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Abstract
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Background: Women's employment is a significant factor influencing women's decisions regarding pregnancy, both socially and economically.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency of the decision to get pregnant and the effect of women's employment on this decision.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 in Fereydunkenar, Mazandaran province, Iran. A total of 334 participants were
selected using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, validated and tested for reliability. The validity was
confirmed by 4 gynecologists, 3 family medicine specialists, 2 midwives, 1 psychologist, 1 epidemiologist, 1 biostatistics expert, and 1 occupational health expert.
Reliability was established through a pilot study with 30 participants, determining Cronbach's alpha. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26,
employing chi-square and multivariate logistic regression tests.
Results: The study included 261 working women and 73 housewives. The frequency of deciding to get pregnant was lower among working women compared to
housewives (36% vs. 56.2%). The results indicated that having one child increased the odds of not wanting to get pregnant by 2.59 times (OR = 2.59, CI 95%: 1.36 -
4.93, P = 0.004). Having two children increased the odds by six times compared to having no children (OR = 6.00, CI 95%: 2.47-12.70, P = 0.001). Additionally, the
desire to migrate increased the odds of not wanting to get pregnant by 3.23 times (OR = 3.23, CI 95%: 1.64 - 6.36, P = 0.001). A distance of more than 5 km from
residence to workplace increased the odds by 1.82 times (OR = 1.82, CI 95%: 1.03 - 3.35, P = 0.04), and working more than 7 hours a day increased the odds by 1.95
times (OR = 1.95, CI 95%: 1.10 - 3.43, P = 0.02).
Conclusions: The results showed that employment reduces the likelihood of deciding to get pregnant by about half. Therefore, in designing policies to
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