The objective of this study is to assess the effects of the configuration, size, and density of family and personal networks on women’s current fertility in Ouagadougou. The association between women’s reproductive histories and their social networks was evaluated using Poisson regression models and fairly original data on these networks. The study is based on three family configurations: ‘Restricted’ (children and friends), ‘Kinship’ (blood or marital relatives), and ‘Sibling’ (brothers and sisters). Results show that the type of family configuration has a significant effect on current fertility. ‘Kinship’ and ‘Sibling’ configurations are associated with higher current fertility, while the ‘Restricted’ configuration is associated with lower fertility. Regarding the size and density of the network, the findings indicate that network size and density are negatively associated with current fertility. These results highlight the need to take social networks into account in strategies aimed at controlling fertility in the city of Ouagadougou.

This paper examines the impact of childhood and adulthood socio-economic status (SES) on personal network characteristics in later life. Data are derived from 2,285 married older adults (born between 1903 and 1937) who participated in face-to-face interviews for the Dutch survey on ‘Living arrangements and social networks of older adults’ conducted in 1992. Childhood and adulthood SES were indicated by the father's and own level of education and occupation. Multivariate analyses showed that SES in adulthood has more impact on network features in old age than father's SES. People with low lifetime SES or with downward SES mobility had small networks, low instrumental and emotional support from non-kin, but high instrumental support from kin, when compared with the upwardly mobile or those with high lifetime SES. The level of education was a better indicator of network differences than occupational prestige. It is concluded that obtaining a high SES during life pays off in terms of having more supportive non-kin relationships in old age. The small networks and less supportive non-kin relationships of low-status older adults make them more vulnerable to situations in which kin are unavailable or less willing to provide support. This study underscores the distinction between types of support and types of relationships in the SES–network association. Further research on the social pathways of socio-economic inequality in health and wellbeing should take these distinctions into account.