Social determinants of health on attitudes toward childbearing among women with multiple sclerosis: A cross-sectional study

Background: Pregnancy and motherhood are very valuable but challenging for women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Given that there are limited studies in this field, this study aimed to determine the social determinants of health on attitudes toward childbearing among women with MS. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 206 women with MS in Alborz province, Iran, from February to June 2023 using convenience sampling. The data were collected using the questionnaire, and a linear regression analysis was applied. Results: The mean age of the participants was 36.80 +/- 6.50 years. Participants' Attitudes toward Fertility and Childbearing (PAFC) had a positive significant association with social support (B = .10, SE = .04, p = .023) and a significant negative association with the total score of depression, anxiety, and stress scale (B = -.13, SE = .06, p = .047) and depression (B = -.40, SE = .18, p = .023). However, the association between anxiety (B = -.25, SE = .20, p = .211), stress (B = -.36, SE = .18, p = .050), MS severity (B = .04, SE = .30, p = .890), and socioeconomic status scale (SES) (B = -.08, SE = .32, p = .806) was nonsignificant with PAFC. Conclusion: Our results showed that factors, including social support and mental health especially depression, can affect PAFC in women with MS. Therefore, it is necessary to determine specific strategies for policymakers to help MS patients manage pregnancy and motherhood.