Childbearing intention and its associated factors: A systematic review.
Mozhgan Hashemzadeh, Mohammad Shariati, Ali Mohammad Nazari and 1 others
PMID 33705606WHAT IT FOUND
Childbearing intention was associated with age, education, finances, health, birth experience, delivery mode, partnership, support, work and housing.
No single factor could be separated. Nurses in maternity care can use this for broad assessment, not a promise of change.
Key findings
01Women who had a caesarean delivery were less likely to intend two or three children than women who had a vaginal delivery.
02A higher wife's desire for an additional child was associated with an 83% higher possibility of that additional child, while a lower desire was associated with a 48% lower possibility.
03Women reporting intimate partner violence were less likely to desire more children.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review included 53 studies in a qualitative synthesis, not a meta-analysis, so it does not provide a pooled estimate of effect. The included studies were cross-sectional or longitudinal, so they can show associations but not prove that any factor causes childbearing intention. Most included studies focused on women: 27 (51%) studied women only, 24 (45%) studied men and women, and only 2 (4%) studied men only. The review excluded adolescent studies and studies from China because of child-restricting national laws, so it may not apply to those groups. Only English peer-reviewed original studies were included, so non-English evidence may be missing. Seven studies (13%) were rated moderate quality, but all studies were included. The authors state that the influence of one domain cannot be separated from another.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that changing one factor will increase childbearing intention. The review summarised observational studies and says the influence of one domain cannot be separated from another.