Reproductive Intentions Affected by Perceptions of Climate Change and Attitudes toward Death

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Reproductive Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Adverse climate change impacts health and quality of life, potentially increasing death anxiety.
• High awareness of climate change consequences may lead to fear of death, discouraging offspring planning.
• Limited research explores the combined influence of climate change concerns and death attitudes on reproductive intentions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between climate change perception, death anxiety/fascination, and reproductive intentions.
• To understand how concerns about climate change and attitudes toward death influence decisions about having children.
• To fill research gaps on the determinants of reproductive planning.

Main Methods:

• Online survey administered to 177 childless adults (December 2020 - February 2021).
• Utilized the Death Anxiety and Fascination Scale (DAFS) and Climate Change Perception Questionnaire (CCPQ).
• Employed multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of reproductive intentions.

Main Results:

• 63.8% of respondents expressed positive reproductive intentions.
• Positive reproductive intentions were associated with younger age and higher death anxiety.
• Positive reproductive intentions decreased with increased death fascination and climate health concerns.

Conclusions:

• Both climate change concerns and fear of death are significant factors in reproductive planning.
• Death anxiety positively correlates with reproductive intentions, while death fascination and climate health concerns negatively correlate.
• Findings highlight the need to consider psychological impacts of climate change and death attitudes in reproductive decision-making and policy design.