ArticleBMC public health2026
The relationship between perceived social support and childbearing desire among married university students in Southeastern Iran.
Article in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDeclining fertility rates and changes in family structures have made childbearing desire an important population health concern. Social support, particularly perceived social support, is considered a key factor influencing individuals' emotional well-being and reproductive intentions. This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived social support and childbearing desire among married university students in Sirjan, Iran.
methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 among 287 married university students selected through stratified sampling with proportional allocation. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Childbearing Desire Questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83), and the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS; Cronbach's alpha range = 0.74-0.93). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test due to non-normal data distribution.
resultsThe results showed a significant positive correlation between childbearing desire and perceived social support (r = 0.188, p = 0.001). Among social support dimensions, emotional/informational support demonstrated the strongest association with childbearing desire (r = 0.255, p < 0.001). Childbearing desire was also positively associated with age and number of children, while participants with better economic status reported significantly higher childbearing desire (p < 0.001).
conclusionPerceived social support, particularly emotional and informational support, plays an important role in shaping childbearing desire among married university students. Strengthening social support systems and improving economic conditions may help promote positive reproductive intentions. Married students who feel more supported by family and others are more likely to want children. Policies that improve emotional support and financial stability may encourage childbearing among young couples.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.