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BackgroundThe total fertility rate is 5.4 births per woman. This high fertility level has resulted in a very youthful population structure. Average life expectancy at birth is 63.4 years (GBoS, 2007). MethodologyThis study was conducted using a systematic review of literature on the Mandingo tribe of the Gambia, listening to music and songs on Mandingos, and through personal communication with some elderly men and women of the tribe. ResultsFrom the reviews and the personal interviews conducted, fertility enhancers among the Mandingos include; early marriage by Mandingo boys and girls, desire for couples to have male children, polygamy, extended family system, poor use of fertility control drugs/methods (family planning), children for economic and agricultural purposes. On the other hand, factors that hinder fertility among the Mandingos also include; separation during breast feeding (lactation amenorrhea), caste system among Mandingos, level of western education (highly educated have few children), employment status (employed women usually have few children), importance attached to virginity before marriage, differences in religion and avoidance of sex on religious bases (during fasting). ConclusionThe findings of this study have shown that male dominance in decision making, family planning and sex, among the Mandingo tribe contributes significantly to the high fertility rate among this tribe. Love for male children,polygamy and desire for large families cannot be under estimated in promoting fertility among them. The status quo can be shifted by empowering their females through education and spending on them like they spend on their male kids.

Sociocultural Determinants of Fertility in the Mandingo (Mandinka) Tribe of the Gambia: Implications for Health Education