Endemic disease, nutrition and fertility in developing countries

C. G. N. Mascie‐Taylor
In: Journal of Biosocial Science · 1992 · vol. 24(3) , pp. 355–365 · doi:10.1017/s002193200001991x · PMID:1634564 · W2103860690
review OA: closed CC0
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This paper explores how endemic disease and poor nutrition impact fertility in developing countries by reducing reproductive capacity and prolonging birth intervals.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

⚙ AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This paper reviews how infectious disease and nutrition affect fertility in developing countries, distinguishing reduced fecundity (subfecundity, via reproductive impairment such as conceptive failure and pregnancy loss) from mechanisms that extend the birth interval. It outlines broader determinants of fertility beyond biology, including mate exposure patterns and the role of birth control, and it synthesizes literature on disease-related reproductive impacts. A stated limitation is that the discussion is conceptual and literature-based rather than a primary empirical study, and it emphasizes general mechanisms without quantifying effects in specific populations. Relevance to endometriosis: the cited references include studies such as “Teen-age endometriosis” and “Infertility due to endometriosis,” though the paper’s main focus is endemic disease, nutrition, and fertility overall rather than endometriosis specifically.

Read from the paper's body, not the abstract. Not a substitute for reading the paper. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

The two main ways in which disease and nutrition can influence fertility are by reducing fecundity or by extending the birth interval. Fecundity refers to reproductive ability, that is the potential to breed, as compared to fertility which denotes actual childbearing (McFalls & McFalls, 1984). Reduced fecundity, which is usually referred to as subfecundity, results from impairment of any of the biological aspects of reproduction, including coital inability, conceptive failure as well as pregnancy loss. Subfecundity is only one factor operating to reduce fertility; other factors include those governing mate exposure (both formation and dissolution of unions as well as exposure to intercourse within unions) and birth control.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Citation neighborhood (sparse)

Too few in-corpus citations on either side for a chart; here are the lists.

Cites (2)

References (12)

Source provenance

openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK