The relationship between motivation for having children and sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective This study aims to examine the relationships between motivation for having children and sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. Materials and methods This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2025 and March 2025. Data were collected via the “Personal Information Form” and the “Motivations for Having Children Scale”. The data of 185 women who participated in the study were analyzed, and the statistical significance level was accepted as p < 0.05. Results The mean age of the women who participated in the study was 32.94 ± 7.63 years; 65.4% were university graduates, and 42.2% wanted to have children. A significant correlation was found between the desire for children and age, education level, income level, social support status and duration of marriage (p < 0.05). In the present study, 27.6% of the women had one pregnancy, 31.4% had living children, and a relationship was found between the number of pregnancies, the number of living children and the time elapsed since the last pregnancy. In this study, there was no significant difference between the total score of the Motivation to Have Children Scale and age, educational level, income level, or duration of marriage (p > 0.05), whereas a significant difference was found between employment status and spousal compatibility (p < 0.05). The mean total score of the Motivation to Have Children Scale was calculated as 92.38 ± 26.31. Conclusion According to the findings of the study, it was determined that women’s employment status and spousal adjustment affected women’s motivation to have children. In this direction, it is thought that psychosocial factors, in addition to sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, will play a critical role in determining reproductive motivations. Understanding these factors may help reproductive health professionals and policymakers develop interventions for women’s motivation to have children and support family planning efforts in different social contexts.