Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Investigating the relationship between attitudes toward fertility and childbearing and the value of children with attitudes toward fertility control in married women aged 15‑45 in Isfahan

Authors

. Shahnaz Kohan 1
. Mahboobe Gholami 2
. Fatemeh Shaghaghi 3
. Zahra Mohebbi-Dehnavi 4

1 Professor of Reproductive Health, Department of Midwifery and, Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Reproductive Sciences and Sexual Health Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Depertment of Midwifery, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran,

3 Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran

4 PhD Candidate in Reproductive Health, Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract
BACKGROUND: The family is one of the important social institutions and the function of childbearing
is one of the important functions of the family. The decision to have children depends on the
individual’s attitude about the consequences of having another child and their perceived norms.
Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between attitudes toward fertility
and childbearing and the value of children with attitudes toward fertility control in married women
aged 15 to 45 years in Isfahan.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a cross‑sectional correlational study that was
performed on 500 married women with at least one child in health centers affiliated to Isfahan
University of Medical Sciences. Data collection tools in this study were standard questionnaires.
The data were analyzed by SPSS software version 22.
RESULTS: The mean score of attitude toward fertility control was 40.43 ± 9.03. The area of security
in old age and the area of procrastination had the highest mean values of children and attitudes
toward fertility and childbearing, respectively. Analysis of data by Spearman test showed that there
is a significant relationship between all dimensions of child value and attitudes toward fertility and
childbearing with attitudes toward fertility control (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: A positive attitude toward the child increases the likelihood of having children and
believing in the negative impact of the child on freedom reduces the likelihood of having a desire
for fertility. Changing attitudes of societies toward childbearing and less desire to have children
should not be sought only in material, economic, or social reasons but also cultural factors should
be considered in this area.

Keywords

Attitude
childbearing
children
fertility
reproductive behavior
value of children
1. Kavehfirouz Z, Zare B, Shamsedini H. The effect of life style
dimension on attitudes towards childbearing among married
women in Tehran City. Woman in Development and Politics
2016;14‑217‑34.
2. Moshfegh M, Moradi‑Thani Gh, Hosseinkhani S. An analysis of
the relationship between employment and the tendency to have
children among working women on the verge of marriage in the
provinces. Popul J 2016;23:1‑24.
3. Dinn AA, Kagtcibasi C. The value of children for parents in the
minds of emerging adults. Cross Cult Res 2010;44:174‑205.
4. Haerimehrizi AA, Tavousi M, Sadighi J, Motlagh ME, Eslami M,
Naghizadeh F. Reasons for fertility desire and disinterest among
Iranian married adults: A population‑based study. Payesh
2017;16:637‑45.
5. Baezzat F, Ahmadi Ghozlojeg A, Marzbani Y, Karimi A,
Azarnioshan B. A study of psychometric properties of Persian
version of attitudes toward fertility and childbearing scale. Nurs
Midwifery J 2017;15:37‑47.
6. Klein T, Eckhard J. Educational differences, value of children and
fertility outcomes in Germany. Curr Anthropol 2007;55:505‑25.
7. Fazeli E, Golmakani N, Taghipour A, Shakeri M. Relationship
between value of children and fertility rate in womem referred
to Mashhad health centers. Iran J Obstetr Gynecol Infertil
2014;17:21‑7.
8. Trommsdorff G. A social change and a human development
perspective on the value of children. In: Bekman S, Aksu‑Koc A,
Kagitcibasi C. Perspectives on Human Development, Family, and
Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2009. p. 86‑107.
9. Kordzanganeh J, Mohamadian H. Psychometric assessment of
the validity of the iranian version of attitude toward fertility and
childbearing inventory in women without a history of pregnancy
in the South of Iran. SJSPH 2019;17:83‑94.
10. Hashemi F, Rajabi M, Ahmadi A. Study of women’s attitude
toward value of children (case study: Women 15‑49 years old of
Shiraz City). Appl Soc 2017;28:61‑78.
11. Kalantari S, Abbaszadeh M, Mozafari F, Rakei N. Sociological
Study of the tendency toward childbearing and related factors
2010. Appl Soc 2010;21:83‑104.
12. Saberi T, Ehsanpour S, Mahaki B, Kohan S. Comparison of the
relationship between women’ empowerment and fertility between
single‑child and multi‑child families. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res
2018;23:131‑5.
13. Irani M, Khadivzadeh T. The relationship between childbearing
motivations with fertility preferences and actual child number inreproductive‑age women in Mashhad. Iran. J Educ Health Promot
2018;7:175.
14. Bagheri A, Saadati M. Value of children: Attitudinal factors
influencing childbearing desire of Iranian women. Womens
Health Bull 2018;5:1‑6.
15. RastegarKhaled A, Mohammadi M, Reiahi M. Women’s valuation
orientation and fertility control. Women's Strategic Studies
2017;19:7‑31.
16. Mayer B, Trommsdorff G. Adolescents’ value of children and
their intentions to have children: A cross‑cultural and multilevel
analysis. J Cross Cult Psychol 2010;41:671‑89.
17. Mayer B, Schwarz B, Trommsdorff G. Value of children and
intergenerational relationships: Culture-level relations in
two generations. In: Proceeding of Value of Children and
Intergenerational Relation. Konstanz: Konstanz University; 2012.
18. Klaus D, Suckow J, Nauck B. The value of childern in Palestine
and Turkey: Differences and the consequences for fertility. Curr
Soc 2007;55:527‑44.
Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 12, Issue 11
December 2022
Pages 1-5

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us