شیوع، علل و پیامدهای بی فرزندی در ایران و جهان: یک مرور نظام مند (مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)
درجه علمی: نشریه علمی (وزارت علوم)
آرشیو
چکیده
شیوع بی فرزندی و روند فزاینده آن طی چهار دهه گذشته در سراسر جهان، توجه محققان را به خود جلب کرده است. هدف مطالعه حاضر بررسی و مرور مطالعات صورت گرفته در این زمینه در ایران و جهان است. مطالعات در سه بخش میزان بی فرزندی، علل و پیامدهای آن دسته بندی شدند. اگرچه میزان بی فرزندی در کشورهای درحال توسعه، کمتر از کشورهای توسعه یافته است، اما در دسته اوّل نیز رو به افزایش است. مهم ترین علل بی فرزندی، شهرنشینی، گسترش آموزش، هزینه های فرزندان، برابری جنسیتی، استقلال و رفاه فردی، نگرانی از افزایش جمعیت و پایداری محیط زیست، ساختارهای دولت رفاه و کمرنگ شدن نقش دین و باروهای مذهبی هستند. پیامدهای بی فرزندی عمدتاً منفی هستند: همچون افسردگی و اضطراب، اَنگ های اجتماعی، طلاق و خشونت همسر. هرچند پیامدهای مثبتی همچون سطوح بالاتر رضایت از زندگی و رفاه نیز گزارش شده است. نکته مغفول مانده در مطالعات، نادیده گرفتن مردان و نیز عدم بررسی تأثیر این پدیده بر خانواده ها و جامعه و تأکید صِرف بر زنان است. مطالعات در مورد بی فرزندی در ایران انگشت شمارند و آمارهای دقیقی از میزان آن وجود ندارد. آمارهای موجود مربوط به مطالعاتی است که با اهداف دیگری انجام شده اند. یافته ها حاکی از آن است که بی فرزندی هنوز به حدی نرسیده است که تبدیل به مسئله شده باشد، هرچند روندهای آن افزایشی است.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.
Introduction
Childbearing and motherhood have traditionally been important for women throughout history. However, a global trend of childlessness has emerged in recent decades, particularly in developed societies. Childlessness refers to the absence of children in an individual's life (Miettinen et al. 2015). There are two main types of childlessness: 1) voluntary childlessness, also termed "childfree" or "childless by choice", denotes the deliberate decision by individuals or couples to not have children for any reason (Park 2002). 2) involuntary childlessness that pertains to the incapacity or challenges faced by individuals or couples in conceiving or successfully carrying a pregnancy (Gouani et al. 2022; WHO 2018).
A comprehensive review of studies on childlessness can offer a thorough insight into the current state of its literature. It can also illuminate trends, identify gaps, and pinpoint key areas for future research. Furthermore, delving into the issue of childlessness can help dispel societal and cultural misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding individuals without children. This study aims to comprehensively review existing global research on childlessness while also concentrating on studies conducted within Iran. This research delves into several aspects: the prevalence of childlessness, the rationales behind individual and couples' decisions not to have children, the social, cultural, demographic, and economic factors influencing this choice, the repercussions of childlessness on individuals, as well as its broader consequences. Ultimately, an endeavor will be made to offer recommendations for future research by pinpointing gaps in existing studies.
Methods and Data
The current study was conducted using documentary and review methods. For this purpose, we visited the Jstor, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar databases to retrieve studies centered around childlessness during the last four decades. In the context of Iran, we opted to utilize databases such as Noormags, Magiran, Irandoc, and Sevilica to obtain relevant articles and theses.
The search within each of these databases revolved around scrutinizing titles. Hence, studies with the term "Childlessness" in their titles and also integrated into their keywords were included in our analysis. We only reviewed sources that were accessible online.
The emphasis on reviewing studies from the past four decades is due to the widespread occurrence of this phenomenon in European nations, especially since the 1960s. The significant increase in childlessness captured the attention of researchers, leading to investigations into this phenomenon that gained momentum from 1975 onward (Houseknecht 1987). In total, the review encompassed 73 international and 23 domestic studies.
Findings
The most important question about childlessness is what proportion of individuals will ultimately remain childless. Assessing the prevalence of childlessness varies depending on the nature of societies. Calculating the childlessness rate is challenging due to accurately distinguishing voluntary and involuntary situations. Despite regional variations in childlessness estimates worldwide, the crucial observation is the increasing trend in almost all societies.
According to the United Nations (2021), approximately 47.1% of married women aged 15-49 were childless in 2020. However, this percentage varies widely by region. Europe, North America, and East Asia experience the highest rates (Rybińska & Morgan 2019). In a recent study, the rate of permanent childlessness was estimated among women born in the 1970s in East Asian countries, such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, to be around 30% (Sobotka 2021). Overall, childlessness tends to be less prevalent in developing countries compared to developed ones.
Childlessness can also be involuntary. According to the WHO's report, one in six people worldwide experienced infertility in 2022. This report has established lifetime infertility at 17.5%.
The second most crucial aspect of childlessness revolves around understanding the reasons why individuals choose childlessness and the characteristics that define these individuals. Factors such as having smaller paternal families, urban residence, weaker religious beliefs, higher education, holding professional jobs, racial background, physical health, welfare state structures, national institutions, the second demographic transition, feminism, and evolving ideologies about women's roles, aspirations for independence, freedom, and personal well-being, as well as concerns about population growth and environmental sustainability, and gender have emerged as some of the most pivotal reasons and factors influencing the choice of childlessness.
The repercussions of childlessness are as extensive and varied as its causes. On a macro level, we can highlight consequences such as a decrease in population growth and aging, along with shifts in traditional family structures, kinship patterns, and the reduction of intergenerational relations.
At the micro level, positive and negative outcomes have been reported. On the one hand, childless people have reported higher levels of life satisfaction, higher economic well-being, less stress, and higher levels of physical health. On the other hand, negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness, especially for women, having a negative view of childless people, misjudgment, ridicule, and opposition, isolation, and neglect, feelings of regret, risk of divorce and spousal remarriage, stigma, and social pressures, fewer support resources in old age, higher levels of morbidity and mortality have been reported as negative outcomes.
There have been few studies on childlessness in Iran, resulting in a lack of accurate prevalence data. The existing statistics come from studies with diverse aims. Despite rising trends, childlessness hasn't become a significant issue, according to the findings.
Conclusion and Discussion
Reviewed studies have explored various aspects of childlessness across different fields. However, there remain areas that require further investigation and research. For instance, studies within this realm have significantly overlooked the male perspective. Of the reviewed studies, only one specifically incorporated men in their analyses. Consequently, forthcoming research concerning childlessness should encompass both sexes.
Furthermore, more in-depth research is imperative to comprehend the transition from childlessness to parenthood, including temporary childlessness, and the factors that shape such decisions. In addition, future studies ought to delve into the implications of opting for childlessness on individuals' lives in old age, as well as its impact on families and societies, rather than focusing exclusively on its consequences for women. Besides, it is essential to undertake qualitative studies to elucidate the rationales behind the choices of childless individuals, as this will shed light on the underlying aspects that inform such decisions.
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