The role of lifestyle factors in explaining fertility variation among couples in the UK
In the UK, as well as in other developed countries, women are increasingly delaying family formation to later ages, when their (and their partners) fecundity is already in decline, leading to higher risk of infertility and having fewer children than intended. Nevertheless, the likelihood of recuperating postponed births varies across social groups and by level of education. Previous studies have found that education is linked with different lifestyle factors, including smoking, alcohol drinking and obesity, which in turn may affect fertility and timing to pregnancy. However, it is unclear to what extent these factors account for differences in parity progression rates across social groups. This study explored the role of lifestyle and biomedical factors in explaining variation in achieving fertility aspirations after the age of 30, using data from Understanding Society Waves 1-7, combined with the biomarker dataset. The study population included couples who have indicated they are likely to increase their family size at the time of the first wave and estimate their likelihood of experiencing childbirth within the next 5 years, controlling for both partners’ biomedical (BMI, testosterone levels) and behavioural (smoking, alcohol consumption) factors, alongside other demographic and socioeconomic predictors. By introducing lifestyle and biomedical factors into the analysis of childbearing patterns, this study provided a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying reproductive behaviour among different social groups. This research also had important policy implications, amid the increasing proportion of couples experiencing age-related infertility in post-industrial societies.
Outputs
Conference presentations
- “The role of biomedical factors in explaining fertility differences by education” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the British Society for Population Studies (11 September 2018), Winchester, UK.
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