Investigating cultural, social, and economic influences on reproductive trends among women in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: To quantify fertility patterns in terms of age, parity and reproductive outcomes among married women, to evaluate the association between early marriage and higher parity, and to identify lifestyle and medical factors influencing reproductive patterns.

Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia from September 2021 to August 2022, and comprised data of married or formerly married women.  Data collection was carried out at selected tertiary hospitals across different regions of the country: King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh (Central region); King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam (Eastern region); Arar Central Hospital (Northern region); Asir Central Hospital, Abha (Southern region); and Maternity & Children Hospital, Makkah, together with King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah (Western region). Data was analysed using SPSS 23.

Results: A total of 2488 married or previously married women were included. The Western region contributed the largest proportion (1090/2488; 43.8%), followed by the Central region (757/2488; 30.4%). More than one-third were aged >40 years (878/2488; 35.3%), while 804/2488 (32.3%) were aged 31–40 years. Most women married between 22–30 years (1199/2488; 48.2%), and 1281/2488 (51.5%) had their first child in the same age category. Regarding parity, 1198/2488 (48.2%) had 1–3 children, 840/2488 (33.8%) had 4–6 children, and 275/2488 (11.1%) were nulliparous. Early marriage, lower education, smoking status, mode of delivery, contraception use, and family size planning showed statistically significant associations with parity (p < 0.001 for most variables).

Conclusion: Cultural, social and economic factors, particularly age at marriage, were found to shape reproductive patterns among Saudi women.

Key Words: Fertility, Family planning, Reproductive health, Parity, Cultural factors, Socioeconomic factors, Cross-sectional studies.