TABLE 2.

Importance of Motherhood Regressed on Rational Choice, Culture, Identity, Life Course, Situational Variables by Parenthood Status

	Mothers n = 2,023)				Non-Mothers n = 496)				Absolute Difference (Mother – Non-mother)
	B	SE	Beta		B	SE	Beta
Work Important	.052	.020	.053	**	−.013	.063	−.008	—	.065	—
Leisure Important	−.003	.020	−.003	—	−.204	.065	−.114	**	.200	***
Works Full-Time	−.098	.022	−.099	***	.075	.085	.037	—	.174	*
Works Part-Time	−.006	.030	−.004	—	−.010	.128	−.003	—	.004	—
Education (years)	.005	.004	.025	—	.019	.013	.056	—	.015	—
Hispanic	−.123	.028	−.092	***	−.130	.105	−.043	—	.007	—
Black	−.161	.027	−.133	***	−.008	.096	−.003	—	.153	*
Other Race/Ethnicity	−.006	.066	−.002	—	.242	.122	.069	*	.249	*
Religiosity	.065	.013	.104	***	.077	.033	.087	*	.012	—
Egalitarian Attitudes	−.122	.020	−.123	***	−.377	.070	−.195	***	.256	**
Age	−.003	.002	−.032	—	−.069	.005	−.509	***	.067	—
Age Squared	.000	.000	−.012	—	.000	.001	.019	—	.001	—
Cohabiting	−.120	.087	−.027	—	.088	.209	.014	—	.208	—
Divorced	.001	.033	.000	—	−.027	.129	−.007	—	.027	—
Widowed	−.274	.092	−.057	**	.174	.424	.014	—	.448	—
Separated	−.078	.049	−.031	—	−.107	.370	−.010	—	.029	—
Never Married	−.168	.030	−.121	***	.004	.067	.002	—	.172	*
Constant	3.646	.025	—	***	2.917	.118	—	***	.729	***
Adjusted R-square	.100	—	—	***	.319	—	—	—	.219	***

^*p <.05

^**p <.01

^***p <.001

NOTE: N = 2,519—National random sample of women aged 25–45; weighted. All continuous variables are mean centered. The significance of the difference between mother and non-mother coefficients were tested using interaction terms in a combined model. This model controls for economic hardship, self-rated health, a chronic health condition, and self identifying as having a fertility problem.