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Factors influencing first childbearing timing decisions among men: Path analysis
Kariman, Nourossadat; Amerian, Maliheh; Jannati, Padideh & Salmani, Fatemeh
Abstract
Background: Factors that influence men’s childbearing intentions have been
relatively unexplored in the literature.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the influencing factors about the first
childbearing timing decisions of men.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 300 men who were referred
to private and governmental healthcare centers in Shahrood, Iran were randomly
recruited from April to September 2014. Data were collected using a demographic
questionnaire, the Quality of Life Questionnaire; ENRICH Marital Satisfaction
Questionnaire, Synder’s Hope Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived
Social Support.
Results: After removing the statistically insignificant paths, men’s age at marriage
had the highest direct effect (β=0.86) on their first childbearing decision. Marital
satisfaction (β=-0.09), social support (β=0.06), economic status (β=0.06), and
quality of life (β=-0.08) were other effective factors on men’s first childbearing
decisions. Moreover, marital satisfaction and social support had significant indirect
effects on men’s childbearing decisions (β=-0.04 and -0.01, respectively).
Conclusion: Many factors, including personal factors (age at marriage and quality
of life), family factors (marital satisfaction), and social factors (social support), can
affect men’s decision to have a child. Policymakers are hence required to develop
strategies to promote the socioeconomic and family conditions of the couples and to
encourage them to have as many children as they desire at an appropriate time.
Keywords
Childbearing; Decision-making; Influencing factors; Paternal; Men
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