Investigating the Desire for Childbearing and Its Related Factors in Jiroft in 2022

Background and Objectives: Declining fertility rates have become a significant demographic challenge in Iran. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of desire for childbearing and its associated factors among women in Jiroft, Iran, in 2022. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 600 married women under 49 years of age who attended comprehensive health centers in Jiroft. Data were collected using a questionnaire that covered demographic information and questions related to the study objectives. Statistical analysis, such as frequency, percentage, and logistic regression, was performed using SPSS version 20 software. Results: The current desire for childbearing was found to be 32.7%, while the future desire was 59.7%. The primary reasons cited for desiring children were the wish to be a mother (94.4%) and the love for children (93.9%). Conversely, the main reasons for not desiring children included concerns about securing the future of children (57.2%) and the increased economic burden of having another child (50%). Factors significantly associated with the desire for childbearing were the number of children (one child vs. no child: OR=5.23,95% CI: 2.03–13.49; two children vs. no child: OR=2.21,95% CI: 0.98–5.001), the subscale “Child as a Pillar of Life” (OR=1.02,95% CI: 1.008–1.04), the subscale “Postponing Childbearing to the Future” (OR=1.06,95% CI: 1.05–1.08), and the subscale “Childbearing Requires Prerequisites” (OR=1.01,95% CI: 1.002–1.03). Conclusion: Overall, one-third of the women who participated in this study currently desired childbearing, and nearly two-thirds expressed a desire for it in the future. A positive attitude towards childbearing emerged as the most essential factor associated with this desire.