Childbearing intention and its associated factors among adolescent girls: A narrative review

Abstract Background: Childbearing is an important phenomenon among adolescents. Studies that have evaluated teenagers’ reproductive patterns have found that many adolescents are ambivalent regardingsexual activity and childbearing. In order to assess the patterns of adolescents’ reproductive health and pregnancy to conduct interventions, every country needs to collect specific data about childbearingintentions. This study was conducted to determine the factors that may affect the childbearingintentions of adolescents. Materials and Methods: This article was a narrative review. Articles derivedfrom PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from January of 2000 to February 2015 were assessed.Moreover, gray literature, such as conference abstracts, theses, and the result of technical reports were also used.  Results: In total, 15 studies were included in the review. The findings of this study showedthat childbearing motives are affected by several factors. According to the results of the qualitativestudies, some of the most important effective factors were women’s decision‑making power and financial issues. In this regard, the quantitative studies noted that the cultural and economic factors were more effective than other factors in determining the childbearing motives of adolescents.  Conclusions: Fertility expectations are affected by several factors and are compatible with a variety of conditions.Moreover, access to precise information on the effects of each factor (positive or negative) is necessaryand useful for demographers, policymakers, and other planners in any community.