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Predictive Power of Early Adulthood Reports of Intentions for Childlessness

Sat, August 11, 10:30 to 11:30am, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 5, Salon G

Abstract

Qualitative studies of childlessness frequently point out to the importance of women’s preferences in the process of remaining childless. Childless women often describe their status as a deliberate decision to avoid parenthood, situated within the structure of their lives. Despite these narratives, predictive validity of intentions for childlessness (i.e. intentions to have no children) is rarely examined. Findings from previous analyses point out to a strong predictive power of childless intentions: women who intend childlessness rarely become mothers and childless intentions, once verbalized, tend to be stable. This project complements existing research by investigating the link between intentions for childlessness reported in early adulthood and permanent childlessness at the end of women’s reproductive careers for a recent cohort of American women. I use the 1979 National Longitudinal Study of Youth and estimate a logistic regression model. I hypothesize that the women who intend to have no children in early adulthood will have a high probability of remaining childless over the life course. Moderating effects of personality traits and socio-demographic factors are explored.

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