就労妊婦の社会環境と子どもを持つことへの意識(第2報)：世帯収入と希望する経済支援

Increasing nmbers of poor families and an income disparity are social-issues in Japan. Various sociological factors including low family income may cause declining birthrate. A questionnairing on these problems was conducted on 536 pregnant women in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. From the perspective of family income, subjects consist of the lowest class (less than 2 million yen/year: 2.7%), lower middle class (2 to 5 million yen/year: 57.3%), upper middle class (5-8 million yen/year: 29.3%), upper class (8 million yen/year or more: 10.7%). More working pregnant women and houses of their own were observed in high-income families. Pregnant women in low-income families desired financial aid to have more children. Pregnant women in high-income families desired improved working condition and more day nurseries. Pregnant women in high-income families hesitated about having more children because of uneasiness about child rearing and increasing crime rate. Respondents considered to have 2.07 children in average under the present condition. Women in high-income families are considered to be able to have significantly more children than women in lower-income families. Pregnant women in low-income families disire significantly more child-support allowance than pregnant women in high-income families. However, there is no significant difference in expected maternity benefit among 4 classes. Financial aids and support for re-employment of women should be required for women in low-income families.