Table 1.

Sociodemographic characteristics of study participants.

	ALL couples with one child		Have no second-child intention		Have second-child intention		Undecide		P c	ALL couples with second child		Have no third-child intention		Have third-child intention		Undecide		P c
	N = 802a		N = 540		N = 130		N = 132			N = 224a		N = 184		N = 21		N = 19
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%		n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
Age , years , women
<35	432	53.87	267	49.44	85	65.38	80	60.61	0.001	76	34.08	62	33.88	8	38.10	6	31.58	0.814
≥35	370	46.13	273	50.56	45	34.62	52	39.39		147	65.92	121	66.12	13	61.90	13	68.42
Age , years , men
<35	304	41.30	186	37.27	53	47.75	65	51.59	<0.001	63	29.72	53	30.99	5	22.73	5	26.32	0.686
≥35	432	58.70	313	62.73	58	52.25	61	48.41		149	70.28	118	69.01	17	77.27	14	73.68
BMI b ,women
<18.5	117	16.57	70	14.77	23	19.01	24	21.62	0.264	23	11.17	19	11.45	2	8.70	2	11.76	0.994
18.5-23.9	528	74.79	363	76.58	90	74.38	75	67.57		155	75.24	124	74.70	18	78.26	13	76.47
≥24	61	8.64	41	8.65	8	6.61	12	10.81		28	13.59	23	13.86	3	13.04	2	11.76
BMI b ,men
<18.5	16	2.36	11	2.42	3	2.56	2	1.87	0.619	2	0.98	2	1.22	0	0.00	0	0.00	0.700
18.5–23.9	417	61.41	272	59.78	79	67.52	66	61.68		128	62.75	106	64.63	12	52.17	10	58.82
≥24	246	36.23	172	37.80	35	29.91	39	36.45		74	36.27	56	34.15	11	47.83	7	41.18
Education attainment, women
High school or low	42	5.61	23	4.61	11	9.02	8	6.30	0.395	21	9.91	14	8.14	4	18.18	3	16.67	0.366
Junior college or university	609	81.42	413	82.77	94	77.05	102	80.31		169	79.72	138	80.23	17	77.27	14	77.78
Graduate or above	97	12.97	63	12.63	17	13.93	17	13.39		22	10.38	20	11.63	1	4.55	1	5.56
Education attainment, men
High school or low	40	5.37	21	4.22	13	10.74	6	4.76	0.028	20	9.43	12	6.98	4	18.18	4	22.22	0.088
Junior college or university	609	81.74	415	83.33	88	72.73	106	84.13		158	74.53	132	76.74	16	72.73	10	55.56
Graduate or above	96	12.89	62	12.45	20	16.53	14	11.11		34	16.04	28	16.28	2	9.09	4	22.22
Birthplace, women
Shanghai	288	39.78	213	43.92	34	28.57	41	34.17	0.004	63	30.43	51	30.18	8	40.00	4	22.22	0.486
Other place	436	60.22	272	56.08	85	71.43	79	65.83		144	69.57	118	69.82	12	60.00	14	77.78
Birthplace, men
Shanghai	334	46.84	246	51.36	45	38.79	43	36.44	0.002	62	30.54	48	29.27	8	38.10	6	33.33	0.685
Other place	379	53.16	233	48.64	71	61.21	75	63.56		141	69.46	116	70.73	13	61.90	12	66.67
Annual household incomes (RMB)
<200,000	46	5.84	34	6.44	7	5.47	5	3.79	0.288	18	8.18	18	10.00	0	0.00	0	0.00	0.002
200,000–300,000	109	13.83	64	12.12	22	17.19	23	17.42		34	15.45	32	17.78	1	4.76	1	5.26
300,000–400,000	212	26.90	144	27.27	36	28.13	32	24.24		56	25.45	47	26.11	1	4.76	8	42.11
400,000–500,000	354	44.92	242	45.83	48	37.50	64	48.48		77	35.00	57	31.67	11	52.38	9	47.37
>500,000	67	8.50	44	8.33	15	11.72	8	6.06		35	15.91	26	14.44	8	38.10	1	5.26
Parent's family situation
Both only child	389	48.50	271	50.19	54	41.54	64	48.48	0.237	59	25.99	46	25.00	7	29.17	6	31.58	0.844
Both non-only child	204	25.44	139	25.74	32	24.62	33	25.00		56	24.67	48	26.09	4	16.67	4	21.05
One of only child	209	26.06	130	24.07	44	33.85	35	26.52		112	49.34	90	48.91	13	54.17	9	47.37
First child's age, years
≤ 2	157	19.58	90	16.67	32	24.62	35	26.52	0.013	8	3.52	7	3.80	1	4.17	0	0.00	0.746
3–6	621	77.43	436	80.74	91	70.00	94	71.21		106	46.70	88	47.83	11	45.83	7	36.84
≥7	24	2.99	14	2.59	7	5.38	3	2.27		113	49.78	89	48.37	12	50.00	12	63.16
Second child's age, years
≤ 2	/		/		/		/		/	94	38.37	77	41.85	12	28.57	5	26.32	0.006
3–6										150	61.22	107	58.15	30	71.43	13	68.42
≥7										1	0.41	0	0.00	0	0.00	1	5.26
Previous history of gynecological diseases
No	672	83.79	469	86.85	107	82.31	96	72.73	<0.001	198	88.79	158	87.78	23	95.83	17	89.47	0.499
Yes	130	16.21	71	13.15	23	17.69	36	27.27		25	11.21	22	12.22	1	4.17	2	10.53
Previous history of gynecological surgery
No	735	92.57	490	92.11	116	89.23	129	97.73	0.025	214	95.96	172	95.56	24	100.00	18	94.74	0.56
Yes	59	7.43	42	7.89	14	10.77	3	2.27		9	4.04	8	4.44	0	0.00	1	5.26
The item parents pay most for first child
Education	538	67.08	373	69.07	85	65.38	80	60.61	0.161	197	87.95	162	88.04	19	90.48	16	84.21	0.828
Others	264	32.92	167	30.93	45	34.62	52	39.39		27	12.05	22	11.96	2	9.52	3	15.79
The item parents pay most for second child
Education	/		/		/		/		/	79	35.27	61	33.15	9	42.86	9	47.37	0.348
Others										145	64.73	123	66.85	12	57.14	10	52.63
Annual first child expense d
<70,000	579	72.56	370	68.90	105	81.40	104	78.79	0.001	104	46.85	87	47.80	8	38.10	9	47.37	0.002
70,000-100,000	148	18.55	118	21.97	15	11.63	15	11.36		68	30.63	62	34.07	2	9.52	4	21.05
100,000–140,000	38	4.76	32	5.96	3	2.33	3	2.27		24	10.81	17	9.34	3	14.29	4	21.05
>140,000	33	4.14	17	3.17	6	4.65	10	7.58		26	11.71	16	8.79	8	38.10	2	10.53
Annual second child expense
<70,000	/		/		/		/		/	197	88.74	165	90.66	16	76.19	16	84.21	0.134
70,000–100,000										17	7.66	13	7.14	2	9.52	2	10.53
100,000–140,000										3	1.35	2	1.10	1	4.76	0	0.00
>140,000										5	2.25	2	1.10	2	9.52	1	5.26
Factors affecting the fertility intention
Family financial constraints e
No	381	47.74	286	53.36	63	48.46	32	24.24	<0.001	76	33.93	57	30.98	15	71.43	4	21.05	<0.001
Yes	417	52.26	250	46.64	67	51.54	100	75.76		148	66.07	127	69.02	6	28.57	15	78.95
Working conditions f
No	719	90.10	487	90.86	110	84.62	122	92.42	0.063	197	87.95	162	88.04	17	80.95	18	94.74	0.407
Yes	79	9.90	49	9.14	20	15.38	10	7.58		27	12.05	22	11.96	4	19.05	1	5.26
Fertility-encouraged government policy g
No	655	82.08	448	83.58	97	74.62	110	83.33	0.053	149	66.52	135	73.37	2	9.52	12	63.16	<0.001
Yes	143	17.92	88	16.42	33	25.38	22	16.67		75	33.48	49	26.63	19	90.48	7	36.84
Childcare barriers h
No	89	11.15	65	12.13	18	13.85	6	4.55	0.026	30	13.39	26	14.13	3	14.29	1	5.26	0.553
Yes	709	88.85	471	87.87	112	86.15	126	95.45		194	86.61	158	85.87	18	85.71	18	94.74
Children's educational barriers i
No	279	34.96	172	32.09	60	46.15	47	35.61	0.010	100	44.64	77	41.85	15	71.43	8	42.11	0.035
Yes	519	65.04	364	67.91	70	53.85	85	64.39		124	55.36	107	58.15	6	28.57	11	57.89

^aThe sum does not necessarily equal the sample size for all variables because of missing data.

^bBMI is defined as Body mass index. Body mass index is defined as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.

^cPearson's χ² test.

^dAnnual first child expense: the total annual investment in children's life, education, etc.

^eFamily financial constraints: the shortage of money in raising more children.

^fWorking conditions: no extra time to raise more children due to work.

^gFertility-encouraged government policy: A policy to encourage childbirth by providing maternity subsidies and maternity leave.

^hChildcare barriers: the shortage of time or labour in raising more children.

ⁱChildren's educational barriers: the stress of meet the educational needs of children.