Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Nourossadat Kariman
- . Seyyedeh Sara Baki Hashemi 1
- . Shahla Ghanbari 2
- . Mohammad Amin Pourhoseingholi 3
- . Zainab Alimoradi 4
- . Farzaneh Rashidi Fakari 1
1 Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Health Education and Promotion, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
3 Department of Health System Research, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Qazvin University of Medical Science, Qazvin, Iran
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Childbearing is an important biological and social event in the life of most women. It
is a voluntary behavior that can be affected by many factors. Behavioral theories are a potential path
way to study and influence childbearing behavior. The present study was conducted to determine the
effect of an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on childbearing
intentions in women presenting to premarital counseling centers in Tehran.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled quasi‑experimental study was conducted
on 150 women aged 20–35 years presenting to premarital counseling centers. The participating
women were randomly divided into an intervention (n = 75) and a control (n = 75) group using
randomized sampling in Excel. The intervention group received two 90‑min sessions of training. The
effect of training was assessed 6 weeks after the intervention using the researcher‑made questionnaire
based 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 (8
items), and behavioral intention (4 items). Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 22) and
independent t‑test, Chi‑square, Mann–Whitney U‑test, and Wilcoxon test. P <0.05 was considered
statistically significant.
RESULTS: There were significant differences between the intervention and control group after
the 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’s
childbearing intentions by affecting their knowledge, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and
intention. It is therefore essential to implement better public policies, create a more conducive
educational setting for women of different age groups, and build a social support system.
Keywords
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