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. 2025 Jul 30:13:1624999.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1624999. eCollection 2025.

Determinants of childcare service demand for infants aged 0-3 among the childbearing population in China

Chun Yang  1   2 , Jian Zhou  1   2 , Yan Liu  1   2 , Wenhui Shi  1   2 , Yan Cheng  1   2 , Yuxin Cao  1   2 , Rui Xing  3   4   5   6 , Lin Cui  1   2 , Rugang Liu  3   4   5   6
Affiliations

Determinants of childcare service demand for infants aged 0-3 among the childbearing population in China

Chun Yang et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the demand for childcare services for infants aged 0-3 years among the childbearing population in China and identify its key determinants.

Methods: An online survey was conducted in Suzhou, China in August 2024 using a self-designed questionnaire. Information on personal and family characteristics, as well as demand for childcare services, was collected. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the determinants of childcare services.

Results: Of 5,567 respondents, 45.9% expressed demand for childcare services for children aged 0-3 years. Binary logistic regression identified several significant predictors of demand. Notably, female gender, older age, rural residence, and lower educational attainment were associated with lower demand (p < 0.05). Conversely, having more children, greater trust in childcare institutions, better knowledge about childcare services, and greater awareness of childcare policies were significantly associated with higher demand (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Demand for childcare services was influenced by multiple factors. Enhancing subsidies and rural service accessibility, strengthening institutional credibility, implementing incentives for multi-child families, disseminating childcare knowledge and policy information and facilitating a childcare paradigm shift were recommended.

Keywords: childbearing age people; childcare services; children aged 0–3; demand; influencing factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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