Agneta Skoog Svanberg, PhD1; Claudia Lampic, PhD2;. Per-Olov Karlstr~m, MD, PhD1; and Tanja Tyd6n, PhD 1,2. 1Department of Women's and Children's ...
GENDER MEDICINE/VOL. 3, NO. 3, 2 0 0 6
Attitudes Toward Parenthood and Awareness of Fertility Among Postgraduate Students in Sweden A g n e t a S k o o g Svanberg, PhD1; Claudia Lampic, PhD2; Per-Olov Karlstr~m, MD, PhD1; a n d Tanja Tyd6n, PhD 1,2 1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; and 2Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
ABSTRACT
Background: Postponing childbirth is becoming increasingly c o m m o n in Western countries, especially among w o m e n with higher education. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate female and male postgraduate students' attitudes toward parenthood, their intentions to have children, perceived obstacles to having or raising children during postgraduate studies, and their awareness of fertility issues. Methods: A 52-question survey was mailed to randomly selected postgraduate students attending a Swedish university. The questionnaire was developed based on earlier research by, and the professional experience of, the authors. Three pilot studies were conducted to test the questionnaire's reliability and validity. The t, x 2, and M a n n - W h i t n e y U tests were used, as appropriate, to analyze responses. Results: Two h u n d r e d female and 200 male postgraduate students aged _
