# The nexus between environmental concern and future childbearing aspirations among university students in Bangladesh

## TL;DR

This study explores how environmental concerns affect university students in Bangladesh' future childbearing plans, showing that environmental worries influence their desire to have children and family size.

## Contribution

The study reveals a novel link between environmental concerns and fertility intentions among Bangladeshi university students, highlighting gender and disciplinary differences.

## Key findings

- Environmental concerns significantly influence university students' intentions to have children.
- Female students are less likely to intend to have children if environmental conditions worsen.
- Students concerned about environmental issues plan to limit family size due to these concerns.

## Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between environmental concerns and future childbearing aspirations among university students in Bangladesh. It included 380 final-year and master’s students from various academic disciplines at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Bangladesh, who completed a structured questionnaire. The binary logistic regression model and Poisson regression model were employed to examine the effects of these variables (environmental concern, gender, religion, academic performance, university courses related to the environment or climate change, field of study, and perceived vulnerability to extreme weather events or climate change in their home region) on intentions to have children in the future. The findings demonstrate that environmental concerns significantly impact university students’ intentions to have children. Additionally, students who are concerned about environmental issues are more likely to desire children in the future and plan to limit their family size due to these concerns. Students’ future parenting plans are strongly influenced by their perceptions of environmental challenges. According to this study, female students are less likely to intend to have children if environmental conditions worsen. The findings suggest that several factors, including gender, disciplinary background, and environmental degradation, may influence future fertility intentions and, consequently, affect population dynamics. Such factors may also play a crucial role in shaping future population policies aimed at addressing the effects of climate change and achieving environmental sustainability.