Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nowadays, declining fertility rates are a significant societal challenge that particularly affects working women. While research has examined a variety of contributing factors, there is a significant lack of studies specifically on nurses, whose demanding clinical schedules and work environments may significantly influence their childbearing intentions. This study, using the theory of planned behavior, examines these factors for nurses in Yazd teaching hospitals. The results provide valuable data for policymakers to design targeted strategies and support systems to encourage nursing professionals to pursue parenting responsibilities and ultimately reduce the negative effects of low fertility rates. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on female nurses working in teaching hospitals in Yazd, Iran (2024). To do so, 190 nurses were selected using stratified proportional random sampling and a 14-item questionnaire developed by Nakhaei et al. study was completed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics including independent samples T-test, one-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman correlation coefficient, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Based on our findings, 35% of nurses intended to have children in the next three years. Based on the results of the Pearson correlation coefficient test, a significant inverse correlation was observed between the subjective norm towards having children and the number of children (P < 0.001, r=-0.450). A statistically significant difference was reported in the mean score of perceived control over childbearing in terms of childbearing intention (P = 0.019); besides, a statistically significant difference was observed regarding childbearing in terms of age group (P = 0.004). Multivariate regression analysis with the effect of background variables considered constant, only the number of children had a significant effect on subjective norm (P < 0.001), meaning that for each added child, the score of subjective norm towards childbearing decreased meanly by 1.657 points. CONCLUSIONS: Given the negative impact of increasing age on perceived control and childbearing intention, health policymakers and hospital administrators can help ameliorate perceived control and foster the childbearing intention by creating more flexible working conditions and incentive policies, including financial support for female nurses. Moreover, programs that focus on encouraging childbearing in younger women can be more effective. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.