title: Realization of fertility intentions by different time frames.
abstract: This paper focuses on the realization of positive fertility intentions with different time frames. The analyses are based on a unique combination of survey data and information from Norwegian administrative registers on childbearing in the years following the complete selected sample. Guided by the theoretical and empirical framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the results suggest that a fertility intention's time frame is relevant for childbearing behaviour, but the patterns are somewhat different for respondents who were childless at the time of the interview compared to those who already had children. Overall, childless were less likely to realize their fertility intentions than parents. Following the TPB, childless may underestimate the difficulty of acting on their intentions and therefore have more difficulty realizing their intentions, versus parents who take into account their ability to manage another child. The results also show that childless with an immediate fertility intention are more likely to succeed than those with a longer-term intention. Likewise, parents with an immediate fertility intention are more likely to realize their intention during the two first years after the interview, but after four years the childbearing rate was higher among those with longer-term fertility intentions.
authors.affiliation: Research Department, Statistics Norway, PB 8131 Dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: Lars.Dommermuth@ssb.no.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dommermuth
authors.affiliation: Murdoch University, PO Box 1164, Nedlands 6909, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: jane.klobas@iinet.net.au.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klobas
authors.affiliation: Research Department, Statistics Norway, PB 8131 Dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: Trude.Lappegard@ssb.no.
authors.forename: Trude
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lappegård
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009664:Norway; D012042:Registries; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: GGS; Norway; Realization of fertility intentions; Register data; Theory of Planned Behavior; Time frame of fertility intentions