Roman Catholicism and fertility among the Mbaise, Southeast, Nigeria.

There is a prevalence of high fertility among the Mbaise of Imo State, Nigeria. This is linked to the perceptions, beliefs and practices of the people. The voluntaristic social action theory by Talcott Parsons and Proximate determinants of fertility framework by Bongaarts were utilized to highlight the links between Catholicism and fertility, as well as socio-cultural variables and fertility behaviour by showing strength of their separate and combined relationships.