Work-related stress and reproductive health: mechanism of delayed childbearing among urban professional women
), Jingwen Wang(2), Renyuan Cui(3), Hamza Iftikhar(4),
(1) Department of Public Administration, Hengshui University, 053000, Hengshui, China
(2) Office of Academic Research, Hengshui University, 053000, Hengshui, China
(3) Office of Academic Research, Hengshui University, 053000, Hengshui, China
(4) Department of Public Administration, Hengshui University, 053000, Hengshui, China1; Office of Academic Research, Hengshui University, 053000, Hengshui, China
Corresponding Author
Abstract
This study examines delayed childbearing, a growing reproductive health concern, among urban professional women in Hebei, China, where traditional family expectations intersect with intense workplace competition. It explores how women perceive childbearing under work pressure, how work-related stress shapes the postponement of births, and how support systems intervene in this process. This qualitative study, using a constructivist grounded theory approach, conducted in-depth interviews with 26 married professional women aged 28–40 working in enterprises, public institutions, and government agencies. Analysis identified four themes: workplace “ideal worker” norms, embodied
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