A Study on the Determinants of Married-Working Women's Childbirth Intention

Abstract

Postponing childbirth is becoming increasingly common and consequently serious social problem in Korea, among married-working women. It is relatively unknown which factors determine married-working women’s childbirth intention. This study investigated the effects of demographical factors, labor market factors and social support factors on married-working women’s childbirth intention. Data from a national survey of married-working women (Korean longitudinal survey of women and families) are used in this study. The findings are as follows. First, logistic regression analyses that married-working women’s childbirth intention could be predicted by 1) personal characteristic factors such as age (p <.000), education level (p <.029), parenthood (p <.000) monthly pay (p <.01); 2) husband support factors, such as satisfaction with division of household labor (p <.009), time with family (p <.049) influence of family life on work (p <.083); and 3) institutional support factors such as regular position (p <.015), regression analysis showed similar results. Personal characteristic factors and husband support factors had statistically significant effects on the number of future children. Personal value factors such as traditional family support (p <.05) proved to be the best predictor of the number of future children. Institutional support factors, on the other hand, did not have statistically significant effect on the number of future children. In a nutshell, personal characteristics and husband support proved to be the most important determinant of married-working women’s childbirth intention. The findings suggest that family friendly policy and flexible labor market policy will impact marriedworking women’s childbirth intention.