The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

A population-based survey on family intentions and fertility awareness in women and men in the United Kingdom and Denmark

A population-based survey on family intentions and fertility awareness in women and men in the United Kingdom and Denmark
A population-based survey on family intentions and fertility awareness in women and men in the United Kingdom and Denmark
Background: Across several European countries family formation is increasingly postponed. The aims of the study were to investigate the desire for family building and fertility awareness in the UK and Denmark.

Methods: A population-based internet survey was used among women (n?=?1,000) and men (n?=?237) from the UK (40%) and Denmark (60%). Data covered socio-demographics, family formation, and awareness of female age-related fertility. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis for studying associations between low fertility awareness and desired family formation.

Results: The majority of all participants desired two or three children. Two-thirds of the childless participants desired a first child at 30+ years, and one-fifth of the women and one-third of the men desired a last child at age 40. Overall, 83% of women and 73% of men were aware that female fertility starts to decline around 25–30 years. Men had significantly lower fertility awareness. Women who underestimated the impact of age on female fertility were significantly more likely to have a desire or attempted their first child at a higher age.

Conclusion: Even though the majority were aware of the age-related decrease in female fertility, most desired having children at an age when female fertility has declined. Women who were not sufficiently aware of the impact of advanced age were significantly more likely to have their first child at a higher age. There is a need for developing educational programs for women and men in order to increase the population’s knowledge of fertility and risk factors for infertility.
0300-9734
1-9
Vassard, Ditte
fba3f355-8b57-47ff-bd64-3f6f32d8501a
Lallemant, Camille
139a833e-54e0-4943-9aae-9fee4dfec510
Andersen, Anders Nyboe
202f092d-68e4-43e8-90ab-6d675ce7f74a
Macklon, Nicholas
7db1f4fc-a9f6-431f-a1f2-297bb8c9fb7e
Schmidt, Lone
43ae451a-f806-4fa3-8461-417c8a4d20a9
Vassard, Ditte
fba3f355-8b57-47ff-bd64-3f6f32d8501a
Lallemant, Camille
139a833e-54e0-4943-9aae-9fee4dfec510
Andersen, Anders Nyboe
202f092d-68e4-43e8-90ab-6d675ce7f74a
Macklon, Nicholas
7db1f4fc-a9f6-431f-a1f2-297bb8c9fb7e
Schmidt, Lone
43ae451a-f806-4fa3-8461-417c8a4d20a9

Vassard, Ditte, Lallemant, Camille, Andersen, Anders Nyboe, Macklon, Nicholas and Schmidt, Lone (2016) A population-based survey on family intentions and fertility awareness in women and men in the United Kingdom and Denmark. Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, 1-9. (doi:10.1080/03009734.2016.1194503). (PMID:27347691)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: Across several European countries family formation is increasingly postponed. The aims of the study were to investigate the desire for family building and fertility awareness in the UK and Denmark.

Methods: A population-based internet survey was used among women (n?=?1,000) and men (n?=?237) from the UK (40%) and Denmark (60%). Data covered socio-demographics, family formation, and awareness of female age-related fertility. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis for studying associations between low fertility awareness and desired family formation.

Results: The majority of all participants desired two or three children. Two-thirds of the childless participants desired a first child at 30+ years, and one-fifth of the women and one-third of the men desired a last child at age 40. Overall, 83% of women and 73% of men were aware that female fertility starts to decline around 25–30 years. Men had significantly lower fertility awareness. Women who underestimated the impact of age on female fertility were significantly more likely to have a desire or attempted their first child at a higher age.

Conclusion: Even though the majority were aware of the age-related decrease in female fertility, most desired having children at an age when female fertility has declined. Women who were not sufficiently aware of the impact of advanced age were significantly more likely to have their first child at a higher age. There is a need for developing educational programs for women and men in order to increase the population’s knowledge of fertility and risk factors for infertility.

Text
17_08_2016_A populati.pdf - Version of Record
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (976kB)
Text
Vassard et al_CLEAN_revised text_UJMS_2016.docx - Accepted Manuscript
Download (34kB)
Text
Vassard et al_Tables_CLEAN.docx - Other
Download (25kB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 17 May 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 27 June 2016
Organisations: Human Development & Health

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 399473
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/399473
ISSN: 0300-9734
PURE UUID: 9cd10c34-05ea-4a2e-a6c2-173fa505b7f7

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 17 Aug 2016 08:45
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:49

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Ditte Vassard
Author: Camille Lallemant
Author: Anders Nyboe Andersen
Author: Nicholas Macklon
Author: Lone Schmidt

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×