The correlation among irrational parenthood cognitions,fertility stress and social support in infertile female patients：A cross-sectional analysis of structural equation modelling

A cross-sectional survey was recently completed among initial IVF-ET and RIF patients at the Reproductive Centre of Women's Hospital. A study on the relationship among irrational parenthood cognition, fertility stress, and social support in patients with RIF has been previously published (Lvy et al., 2023). This study used irrational parenthood cognition as an entry point based on the use of stress in infertility, the biopsychosocial model of infertility, social support, and other related theories. This study compared the differences and influencing factors of irrational parenthood cognition in infertile female patients with initial IVF-ET and RIF, explored the correlation among irrational fertility cognition, fertility stress, and social support, and tested the mediating effect of fertility stress on irrational parenthood cognition and social support through structural equations.
The mediation effect analysis explained how the effect of the independent variable x on the dependent variable was mediated by mediator M (Du et al., 2014). Based on Wen Zhongling's research on mediated effects modeling (Wen et al., 2022), we hypothesized that factors related to the person, problem, and environment would have direct and indirect relationships with irrational parenthood cognitions. Additionally, we hypothesized that fertility stress would mediate the relationship between irrational parenthood cognitions and social support.
Using convenience sampling and cross-sectional study, patients who received treatment with assisted reproductive technologies between January 2020 and December 2022 were identified. The irrational parenthood cognitions questionnaire, fertility problem inventory, and social support rating scale were used to examine 396 female patients in total. The data were analyzed using univariate analysis and Pearson's correlation, and a structural equation model was created.