Characteristics

n

Ideal number

of children

Planned

number of children

Possibility of having

three children

How much you

like your children

M ± SD

t/F

LSD

M ± SD

t/F

LSD

M ± SD

t/F

LSD

M ± SD

t/F

LSD

Gender (P value)

0.002

0.000

0.000

0.000

Male

736

1.93 ± 0.51

3.17

1.67 ± 0.83

7.80

2.79 ± 1.68

10.50

4.96 ± 1.57

8.44

Female

789

1.85 ± 0.53

1.33 ± 0.90

1.97 ± 1.36

4.25 ± 1.72

Family type (P value)

0.000

0.729

0.86

0.003

One child

387

1.78 ± 0.55

−4.80

1.48 ± 0.87

−0.35

2.38 ± 1.61

0.17

4.37 ± 1.70

−2.96

Non-only child

1147

1.93 ± 0.51

1.49 ± 0.88

2.36 ± 1.56

4.66 ± 1.67

Hukou type (P value)

0.000

0.000

0.458

0.000

Rural

1000

1.93 ± 0.47

4.56

1.55 ± 0.85

3.72

2.39 ± 1.53

0.74

4.71 ± 1.67

3.66

City

525

1.81 ± 0.60

1.37 ± 0.93

2.32 ± 1.65

4.38 ± 1.69

Major (P value)

0.026

0.093

0.004

0.243

Arts = 1

510

1.84 ± 0.56

3.66

3 > 1

1.42 ± 0.88

2.38

2.18 ± 1.50

5.58

2 > 1;

3 > 1;

3 > 2

4.50 ± 1.64

1.43

Science = 2

479

1.90 ± 0.50

1.51 ± 0.88

2.42 ± 1.61

4.59 ± 1.70

Engineering = 3

536

1.93 ± 0.50

1.53 ± 0.87

2.50 ± 1.61

4.68 ± 1.71