Cultural determinants influence assisted reproduction usage in Europe more than economic and demographic factors

AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONTo what extent do financial, demographic and cultural determinants explain the vast cross-national differences in ART treatments in Europe?SUMMARY ANSWERThe normative cultural acceptance of ART is a major driver of ART treatments in Europe, above and beyond differences in country wealth, demographic aspects and religious composition.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYThere are vast differences in the number of ART treatments across European countries, which are to some extent related to country affluence, regulation, and insurance coverage and costs. The role and impact of cultural and normative factors has not been explored in a larger cross-national comparison.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONA descriptive and comparative cross-national analysis of ART treatment prevalence in over 30 European countries in 2010, with the outcome defined as the total number of ART cycles per million women of reproductive age (15 –44 years). Data is drawn from multiple sources (ICMART, US Census Bureau Library, World Bank, Barro–Lee Educational Attainment Dataset, IFFS Surveillance reports, European Values Study and World Religion Database).PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSOur sample includes data from 35 European countries, where we describe the associations between demographic and cultural factors and the prevalence of ART treatments. Bivariate correlation and ordinary least squares multiple regression analysis serves to establish the relationships between predictor variables a...
Source: Human Reproduction - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research