How does polygyny shape fertility decline in sub-Saharan Africa?

In a new piece in N-IUSSP, I summarize findings from my recent Demography article with Victor Agadjanian.

Using DHS data from 23 countries, we show that declines in polygyny have contributed to the region’s fertility decline.

In the wake of USAID cuts, we can create a Demographic and Health Survey Program founded on more equitable data infrastructure and stronger research integrity | PNAS In the wake of USAID cuts, we can create a Demographic and Health Survey Program founded on more equitable data infrastructure and stronger researc...

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

In a Minnesota Winter by Heather Randell YouTube video by Heather Randell

I wrote a song for our immigrant neighbors here in Minnesota.

Pardon my rusty guitar skills—it’s been over 10 years since I wrote my last song, but this moment called for music.

youtube.com/shorts/B7Csu...

The elimination of USAID was an unforgivable moral atrocity that should haunt Trump, Elon Musk and Marco Rubio for the rest of their days and beyond

<em>Population and Development Review</em> | Population Council Journal | Wiley Online Library In many modern populations, grandparents are increasingly becoming the primary caregivers of their grandchildren. This phenomenon has renewed interest in the role that grandparents play in within-fam...

Why do associations between grandparents & child health vary [Africa]?: "implication is that net flows of support from grandparents to children diminish as societies undergo demographic & epidemiological transitions, weakening the positive association between grandparent coresidence & child health"

Graph showing life expectancy trends in 23 higher income countries between 1980 and 2024. Life expectancy increased over time in all countries. In 1980, the US is in the middle of the pack, but their life expectancy gains were slower than that of other countries, and by around 2002, the US had the lowest life expectancy of all countries. Over the next 20 years, US life expectancy increasingly tracks away from the trajectories of other countries, as their life expectancy stalls while other countries life expectancy continues to climb

This graph never fails to be shocking: "The US has experienced the earliest and greatest slowdown in life expectancy improvements among higher-income countries, reported Eileen Crimmins. “We have horrible life expectancy—and it’s getting worse and worse”"

www.prb.org/resources/se...

The state of the pronatalist movement The pronatalist movement, which claims to be rectifying what some of its members describe as the likely collapse of civilization due to population decline.

I spoke w/ @npr.org's Here & Now about pronatalism. The conversation about low birth rates is really about creating a moral panic. Once folks are convinced that low rates cause major problems that can *only* be addressed through raising rates, it opens to door to all sorts of regressive policies.

I just don’t think we’re freaking out enough about this SNAP cut. I have spent my whole career working with people who rely on SNAP for food. People who work multiple jobs. Who have kids. What do you think happens when 1/8th of the population can’t buy food anymore? Everything is going to collapse.

One thing Doug Massey knows? Social inequality is firmly grounded in geographic inequality. 📍

Check out his new essay for @contexts.org ➡️ journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Check out my latest article in @readdemography.bsky.social !

Wonderful news!

We are excited to announce the #PAA2026 Call for Papers is now available! The submission site opens on Monday, Aug. 18 and the deadline is Sunday, Oct. 5. Meet me in St. Louis! May 6-9, 2026:
www.populationassociation.org/paa2026/call...

✨💰👏 Félicitations à Avelin Peguy Angos qui a obtenu une bourse de doctorat du @fondsrechercheqc.bsky.social !

Sa thèse dirigée par ‪les professeur.e.s @sophiachae.bsky.social ‬et Vissého Adjiwanou porte sur le placement des enfants en famille d'accueil au Malawi et leur accès à l'éducation

The Table 2 Fallacy: Presenting and Interpreting Confounder and Modifier Coefficients Abstract. It is common to present multiple adjusted effect estimates from a single model in a single table. For example, a table might show odds ratios for

writing another review where I point to the Table 2 Fallacy (doi.org/10.1093/aje/... and doi.org/10.1017/psrm...) and say stop interpreting every single coefficient

This whole going after green card holders thing is absolutely trying to soften going after naturalized citizens. They want a White America. That means pushing Black & brown people out of all high ranking positions & getting rid of immigrants who make up American diversity.

The New York Times is the first to put out comprehensive estimates on the cost of a year without U.S.A.I.D. and they’re higher than I thought:
- 1.65 million deaths from AIDS
- 500,000 from lack of vaccines
- 550,000 from lack of food aid
- 290,000 from malaria
- 310,000 from TB

I’ve struggled to find the right words following Musk/Trump’s decision to end the Demographic and Health Surveys Program (the OG DHS). While nothing is inevitable, there is no denying this is a huge blow personally, professionally and for the world.
/1
dhsprogram.com

Trump Administration Ends Global Health Research Program The Demographic and Health Surveys were the only sources of reliable information in many countries on metrics such as mortality, nutrition and education.

Absolute disaster.

Trump Administration Ends Global Health Research Program www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/h...