Download This PaperResidence in Infected Neighborhoods and Fertility Decline During the Zika Epidemic in Singapore
Tan, Poh Lin & Tikki Pang. 2021. Residence in Infected Neighborhoods and Fertility Decline During the Zika Epidemic in Singapore. Population and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-021-00389-3
45 Pages Posted: 4 May 2020 Last revised: 8 Sep 2021
Date Written: April 8, 2020
Abstract
Regions of the world exposed to Zika-linked microcephaly cases have experienced significant declines in fertility. In urban settings, arboviral outbreaks depend on neighborhood environmental factors including residential land use and density of drainage networks, and tend to be highly localized due to the flight dispersal of the vector mosquito. This study investigates whether fertility decline was significantly higher in neighborhoods containing known Zika cases, compared to unexposed neighborhoods in the city state of Singapore. The results show that average monthly probability of conception leading to a live birth fell during the Zika epidemic in both exposed and unexposed neighborhoods, and that the decline was not significantly greater in neighborhoods with known cases. The study suggests that the fertility response to perceived infection risks was city-wide rather than localized. Public disclosures of outbreak locations did not lead to a disproportionate response in affected neighborhoods.
Keywords: Zika, fertility, infectious disease, environmental risk, urban environment, Singapore
JEL Classification: J13
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Poh Lin Tan (Contact Author)
National University of Singapore (NUS) - Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy ( email )
Singapore 117591
Singapore
Tikki Pangestu
National University of Singapore (NUS) - Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy ( email )
Singapore 117591
Singapore