7 Ensure consistent use of birth interval and birth interval length

[cportner]

Sometimes the use of the term “birth interval” actually refers to “birth interval length.” Please check the uses of these terms and correct accordingly.

[cportner]

• Introduction*

• L 265 from "The primary outcomes I examine are the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile birth intervals;" to "The primary outcomes I examine are the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile birth intervals lengths;"

• Estimation Strategy*

• L 572 from "I use the model to predict birth interval measures, parity progression probabilities, and the sex ratio rather than present coefficients because the interpretation of competing risk model coefficients is challenging (Thomas, 1996)." to "I use the model to predict birth interval lengths, parity progression probabilities, and the sex ratio rather than present coefficients because the interpretation of competing risk model coefficients is challenging \citep{thomas96}."

• L 579 from "For birth intervals, I estimate a set of percentile birth intervals." to "For birth interval lengths, I estimate a set of percentile durations."

Data

• L 662 from "Unreported deceased children inflate the birth intervals and, with declining mortality, make changes over time appear too small." to "Unreported deceased children inflate the length of birth intervals and, with declining mortality, make changes over time appear too small."

• How Birth Spacing Changed*

• L 744 from "Figures \ref{fig:spacing_low_rural} through \ref{fig:spacing_highest_urban} show the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile birth intervals in months, the sex ratio, and the probability of having a birth for each spell by education levels and area of residence." to "Figures 2 through 9 show the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile birth interval durations in months, the sex ratio, and the probability of having a birth for each spell by education levels and area of residence."

• L 764 and rest of figures from "\caption{Percentile birth intervals, sex ratios, and parity progression
  for rural women with no education by spell, sex composition, and period}" to "\caption{Percentile birth interval durations, sex ratios, and parity progression for rural women with no education by spell, sex composition, and period}.

• L 854 from "To separate the effects of the introduction of sex selection and the other changes in India, I first discuss how birth intervals have changed in situations where sex selection is less used." to "To separate the effects of the introduction of sex selection and the other changes in India, I first discuss how the length of birth intervals have changed in situations where sex selection is less used.

• L 860 from "Notably, for those least likely to use sex selection---rural women with no education---the difference in birth intervals across sex compositions has grown over time as spacing when sons are present has increased." to "Notably, for those least likely to use sex selection---rural women with no education---the difference in birth interval length across sex compositions has grown over time as spacing when sons are present has become longer."

• L 870 from "Furthermore, despite higher parities' more substantial increases in birth intervals, even the 25th percentile birth intervals for the fourth spell are around 24 months for women with less than eight years of education." to "Even with the more substantial lengthening of birth intervals for higher parities, the 25th percentile duration is still around 24 months for the fourth spell for women with less than eight years of education."

• L 875 from "Median birth intervals have also increased relatively little—only three to six months over the four decades—compared to around 3.5 months per decade in other countries with declining fertility (Rutstein, 2011; Casterline and Odden, 2016)." to "Median birth interval lengths have also increased relatively little—only three to six months over the four decades—compared to around 3.5 months per decade in other countries with declining fertility (Rutstein, 2011; Casterline and Odden, 2016)."

• L 879 from "The NFHS reports show median closed birth intervals of approximately 31 months, which have barely moved over time, underscoring the importance of accounting for censoring when examining birth spacing." to "The NFHS reports show median durations of closed birth intervals of approximately 31 months, which have barely moved over time, underscoring the importance of accounting for censoring when examining birth spacing."

• L 883 from "The result is that most of the median birth intervals are still at 36 months or below, with the shortest only 29 months." to "The result is that most of the median birth interval durations are still at 36 months or below, with the shortest only 29 months."

• L 887 from "Birth intervals appeared to lengthen the most for women who are the least likely to work. For example, from lowest to highest education, the average third-spell birth intervals for urban women with one boy and one girl increased by 2.7, 3.4, 5.8, and 1.8 months over the four decades." to "Birth intervals appeared to lengthen the most for women who are the least likely to work. For example, from lowest to highest education, the average duration of third-spell birth intervals for urban women with one boy and one girl increased by 2.7, 3.4, 5.8, and 1.8 months over the four decades."

• L 893 from "See the online appendix tables for the average birth intervals." to "See the online appendix tables for the average birth interval durations."

• L 901 from "The most substantial changes occurred in the 75th percentile birth intervals, where the more the parity progression probabilities declined, the more the birth interval lengthened." to "The most substantial changes occurred in the 75th percentile birth interval durations, where the more the parity progression probabilities declined, the more the birth interval lengthened."

• L 904 from "For example, the probability of a fourth birth for urban women with 8--11 years of education and two sons and a girl has declined by almost 40 percentage points as the 75th percentile birth interval increased by 22 months." to "For example, the probability of a fourth birth for urban women with 8--11 years of education and two sons and a girl has declined by almost 40 percentage points as the 75th percentile birth interval length increased by 22 months."

• L 917 from "For the most educated women who already have a son, the probability of a third birth declined rapidly, but the birth intervals changed little." to "For the most educated women who already have a son, the probability of a third birth declined rapidly, but the birth interval lengths changed little."

• L 932 from "With two girls, almost 80\% of the third births are boys, and the 75th percentile birth interval is close to 70 months." to "With two girls, almost 80\% of the third births are boys, and the 75th percentile birth interval length is close to 70 months."

• L 938 from "The 75th percentile birth interval with two girls increased from 48 months to 64 months in a decade, while the other sex compositions showed a slight decrease from around 55 months to 54 months." to "The 75th percentile birth interval length with two girls increased from 48 months to 64 months in a decade, while the other sex compositions showed a slight decrease from around 55 months to 54 months."

• L 946 from "The 75th percentile changes are the most dramatic, but sex selection also affects the 25th and median birth intervals." to "The 75th percentile changes are the most dramatic, but sex selection also affects the 25th and median birth interval lengths."

• L 947 from "For the best-educated urban women with two girls, the 25th percentile birth interval increased by six months, or 23\%, while the median percentile birth interval increased by 15 months (43\%)." to "For the best-educated urban women with two girls, the 25th percentile birth interval length increased by six months, or 23\%, while the median percentile birth interval length increased by 15 months (43\%)."

• L 982 from "The best-educated women with two girls had the most biased sex ratio and the most significant increase in birth intervals. " to "The best-educated women with two girls had the most biased sex ratio and the most significant increase in birth interval lengths."

• L 985 from "Over the four decades, the median birth interval for this group increased by almost 15 months, and the 75th percentile birth interval increased by a staggering 21 months, most of that within a decade." to "Over the four decades, the median birth interval length for this group increased by almost 15 months, and the 75th percentile birth interval length increased by a staggering 21 months, most of that within a decade."

Fertility

• L 1062 from "Only recently, as the rate of increase for the birth intervals has slowed, have the two fertility measures begun to converge again." to "Only recently, as the rate of increase for the birth interval lengths has slowed, have the two fertility measures begun to converge again."
• L 1082 from "Furthermore, the predicted cohort fertility numbers are likely too low because I use only the first four births and births before the imposed 105-month birth interval censoring." to "Furthermore, the predicted cohort fertility numbers are likely too low because I use only the first four births and births before the imposed 105-month censoring of birth interval durations."

Mortality

• L 1101 from "The birth interval dummies cover 12-month periods, starting nine months after the prior birth, until the 57-month dummy, which covers until 105 months after the prior birth." to "The birth interval duration dummies cover 12-month periods, starting nine months after the prior birth, until the 57-month dummy, which covers until 105 months after the prior birth."

Conclusion

• L 1330 from "As the sex ratio increased to close to 80\% boys, the expected median birth interval increased by almost 15 months, and the 75th percentile interval increased by 21 months." to "As the sex ratio increased to close to 80\% boys, the expected median birth interval length increased by almost 15 months, and the 75th percentile interval length increased by 21 months."
• L 1377 from "Still, there are, to my knowledge, no other cases where there has been as substantial an increase in birth intervals and associated bias in fertility rates as for India." to "Still, there are, to my knowledge, no other cases where there has been as substantial an increase in birth interval lengths and associated bias in fertility rates as for India."