. Nourossadat Kariman; . Seyyedeh Sara Baki Hashemi; . Shahla Ghanbari; . Mohammad Amin Pourhoseingholi; . Zainab Alimoradi; . Farzaneh Rashidi Fakari
Volume 10, Issue 4 , April 2020, , Pages 1-6
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Childbearing is an important biological and social event in the life of most women. Itis a voluntary behavior that can be affected by many factors. Behavioral theories are ...
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BACKGROUND: Childbearing is an important biological and social event in the life of most women. Itis a voluntary behavior that can be affected by many factors. Behavioral theories are a potential pathway to study and influence childbearing behavior. The present study was conducted to determine theeffect of an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on childbearingintentions in women presenting to premarital counseling centers in Tehran.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled quasi‑experimental study was conductedon 150 women aged 20–35 years presenting to premarital counseling centers. The participatingwomen were randomly divided into an intervention (n = 75) and a control (n = 75) group usingrandomized sampling in Excel. The intervention group received two 90‑min sessions of training. Theeffect of training was assessed 6 weeks after the intervention using the researcher‑made questionnairebased on the components of the TPB. The questionnaires included subjects’ demographic details,knowledge (11 items), attitude (13 items), subjective norms (10 items), perceived behavioral control (8items), and behavioral intention (4 items). Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 22) andindependent t‑test, Chi‑square, Mann–Whitney U‑test, and Wilcoxon test. P <0.05 was consideredstatistically significant.RESULTS: There were significant differences between the intervention and control group afterthe intervention in the Mean ± SD scores of knowledge (6.73 ± 2.63 vs. 4.73 ± 2.85, P = 0.001),attitude (48.23 ± 7.19 vs. 40.13 ± 5.80, P = 0.001), perceived behavioral control (33.19 ± 5.28 vs.23.59 ± 3.47, P = 0.001), and behavioral intention (13.84 ± 2.95 vs. 11.77 ± 2.12, P = 0.027).CONCLUSION: The findings showed that an education based on the TPB increased women’schildbearing intentions by affecting their knowledge, attitude, perceived behavioral control, andintention. It is therefore essential to implement better public policies, create a more conduciveeducational setting for women of different age groups, and build a social support system.
