# Evaluating Perspectives Toward Fertility and Motherhood Among Adolescent Females From Multi-country Backgrounds: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how young women from six countries view fertility and motherhood, finding that many have poor understanding and that education could help.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into fertility perspectives among adolescent females across multiple countries, highlighting gaps in reproductive health education.

## Key findings

- Almost three-quarters of students have poor perspectives toward fertility concepts.
- There is a high positive correlation between students' decisions to have children and their perspectives on cryopreservation and motherhood.
- Students' perspectives toward fertility show a high frequency of positive responses.

## Abstract

Background

Most students have essential perspectives on parenthood, which may vary based on education or cultural background. Negative perspectives reflect a serious gap in reproductive health education among future parents and may lead to delaying parenthood, increasing the risk of infertility or fetal loss.

Aim

This study aimed to assess students’ perspectives on fertility-related issues and motherhood across multi-country backgrounds.

Methods

A descriptive, cross-sectional design was conducted from Spring 2021 to Spring 2022 among voluntary participants focused on the fertility and motherhood perspectives of health sciences colleges in six participating countries (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Turkey). The responses were collected conveniently by a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 31 items in 5 sections, adapted from a published Swedish study after testing for validity and reliability and analyzed using SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US) including 1,371 students from an online hosting site.

Results

Almost three-quarters of students have poor perspectives toward fertility concepts. There are significant relationships between students’ characteristics (independent variables) and their perspectives (dependent variable) toward motherhood. A high positive correlation between students’ decision to have children’s factors, their perspectives regarding cryopreservation, and motherhood with (r = 0.527, p <0.01), (r = 0.533, p <0.01), and (r =0.406, p <0.01). Students’ perspectives toward fertility reflect high frequency positive (F = 12.080, p< 000).

Conclusion

There is a positive correlation between participants’ decision to have children, cryopreservation perspectives, and motherhood with a high-frequency positive effect on students’ perspectives toward fertility issues. The study recommends that nurses provide necessary informed guidance and support to young females and males who are making fertility-related decisions.