Intention to have no children and its relation to mental health: a case study of personality and coping traits of married couples, registering at Bangrak District Office
Keywords:
Intention to have no children, voluntary childlessness, personality, copingAbstract
Background: Modern families tend to have fewer children, planning to have no children has seen more and more. There are pieces of evidence that many families planned to have no children even the family’s economic status has improved.
Objectives: To examine the prevalence of intention to have no children among those who come to get marriage registration at Bangrak District Office, Bangkok Metropolis, and association between intention to have no children and personality and coping.
Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in males and females who come to get marriage registration at Bangrak District Office, Bangkok Metropolis. The data were collected by questionnaires including demographic data questionnaire, the Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI), and Coping Questionnaire. The characteristics of the subjects were presented as frequency and percentage. Inferential statistics were analyzed by Chi-square, t - test, and logistic regression.
Results: There were 380 subjects (male 186, female 194) with a mean age of 33.1 ± 6.0 years. The prevalence of intention to have no children was found 13.7%. Personality-Scale E was found significantly associated with intention to have no children, in which the subjects with introverted personality tend to have higher intention to have no children than those with extraverted personality. Also, those with the intention to have no children have significantly lower in problem focus coping (dimension - seek to belong), while having significantly higher in avoidance coping, avoidance coping (dimension - keep to self), and avoidance coping (dimension - behavioral disengagement).
Conclusion: Personality and coping plays an important role in influencing individuals’ intention to have or have no children.
Downloads
References
National Statistical Office, Thailand. Population, birth and death throughout the Kingdom, 1993 – 2017 [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2018 Dec 6]. Available from: www.nso.go.th.
National Statistical Office, Thailand. Number of births, deaths, moving in and moving out, house registration categorized by gender, region and province, 2010 - 2019 [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2020 Apr 3]. Available from: www.nso.go.th.
Peek C, Im-Em W, Tangthanaseth R. The State of Thailand’s Population 2015 “Features of Thai Families in the Era of Low Fertility and Longevity”. Bangkok: The United Nations Population Fund Thailand and the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board; 2016.
Chaiwat P, Thammawitpricha P. Attitude and condition of modern family with childfree by choice. Sripatum Rev 2017;17:49-59.
Phuangprayong K. Desire for children among married women in Thailand: An investigation on the pattern and current situation [thesis]. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2016.
Graham ML, Hill E, Shelley JM, Taket AR. An examination of the health and wellbeing of childless women: a cross-sectional exploratory study in Victoria, Australia. BMC Womens Health 2011;11:47.
Hansen T, Slagsvold B, Moum T. Childlessness and psychological well-being in midlife and old age: an examination of parental status effects across a range of outcomes. Soc Indicators Res 2009;94:343-62.
Holton S, Fisher J, Rowe H. Motherhood: is it good for women’s mental health? J Reprod Infant Psychol 2010;28:223-39.
Isarabhakdi P. Attitudes of young people about getting married and having children. In: Vorasiriamorn Y, Rittirong J, Chuanwan S, Hunchangsith P, editors. Birth and security in population and society. 1st ed. Nakhon Pathom: Population and Social Publishing, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University; 2014. p. 199-212.
Rodchanaporn D. Problem coping strategy and hope in workplace: a case study of an import-export company. [thesis]. Pathum Thani: Thammasat University; 2009.
Khotcharat S. Coping measurement. [thesis]. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2001.
Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer Pub. Co.; 1984.
Carver CS, Scheier MF, Weintraub JK. Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. J Personal Social Psychol 1989;56:267-83.
Maneerung N. Occupational stress and personality among professional nurses in a Private Hospital. [thesis].Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2015.
Avison M, Furnham A. Personality and voluntary childlessness. J Population Res 2015;32:45-67.
Sangthong S. Study of relationships between stress coping behaviors, social support and job burnout: a case study of one department in Bangkok metropolitan administration. [thesis]. Pathum Thani:Thammasat University; 2011.
Ninsanguandecha S. Burnout and problem coping strategies among employees of The Government Pharmaceutical Organization.[thesis]. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2015.
Phuangprayong K. Future desire for children: Empirical evidences from married wemen in Thailand. Srinakharinwirot Research and Development (Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences) 2018;10:1-19.
Sinananwanich E. Application of fertility behavioral models.[thesis]. Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai University; 2000.
Rittirong J, Kitisriworaphan T, Musikaphan W. A nursery helps people have more children (really?). In: Vorasiriamorn Y, Rittirong J, Chuanwan S, Hunchangsith P, editors. Birth and security in population and society. 1st ed. Nakhon Pathom: Population and Social Publishing, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University; 2014.p.99-120.
Phuangprayong K. Desire for children among women in Thailand: An investigation on the pattern and current situation. [thesis]. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University; 2016.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Chulalongkorn Medical Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
