Fertility intentions for a second child among urban working women with one child in Hunan Province, China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to describe the fertility intentions of urban working women whose family planning has been limited to one child since the universal two-child policy was adopted and to explore factors associated with intentions to not have a second child. Study designThis is a cross-sectional study. MethodsThis study was conducted among 703 urban working women with one child using a self-administered questionnaire from May to August 2016 in Hunan, China. Data were collected on the women's sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes towards having another child and fertility intentions. A descriptive analysis, chi-square test and logistics regression were used for data analysis. ResultsThe ideal number of children among the urban working women was 2.03 ± 0.35. Fewer than half (32.4%) of working women with one child clearly intended to have another child. Not having another child was independently associated with family type, husband's age, age of the first child, attitude of the husband and parents-in-law, whether the parents-in-law provided economic support and the influence of friends. Participants showed lower second-child intentions with increasing age of the partner and first child (P value = 0.002, 0.026). Participants whose parents-in-law provided economic support were less likely to not want a second child than those whose parents-in-law did not provide economic support (P value = 0.037). Those with husbands and parents-in-law with supportive attitudes were less likely to not want another child (P value = 0.001, 0.022). Participants whose friends positively influenced them to have another child were less likely to intend to not have another child (P value = 0.000). ConclusionsThere is no guarantee that the universal two-child policy will be enough to prompt an increase in fertility among urban working women with one child in Hunan Province. Supplementary measures are urgently needed to create a favourable environment for childbearing in China.