Consistent Patterns across Birth Parities? Psychological Measures and Birth Parity Transitions among Swedish Men

Steffen Peters , Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Kieron Barclay, Stockholm University
Monika Mynarska, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw
Mikko Myrskylä, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Psychological factors have become increasingly important for fertility, particularly among men. Only a few studies have examined the association between psychological factors and birth parity transitions. Moreover, previous studies typically measured psychological factors at the end of fertility histories, i.e., when most individuals have completed their fertility trajectories. We study the prospective association between several psychological factors (leadership skills, social maturity, emotional stability) and birth parity transitions among Swedish males. We further analyze a) single-partner fertility (suggesting the relevance of multi-partner fertility) and b) age at first childbirth as potential mechanisms. This study makes use of high-quality Swedish register data. Information on psychological factors for males comes from military conscription data, and civil registers track the fertility histories of these men up to age 39 and older. We apply linear probability and linear regression models. Findings indicate positive associations between all psychological measures and first and second birth parities. However, lower scores on all psychological factors predict higher probabilities of transitioning to the third and the fourth childbirth, reversing the patterns for the lower birth parity transitions. Further analyses suggest that multi-partner fertility and age at entry into fatherhood may drive these patterns.

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 Presented in Session 1. Flash Session Fertility and Health