The Personal and Social Determinants with Men’s Age During Their First Transition to Fatherhood: A Case Study From Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Deciding when to become a father for the first time is shaped by personal and social factors, yet little is known about the determinants of men’s age at first childbearing. This study examines the key personal and social predictors with men’s age during their first transition to fatherhood. This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study examined 290 men who, with their wife’s first pregnancy, were referred to health centers in Mashhad, Iran for pregnancy care in 2023. Cluster sampling was used. The data-collection tools included the Enrich Marital Satisfaction questionnaire, the Quality of Life questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Snyder Hope Scale, and demographic characteristics. The outcome variable of interest is the age of the men. Data analysis was done using univariate and multiple linear regression models in SPSS 26, with statistical significance set at p < .05. A total of 290 men who became fathers for the first time participated in the study, with a mean age of 29.73 years and a standard deviation of 6.28 years. Among the variables included in the multiple linear regression analysis, the indicators of marital satisfaction (p = .001), marriage span (p = .001), occupation levels (p < .05), some economic status levels (p < .05), and the person who decides the number of children (p = .008) had a significant effect on men during their first transition to fatherhood. The duration of marriage, marital satisfaction, and economic factors are determinants during men’s first transition to fatherhood. Governments and policymakers should include men in education and fertility planning by providing them with appropriate solutions.