Ewa Batyra
Biographic Data
| ID | 293329 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ewa Batyra |
| GIVEN NAMES | Ewa |
| FAMILY NAME | Batyra |
| SIGNATURE | BATYRA E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2967-1508 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 55 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The Distribution of Reproduction during a Fertility Transition: Declining Spread of Parenthood in Brazil
Demographers have a rich understanding of the fertility transitions that have been observed in many contexts. Yet, we lack evidence to explain whether long‐run declines in fertility levels are accompanied by simultaneous changes in reproductive variability. This is important because reproductive variability—the concentration and dispersion of childbearing—may help to better explain fertility trends and predict population change. We address this g…
School Enrollment and Living Arrangements of Children in Sub‐Saharan Africa
School enrollment has increased in many sub‐Saharan African countries over recent decades, alongside substantial socioeconomic and demographic transitions. However, gains in educational enrollment have not been equal, raising questions about the determinants of access to and variability in school enrollment. The living arrangements of children constitute one possible factor associated with this variability. We leverage 60 census samples, provided…
The Stability of Child Fostering in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Case of Senegal
In sub‐Saharan Africa, child out‐fostering is a traditional social practice, and research suggests stable levels of out‐fostering over time, yet the underlying demographic and socioeconomic factors driving this stability have remained largely unexplored. To gain insight into the prevalence and associations of child out‐fostering and mothers’ individual and household characteristics, we analyzed nine rounds of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) d…
Non-family Living Arrangements Among Young Adults in the United States
The share of young adults living in married-couple family households in the USA has declined in recent decades. Research on alternative living arrangements focuses on cohabitation among unmarried couples and parent–adult child coresidence. Less is known about trends in non-family living arrangements and the characteristics of young adults living with non-relatives. This study documents trends over time in non-family living arrangements among youn…
Increases in child marriage among the poorest in Mali: Reverse policies' or data quality issues
Child marriage is associated with adverse outcomes related to women’s well-being. Many countries have introduced laws banning this practice, and a number of studies have evaluated their impact. Scant research has focused on instances where countries have lowered the legal minimum age at marriage, even though such ‘reverse policies’ could result in stalled or uneven progress in eradicating child marriage. Using visualization techniques, regression…
Birth Intention Status and Infant Mortality: Fixed-Effects Analysis of 60 Countries
Most studies on the impact of birth intentions on children's well-being do not separate risks of infant mortality associated with pregnancy intention status from the risks that are associated with sociodemographic characteristics. There is a lack of studies taking a multicountry comparative perspective. We analyzed 60 Demographic and Health Surveys in Asia, the Americas, and Africa to examine the association between birth intentions and infant mo…
Education and the Timing of Family Formation: Evidence from Quantile Regression Analysis
The relationship between educational level and the age at which women start families has been extensively researched. However, studies have primarily explored how additional schooling shifts the mean or, more broadly, only one point of the age at first union and first birth distributions. This ignores variation in the association between education and the timing of family formation, and the fact that schooling might shape behaviours of vulnerable…
A gender story of institutional disengagement of young adults in Latin America
Latin America is home to many young adults who are neither engaged in formal education nor work, controversially dubbed as “nini” ( “ni” trabajan “ni” estudian , denoting neither working nor studying). At the same time, early union formation and parenthood are pervasive in the region. Theories pertaining to the linkage between parenthood and female labor force participation are heavily based on evidence found in the Global North, with limited res…
Union formation, within‐couple dynamics, and child well‐being: A global macrolevel perspective
Studies on global changes in families have greatly increased over the past decade, adopting both a country-specific and, more recently, a cross-national comparative perspective. While most studies are focused on the drivers of global changes in families, little comparative research has explored the implications of family processes for the health and well-being of children. This study aims to fill this gap and launch a new research agenda explorin…
Forecasting of cohort fertility by educational level in countries with limited data availability: The case of Brazil
The Brazilian period total fertility rate (PTFR) dropped to 1.8 in 2010 (1.5 among those with high education). Due to shifts in fertility timing, the PTFR may provide a misleading picture of fertility levels. The consequences of these changes for the cohort total fertility rate (CTFR)-a measure free from tempo distortions-and for educational differences in completed fertility remain unknown. Due to data limitations, CTFR forecasts in low- and mid…
Gender Asymmetries in Cross-National Couples
We use census microdata for Spain and the United States to examine gender differences in cross-national heterosexual couples (marriages and cohabitating unions involving natives and immigrant spouses). We examine whether native men and native women in cross-national couples exhibit similar patterns regarding the country of birth, age, and educational attainment of their international partners. Countries are ranked by their level of the human deve…
Unintended pregnancy resolution among parous women in twelve low- and middle-income countries
Around 40% of pregnancies worldwide are unintended and a half of those are terminated. Yet, few international comparisons of unintended pregnancy resolution (choosing birth or abortion) exist. This study analysed how parous women’s pregnancy intentions and abortion decisions are associated with their reproductive histories and country contexts using twelve Demographic and Health Surveys representing four context groups: post-Soviet/communist and …
Unequal Transitions to Adulthood: Widening Disparities in Age at First Union, Sex, and Birth in Many Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries
Research on the timing of events during the transition to adulthood, such as first union, sex, and birth in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), focused predominantly on measures of central tendency, notably median or mean ages. In this report, we adopt a different perspective on this topic by examining disparities in the timing of these events in 46 LMICs spanning four decades. Using Demographic and Health Surveys, we estimate ages at which…
Income Inequality and Increasing Dispersion of the Transition to First Birth in the Global South
The relationship between levels of social and economic inequality and demographic changes remains poorly documented, particularly for fertility. Covering a period from 1986 to 2018, this paper documents a positive country-level association between income inequality and the dispersion of first birth schedules among women from 88 countries of the Global South. This association is driven by a dual dynamic of the decreasing mean age at first birth am…
Trends in child marriage and new evidence on the selective impact of changes in age-at-marriage laws on early marriage
This study adopts a cohort perspective to explore trends in child marriage - defined as the proportion of girls who entered first union before the age of 18 - and the effectiveness of policy changes aimed at curbing child marriage by increasing the minimum legal age of marriage. We adopt a cross-national perspective comparing six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that introduced changes in the minimum age at marriage over the past two deca…
Changing Gender Gaps in the Timing of First Union Formation and Sexual Initiation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Gender differences in union formation and sexual initiation in sub-Saharan Africa remain poorly documented, in large part due to a scarcity of research on the transition to adulthood among men. We adopt a novel perspective on this topic by examining gender gaps in the ages at first union and sex in 24 countries, focusing on measures of central tendency and dispersion. Gender differences in age at first union decreased, driven by postponement amon…
The socioeconomic dynamics of trends in female genital mutilation/cutting across Africa
BACKGROUND: The majority of women who undergo female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) live in Africa. Although the UN Sustainable Development Goals call for intensified efforts to accelerate the abandonment of FGM/C, little is known about where in Africa the declines in prevalence have been fastest and whether changes in prevalence differ by women's socioeconomic status. METHODS: We use data from Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indi…
Contraceptive Use Behavior Change After an Unintended Birth in Colombia and Peru
CONTEXT: No studies using longitudinal contraceptive histories have investigated whether having an unintended birth (i.e., one resulting from an unintended pregnancy) is associated with change in contraceptive behavior, including in Colombia and Peru, where levels of unintended fertility remain high. METHODS: Monthly reproductive history calendar data from the 2010 Colombia and 2012 Peru Demographic and Health Surveys were used to study contracep…
Increasing Educational Disparities in the Timing of Motherhood in the Andean Region: A Cohort Perspective
In spite of a peculiar pattern of the age at first birth in Latin America, there is little research about the long-term trends in the timing of transition to motherhood at all stages of women’s reproductive lives and across countries in the region. This paper examines the evolution of educational disparities in the age at first birth during the fertility transition in three Andean region countries: Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Using birth history…
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Mali and Mauritania: Understanding Trends and Evaluating Policies
Despite international commitments to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), very little is known about the effectiveness of national policies in contributing to the abandonment of this harmful practice. To help address this gap in knowledge, we apply a quasi‐experimental research design to study two west African countries, Mali and Mauritania. These countries have marked similarities with respect to practices of FGM/C, but differing legal…
Fertility and the changing pattern of the timing of childbearing in Colombia
According to the latest 2010 CDHS, Colombiaâ s total fertility rate (TFR) reached the level of 2.1. Studies show that the long-observed early childbearing pattern there might be changing, in particular for highly educated women, yet detailed analysis of tim
Income Inequality and Increasing Dispersion of the Transition to First Birth in the Global South
The relationship between levels of social and economic inequality and demographic changes remains poorly documented, particularly for fertility. Covering a period from 1986 to 2018, this paper documents a positive country-level association between income inequality and the dispersion of first birth schedules among women from 88 countries of the Global South. This association is driven by a dual dynamic of the decreasing mean age at first birth am…
Fertility and the changing pattern of the timing of childbearing in Colombia
According to the latest 2010 CDHS, Colombiaâ s total fertility rate (TFR) reached the level of 2.1. Studies show that the long-observed early childbearing pattern there might be changing, in particular for highly educated women, yet detailed analysis of tim
Changing Gender Gaps in the Timing of First Union Formation and Sexual Initiation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Gender differences in union formation and sexual initiation in sub-Saharan Africa remain poorly documented, in large part due to a scarcity of research on the transition to adulthood among men. We adopt a novel perspective on this topic by examining gender gaps in the ages at first union and sex in 24 countries, focusing on measures of central tendency and dispersion. Gender differences in age at first union decreased, driven by postponement amon…
Unequal Transitions to Adulthood: Widening Disparities in Age at First Union, Sex, and Birth in Many Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries
Research on the timing of events during the transition to adulthood, such as first union, sex, and birth in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), focused predominantly on measures of central tendency, notably median or mean ages. In this report, we adopt a different perspective on this topic by examining disparities in the timing of these events in 46 LMICs spanning four decades. Using Demographic and Health Surveys, we estimate ages at which…
Increasing Educational Disparities in the Timing of Motherhood in the Andean Region: A Cohort Perspective
In spite of a peculiar pattern of the age at first birth in Latin America, there is little research about the long-term trends in the timing of transition to motherhood at all stages of women’s reproductive lives and across countries in the region. This paper examines the evolution of educational disparities in the age at first birth during the fertility transition in three Andean region countries: Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Using birth history…
Union formation, within‐couple dynamics, and child well‐being: A global macrolevel perspective
Studies on global changes in families have greatly increased over the past decade, adopting both a country-specific and, more recently, a cross-national comparative perspective. While most studies are focused on the drivers of global changes in families, little comparative research has explored the implications of family processes for the health and well-being of children. This study aims to fill this gap and launch a new research agenda explorin…
Non-family Living Arrangements Among Young Adults in the United States
The share of young adults living in married-couple family households in the USA has declined in recent decades. Research on alternative living arrangements focuses on cohabitation among unmarried couples and parent–adult child coresidence. Less is known about trends in non-family living arrangements and the characteristics of young adults living with non-relatives. This study documents trends over time in non-family living arrangements among youn…
Education and the Timing of Family Formation: Evidence from Quantile Regression Analysis
The relationship between educational level and the age at which women start families has been extensively researched. However, studies have primarily explored how additional schooling shifts the mean or, more broadly, only one point of the age at first union and first birth distributions. This ignores variation in the association between education and the timing of family formation, and the fact that schooling might shape behaviours of vulnerable…
Gender Asymmetries in Cross-National Couples
We use census microdata for Spain and the United States to examine gender differences in cross-national heterosexual couples (marriages and cohabitating unions involving natives and immigrant spouses). We examine whether native men and native women in cross-national couples exhibit similar patterns regarding the country of birth, age, and educational attainment of their international partners. Countries are ranked by their level of the human deve…
The Stability of Child Fostering in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Case of Senegal
In sub‐Saharan Africa, child out‐fostering is a traditional social practice, and research suggests stable levels of out‐fostering over time, yet the underlying demographic and socioeconomic factors driving this stability have remained largely unexplored. To gain insight into the prevalence and associations of child out‐fostering and mothers’ individual and household characteristics, we analyzed nine rounds of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) d…
Forecasting of cohort fertility by educational level in countries with limited data availability: The case of Brazil
The Brazilian period total fertility rate (PTFR) dropped to 1.8 in 2010 (1.5 among those with high education). Due to shifts in fertility timing, the PTFR may provide a misleading picture of fertility levels. The consequences of these changes for the cohort total fertility rate (CTFR)-a measure free from tempo distortions-and for educational differences in completed fertility remain unknown. Due to data limitations, CTFR forecasts in low- and mid…
Fertility and the changing pattern of the timing of childbearing in Colombia
According to the latest 2010 CDHS, Colombiaâ s total fertility rate (TFR) reached the level of 2.1. Studies show that the long-observed early childbearing pattern there might be changing, in particular for highly educated women, yet detailed analysis of tim
The socioeconomic dynamics of trends in female genital mutilation/cutting across Africa
BACKGROUND: The majority of women who undergo female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) live in Africa. Although the UN Sustainable Development Goals call for intensified efforts to accelerate the abandonment of FGM/C, little is known about where in Africa the declines in prevalence have been fastest and whether changes in prevalence differ by women's socioeconomic status. METHODS: We use data from Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indi…
Contraceptive Use Behavior Change After an Unintended Birth in Colombia and Peru
CONTEXT: No studies using longitudinal contraceptive histories have investigated whether having an unintended birth (i.e., one resulting from an unintended pregnancy) is associated with change in contraceptive behavior, including in Colombia and Peru, where levels of unintended fertility remain high. METHODS: Monthly reproductive history calendar data from the 2010 Colombia and 2012 Peru Demographic and Health Surveys were used to study contracep…
Increasing Educational Disparities in the Timing of Motherhood in the Andean Region: A Cohort Perspective
In spite of a peculiar pattern of the age at first birth in Latin America, there is little research about the long-term trends in the timing of transition to motherhood at all stages of women’s reproductive lives and across countries in the region. This paper examines the evolution of educational disparities in the age at first birth during the fertility transition in three Andean region countries: Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Using birth history…
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Mali and Mauritania: Understanding Trends and Evaluating Policies
Despite international commitments to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), very little is known about the effectiveness of national policies in contributing to the abandonment of this harmful practice. To help address this gap in knowledge, we apply a quasi‐experimental research design to study two west African countries, Mali and Mauritania. These countries have marked similarities with respect to practices of FGM/C, but differing legal…
Trends in child marriage and new evidence on the selective impact of changes in age-at-marriage laws on early marriage
This study adopts a cohort perspective to explore trends in child marriage - defined as the proportion of girls who entered first union before the age of 18 - and the effectiveness of policy changes aimed at curbing child marriage by increasing the minimum legal age of marriage. We adopt a cross-national perspective comparing six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that introduced changes in the minimum age at marriage over the past two deca…
Changing Gender Gaps in the Timing of First Union Formation and Sexual Initiation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Gender differences in union formation and sexual initiation in sub-Saharan Africa remain poorly documented, in large part due to a scarcity of research on the transition to adulthood among men. We adopt a novel perspective on this topic by examining gender gaps in the ages at first union and sex in 24 countries, focusing on measures of central tendency and dispersion. Gender differences in age at first union decreased, driven by postponement amon…
Unintended pregnancy resolution among parous women in twelve low- and middle-income countries
Around 40% of pregnancies worldwide are unintended and a half of those are terminated. Yet, few international comparisons of unintended pregnancy resolution (choosing birth or abortion) exist. This study analysed how parous women’s pregnancy intentions and abortion decisions are associated with their reproductive histories and country contexts using twelve Demographic and Health Surveys representing four context groups: post-Soviet/communist and …
Unequal Transitions to Adulthood: Widening Disparities in Age at First Union, Sex, and Birth in Many Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries
Research on the timing of events during the transition to adulthood, such as first union, sex, and birth in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), focused predominantly on measures of central tendency, notably median or mean ages. In this report, we adopt a different perspective on this topic by examining disparities in the timing of these events in 46 LMICs spanning four decades. Using Demographic and Health Surveys, we estimate ages at which…
Income Inequality and Increasing Dispersion of the Transition to First Birth in the Global South
The relationship between levels of social and economic inequality and demographic changes remains poorly documented, particularly for fertility. Covering a period from 1986 to 2018, this paper documents a positive country-level association between income inequality and the dispersion of first birth schedules among women from 88 countries of the Global South. This association is driven by a dual dynamic of the decreasing mean age at first birth am…
A gender story of institutional disengagement of young adults in Latin America
Latin America is home to many young adults who are neither engaged in formal education nor work, controversially dubbed as “nini” ( “ni” trabajan “ni” estudian , denoting neither working nor studying). At the same time, early union formation and parenthood are pervasive in the region. Theories pertaining to the linkage between parenthood and female labor force participation are heavily based on evidence found in the Global North, with limited res…
Union formation, within‐couple dynamics, and child well‐being: A global macrolevel perspective
Studies on global changes in families have greatly increased over the past decade, adopting both a country-specific and, more recently, a cross-national comparative perspective. While most studies are focused on the drivers of global changes in families, little comparative research has explored the implications of family processes for the health and well-being of children. This study aims to fill this gap and launch a new research agenda explorin…
Forecasting of cohort fertility by educational level in countries with limited data availability: The case of Brazil
The Brazilian period total fertility rate (PTFR) dropped to 1.8 in 2010 (1.5 among those with high education). Due to shifts in fertility timing, the PTFR may provide a misleading picture of fertility levels. The consequences of these changes for the cohort total fertility rate (CTFR)-a measure free from tempo distortions-and for educational differences in completed fertility remain unknown. Due to data limitations, CTFR forecasts in low- and mid…
Gender Asymmetries in Cross-National Couples
We use census microdata for Spain and the United States to examine gender differences in cross-national heterosexual couples (marriages and cohabitating unions involving natives and immigrant spouses). We examine whether native men and native women in cross-national couples exhibit similar patterns regarding the country of birth, age, and educational attainment of their international partners. Countries are ranked by their level of the human deve…
Non-family Living Arrangements Among Young Adults in the United States
The share of young adults living in married-couple family households in the USA has declined in recent decades. Research on alternative living arrangements focuses on cohabitation among unmarried couples and parent–adult child coresidence. Less is known about trends in non-family living arrangements and the characteristics of young adults living with non-relatives. This study documents trends over time in non-family living arrangements among youn…
Increases in child marriage among the poorest in Mali: Reverse policies' or data quality issues
Child marriage is associated with adverse outcomes related to women’s well-being. Many countries have introduced laws banning this practice, and a number of studies have evaluated their impact. Scant research has focused on instances where countries have lowered the legal minimum age at marriage, even though such ‘reverse policies’ could result in stalled or uneven progress in eradicating child marriage. Using visualization techniques, regression…
Birth Intention Status and Infant Mortality: Fixed-Effects Analysis of 60 Countries
Most studies on the impact of birth intentions on children's well-being do not separate risks of infant mortality associated with pregnancy intention status from the risks that are associated with sociodemographic characteristics. There is a lack of studies taking a multicountry comparative perspective. We analyzed 60 Demographic and Health Surveys in Asia, the Americas, and Africa to examine the association between birth intentions and infant mo…
Education and the Timing of Family Formation: Evidence from Quantile Regression Analysis
The relationship between educational level and the age at which women start families has been extensively researched. However, studies have primarily explored how additional schooling shifts the mean or, more broadly, only one point of the age at first union and first birth distributions. This ignores variation in the association between education and the timing of family formation, and the fact that schooling might shape behaviours of vulnerable…
The Stability of Child Fostering in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Case of Senegal
In sub‐Saharan Africa, child out‐fostering is a traditional social practice, and research suggests stable levels of out‐fostering over time, yet the underlying demographic and socioeconomic factors driving this stability have remained largely unexplored. To gain insight into the prevalence and associations of child out‐fostering and mothers’ individual and household characteristics, we analyzed nine rounds of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) d…
The Distribution of Reproduction during a Fertility Transition: Declining Spread of Parenthood in Brazil
Demographers have a rich understanding of the fertility transitions that have been observed in many contexts. Yet, we lack evidence to explain whether long‐run declines in fertility levels are accompanied by simultaneous changes in reproductive variability. This is important because reproductive variability—the concentration and dispersion of childbearing—may help to better explain fertility trends and predict population change. We address this g…
School Enrollment and Living Arrangements of Children in Sub‐Saharan Africa
School enrollment has increased in many sub‐Saharan African countries over recent decades, alongside substantial socioeconomic and demographic transitions. However, gains in educational enrollment have not been equal, raising questions about the determinants of access to and variability in school enrollment. The living arrangements of children constitute one possible factor associated with this variability. We leverage 60 census samples, provided…
Demography (16 works) · Geography (15 works) · Population (15 works) · Sociology (15 works) · Economics (13 works) · Demographic economics (11 works) · Political science (11 works) · Demography (10 works) · Family Dynamics and Relationships (10 works) · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences (9 works)