The relationship between social support and the intention of childbearing in women of reproductive age

Abstract

Objective (s): This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support and the intention of childbearing among Iranian women. Methods: This study was conducted on 822 fertile women (15-49 years), referring to 26 public and private healthcare facilities. They were selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method from the 5 metropolitan areas of the north, south, east, west and center of Tehran, Iran. Data were collected by a valid and reliable questionnaire. Results: About 67.3% (n = 553) of women mentioned their childbearing intention in the next three years and 32.7% (n = 269) reported no intention of childbearing. Multivariate regression analysis showed no significant relationship between social support and intention of childbearing. Also, there was a direct and significant relationship between age and the intention of childbearing (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.05-1.36); P-value = 0.005). In addition, variables such as the level of education (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.85-0.99; P-value= 0.03) and household economic status (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.31-0.92); P-value= 0.02) showed a reverse relationship with the intention of giving birth to a child. Conclusion: Demographic factors, including age, education and household economic status were strong determinants of childbearing intention among women living in Tehran.

Keywords

• childbearing intention
• social support
• social network
• socioeconomic status
• women