가구 특성 및 지역사회 특성에 대한 어머니의 주관적 평가가 후속 출산의향에 미치는 영향

Mothers’ Subjective Evaluations of Household and Community Characteristics and Their Influence on Subsequent Fertility Intentions

Objective: This study examined whether mothers’ subjective evaluations of household and community conditions predict fertility intentions beyond sociodemographic factors in two-parent, co-resident Korean families where the mother is the primary caregiver. Methods: Data were drawn from the first wave of the Korean Early Childhood Education and Care Panel. Key predictors included subjective socioeconomic status, household income, satisfaction with the community child-rearing environment, and perceived childcare availability. Control variables were parental age, parity, maternal employment, and fathers’ occupation. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to test whether subjective evaluations predicted fertility intentions after accounting for sociodemographic factors. Results: Fertility intentions were lower among older parents and those with higher parity but higher when fathers held non-manual occupations. Household income was not significantly associated with fertility intentions. Mothers’ perceived socioeconomic standing was positively related to fertility intentions. Perceived childcare availability showed a bivariate association but became nonsignificant after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Conclusion/Implications: Perceived socioeconomic standing—rather than objective income—emerged as the most salient household correlate of mothers’ fertility intentions, alongside age, parity, and fathers’ occupation. Policy efforts that enhance perceived economic security, improve work–family compatibility, and expand accessible childcare systems may be more effective in supporting additional childbearing than income-focused approaches.