Childbearing intentions in a low fertility context: the case of Romania

Abstract

This paper applies the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to find out the predictors of fertility intentions in Romania, a low-fertility country. We analyse how attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control relate to the intention to have a child among childless individuals and one-child parents. Principal axis factor analysis confirms which items proposed by the Generation and Gender Survey (GGS 2005) act as valid and reliable measures of the suggested theoretical socio-psychological factors. Four parity-specific logistic regression models are applied to evaluate the relationship between the socio-psychological factors and childbearing intentions. Social pressure emerges as the most important aspect in fertility decision-making among childless individuals and one-child parents, and positive attitudes towards childbearing are a strong component in planning for a child. This paper also underlines the importance of the region-specific factors when studying childbearing intentions: planning for the second child significantly differs among the development regions, representing the cultural and socio-economic divisions of the Romanian territory.

Trends in Female Workers’ Childbearing Intentions in South Korea

“…5,17 In particular, the number of children is the best priority variable, which implies that childcare is a highly significant burden. 18 This study supports earlier literature from Romania 19 and Sweden. 20…”

“…Childbearing intentions regarding a second child include more factors based on one’s experience. 19,21 In this study, participants with one child were positively connected to a system with fringe benefits of reduced working time during the childcare period. Denmark successfully overcame low birth rates by creating a working environment that enables parents to spend more time with their children.…”

Childlessness and low fertility in context: evidence from a multilevel analysis on 20 European countries

“…In line with this argument, an increasing array of studies has linked socio-economic circumstances to childlessness. A greater prevalence of childlessness is documented for higher educated and working women (Burkimsher and Zeman, 2017 for Austria and Switzerland; Berrington, 2017 for the UK; Köppen et al, 2017 for France;Reher and Requena, 2019 for Spain;Mynarska et al, 2015 for Italy and Poland;Hoem et al, 2006 for Sweden;Abma and Martinez, 2006;Hayford, 2013 for the US), who also report greater intentions to be childless (Miettinen et al, 2015;Ciritel et al, 2019 for Romania; Biryukova and Tyndyk, 2015 for Russia). 1 If the review of the empirical research on childlessness seeks to position explanations for it into discourses in line with the economic arguments, counterintuitive empirical evidence also suggests that economic factors alone might not be enough for understanding the mechanisms that work behind childlessness.…”

Factors associated with child delivery expenditure during the transition to the national implementation of the two-child policy in China

“…A birth intention survey showed that women with more economic and social resources were more likely to have a second child [ 13 ]. However, another study indicated that income was not a deciding factor for planning to have a child [ 14 ]. The findings of the relationship between fertility ideation and economic aspects were mixed in the existing literature.…”