Association between childhood trauma and attitudes towards fertility and childbearing: a moderated mediating model among women

Abstract This study, it was aimed to investigate the relationships between childhood trauma, attitudes towards fertility and childbearing, marital satisfaction, and educational level in women. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted between December 2022 and March 2023 with 425 women. The data were collected through an introductory information form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Marriage Life Scale, and Attitudes towards Fertility and Childbearing Scale. The results obtained showed that marital satisfaction mediated the association between childhood trauma and women’s attitudes towards fertility and childbearing. In addition, women’s educational level moderated the indirect association between childhood trauma and attitudes towards fertility and childbearing via marital satisfaction. The study helped to shed light on the mechanism that emphasizes the pathway between childhood trauma in women and their attitudes towards fertility and childbearing. However, since the sample consisted mostly of women with relatively high levels of education, the findings are limited in their generalizability. Future studies may be recommended to include larger and more heterogeneous samples to increase external validity.