Communication skills, understanding intellectual coordination and marital satisfaction on childbearing motivation in reproductive-age Iranian couples

Given recent changes in fertility patterns and the role of motivation, the desire for childbearing can be considered the primary motivator for fertility behavior and an important factor in fertility decision-making among humans. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between communication skills, understanding intellectual coordination and marital satisfaction with childbearing motivation among Iranian couples of reproductive age, Karaj in 2023-2024. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 150 fertile-aged couples (300 people). Sampling was done randomly, and research tools included a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, Dastan's communication skills questionnaire, Iranian couples' intellectual mutuality and coordination, Enrich marital satisfaction scale, and Miller's childbearing motivation questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21, and descriptive statistics, dispersion indices, tables, and graphs were used to describe the data. Bivariate correlation was used to analyze the data. The mean age of female and male participants was 36.54(SD = 7.155) and 40.75(SD = 7.782). The mean score of communication skills was 118.883(SD = 15.380), understanding intellectual coordination was 106.893(SD = 18.393), marital satisfaction was 54.693(SD = 11.426), and respectively the positive and negative childbearing motivation were 96.263(SD = 14.949) and 52.456(SD = 12.282). Pearson correlation results showed a significant negative correlation between communication skills and negative childbearing motivation among female (P = 0.002, r=-0.246) and male participants (P = 0.003, r=-0.240). Moreover, a significant negative correlation was found between understanding intellectual coordination and negative childbearing motivation scores (P = 0.0001, r=-0.327). Spearman correlation results also showed a significant negative correlation between marital satisfaction and negative childbearing motivation (P = 0.0001, rs=-0.242). Communication skills, understanding intellectual coordination, and marital satisfaction were effective factors in couples' desire for childbearing. Therefore, implementing counseling programs to improve communication skills and enhance mutual understanding and marital satisfaction may be effective measures to increase couples' motivation and ultimately increase their decision to have children.