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Sex-selective abortion: a systematic map of the volume and nature of research

Caird, J; Brunton, G; Stokes, G; Hinds, K; Dickson, K; Richardson, M; Khatwa, M; + view all (2015) Sex-selective abortion: a systematic map of the volume and nature of research. EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London: London. Green open access

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Abstract

Background - This report takes the form of a systematic map examining the volume and nature of research concerning sex-selective abortion. The map is not intended to supply an answer to the question "What is the extent of sex-selective abortion in England, Wales and -Scotland?" Rather, the purpose of the map is to describe the volume and key characteristics of research concerning sex-selective abortion; i.e. to identify and describe what research has been carried out in this area. Methodology Empirical, quantitative, English language research focussed upon sex-selective abortion and published from the year 2000 onwards was sought via bibliographic database and citation searching. Results – volume and nature of the research A sizeable international literature in relation to sex-selective abortion was found totalling 332 studies. The country of focus was India in almost half (153) of these studies, China in 79 studies (24%), and Asia (not including India, China or Pakistan) in 37 (11%) of studies. OECD countries were examined in 23 (7%) reports of 20 relevant studies (four secondary, linked reports of existing analyses were identified). Six unique studies focussed upon populations within the UK, five the US, four Canada, two Greece, two Norway and one Italy. The extent of sex-selective abortion taking place in a population is often assessed by examining the sex ratio at birth (SRB) – the number of boys born alive per 100 girls born alive. The research in this map appeared to examine relatively few confounders or moderators of the SRB, although this is likely due to the constraints imposed by analysis of pre-existing datasets. Conclusions/Further research To the extent that it is possible, future research should give further consideration to important confounders such as socio-economic status, marital status, birth order, parity and parental age. Future research might also be situated within the context of alternative explanations for perturbations and prevailing trends in the SRB. In order to establish the extent to which sex-selective abortion is taking place in UK-relevant contexts, relevant studies would have to be subjected to critical appraisal to assess the reliability of their findings. Where results are robust but inconsistent, examination of the scope of the studies and the specification of their analytical models would be required in order to explain mixed and conflicting findings.

Type: Report
Title: Sex-selective abortion: a systematic map of the volume and nature of research
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/LinkClick.aspx?fileticke...
Language: English
Additional information: © Copyright 2015 Authors of the systematic reviews on the EPPI-Centre website (http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/) hold the copyright for the text of their reviews. The EPPI-Centre owns the copyright for all material on the website it has developed, including the contents of the databases, manuals, and coding and data-extraction systems. The centre and authors give permission for users of the site to display and print the contents of the site for their own non-commercial use, providing that the materials are not modified, copyright and other proprietary notices contained in the materials are retained, and the source of the material is cited clearly following the citation details provided. Otherwise users are not permitted to duplicate, reproduce, re-publish, distribute, or store material from this website without express written permission.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1473789
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