The Mediating Role of Self-efficacy in the Relationship between Quality of Life and Emotional Maturity with a Desire for Childbearing

The population decline in our country is a worrying process, as fertility rates have dropped significantly in recent years. In the meantime, some factors appear to influence women's low tendency to adopt children. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between quality of life and emotional maturity with a tendency to childbearing in married women in Zanjan.

The method of study was descriptive-correlation. The statistical population of the study included all married women in Zanjan, 300 of whom were selected through random cluster sampling. Data gathering tools were standard questionnaires of World Health Quality of Life, Sink and Baharawa's emotional maturity, Scherrer's self-efficacy and Rad and Savabi Fertility. Pearson correlation and multiple regression tests were used for data analysis. Baron and Kenny's four-step method was used to determine the mediator role.

Quality of life (total score) and psychological and environmental dimensions were significantly correlated with the tendency to adopt children. (P<0.05). There was also a relationship between total emotional immaturity, emotional return, personality decay, and social maladaptation with a tendency to adopt children (P<0.05). Finally, there was a significant relationship between self-efficacy and the tendency to adopt children (P<0.05). The mediating role of self-efficacy also showed that this variable mediates the relationship between quality of life with the tendency to adopt and also the relationship between emotional maturity and the tendency to adopt.

Self-efficacy can positively and directly increase the relationship between quality of life and emotional maturity with the tendency to adopt.