne ̌z ̌ ovlivn ̌ova ́no s ̌irs ̌ı ́ s ̌ka ́lou regiona ́lnı ́ch charakteristik. Klı ́c ̌ova ́ slova potraty, C ̌eska ́ republika, regiony, socioekonomicke ́ determinanty Na ́zev pra ́ce Socioekonomicke ́ determinanty potratovosti v re- gionech C ̌eske ́ republiky E-mail autora 58001399@fsv.cuni.cz E-mail vedoucı ́ho pra ́ce jana.votapkova@fsv.cuni.cz 1