Factors Affecting Childbearing among Male Non-faculty Employees of Kerman University of Medical Sciences based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

Ahmadi Tabatabaei, Seyed Vahid; Haji Maghsoudi, Saeide; Bani‌Asadi Mahani, Azam

doi:10.22034/IJHEP.14.2.104

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Volume 14, Issue 2 (3-2026)

Iran J Health Educ Health Promot 2026, 14(2): 104-116

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Factors Affecting Childbearing among Male Non-faculty Employees of Kerman University of Medical Sciences based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

Seyed Vahid Ahmadi Tabatabaei

, Saeide Haji Maghsoudi

, Azam Bani‌Asadi Mahani ^*

Abstract: (91 Views)

Background and Objective: Many studies have focused on the role of women or couples in childbearing, and the role of men in society has been less prominent in fertility studies for biological, practical, methodological, and sociological reasons. In this study, the intention to have children and the factors affecting it in working men were examined using the theory of planned behavior.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 1403 on 450 married men aged 18 to 50 who were non-academic employees of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. The sampling method was census and a researcher-made questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior. Data analysis was performed with SPSS version 27 software and univariate and multivariate logistic regression tests.

Result: 18.7% of participants intended to have children in the next three years. The results of multivariate logistic regression showed that, among the theoretical constructs, attitude (p<0.002, OR: 1.06), subjective norm (p<0.001, OR: 1.06), and perceived behavioral control (p<0.004, OR: 1.05) were significantly associated with the intention to have children. Attitude was the main predictor of the intention to have children. Among the contextual factors, age (p<0.024, OR: 0.93) and number of existing children (p<0.001, OR: 0.35) were the main predictors of the intention to have children. The ideal number of children (OR=1.67, p<0.000), male education (OR=13.50, p<0.001), and income (OR=1.05, p<0.004) also showed a significant relationship with the intention to have children.

Conclusion: Considering the low intention to have children among male non-academic employees of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, it is suggested that health policymakers take the necessary measures to improve attitudes, improve the state of mental norms, and increase perceived behavioral control.

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Keywords: Fertility, Men, Health Personnel, Universities, Theory of Planned Behavior

Full-Text [PDF 1756 kb] (37 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Health Behavior
Received: 2025/10/7 | Accepted: 2026/02/22

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Ahmadi Tabatabaei S V, Haji Maghsoudi S, Bani‌Asadi Mahani A. Factors Affecting Childbearing among Male Non-faculty Employees of Kerman University of Medical Sciences based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Iran J Health Educ Health Promot 2026; 14 (2) :104-116
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