When studying the average number of children that are born to each woman in a country (assuming the mother lives to the end of her childbearing years), a researcher is studying the country's __ A. infant mortality rate B. maternal mortality rate C. childhood obesity rate D. total fertility rate Please select the best answer from the choices provided A B C D

The best answer is D. total fertility rate.<br /><br />The total fertility rate (TFR) is a measure that represents the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime, assuming she lives through her childbearing years and experiences the age-specific fertility rates of a given year. It is a key indicator used to assess the fertility level of a population.<br /><br />The other options are not correct:<br /><br />A. Infant mortality rate refers to the number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births in a given year.<br /><br />B. Maternal mortality rate refers to the number of maternal deaths (deaths of women while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy) per 100,000 live births in a given year.<br /><br />C. Childhood obesity rate refers to the percentage of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years who are overweight or obese.<br /><br />Therefore, the correct answer is D. total fertility rate.