A Structural Equation Model of the Relationship Between Marital Quality of Life and Fertility Intention: The Mediating Roles of Social Network Orientation and Religious Attitudes in Kermanshah
Keywords:
Quality of marital life, desire to have children, tendency towards social networks, religious attitudesAbstract
Introduction and Aim: Fertility intention is influenced by a combination of individual, marital, social, and value-based factors, among which the quality of the marital relationship may shape couples’ readiness to assume parental responsibilities. This study aimed to test a structural equation model of the relationship between marital quality of life and fertility intention, considering the mediating roles of social network orientation and religious attitudes among couples in Kermanshah.
Methodology: This applied study employed a descriptive-survey and correlational design based on structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all married individuals with fertility intentions in Kermanshah, from whom 384 participants, including 192 women and 192 men, were selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using the 14-item Busby et al. Marital Quality of Life Questionnaire, the 13-item Rasoulabadi Social Network Orientation Questionnaire, the 25-item Golriz and Baraheni Religious Attitudes Questionnaire, and a 10-item researcher-made Fertility Intention Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, structural equation modeling, and the Sobel test in SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 24.
Findings: The structural model demonstrated an acceptable fit, with a chi-square-to-degrees-of-freedom ratio of 2.292, a comparative fit index of 0.952, and a root mean square error of approximation of 0.058. Marital quality of life had a significant positive effect on fertility intention (β=0.218, p<0.001). Social network orientation had a significant negative effect on fertility intention (β=-0.251, p<0.001), whereas religious attitudes had a significant positive effect (β=0.354, p<0.001). The indirect effects of marital quality of life on fertility intention through social network orientation and religious attitudes were 0.089 and 0.146, respectively, and both were statistically significant. The variables included in the model jointly explained 42.6% of the variance in fertility intention.
Conclusion: Marital quality of life increases fertility intention both directly and indirectly by reducing social network orientation and strengthening religious attitudes. Accordingly, interventions aimed at improving marital relationships, promoting media literacy, and drawing on couples’ value-based and spiritual resources may support more informed and stable fertility decisions.
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Copyright (c) 1404 Khatereh Ghanbari (Author); Hassan Amiri; Keyvan Kakabrai (Author)
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