Women'S Attitudes To Having Children: A Mixed-Methods Study Using An Online Questionnaire Of Women Aged 25-45 Years Old

Abstract Study question What are women’s attitudes to having children including their ideal age to have children, factors affecting their decision and their understanding of female fertility? Summary answer The average age women wanted to have children was age 30, with most still developing their career. They showed a good knowledge of fertility awareness. What is known already Women globally are delaying the birth of their first child, with the average age of first birth approaching age 32 in some countries. The fertility rate stands at 1.3 in several European Union countries. Some people are not having the desired family size or are childless by circumstance. We need to ensure we provide fertility education from school-age onwards. Study design, size, duration We conducted an anonymous, online survey of multiple choice and open-ended questions using Qualtrics software. The survey was live for 32 days from May 15th, 2020 to June 16th, 2020 and was promoted using social media. A mixed-method approach was used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data. Participants/materials, setting, methods A total of 922 women from 44 countries participated in the survey. After filtering out women who did not consent and those who did not want to have children, a total of 834 responses remained. Elimination of blank surveys or insufficient data resulted in a final number of 667 responses. Main results and the role of chance The mean age of the respondents was 31.3 (±4.76). The majority were white British (347/667, 52%) and heterosexual (614/667, 92.0%). A high proportion had a university education (195/667, 29%) or postgraduate education (392/667, 59%). The majority were married/in a civil partnership (223/667, 33%) or cohabitating (215/667, 32%). 135/667 (20%) were single and never married. When asked ‘In an ideal world, at what age approximately would you like to have had or have children? a normal distribution was observed with a mean age of 30.2 (±3.2). When asked ‘What factors have led you to decide on that particular age?’ the most frequent choice was “I am developing my career”, followed by “I am not financially ready.” Women were asked how informed they felt about fertility. The majority of women said they felt moderately informed (60%, 400/667), very informed (28%, 190/667), or they were not informed at all (12%, 77 /667). Most women thought female fertility decline starts at age 35 (32.8%, 219/667). To the question “What is the oldest age at which women can get pregnant?” almost 70% of women (465/667) believed the oldest age to be between 40–49 and 24%, (160/667) said over 50. Limitations, reasons for caution All surveys have a selection bias. The survey was only promoted on social media. As the survey was in English, the women who answered the survey were mainly UK residents who were highly educated. Wider implications of the findings: In a group of highly educated women, age 30 was the most common age for wanting a child but career development and finances are the main reasons affecting their decision. These women had some understanding of female fertility. Global fertility education is essential to ensure people make informed reproductive choices. Trial registration number NA