Journal of Education and Health Promotion

A comparative study of the effect of face‑to‑face counseling and telephone counseling on attitudes toward infertility in infertile couples

Authors

. Fateme Ahmadi Rezamahaleh 1
. Talat Khadivzadeh 2

1 Master of Counseling in Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran,

2 Associate Professor, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Couples’ attitudes toward infertility are related to different dimensions of infertility.
Counseling can change attitudes toward infertility in infertile couples. Therefore, this study was
conducted to determine and compare the effect of face‑to‑face counseling and telephone counseling
on infertility attitudes in infertile couples.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This two‑group intervention study was performed on 34 infertile
couples who were randomly assigned to face‑to‑face and telephone counseling groups. The couple
attended counseling sessions as scheduled by the researcher. An Infertility Attitude Questionnaire
was completed by all participants at the beginning and end of the study. Data were analyzed using
SPSS software version 16.
RESULTS: The results of independent t test showed that after the intervention, the mean score
of attitude toward infertility in the face‑to‑face counseling group was significantly higher than
the telephone counseling group. Based on paired t test, the mean score of infertility attitude in
the face‑to‑face counseling group was significantly increased two weeks after the intervention
compared to before. The mean score of infertility attitude in the telephone counseling group was
significantly increased two weeks after the intervention compared to before. According to the results
of independent t test, the attitude score toward infertility was not statistically significant between
the two groups.
CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed that with counseling, the mean score of
infertility attitude in infertile couples in both groups had increased. In other words, counseling can
change attitudes toward infertility in infertile people.

Keywords

Counseling
education
face to face counseling
infertile couples
infertility attitude
telephone counseling
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 12, Issue 11
December 2022
Pages 1-6

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