A Systematic Review of the Factors Affecting the Fertility Rate in Iran: From Demographic Changes to Economic and Cultural Issues

Introduction: Fertility rates play a key role in creating the demographic profile of a nation and have profound implications for its social, economic, and cultural development. In Iran, fertility rates have undergone significant fluctuations over the past few decades, influenced by a complex interplay of demographic changes, economic conditions, and cultural shifts. Understanding these elements is vital for establishing successful strategies to manage population increase and fulfill the demands of different demographic groups. This systematic review investigates the numerous factors affecting Iran's fertility rates, emphasizing demographic trends, economic pressures, and cultural views. Search Strategy: This systematic review used PRISMA guidelines to ensure a complete and unbiased selection of papers. A comprehensive search was conducted across many databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, using a combination of keywords related to fertility rates, demographic trends, economic variables, and cultural difficulties in Iran. The search technique intended to catch all relevant papers published in English and Persian between ۲۰۰۰ and ۲۰۲۳. Articles were included if they offered empirical data on factors impacting reproduction rates in Iran and were eliminated if they lacked a clear emphasis on the Iranian context or did not provide adequate data for analysis. Two reviewers completed Data extraction separately, and any differences were handled by discussion. The gathered data were evaluated using a narrative synthesis approach, and quantitative data were pooled using meta-analysis when suitable. Confidence intervals (CI) and p-values were generated to determine the significance of the discovered variables. Results: A total of ۴۵ studies were included in the final analysis. The demographic study found that urbanization and increasing educational attainment among women were related to reduced fertility rates (CI: ۹۵%, p < ۰.۰۱). Economic factors such as household income and employment status also significantly impacted fertility decisions, with greater income levels and stable employment related to delayed childbirth and lower fertility rates (CI: ۹۰%, p = ۰.۰۳). Cultural influences, especially attitudes about family size and gender roles, were found to have a major role in setting fertility desires. Traditional attitudes for bigger families have evolved toward smaller family numbers, motivated by modern ideals and economic factors (CI: ۸۵%, p < ۰.۰۵). Conclusion and Discussion: This comprehensive research reveals that a combination of demographic, economic, and cultural factors impact fertility rates in Iran. The data imply that while demographic trends such as urbanization and women's education contribute to lowering fertility rates, economic stability and developing cultural attitudes also significantly influence. Policymakers should consider these complex variables when devising measures to limit population increase and encourage family planning. Future studies should focus on longitudinal studies to better understand the causal links between these factors and fertility rates in Iran.

کلیدواژه ها:

population growth ، demographic factors ، fertility rates ، policy impact ، Iran