Table 3.
Important circumstances for female and male student’s decision to have children
| Answers as n (%) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Undecided | Disagree | Strongly disagree | ||
| I want to have a stable financial situation, e.g., a regular income. | Female students | 468 (53.1) | 259 (29.4) | 60 (6.8) | 38 (4.3) | 12 (1.4) |
| Male students | 142 (54.0) | 73 (27.8) | 16 (6.1) | 10 (3.8) | 3 (1.1) | |
| All | 610 (53.3) | 332 (29.0) | 76 (6.6) | 48 (4.2) | 15 (1.3) | |
| I want to have completed my studies. | Female students | 554 (62.9) | 128 (14.5) | 55 (6.2) | 49 (5.6) | 49 (5.6) |
| Male students | 152 (57.8) | 53 (20.2) | 17 (6.5) | 9 (3.4) | 13 (4.9) | |
| All | 706 (61.7) | 181 (15.8) | 72 (6.3) | 58 (5.1) | 62 (5.4) | |
| I want to have a steady job. | Female students | 401 (45.5) | 232 (26.3) | 110 (12.5) | 53 (6.0) | 35 (4.0) |
| Male students | 122 (46.4) | 77 (29.3) | 23 (8.7) | 15 (5.7) | 7 (2.7) | |
| All | 523 (45.7) | 309 (27.0) | 133 (11.6) | 68 (5.9) | 42 (3.7) | |
| I want that my work can be combined with having children.b | Female students | 432 (49.0) | 264 (30.0) | 108 (12.3) | 20 (2.3) | 14 (1.6) |
| Male students | 112 (42.6) | 89 (33.8) | 37 (14.1) | 2 (0.8) | 4 (1.5) | |
| All | 544 (47.6) | 353 (30.9) | 145 (12.7) | 22 (1.9) | 18 (1.6) | |
| I must have a stable relationship.b | Female students | 664 (75.4) | 127 (14.4) | 22 (2.5) | 14 (1.6) | 10 (1.1) |
| Male students | 205 (78.0) | 27 (10.3) | 7 (2.7) | 3 (1.1) | 2 (0.8) | |
| All | 869 (76.0) | 154 (13.5) | 29 (2.5) | 17 (1.5) | 12 (1.0) | |
| I must have access to child care.a | Female students | 331 (37.6) | 300 (34.1) | 125 (14.2) | 60 (6.8) | 22 (2.5) |
| Male students | 61 (23.2) | 92 (35.0) | 57 (21.7) | 24 (9.1) | 10 (3.8) | |
| All | 392 (34.3) | 392 (34.3) | 182 (15.9) | 84 (7.3) | 32 (2.8) | |
| I have to feel prepared.a | Female students | 511 (58.0) | 212 (24.1) | 58 (6.6) | 26 (3.0) | 28 (3.2) |
| Male students | 121 (46.0) | 69 (26.2) | 31 (11.8) | 17 (6.5) | 6 (2.3) | |
| All | 632 (55.2) | 281 (24.6) | 89 (7.8) | 43 (3.8) | 34 (3.0) | |
Data are expressed as n (% of participants)
ap < 0.05 for associations concerning sex
b p < 0.05 for associations concerning degree program