SOCIOECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF FAMILY SIZE ON CHILDREN’S WELFARE AMONG ROAD TRANSPORT EMPLOYEES IN ALIMOSHO LGA, LAGOS STATE
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- NGN 3000
Background Of The Study
The world's population is still growing although the rate of growth has been declining since the 1960s (Sahleyesus, 2015). Global population grows each year by approximately 80 million people. Nearly all of this growth is concentrated in the developing nations of the world, in many of which fertility rates remain high. High fertility can impose costly burdens on developing nations (Sahleyesus, 2015). It may impede opportunities for economic development, increase health risks for women and children, and erode the quality of life by reducing access to education, nutrition, employment, and scarce resources such as potable water (Population Reference Bureau, (2005) cited in Sahleyesus, (2015).
High fertility rates have historically been strongly correlated with poverty, high childhood mortality rates, low status and educational levels of children, deficiencies in reproductive health services, and inadequate availability and acceptance of contraceptives (Becker, Murphy, and Tamura, 2017). He further stated that the reduction of fertility rates and the demographic transition are generally associated with improved standards of living, such as increased per capita incomes, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, increased adult literacy, and higher rates of female education and employment. Therefore, since fertility rate determines family size which further affects the standard of living of individuals in the world especially children, it becomes paramount for the society at large to take into consideration their standard of living or socioeconomic position when choosing a certain family size.
The size of the family is a matter of great importance not only for the world as a whole but also for countries, localities and the welfare and health of the individual, the family and the community(Gyang, 2019). Pessimism has been expressed about the trend of family sizes and its tendency for a probable world population explosion which could plunge poor developing countries into further poverty and helpless wretchedness. Family size is an important population, socioeconomic and reproductive health issue globally (Hyeladi, Alfred & Gyang, 2019; Arthur, 2015; Sam, Peltzer & Mayer, 2015; Ajao, Ojofeitimi, Adebayo, Fatusi & Afolabi, 2020).
In Nigeria, the family constitutes the primary point (foundation) upon which society is formed. it varies in size and exists in various states and is determined by numerous factors, such as cultural (norms and values), socio-economic condition, and political factors. As the major reproductive unit, the family produces new members and their upbringing in the society through socialisation (Scott & Gordon, 2016). The capacity of the family to cater for the new members or children is a function of the resources available and accessible (Jennings & Barber, 2021). The status of the new members of society are drawn from that of their family, thus a poor family yields poor children (Sahleyesus, 2015). As a result, this affects the status of the society in general. Specifically, majority of families in Lagos State is characterized by five children and above which is considered as a large family size in this study. Such family size comes with its implications of poor health, inability to provide adequately for the education of the children, low standard of learning and the inability to fulfill one's dreams in life. The three basic necessities of life, food, clothing and housing are essentially issues to such a large family that is taken in this study. A small size on the other hand is seen as a family with an average of three siblings; more so, such family is considered on the grounds of the ability to cater adequately for the needs and be able to meet up with the three necessities of life with a touch of some luxury. The implications of a small family size are the ability for one to enjoy adequately the basic necessities of life with little or no stress. From the above, it is overt that the ability of families in the society and the world at large to give the children the quality of life necessary for their development and welfare is determined by the family size of various parents. Hence, this study is focused on ascertaining the socioeconomic implications of family size on children’s welfare.
Statement Of The Problem
Family size preferences stand as a "silent norm" guiding married couples on the number of children they are expected to bear. Thus, this trend influences the decisions of couples to the extent of having more children than they generally can cater for (Becker, et all,2017). This is not without its consequences like the decrease in the standard of living, childhood nutritional deficiency, lack of education, overcrowding, prostitution, street hawking among others. The size of the family is a matter of great importance not only for the world as a whole but also for countries, localities and the welfare and health of the individual, the family and the community. Previous studies has indicated that the trend of family sizes and its tendency for a probable world population explosion which could plunge poor developing countries into further poverty and helpless wretchedness. Also family size is an important population, socioeconomic and reproductive health issue globally (Hyeladi, Alfred & Gyang, 2019; Arthur, 2015; Sam, Peltzer & Mayer, 2015). It was further recognized in the above cited studies that family size is the only major factor which determines couples ability to provide adequate welfare to their children. In Africa, most married individuals desire to have more children probably as a source of honour, wealth and prestige (Thompson, 2016). These trajectories incidentally have some profound implications for family size compositions, especially children’s upbringing and welfare. The size of the family is one of the important determinants of the welfare and health of the individual, the family and the community as well as the country (Nigeria) at large (Hyeladi, et al, 2019). Every family size decision and reproductive health behaviour are naturally laced with some consequences (Hyeladi, et al, 2019; Dow & Rosero-Bixby, 2018; Yidana, Ziblim, Azongo, & Abass, 2015). According to Hyeladi, et al, (2019), there is a strong relationship between family size and poverty levels. Large family size has a negative effect on the health of the children and parents(Alam, 2017) and household food security (Adebayo et al, 2020). In terms of children’s access to qualitative basic life-sustaining goods like food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, education among others, family size is largely a socioeconomic determinant factor (Dow & Rosero-Bixby, 2018; Sam, Peltzer, & Mayer, 2015). It has been noted with a disturbing concern by LeGrand and Mbacke (2019) that large family size decision and status connects to poverty, deviance and illiteracy. The larger a family is, the more resources it would need for proper upkeep of its members. In other words, having a large family can have negative effects on the health and well-being of both parents and children (Ushie, Enang, & Ushie, 2019).
Furthermore, majority of parents in Lagos state have limited resources to distribute among their children such that the ones available to each child are reduced as family size increases (Sahleyesus, 2015). For example, parents invest less in a child’s education when they have an unmanageable large family size (Knodel, 1991) cited in Alam, (2017). Additionally, larger families in Lagos state reduce parental emotional investment in each child (Kidwell, 2018), which can impede social and emotional growth and development. In view of the studies cited above, not any of the studies was specifically conducted in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State. In addition to this, while the findings of those studies might be considered relevant, none of the was carried out in the concurrent year which has experience an upsurge of economic recession, resulting the loss of employment by many individuals in Nigeria. Thus, this study will be carried out in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, so as to cover the gap identified.
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