TABLE 2: Studies included in the meta-synthesis: Study characteristics and contribution to findings
From: Women’s reflections on timing of motherhood: a meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence
Author year Country | Aim | Method Data collection Analytical approach | Setting | Participants Age (n) | Relationship status | Ethnic origin | Education/Vocational training | Contribution to findingsa 1 2 3 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sylvest et al. 2018 Denmark | To explore how attending a fertility assessment influenced women’s family planning decisions | Individual interviews Qualitative content analysis | Women interviewed one year after an individual fertility counselling at a Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic | 20 women 35–40 years | Single 5 Cohabiting 15 | Not reported | Longb 16 Mediumb 3 Shortb 1 | X X– – |
Birch Petersen et al. 2016 Denmark | To explore attitudes towards family formation and potential differences between single and cohabiting women | Individual interviews Qualitative content analysis | Women with no known fertility problems who attended a Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic for assessment and counselling on future fertility | 20 women ≥ 34 years | Single 10 Cohabiting 10 | Not reported | Longb 16 Mediumb 3 Shortb 1 | X X X X |
Ngyuen 2016 USA | To examine how relationship status impact motherhood motivation | Individual interviews Qualitative data analysis | College-educatedc aspiring professional women without children but with a desire for children in the future | 12 women 30–34 years | Single 7 Married 3 Divorced 1 Engaged 1 | Hispanic 2 Caucasian 6 Asian american 3 Africa american 1 | BA 2 MA 8 PhD 1 JD 1 | X X X X |
Lavender et al. 2015 UK | To gain an understanding of women’s views surrounding decisions on the timing of childbearing | Individual interviews Thematic analysis | Young, educated women, women at an age when they are most likely to begin childbearing, and women in the category of advanced maternal age | 18 women 18–24 years (6) 25–34 years (6) ≥ 35 years (6) | Single 9 Partner 4 Married 5 | White British 17 White European 1 | A level 2 Degree 12 PhD 1 GCSE 1 Masters 1 College 1 | X X X X |
Eriksson et al. 2013 Sweden | To gain a more comprehensive understanding of how young, highly educated women and men c without children, who had started professional careers, reflect on fertility and postponed parenthood | Individual interviews Content analysis | College-educatedc participants between 24 and 38 years of age who had started a professional career and had not yet had children | 22 women 25–38 years | Single 6 Cohabiting 10 Married 6 | Not reported | College 22 | X X – X |
Eriksson et al. 2012 Sweden | To gain a deeper understanding of how highly educated women and mend without children reflect on having children in the future | Individual interviews Content analysis | College-educated c participants from three university towns, who had started their professional careers at a workplace where the majority of the staff were also college educated | 22 women 25–38 years | Single 6 Cohabiting 10 Married 6 | Not reported | College 22 | X X – X |
Cooke et al. 2012 UK | To gain an understanding of factors influencing women’s decisions to delay childbearing | In depth semi-structured interviews Hermeneutic thematic analysis | Non-pregnant women with no children, women pregnant with their first child, and women with no children attending a fertility clinic e | 6 women ≥ 35 years | Single 2 Partner 1 Married 3 | Not reported | School/College 1 Degree 4 Masters or above 1 | X X X X |
Söderberg et al. 2011 Sweden | To describe fertility experiences of young women who had not been pregnant or become mothers | Individual interviews Phenomeno-logical analysis | Women who visited an outpatient clinic for contraceptive counseling | 10 women 23–27 years | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | X X X – |