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This study identified the extent to which family factors increase school enrollment in Bolivia, after adjusting for human and financial capital. The sample was drawn from the 1998 Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression models were used to determine the effect of human capital, financial capital and family factors on school enrollment. Results of the study indicated that mother's education, the socioeconomic status of the family and the mother's knowledge of health issues all influence children's school enrollment. Mothers who were able to correctly identify when during their ovulatory cycle they could conceive were 1.5 times (p-value =0.012) more likely to have their children enrolled in school. The odds of children being enrolled in school also went up with increases in the mother's education and the family's socioeconomic status, and decreased for girls. Result indicated that school enrollment in Bolivia may be increased by addressing the health knowledge of mothers as well as human, financial, and demographic factors of the family. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

Purpose: Rural children in developing countries have poor health outcomes in comparison with urban children. This paper considers 4 questions regarding the rural/urban difference, namely: (1) do individual-level characteristics account for rural/urban differences in child nutritional status; (2) do community-level characteristics account for rural/urban differences net of individual-level characteristics; (3) does type of residence alter the influence of individual characteristics; and (4) does the rural/urban difference vary across national contexts? Method: Analysis is based on Demographic and Health Survey data from 35 developing countries. Multilevel regression is used to examine rural/urban differences in nutritional status net of individual, community and national determinants of health status. Findings: Rural children have a substantially higher risk of poor nutrition. Much of this disadvantage is because of socioeconomic disadvantage, reproductive norms favoring early and more rapid childbearing, and lack of access to modern medicine. Rural residence also structures the nature of the relationships between socioeconomic status, access to medical care, and nutrition. Finally, the rural/urban gap declines as countries develop. Conclusion: Rural/urban differences in child nutritional status are substantial, and some--but not all--of the differences are attributable to socioeconomic status, access to medical care, and reproductive norms. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

This research examines trends in a broad set of reproductive and marital behaviors in Ghana, focusing on religious group differences. These comparisons provide evidence of how family trends are constrained by religious identity in a less developed country. Three waves of the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys are used to track trends in the age at family formation, marital status, contraceptive use, and family size. Results indicate that women are waiting longer to begin sexual relationships, to marry, and have children. At the same time, the frequency of informal unions, polygamy, and marital disruption show modest declines. Contraceptive use is increasing and family size is declining. Although religious group differences in these behaviors are substantial, some religious group differences appear to be widening over time, others are narrowing, and others remain relatively stable. Collectively, these measures provide evidence that family structure is being transformed in Ghana and that religion is an important context for family trends. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Despite increased attention to religious organizations as an ally in America's welfare-to-work revolution, faith- based employment assistance programs have garnered little attention from scholars. This study seeks to fill this gap by examining intake and follow-up survey data collected from clients of Employment Resource Centers sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The authors begin by examining the sociodemographic composition and human capital of the clientele served by Employment Resource Centers. They then proceed to explore the economic outcomes associated with program participation. LDS job seekers differ from their national counterparts, with the former commanding significantly higher stocks of human capital. Still, net of controls for human capital and other characteristics, positive economic outcomes are observed for client participation in select Employment Resource Center programs. This study sheds new light on the prospects and challenges of faith-based efforts to assist unemployed and underemployed job seekers. (Contains 6 tables.)

Drawing on status attainment models, the authors examine the effects of family, peer, and school factors on expectations to graduate from a university for a sample of high school students in Bogota, Colombia, and La Paz, Bolivia. The expansion of higher education in these countries has followed different strategies. In Bolivia, the policy has been to increase access to higher education, however at the cost of quality. In Colombia, expansion has been slower and has attempted to improve the quality of education. Although each context is distinct, students in both cities have similar expectations to graduate from a university. Access to education, however, is still very closely tied to socioeconomic background in Bogota, whereas family structure is the primary factor influencing expectations in La Paz. We conclude that family factors as well as the context of higher education influence the expectations of high school students to graduate from a university.

In Bolivia, a third of rural children are stunted, and rural infants are twice as likely to die before age 2 than urban infants. National survey data indicate child survival and development are related to maternal education and literacy, community sanitation practices, access to health care, and socioeconomic status. Parental knowledge about treating infant diarrhea was important in poor rural communities lacking health services. (Contains 39 references.) (SV)