The Predictive Role of Body Image on Attitude toward Fertility and Childbearing in Mothers with Two to Four Years Old Children

Abstract

Background: One of the key factors affecting attitudes toward childbearing is women’s physical fitness. Dissatisfaction with body image may affect mother’s and child’s physical and mental health. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the predictive role of body image in shaping attitudes toward childbearing. Materials and Methods: This descriptive‑predictive study was conducted on 265 mothers with children aged 2–4 years who visited the comprehensive healthcare centers in Kashan, Iran, in 2023–24. The sampling method was multistage clustering. A demographics questionnaire, Söderberg’s Attitudes to Fertility and Childbearing Scale, and Littleton’s Body Image Concern Inventory were used for data collection. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires were confirmed. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were used for data analysis in SPSS. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: According to the results, a one‑unit increase in women’s body image concerns was associated with a 0.309‑point decrease in their positive attitudes toward fertility and childbearing. Additionally, there were significant negative correlations between body image concern and the dimensions of attitudes toward fertility and childbearing: the child as a pillar of life (r = −0.20, p < 0.001), the child as an obstacle to a relationship (r = −0.33, p < 0.001), postponing childbearing to the future (r = −0.33, p < 0.001), and childbearing prerequisites (r = −0.02, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The study findings corroborated the predictive role of body image in shaping attitudes toward fertility and childbearing. Appropriate interventions should be developed to enhance women’s body image during pregnancy and identify and control the factors negatively affecting it.