intergenerational comparison of value of children among urban women population in mashhad, iran, 2014

Background & aim: theory of the value of children refers to the needs that children fulfill for parents. considering the close relationship between the value orientation of individuals and decisions to organize life and form a family, including having children, as well as the decline in fertility rate in iran, this study aimed to intergenerationally compare the value of children and its dimensions among women in mashhad, iran. methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted on 712 women referring to the health centers of mashhad, iran selected via multistage sampling. data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and value of children (voc) questionnaire, including emotional, economic and social dimensions. validity of the voc questionnaire was determined via content validity, and its reliability was confirmed via internal consistency. data analysis was performed in spss version 16, and p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. results: among the studied women, dimension of perceived emotional value of children had the highest mean score in the voc questionnaire (68.89±18.02), while the lowest mean scores were observed in dimensions of economic and social value of children (46.13±19.36 and 43.89±15.15, respectively). moreover, mean score of the emotional value of children was higher among younger women, while mean scores of economic and social value were higher among older women. conclusion: according to the results of this study, emotional value of children is more important to women. changing value of children from the economic and social dimensions to the emotional dimension among younger generations is suggestive of a new perspective toward developing comprehensive, regular training interventions in order to promote the reproductive behaviors of women.