Concept of proximate determinants
Human fertility is governed by a number of immediate biological and behavioural factors which are themselves influenced by distal socio-economic and cultural factors. In order to understand the cause of variations and changes in fertility levels between populations and over time, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms through which various factors influence fertility.
Source:Bongaarts and Potter (1983)
The proximate determinants of fertility are the biological and behavioural factors through which social, economic, cultural and environmental variables influence fertility. They have direct effects on fertility.
Contraceptive use and sexual activity may be the most obvious factors affecting the level of fertility in different populations. However, it is important to examine other factors that influence fertility, since in many contexts, both historical and modern day, the other factors also affect fertility levels.
Do the factors your have answered in the previous questions directly or indirectly influence fertility? Are they proximate determinants or distal socio-economic, cultural or environmental factors?