ABSTRACT
Study Objective
This study aimed to investigate the current situation regarding fertility intentions,
parenting attitudes, and fear of childbirth among college students in mainland China
and the factors related to these variables.
Design
A cross-sectional study
Setting
Colleges across China
Participants
Five hundred and eighty-three college students attending regular institutions of higher
education
Main Outcome Measures
Fertility intentions and fear of childbirth were measured using the Swedish Fertility
Awareness Questionnaire and the Childbirth Fear Prior to Pregnancy scale.
Results
Only 38.8% of participants expressed their willingness to have children, and there
was a significant difference between male and female students (P < .02). Males regarded having children as more important (P < .01), and females were more concerned about the negative effects of becoming parents,
including difficulties in the labor market, having less freedom, and having less money.
When deciding whether to have children, factors such as work, economics, and childcare
were more important to females. Students who did not want children had higher levels
of fear of childbirth than those who wanted children or were unsure (P < .02).
Conclusions
The fertility intentions of college students were not optimistic. In addition to the
2-child Chinese fertility policy, interventions aimed at reducing the cost of raising
children, eliminating gender inequality in the workplace, and normalizing childcare
institutions might help alleviate conflict between work and childrearing.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 03, 2022
Accepted:
July 28,
2022
Received in revised form:
July 9,
2022
Received:
December 6,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
