Toward sustainable development goals in gender inequality: an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a Southeast Asian country
Abstract Background Gender-biased discrimination and preferences are global phenomena, particularly son preferences. However, updated evidence about this issue in Vietnam has not yet been provided. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the gender preferences among pregnant women and identify associ...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-06109-z |
| _version_ | 1797629912761237504 |
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| author | Anh Duy Nguyen Long Hoang Nguyen Lam Duc Nguyen Ly Thi Ninh Ha Thu Thi Nguyen Cuong Tat Nguyen Nila Nathan Anh Linh Do Anh Minh Le Linh Phuong Doan Son Hoang Nguyen Thuc Minh Thi Vu Bach Xuan Tran Carl A. Latkin Cyrus S.H. Ho Roger C.M. Ho |
| author_facet | Anh Duy Nguyen Long Hoang Nguyen Lam Duc Nguyen Ly Thi Ninh Ha Thu Thi Nguyen Cuong Tat Nguyen Nila Nathan Anh Linh Do Anh Minh Le Linh Phuong Doan Son Hoang Nguyen Thuc Minh Thi Vu Bach Xuan Tran Carl A. Latkin Cyrus S.H. Ho Roger C.M. Ho |
| author_sort | Anh Duy Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Gender-biased discrimination and preferences are global phenomena, particularly son preferences. However, updated evidence about this issue in Vietnam has not yet been provided. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the gender preferences among pregnant women and identify associated factors of such preferences. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two hospitals in Vietnam with 732 pregnant women. Gender preferences for their child were asked, along with socio-demographic (e.g., education, occupation) and pregnancy characteristics (e.g., pressure to have a son, gender of first child, the importance to have a son of family members, and information sources on pregnancy care) by using face-to-face interviews and a structured questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with gender preferences. Results About 51.9% of the participants had no gender preference, while, among those who had a gender preference, 26.5% preferred sons, and 21.6% preferred daughters. Only 6.2% had pressure to have a son. Having the first child who was female (OR = 4.16, 95%CI = 1.54–11.25), having the pressure to have a son (OR = 6.77, 95%CI = 2.06–22.26), and higher self-perceived importance to have a son (OR = 3.05, 95%CI = 1.85–5.02) were positively associated with son preference. Otherwise, women having partners with high school education or above (OR = 2.04, 95%CI = 1.06–3.91), living with parents-in-law (OR = 2.33; 95%CI = 1.25–4.34), the higher number of pregnancies, and a higher degree of importance in having a son regarding parents-in-law (OR = 2.15, 95%CI = 1.38–3.35) associated with higher odds of preferring daughter. Conclusion This study showed that gender preference was common among pregnant women, but the pressure to have a son was low. Further education programs and legal institutions should be implemented to improve gender inequality and gender preference in society. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:00:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b588fa7a9f0d44b0a20e96f32cbeadbc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2393 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:00:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| spelling | doaj.art-b588fa7a9f0d44b0a20e96f32cbeadbc2023-11-12T12:32:53ZengBMCBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth1471-23932023-11-0123111010.1186/s12884-023-06109-zToward sustainable development goals in gender inequality: an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a Southeast Asian countryAnh Duy Nguyen0Long Hoang Nguyen1Lam Duc Nguyen2Ly Thi Ninh3Ha Thu Thi Nguyen4Cuong Tat Nguyen5Nila Nathan6Anh Linh Do7Anh Minh Le8Linh Phuong Doan9Son Hoang Nguyen10Thuc Minh Thi Vu11Bach Xuan Tran12Carl A. Latkin13Cyrus S.H. Ho14Roger C.M. Ho15Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology HospitalDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska InstitutetDepartment of Anesthesiology, Hanoi Medical UniversitySocial Affair Department, Ca Mau Obstetrics & Pediatrics HospitalHanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology HospitalInstitute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan UniversityQuantitative Biomedical Sciences, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth CollegeInstitute of Health Economics and TechnologyInstitute of Health Economics and TechnologyInstitute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan UniversityCenter of Excellence in Evidence-based Medicine, Nguyen Tat Thanh UniversityInstitute of Health Economics and TechnologyInstitute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical UniversityBloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins UniversityDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of SingaporeAbstract Background Gender-biased discrimination and preferences are global phenomena, particularly son preferences. However, updated evidence about this issue in Vietnam has not yet been provided. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the gender preferences among pregnant women and identify associated factors of such preferences. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two hospitals in Vietnam with 732 pregnant women. Gender preferences for their child were asked, along with socio-demographic (e.g., education, occupation) and pregnancy characteristics (e.g., pressure to have a son, gender of first child, the importance to have a son of family members, and information sources on pregnancy care) by using face-to-face interviews and a structured questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with gender preferences. Results About 51.9% of the participants had no gender preference, while, among those who had a gender preference, 26.5% preferred sons, and 21.6% preferred daughters. Only 6.2% had pressure to have a son. Having the first child who was female (OR = 4.16, 95%CI = 1.54–11.25), having the pressure to have a son (OR = 6.77, 95%CI = 2.06–22.26), and higher self-perceived importance to have a son (OR = 3.05, 95%CI = 1.85–5.02) were positively associated with son preference. Otherwise, women having partners with high school education or above (OR = 2.04, 95%CI = 1.06–3.91), living with parents-in-law (OR = 2.33; 95%CI = 1.25–4.34), the higher number of pregnancies, and a higher degree of importance in having a son regarding parents-in-law (OR = 2.15, 95%CI = 1.38–3.35) associated with higher odds of preferring daughter. Conclusion This study showed that gender preference was common among pregnant women, but the pressure to have a son was low. Further education programs and legal institutions should be implemented to improve gender inequality and gender preference in society.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-06109-zGender preferencesPregnant womenSex selectionInequality |
| spellingShingle | Anh Duy Nguyen Long Hoang Nguyen Lam Duc Nguyen Ly Thi Ninh Ha Thu Thi Nguyen Cuong Tat Nguyen Nila Nathan Anh Linh Do Anh Minh Le Linh Phuong Doan Son Hoang Nguyen Thuc Minh Thi Vu Bach Xuan Tran Carl A. Latkin Cyrus S.H. Ho Roger C.M. Ho Toward sustainable development goals in gender inequality: an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a Southeast Asian country BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Gender preferences Pregnant women Sex selection Inequality |
| title | Toward sustainable development goals in gender inequality: an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a Southeast Asian country |
| title_full | Toward sustainable development goals in gender inequality: an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a Southeast Asian country |
| title_fullStr | Toward sustainable development goals in gender inequality: an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a Southeast Asian country |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward sustainable development goals in gender inequality: an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a Southeast Asian country |
| title_short | Toward sustainable development goals in gender inequality: an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a Southeast Asian country |
| title_sort | toward sustainable development goals in gender inequality an analysis of gender preferences among urban pregnant women in a southeast asian country |
| topic | Gender preferences Pregnant women Sex selection Inequality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-06109-z |
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