title: Factors influencing first childbearing timing decisions among men: Path analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Factors that influence men's childbearing intentions have been relatively unexplored in the literature.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine the influencing factors about the first childbearing timing decisions of men.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 300 men who were referred to private and governmental healthcare centers in Shahrood, Iran were randomly recruited from April to September 2014. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Quality of Life Questionnaire; ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire, Synder's Hope Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After removing the statistically insignificant paths, men's age at marriage had the highest direct effect (β=0.86) on their first childbearing decision. Marital satisfaction (β=-0.09), social support (β=0.06), economic status (β=0.06), and quality of life (β=-0.08) were other effective factors on men's first childbearing decisions. Moreover, marital satisfaction and social support had significant indirect effects on men's childbearing decisions (β=-0.04 and -0.01, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many factors, including personal factors (age at marriage and quality of life), family factors (marital satisfaction), and social factors (social support), can affect men's decision to have a child. Policymakers are hence required to develop strategies to promote the socioeconomic and family conditions of the couples and to encourage them to have as many children as they desire at an appropriate time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nourossadat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kariman
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahrood University of Medical Sciences, Shahrood, Iran.
authors.forename: Maliheh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amerian
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Padideh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jannati
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Paramedical Sciences Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salmani
keywords: Childbearing; Decision-making; Influencing factors; Men; Paternal