The Relationship Between Attitudes Toward Gender Roles and the Desire for Childbearing Among Couples Referring to a Premarital Counseling Center in Babolsar, Iran, 2023

Background and purpose: Fertility is one of the main components of population dynamics and has been declining over the past three decades. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between attitudes toward gender roles and the desire for childbearing among couples referring to premarital counseling centers. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 266 couples (532 individuals) were recruited using convenience sampling. Data collection tools included a socio-demographic checklist, the Gender Role Attitude Questionnaire, and the Fertility Desire Scale. Data were entered into SPSS version 22, and statistical analyses were performed with a significance level set at P< 0.05. Results: The results showed that variables such as the tendency to have two daughters (β= 1.11, P = 0.006), men’s attitudes toward gender roles (β = 1.07, P= 0.03), and men’s desire to have children (β= 1.01, P< 0.001) significantly affected women’s desire to have children. Additionally, place of residence (β= 1.07, P= 0.01), interval between marriage and the birth of the first child (β = 0.99, P= 0.03), the tendency to have two daughters (β= 1.08, P