Comparative research on the influence of incidental exposure to negative fertility-related information on Chinese nulliparous women’s fertility intention

This study examines the impact of incidental exposure to negative fertility-related information from personal narratives on the fertility intentions of Chinese unmarried and married women, deploying the Theory of Planned Behavior to explain the subsequent information-processing mechanism. Utilizing data from two group-based surveys (N = 913), results show that incidental exposure to negative fertility-related information significantly reduces fertility intentions in both groups, while the mechanisms differ. For unmarried women, fertility intentions are primarily influenced by perceived internal behavioral control, while for married women, perceived external behavioral control is more significant. This research advances the understanding of health-related information acquisition and processing in the social media environment and offers insights for public policy aimed at addressing the low fertility rate in China and globally.