# The impact of multidimensional intergenerational support on fertility intentions among young Chinese couples: the mediating role of parenting burden and fertility anxiety

## TL;DR

This study explores how support from older family members affects young Chinese couples' desire to have children, considering the roles of childcare stress and fertility anxiety.

## Contribution

The study identifies a chained mediating pathway involving childcare burden and fertility anxiety in the relationship between intergenerational support and fertility intentions.

## Key findings

- Multidimensional intergenerational support is positively linked to fertility intentions and negatively linked to childcare burden and fertility anxiety.
- Childcare burden and fertility anxiety each mediate the effect of intergenerational support on fertility intentions.
- A chained mediation pathway through childcare burden and fertility anxiety influences fertility intentions.

## Abstract

This study examines the impact of multidimensional intergenerational support on fertility intentions among young Chinese couples, alongside the chained mediating mechanisms of childcare burdens and fertility anxiety. Methods: A survey was conducted among 3,246 young married couples (aged 20–35) across 12 Chinese provinces, utilizing the Multidimensional Intergenerational Support Scale, Childcare Burden Scale, Fertility Anxiety Scale, and Fertility Intention Questionnaire to measure multidimensional intergenerational support, childcare burden, parenting anxiety, and fertility intentions.

(1) Multidimensional intergenerational support positively correlated with fertility intentions among Chinese young couples, while negatively correlating with childcare burden and fertility anxiety. Childcare burden positively correlated with fertility anxiety, and both childcare burden and fertility anxiety negatively correlated with fertility intentions. (2) Multidimensional intergenerational support significantly and positively predicted fertility intentions among Chinese young couples. (3) Childcare burden and fertility anxiety, respectively, mediated the effect of multidimensional intergenerational support on fertility intentions among young Chinese couples; (4) Childcare burden and fertility anxiety played a chain-mediated role in the influence of multidimensional intergenerational support on fertility intentions among young Chinese couples.

Multidimensional intergenerational support can directly influence young Chinese couples’ fertility intentions, and can also indirectly influence their fertility intentions through the chained mediating pathway of childcare burden and fertility anxiety.