The national survey of family growth.

The new National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) differs from the previous ones in that it has a larger sample size has greater sampling precision among black women and is being run in 2 cycles so that the data collection is closer together. The previous surveys have been run at 5-year intervals. Cycle 1 of this survey was completed during the latter half of 1973 and the results are now available on a microdata tape for public use. Publication of results began in October 1976. Results from Cycle 2 are expected to start appearing in late 1977. A detailed description of the methodology of this fertility survey is given. Cycle 1 further documents the decline in expected family size observed since the mid-1960s. The inverse association between age of mother at 1st birth and education remains strong and expectations of black mothers remain significantly higher than for white. An interesting observation is that women who are in poor health or whose last baby was in poor health have higher fertility and higher overall family size expectations. More study is needed on this phenomenum. Use of contraception continued to increase reaching almost 70% of married women. Excluding women not at risk of unplanned pregnancy 89% were contraceptors. Use of the pill increased from 15.3% to 25.1% of IUDs from .7% to 6.7% and sterilization from 7.8% to 16.4% between 1965-1973. Among wives over 30 sterilization was by far the most popular method. Black women were less likely to use contraception but among those who did use contraception more used the more effective methods. Use of the pill was 56.5% among black women and 44.9% among white. A report on the wantedness of births in Cycle 1 is forthcoming.