The number of females per 1000 of males is known as?

Appeared in: NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

The sex ratio is explicitly defined as 'the number of females per 1000 males' in a population.
This ratio is a key indicator of gender balance and is used to analyze the composition of a population.
A low sex ratio can indicate social issues like female feticide, gender-based neglect, and higher female mortality rates.
According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), India's sex ratio has improved to 1,020 females for every 1,000 males for the first time.

Option A: Female literacy rate measures the level of education among women, not the ratio of females to males in the population.
Option C: GFR (General Fertility Rate) is a measure of fertility. It quantifies the number of live births relative to the number of women of childbearing age, not the overall gender balance.
Option D: NFR (Net Fertility Rate), also known as NRR (Net Reproduction Rate), is a measure of population replacement. It specifically counts the number of daughters who would replace their mothers, accounting for mortality.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Demographic Indicators in Community Health as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Community health nurses use sex ratio data to assess the social health of a community, identify areas with significant gender disparity, and plan targeted interventions for maternal and child health.
A declining child sex ratio in a specific area can alert healthcare workers to potential issues like sex-selective abortion and the need for focused awareness campaigns like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'.
What if the question asked for the number of deaths per 1000 population? The answer would be the Crude Death Rate (CDR), another vital demographic statistic.

How to Approach the Question

First, read the question carefully to identify the specific definition being asked: 'number of females per 1000 of males'.
Analyze the keywords: 'females', 'males', 'ratio'. This points to a comparison between the two sexes.
Evaluate each option against this definition.
Recognize that 'Female literacy rate' is about education, and 'GFR' and 'NFR' are measures of fertility (births), not the overall population composition.
Conclude that 'Sex ratio' is the only term that directly defines the relationship between the number of females and males in a population.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 177-179

E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health Nursing for BSc Nursing Students Part 2 — Subpart B (pp 276-535 of 550) p. 6-8

E6 NursingResearch Sukhpal Kaur p. 521-523

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