Transitions to Adulthood
Broad Survey of Pakistani Youth Completed
Pakistan has one of the largest cohorts of young people in its history, with approximately 25 million people between the ages of 15 and 24. Through the decisions they make and the opportunities they are offered, this group will play a crucial role in the social, political, and economic development and stability of the country. Until recently little was known about the details of the lives of Pakistani youth. Population Council investigators sought to fill this knowledge gap by conducting the largest nationally representative survey ever to focus on this age group of Pakistanis. The investigation yielded information about the state of education, work, and marriage and childbearing, among other insights.
Quality of Care
Improved Care Increases Contraceptive Use
Improving family planning services provided at health facilities can significantly increase contraceptive use and continuation rates according to a recent study completed by Population Council researchers and collaborators. Known as the Davao project, the investigation is one of four field studies being undertaken under the Impact Studies Program, designed to document the feasibility of improving quality of care and the effect of improved quality on women’s reproductive behavior.
Biomedical Research
Unlocking the Mechanism of Androgen Action
Conducting basic biomedical research, such as illuminating the events in cells at a molecular level, is a painstaking endeavor that can take decades to produce major results. But knowledge garnered from this type of study is crucial to the formulation of new drugs and the development of successful strategies for tackling health problems. For more than 15 years, Population Council biomedical researcher, James F. Catterall and his colleagues have been studying the genetic mechanisms of action of male sex hormones. His lab has devised ingenious ways of gleaning information about how androgens regulate the activity of genes and why they affect certain tissues and not others.
Urban Studies
Transformation in World's Cities Explored
Historically, developing countries have been largely rural. As a result, demographers have focused on life cycle events in mainly rural contexts. During the next 30 years, however, most of the world’s population growth will occur in the cities and towns of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Recognizing the need for a better understanding of issues related to urban population growth, the National Research Council formed the Panel on Urban Dynamics, co-chaired by Population Council economist Mark Montgomery. The members reviewed existing literature and conducted new analyses. A report of their findings was published by National Academies Press.
Employment and Marriage
Egyptian Working Women's Perceptions of Marriage
Trends in work and marriage have shifted dramatically in Egypt, particularly since the 1960s. Women are getting married later than ever and, although work opportunities have stagnated recently, women are working outside the home more than they did historically. Learning about the relationship between work and marriage may be crucial for understanding a number of other phenomena related to gender roles, including trends in education and childbearing. Population Council demographer Sajeda Amin collaborated with Cairo-based researcher Nagah H. Al-Bassusi to explore how working women in Egypt view marriage and work.
Reference Work
New Population Encyclopedia Offers Thorough Review, Reflects Expanded Scope of Field
The newly published Encyclopedia of Population provides a comprehensive appraisal of the field of population studies. This reference work was badly needed as the last encyclopedia of population was published more than two decades ago in 1982. “In the 1980s, population issues seemed to many people to connote little else but rapid population growth and measures to curtail it,” write the editors Paul Demeny and Geoffrey McNicoll, in their preface. “Today population growth is one concern among many.”
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