Work family conflict, marital quality and fertility intention in a sample of employed Iranian women

To examine the direct and indirect pathways among work–family conflict, marital quality, generalized anxiety disorder, and fertility intention among employed Iranian women with one child, using structural equation modeling. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 813 married, full-time employed women aged 18 to 45, each with one child, residing in Ahvaz, Iran, between January 2024 and March 2025. Structural equation modeling was performed in Stata to evaluate direct and indirect pathways among work–family conflict, marital quality, generalized anxiety disorder, and fertility intention. Work–family conflict was significantly and negatively associated with fertility intention (β = − 0.118, p < 0.001). Marital quality emerged as a strong positive direct predictor of fertility intention (β = 0.495, p < 0.001), confirming its role as a direct protective factor rather than a mediator. Generalized anxiety disorder did not significantly mediate this pathway; however, unexpected associations were found, which contrast with predominant findings in Western studies. Specifically, work-family conflict showed a negative association with anxiety (β = -0.206, p < 0.001), while marital quality had a positive association with anxiety (β = 0.278, p = 0.003). Marital quality serves as a key protective factor in the relationship between work–family conflict and fertility intention, whereas generalized anxiety disorder does not significantly mediate this pathway. These findings highlight the central role of relational well-being over individual psychological distress in reproductive decision-making within this cultural context, suggesting that couple-focused interventions could potentially be more effective than anxiety-reduction strategies for supporting fertility planning.