The Effect of Midwife’s Premarital Counseling on Women’s Attitude towards Fertility and Childbearing: A Quasi-experimental Study

Background & aim: Considering fertility rate declining trend in Iran, several solutions have been proposed to increase the population, one of which is premarital counseling.This research aimed to evaluate the effect of premarital counseling on women's attitude toward fertility and childbearing.Methods: This Quasi-experimental study with one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted in Ardabil from March to May ۲۰۲۳. The study population consisted of women referred to the premarital counseling center. ۱۱۱ participants entered the study by convenience sampling based on inclusion criteria. The counselling sessions were organized as ۹۰-minute face-to-face sessions held by an experienced counselor midwife. Data were collected by a demographic questionnaire and the Attitudes to Fertility and Childbearing Scale (AFCS). The questionnaire was completed before and two weeks after the counseling. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version ۱۵ using statistical tests including chi-square, and paired t-test.Results: The average age of the women was ۲۳.۰۹±۷.۱۲ years, and that of their future husbands was ۲۸.۱۸±۶.۱۲ years. The total score of attitudes toward fertility and childbearing increased significantly from ۶۳.۵۵±۶.۱۰ before counseling to ۶۷.۱۹±۸.۴۰ after counseling (p=۰.۰۰۱).Conclusion: Premarital counseling improved attitude towards fertility and childbearing. Counseling in a field by midwives affects the awareness of couples about fertility and could help the population growth and the health of future generations.

کلیدواژه ها:

Reproductive behavior ، Marriage ، Counseling ، Fertility Attitude ، Population growth