Measuring the Influence of the Catholic Faith on the Birthrate of the Lower Economic Class of Guatemalan Society

Abstract

In the global level, it is possible to observe a relationship between national development levels and fertility rates. For the most part, the more developed a country is the lower fertility rate it experiences. In addition to this linkage, there is an optimal fertility rate, socially known as replacement level, desirable for the proper and sustainable development of a nation.

Due to the socio-economic importance of an adequate fertility rate, the present work starts by presenting what it is, its importance, and general considerations on main related factors. Among them, contraceptive prevalence, the number of women in reproductive age (15-49) who are married or in an union and who are currently using a method of contraception, is the closest factor, being especially important as the most efficient and widely available control tool.

Contraceptive prevalence levels corresponding to several countries are presented, showing the contrasting difference between the 54 percent in Guatemala and the average 79 percent in its neighboring Central American countries. Therefore, besides contextualizing this phenomenon, main underlying factors, according to theory, are considered, discussed and selected to be tested against empirical data gathered in Guatemala City.

Contrary to normal studies conducted in developed countries, whose main goal is determining main factors that contribute to the boost of fertility rates, the present work focuses on lowering them.

Due to more than 500 years of strong Catholic influence in Guatemala, unlike to previous studies, the present work regards the Catholic faith as a key underlying factor in the individual level, not in the group level where it is usually considered just to illustrate Guatemalan society as a whole.

Questionnaires considering quantitative and qualitative factors were administered to over 200 pregnant women in different public hospitals of Guatemala City. Based on the collected data, which included information about religion and other normal socio-economic variables, two composite variables were constructed: a religion composite variable and a social composite variable.

Neither religion, a categorical variable comprising the values: catholic, protestant and atheist, nor any of the two composite variables could statistically explain contraceptive prevalence in the sample. Unexpectedly, age and working status turned out being the best explanatory variables with high levels of significance.

After presenting, comparing, and statistically analyzing the empirical data, the demographics of the results were satisfactorily compared against official data provided, among others, by the Guatemalan National Institute of Statistics. The main findings were contrasted against mainstream theories, among which, rational theory and gender equity turned out being in harmony with them.

The fact that religion was unable to explain contraceptive prevalence is finally discussed and the implementation of a second similar research is recommended but in the rural countryside of Guatemala, given the notorious differences between the relatively highly developed capital city and the remote regions of the country.