Identifying Potential Factors of Ideal Childbearing among Malay Women in Terengganu

This study focuses on the various factors that led to the ideal child ownership among Malay women in the state of Terengganu who have undergone marriage. Direct ownership of children is associated with a woman's fertility level and pattern of population growth in a sample area. The main data for this study are based on various reports of population and housing census of Malaysia since the 1950s to 2010. Followed by a field study and based on the questionnaire to the targeted population. Factor analysis was used to cluster variables to key factors and then evaluated based on the significance of regression analysis as appropriate. The study found that the level of education is not the most significant factor influencing the ownership of children as educated Malay women still have a lot of children in the study area. Instead, the main factor is the later age at first marriage followed by health factors and type of work are the most significant factors influencing the ownership of the ideal child. Thus to ensure that the trend of the population in Terengganu is not impaired too high, then the government or interested parties should take precautionary measures to ensure that there is more encouragement to women in the area to experience the marriage process in the younger age or not delay their age at first marriage.