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SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF THE APTITUDE TO LATE MATERNITY ON THE ISLAND OF SARDINIA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2011

STEFANIA TENTONI ,
ANTONELLA LISA ,
ORNELLA FIORANI ,
ROSA MARIA LIPSI ,
GRAZIELLA CASELLI  and
PAOLA ASTOLFI
STEFANIA TENTONI
Affiliation:
IMATI–CNR, Pavia, Italy
ANTONELLA LISA
Affiliation:
IGM–CNR, Pavia, Italy
ORNELLA FIORANI
Affiliation:
IGM–CNR, Pavia, Italy
ROSA MARIA LIPSI
Affiliation:
Department of Demographic Sciences, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Rome, Italy
GRAZIELLA CASELLI
Affiliation:
Department of Demographic Sciences, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Rome, Italy
PAOLA ASTOLFI
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics and Microbiology ‘A. Buzzati-Traverso’, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Summary

This study examines local heterogeneity in the aptitude of Sardinian mothers towards late reproduction, and explores its temporal persistence and association with both post-reproductive longevity and propensity to consanguineous marriage. Data on women's fertility from 1961 and birth records for 1980–1996 from Vital Statistics were analysed by means of the following indicators: the incidence of old mothers at last childbirth, female mortality (1980–2001) at 80 years of age and over and the proportion of consanguineous marriages (1930–1969). A variable kernel-smoothing method was used to create interpretable representations of the true spatial structure of the indicators, and to highlight areas of higher than expected intensity. In particular, an area of reproductive and post-reproductive longevity was identified where the traits combine with a higher tendency to relatedness. Intriguingly, this area corresponds approximately to the geographically and historically well defined central-eastern zone, which was the refuge of Sardinians during past invasions, and overlaps the Ogliastra region, which has been widely studied for its genetic homogeneity.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 44 , Issue 3 , May 2012 , pp. 257 - 272
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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