背景：在2006年每五對結婚的夫婦即有一對為跨國婚姻，其中外籍女性配偶部分遠多於外籍男性部分，多來自於東南亞地區及大陸地區。同一時期（1998-2005年），外籍女性配偶所生子女數佔全部新生兒人數比例由5.1%上升至12.9%，增加兩倍多。外籍女性配偶其所生子女對人口結構產生之影響，使得政府在未來人口、教育及經濟政策上，勢必考慮可能帶來的衝擊。瞭解外籍女性配偶生殖歷史是評估衝擊一個重要參考資料。
目的：本研究欲瞭解東南亞及大陸籍母親所生子女出生間隔之分佈情形，並描述雙親社會人口學特徵與出生間隔間的關係。
材料與方法：資料為行政院內政部2003年對外籍配偶所做之調查，僅針對來自於東南亞地區及大陸地區之外籍女性配偶做為研究對象。在排除遺漏結婚日期、編碼錯誤者、多胞胎及婚前懷孕或生育之個案，東南亞地區及大陸地區之外籍女性配偶納入分析的個案分別為59,742人、68010人。利用分析重覆事件的考克斯模型探討雙親社會人口學特徵對出生間隔的影響，解釋變項的效果以風險比（Hazard ratio [HR]）及相關的95%信賴區間（Confidence intervals [CI]）表示。風險比＞1，表示出生間隔較短，＜1時，表示出生間隔較長。
結果：東南亞籍女性配偶比大陸籍女性配偶子女出生間隔短。在第一胎、第二胎、第三胎子女出生間隔在16個月內各別是46% vs. 17%、19% vs. 11%、4% vs. 2%。無論是東南亞籍或大陸女性配偶透過婚姻仲介結婚、親友介紹的中外聯姻其子女出生間隔較短（風險比[95% 信賴區間]：東南亞籍或大陸女性配偶分別是1.23[1.20-1.27]和 1.25[1.21-1.29]、分別是1.20[1.16-1.23]和1.24[1.21-1.28]）。而女性配偶結婚年齡越大、前一胎性別為男生、或結婚超過一次以上，其子女的出生間隔較長（風險比[95% 信賴區間]：東南亞籍或大陸女性配偶分別是0.96[0.95-0.96]和0.93[0.92-0.93]、0.76[0.74-0.78]和0.74[0.71-0.76]、2.05[1.85-2.28]和6.48[5.88-7.15]）。台灣丈夫學歷大多為國高中（娶東南亞籍者有92%、娶大陸籍者有83%），相較於不識字，第一胎出生間隔較短，原因可能與傳宗接代之觀念有關，但第二胎以上子女出生間隔並未明顯影響，則可能是考慮教養及家庭經計負擔。東南亞籍女性配偶教育程度是國中或以下有72%，對第一胎出生間隔影響不大，原因可能與生育決策來自夫家有關。大陸籍女性配偶教育程度為國中或以下有61%，其教育程度明顯影響子女出生間隔，可能由於政策的影響及婚姻目的非以生育為主。
討論與結論：本研究主要發現東南亞籍女性配偶其第一胎子女出生間隔＜16個月內者有四成六，≦28個月者約七成六，相較於大陸籍女性配偶第一胎子女出生間隔較短，東南亞籍女性配偶由於語言、文化生活調適問題，對其身心健康可能產生衝擊。建議政府應在東南亞籍女性配偶來台初期，即給予生育計畫宣導，此外，無論就東南亞籍或大陸籍，台灣丈夫自修小學國中及高中職教育程度、有工作者其第一胎子女出生間隔亦較短，是影響第一胎子女出生間隔的主要因素，未來實施生育調節相關政策時，應將台灣丈夫一併納入宣導。東南亞籍女性配偶不識字者、且無工作之外籍女性配偶其第二胎以上子女出生間隔較短，而大陸籍女性配偶不識字教育程度其第二胎子女出生間隔雖較長，但第三胎以上子女出生間隔仍較短，可以發現社經位置較低者，本人及家庭可能缺乏生育計畫觀念，建議政府應針對社經位置較低的外籍女性配偶提供較多生育的相關資訊。

Background：One out of every five married couples in 2006 had a foreign spouse with far more female than male spouses. Most of them are from Southeast Asia and mainland China. In the same period of time (1998-2005), the percentage of children born to mothers of foreign nationality among all newborns increased from 5.1% in 1998 to 12.9% in 2005, more than doubling. The effects of the increased number of children born to mothers of foreign nationality on demographical composition will force the government to consider the potential impacts brought on by this trend on its demographical, educational and economic policies. The fertility history of these foreign female spouses is important information for assessing the impacts.
Purpose：This study aims to understand the birth intervals for children born to mothers of southeast Asia and mainland China and delineate the effects of parental socio-demographic characteristics.
Materials and method：The secondary data were obtained from a survey of foreign spouses in 2003 conducted by the Ministry of Interior Affairs. A subsample including only the female spouses from southeast Asia and mainland China was extracted from the data bank. After exclusion of the cases with missing marriage dates, coding errors, non-singleton births, and pre-marital pregnancies and childbirths, we had 59742 and 68010 mothers from southeast Asia and China respectively for the data analysis. A Cox Regression model for recurrent event data was used for the analysis of maternal and paternal socio-demographic characteristics in relation to birth intervals. The risks of shorter birth intervals were expressed as hazard ratios [HR]. When HR is larger than 1, the birth interval decreases. When HR is smaller than 1, the birth interval increases.
Results：The foreign born mothers from southeast Asia has shorter birth intervals than those from mainland China. The spacing of the first, second, and third births less than 16 months was 46% vs. 17%、19% vs. 11%、4% vs. 2% , respectively. Those foreign born mothers who met their Taiwanese husbands through the introduction of matchmaker agencies or the relatives of their husbands had shorter birth intervals （HR[95% CI]：1.23 [1.20-1.27]and 1.25[1.21-1.29] respectively、1.20[1.16-1.23] and 1.24[1.21-1.28] respectively）. Older age at time of marriage, longer years of marriage, boys in previous births and the second marriage were, however, associated with longer birth intervals （HR[95% CI]：0.96[0.95-0.96] vs. 0.93[0.92-0.93]、0.76[0.74-0.78] vs. 0.74[0.71-0.76]、2.05[1.85-2.28] vs. 6.48[5.88-7.15]）. Taiwanese husbands mostly had junior or senior high school education, 92% for the southeast Asia group and 83% for the China group. The firstborns of these fathers had shorter birth intervals than those of the illiterate ones. The reason was possibly because of eagerness to have a child to carry the family name. The spacing of the secondborns was longer and was not affected by the fathers’ educational levels. It could be due to their lower income levels and therefore the economic and childrearing burden must be taken into account. Seventy-two percent of the mothers from southeast Asia had junior high or less educations. The foreign born mothers’ education levels did not show significant effects on birth intervals. It could be that the childbearing decision rests on their husbands and families. On the other hand, the association was present among the firstborns of the mothers from mainland China who had 61% with junior high or less education. Government policy and marriage not for childbearing were two possible reasons.
Discussions & Conclusions：Forty-six percent of the firstborns of the mothers from southeast Asia had extreme short birth intervals less than 16 months and seventy-six percent had birth intervals less than or equal to 28 months. As compared with those foreign born mothers from mainland China, they had shorter birth intervals. Due to language and cultural mal-adjustment problems, it could cause both physical and psychological adverse effects. We recommend early family planning interventions for the foreign born mothers from southeast Asia. Regardless of the southeast Asia or China group, the Taiwanese husbands who had elementary or high school education and held a job had their firstborns at the earlier periods after marriage. They shall be included in the interventions. The birth intervals for the secondborns or beyond were longer among those mothers from southeast Asia of illiteracy. Similar findings were found among those mothers from China for the thirdborns but not for the secondborns. These mothers with lower socioeconomic levels and their families might be lack of adequate family planning and shall be targeted as high risk groups.

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