Motivational and barriers factors affecting reproductive behavior of the adult population of the Russian Federation

Relevance. In the current demographic situation in the Russian Federation, the assessment of the influence of various medical and social factors on the reproductive behavior of the adult population and the decision to have a first child is of great social and economic importance. Motivational factors include socio-economic and biological factors, such as the age of the woman, the number of children already born (if there is one child in the family, there is a higher probability of having second and third children), the presence of a permanent partner, registered marriage, ownership of real estate, stable income, and the employment of the spouse. Religious beliefs are also of great importance.

The purpose of the study: is to analyze the motivational and barrier factors affecting the reproductive behavior of the adult population of the Russian Federation.

Materials and methods. In 2025, the Russian Research Institute of Health conducted an observational one-stage study to assess the reproductive behavior and reproductive attitudes of citizens of the Russian Federation and identify the factors influencing them, using a questionnaire that included 63 questions divided into four blocks. The study results were statistically processed using Statistica for Windows version 10.0, Stata, and R-studio.

Results. A total of 1,625 respondents over the age of 18 (44.8% of men and 55.2% of women) from 85 regions of the Russian Federation took part in the survey. Percentage of respondents of fertile age (18–49 years old) It was 67.7%. Respondents' answers about which factors had the strongest influence on the decision to have their first child were distributed as follows: personal desire (78.8%), financial stability (64.1%), having their own home (63.8%), health status (70.3%) and partner support (70.7%). Religious principles (56.0%) and environmental pressure (51.2%) influenced only half of the cases. Heterogeneity has been revealed in the context of federal districts in terms of the influence of various factors on the decision on the birth of the first child by women of fertile age.

Conclusion. The reproductive behavior of men and women of fertile age has a decisive impact on the birth rate in the Russian Federation. The data obtained during the study highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to correcting the demographic situation within the framework of the national project "Family".

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