Changing Attitudes Toward Marriage and Parenthood Among College Nursing Students in Macau: A 10-Year Qualitative-Dominant Mixed-Methods Study
Aimei Mao, Jiaxi Xu, Uhin CheangAims
To examine changes in college nursing students’ attitudes toward marriage and parenthood in Macau over the past decade and to identify factors shaping these attitudes.
Method
The study used a qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design drawing on two data sources. The first source comprised five waves of open-ended surveys with undergraduate nursing students conducted in 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024, and 2025 (
Result
Students’ intentions to marry and have children declined markedly over time. Marriage and parenthood were increasingly viewed as conditional choices shaped by economic security, housing, suitable partner availability, and readiness for childcare. Childbearing was seen as requiring greater material, emotional, and time resources than marriage. Female students emphasized financial independence and career stability, while male students highlighted financial readiness and time for childcare. Parental attitudes were generally perceived as supportive, and nursing-related work–family concerns slightly reinforced students’ hesitations.
Conclusion
Nursing students’ cautious attitudes toward marriage and parenthood reflect economic, gendered, and professional pressures. Nursing education should strengthen relationship education, life planning, and work–family balance guidance, while policy responses should better address childcare, housing, flexible work, and gender-equitable family support.