Social networks and second-childbirth intentions of Korean married women

Abstract

Background: Supportive social networks represent an important motivation for childbearing. Our aim is to examine the relationship between social networks, including social support from parents, husband, and siblings and participation in social groups, and the preference for having a second child. Methods: Data on women with a child (241 employed women and 634 stay-at-home mothers aged 20–44 years) were obtained from the Korea Longitudinal Study of Women and Family. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between social networks and the intention to have a second child. Results: The emotional support from the husband’s siblings, including their counselling and advice, and the husband’s relative time available for housework and child care were highly associated with second-childbirth intentions among employed women (p < .05). However, increased participation in social gatherings with close friends and neighbours was found to be related to decreased fertility intention among stay-at-home mothers. Conclusions: For the formation of a fertility-friendly social environment, the measures should focus on developing strategies to encourage husbands to contribute more to domestic labour over the weekend, especially in dual-earner families. Additionally, publicity campaigns and educational programmes need to include the positive effect of affectionate relationships with husband’s siblings on fertility among employed married women.