Conditions for parenthood: An exploratory study in the Greek cultural context

People require several conditions to be satisfied prior to having children that the present study aimed to identify using a mixed-methods approach. Study 1 employed open-ended questionnaires on a sample of 375 Greek-speaking participants, identifying 111 conditions for having children. Study 2 employed closed-ended questionnaires on a sample of 691 Greek-speaking participants, classifying them into 15 broader conditions that were further classified into intrinsic and extrinsic ones. Participants rated the most important intrinsic conditions as “Supportive and committed relationship,” the “Age suitability for parenthood,” and the “Mental and emotional preparedness.” They rated the most important extrinsic conditions as “Financial security for parenthood”, “Financial capability for child-rearing”, and “Employment security.” We found sex, age and parenthood status effects, as well as interactions between sex and relationship status, and relationship status and parenthood status for several conditions. Overall, we found that several conditions must be met for people to have children, meaning that individual differences in the desire to procreate are partly explained by perceived differences in the extent to which these conditions are met. Future research should examine how these differences relate to the fertility crisis facing many contemporary societies.