Prevalence, Reasons and Consequences of Childlessness in the World and Iran: A Systematic Review
The increasing prevalence of childlessness over the last four decades worldwide has garnered the attention of researchers. This research aims to review studies on childlessness in Iran and worldwide. The studies were categorized into three sections: childlessness rate, causes, and consequences. The childlessness rate is generally lower in developing regions compared to developed countries, although it is increasing in the former group. The most significant causes of childlessness include urbanization, expansion of education, the cost of raising children, gender equality, individual independence, and well-being, concerns about population growth and environmental sustainability, the structure of welfare states, and diminishing religion and religious beliefs influence. The consequences of childlessness tend to be predominantly negative, with depression, anxiety, social stigma, divorce, and spousal violence. Nonetheless, some positive outcomes, such as higher life satisfaction and well-being, have also been reported. An overlooked aspect in this area is the neglect of men and the need to examine the impact of this phenomenon on families and society, rather than solely focusing on women. Only a few studies have been conducted on childlessness in Iran, and accurate statistics regarding its prevalence are unavailable. The existing statistics are derived from studies conducted for different purposes. The findings suggest that childlessness has not yet escalated to a problematic level, despite the increasing trends.
- حق عضویت دریافتی صرف حمایت از نشریات عضو و نگهداری، تکمیل و توسعه مگیران میشود.
- پرداخت حق اشتراک و دانلود مقالات اجازه بازنشر آن در سایر رسانههای چاپی و دیجیتال را به کاربر نمیدهد.