Abstract：
BACKGROUND: While the risk factors for infertility are well-established, research on factors associated with voluntary childlessness is limited and mainly focused on adulthood factors. Thus, we examined the associations between factors in childhood and young adulthood and different types of childlessness.
METHODS: The analysis included 4653 women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women\'s Health from 1996 to 2021. Childlessness was categorised as: voluntary, due to infertility issues, or due to other reasons. The associations between factors in childhood and young adulthood and childlessness were assessed using multinomial logistic regression models.
RESULTS: In their 40s, 4.8 % of women were voluntarily childless, 6.7 % were childless due to infertility issues, and 7.8 % were childless due to other reasons. Regardless of types of childlessness, being childless was associated with poorer self-rated health during childhood and having been unpartnered and obese in young adulthood. Ex-smokers in young adulthood had lower odds of childlessness. Childhood physical abuse was associated with childlessness due to infertility issues and other reasons. Voluntary childlessness and childlessness due to infertility issues were associated with having identified as non-exclusively heterosexual in early adulthood. Lower social support in early adulthood was associated with voluntary childlessness and childlessness due to other reasons.
CONCLUSIONS: The direction of the associations could not be determined and using self-reported data may introduce recall bias.
CONCLUSIONS: Factors in childhood and young adulthood were associated with different types of childlessness, highlighting the importance of adopting a life course perspective when studying childlessness.
METHODS: The analysis included 4653 women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women\'s Health from 1996 to 2021. Childlessness was categorised as: voluntary, due to infertility issues, or due to other reasons. The associations between factors in childhood and young adulthood and childlessness were assessed using multinomial logistic regression models.
RESULTS: In their 40s, 4.8 % of women were voluntarily childless, 6.7 % were childless due to infertility issues, and 7.8 % were childless due to other reasons. Regardless of types of childlessness, being childless was associated with poorer self-rated health during childhood and having been unpartnered and obese in young adulthood. Ex-smokers in young adulthood had lower odds of childlessness. Childhood physical abuse was associated with childlessness due to infertility issues and other reasons. Voluntary childlessness and childlessness due to infertility issues were associated with having identified as non-exclusively heterosexual in early adulthood. Lower social support in early adulthood was associated with voluntary childlessness and childlessness due to other reasons.
CONCLUSIONS: The direction of the associations could not be determined and using self-reported data may introduce recall bias.
CONCLUSIONS: Factors in childhood and young adulthood were associated with different types of childlessness, highlighting the importance of adopting a life course perspective when studying childlessness.
摘要：
背景：虽然不孕症的危险因素是公认的，关于自愿无子女相关因素的研究有限，主要集中在成年因素上。因此，我们研究了儿童期和成年期的因素与不同类型的无子女之间的关联.
方法：分析包括1996年至2021年澳大利亚妇女健康纵向研究的4653名妇女。无子女被归类为：自愿，由于不孕问题,或由于其他原因。使用多项逻辑回归模型评估了儿童期和青年期因素与无子女之间的关联。
结果：在40多岁时，4.8%的妇女自愿无子女,6.7%的人因不孕症无子女，7.8%的人因其他原因无子女。不管是什么类型的无子女，在童年时期，无子女与自评健康状况较差有关，在成年后没有伴侣和肥胖。成年后的戒烟者无子女的几率较低。由于不育问题和其他原因，儿童身体虐待与无子女有关。由于不育问题而导致的自愿无子女和无子女与成年早期被确定为非完全异性恋有关。由于其他原因，成年早期较低的社会支持与自愿无子女和无子女有关。
结论：关联的方向无法确定，使用自我报告的数据可能会引入回忆偏差。
结论：儿童和青年期的因素与不同类型的无子女有关，强调在研究无子女时采用生命历程观点的重要性。
方法：分析包括1996年至2021年澳大利亚妇女健康纵向研究的4653名妇女。无子女被归类为：自愿，由于不孕问题,或由于其他原因。使用多项逻辑回归模型评估了儿童期和青年期因素与无子女之间的关联。
结果：在40多岁时，4.8%的妇女自愿无子女,6.7%的人因不孕症无子女，7.8%的人因其他原因无子女。不管是什么类型的无子女，在童年时期，无子女与自评健康状况较差有关，在成年后没有伴侣和肥胖。成年后的戒烟者无子女的几率较低。由于不育问题和其他原因，儿童身体虐待与无子女有关。由于不育问题而导致的自愿无子女和无子女与成年早期被确定为非完全异性恋有关。由于其他原因，成年早期较低的社会支持与自愿无子女和无子女有关。
结论：关联的方向无法确定，使用自我报告的数据可能会引入回忆偏差。
结论：儿童和青年期的因素与不同类型的无子女有关，强调在研究无子女时采用生命历程观点的重要性。
