Starting a Family: Characteristics Associated With Men's Reproductive Preferences. (May 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kessler, Lawrence M.; Craig, Benjamin M.; Saigal, Christopher; Quinn, Gwendolyn P.
• Is Part Of: American journal of men's health. Volume 7:Number 3(2013)
• Page Start: 198
• Page End: 205
• Publication Date: 2013-05
• Subjects: male family planning -- fathering -- quantitative research; Men -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Sex factors in disease -- Periodicals; Men -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Men -- Health and hygiene -- United States -- Periodicals; Men -- Medical care -- Periodicals; 362.10811
• DOI: 10.1177/1557988312465106
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1557-9883

Abstract

Compared with previous generations in the United States, men today are starting families later in life and having fewer children. As a result birthrates in the United States have dropped sharply, and some men never make the transition into parenthood. Using data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth, this study examines the characteristics of childless men in the United States between the ages of 15 and 44 ( N = 6, 168) and whether these men want to have a child sometime in the future. Our main finding is that the majority of childless men want a child someday; however, by the age of 45 more than 1 in 7 still remain childless.