The number of countries experiencing very low fertility has been rising in recent years, garnering increasing academic, political and media attention. There is now widespread academic agreement that the postponement of fertility is a major contributing factor in the very low levels of fertility that have occurred, and yet most policy discussions have been devoted to increasing the numbers of children women have. We discuss factors in three institutions-the educational system, the labour market and the housing market-that may inadvertently have led to childbearing postponement. We highlight important components of the timing of childbearing, including its changing place within the transition to adulthood across countries and the significance of the demands of childbearing versus childrearing. Using illustrations from Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, we argue that the following all lead to younger childbearing: 1) an open education system whereby it is relatively easy to return to school after having dropped out for a while; 2) a shorter, smoother, easier school-to-work transition; 3) easier re-entry into the labour market after having taken time out for childrearing or any other reason; 4) greater capability of integrating childrearing into a career; 5) easier ability to obtain a mortgage with a moderately small down payment, moderately low interest rate and a long time period over which to repay the loan; and 6) easier ability to rent a dwelling unit at an affordable price. Conversely, reversing any or all of these factors would lead, other things being equal, to postponement of childbearing.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901179 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1553/populationyearbook2008s57 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
"When you're in the office, it means you managed to get somewhere": An interpretive descriptive study of the perceptions of adolescents accessing primary care for mental health services.
Health Care Transit
January 2025
School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Objective: Primary care offers an entry point into the health care system for adolescents experiencing mental illnesses. This study explored the perceptions of adolescents with an anxiety or mood disorder accessing primary care for mental health services.
Methods: Qualitative interpretive descriptive design was employed.
Current practice and barriers for transition of care (TOC) in pediatric surgery: perspectives of adult surgeons from different subspecialties.
Pediatr Surg Int
January 2025
Department of Surgery, Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Jalan Persiaran Abu Bakar Sultan, 80100, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.
Introduction: The advancements in neonatal resuscitation and surgical care have enabled children with congenital abnormalities to receive corrective surgeries and achieve lifespans well into adulthood. These patients may require long-term follow-up as they continue to have risks of developing sequelae from their original diseases or surgical interventions.
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the current practice and barriers to the transition of care (TOC) from the perspectives of adult surgeons.
New job, new habits? A multilevel interrupted time series analysis of changes in diet, physical activity and sleep among young adults starting work for the first time.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act
January 2025
MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge Level 3 Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0SL, UK.
Background: The workplace is an important determinant of health that people are exposed to for the first-time during adolescence or early adulthood. This study investigates how diet, physical activity, and sleep change as people aged 16-30 years transition into work and whether this varies for different individuals and job types.
Methods: Multilevel linear regression models assessed changes in fruit and vegetable intake, sleep duration, and physical activity among 3,302 UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) participants aged 16-30 years, who started work for the first time between 2015 and 2023.
Managing Major Life Changes: An Exploratory Study Using the Bridges Transitions Framework to Help Foster Youth Prepare for Discharge.
Children (Basel)
December 2024
School of Social Work, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA.
Background: Adolescents in foster care endure frequent disruptive transitions, often culminating in discharge to independent living rather than reunification or adoption. Former foster youth fare poorly once on their own, with high rates of homelessness and social disconnection. This study explored the use of the Bridges Transitions Framework near the end of placement to help youth cope with the transition to adulthood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelf-Identified Employment Challenges for Young Adults with a Cleft Lip and Palate: A Qualitative Exploration.
Behav Sci (Basel)
January 2025
Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia.
As individuals with a cleft lip and palate (CLP) transition into adulthood, they face unique employment challenges related to income, job stability, and fewer career options. This study explored these challenges through two focus group discussions with 19 participants (aged 21-38), primarily women, to understand their employment experiences. Thematic analysis revealed the following three main themes: (1) physical factors, (2) psychosocial factors, and (3) overcoming employment challenges, with nine sub-themes including speech, hearing, appearance, health, childhood experiences, societal expectations, lack of self-confidence, communication improvement, and self-esteem building.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!