Starting a family: characteristics associated with men's reproductive preferences

Am J Mens Health. 2013 May;7(3):198-205. doi: 10.1177/1557988312465106. Epub 2012 Oct 29.

Abstract

Compared with previous generations in the United States, men today are starting families later in life and having fewer children. As a result birthrates in the United States have dropped sharply, and some men never make the transition into parenthood. Using data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth, this study examines the characteristics of childless men in the United States between the ages of 15 and 44 (N = 6,168) and whether these men want to have a child sometime in the future. Our main finding is that the majority of childless men want a child someday; however, by the age of 45 more than 1 in 7 still remain childless.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Fertility*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marriage / psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Parenting / psychology*
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Paternal Behavior / psychology
  • Personal Satisfaction*
  • Reproductive Behavior / psychology*
  • Reproductive Behavior / statistics & numerical data
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult