Health Provider Perspectives on Barriers to Prenatal Class Attendance in Iran

Aims: The World Health Organization emphasizes that preparation for childbirth is a key component of antenatal care that reduces maternal mortality and improves birth experiences. Understanding barriers to participation requires resource-based interventions and qualitative inquiry. This study explored health providers’ perspectives on barriers to prenatal class attendance in Iran.Participants & Methods: This qualitative study included ۳۶ participants who were purposively selected from among class instructors and key informants across ۳۰ health centers from May ۲۰۲۴ to March ۲۰۲۵. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews using an interview guide. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis, following Graneheim and Lundman, with attention to the trustworthiness of the findings.Findings: After data saturation, the analysis yielded ۴۵۲ codes, which were organized into ۹۴ sub-sub-themes, ۱۰ sub-themes, ۴ themes, and ۱ main theme. The main theme, “Navigating a Whirlwind of Challenges,” emerged from four themes: Lack of Accessibility, Lack of Acceptability, Negative Feedback, and Lack of Rethinking to Start Over.Conclusion: Overcoming barriers to prenatal class attendance requires an accessible, evidence-based, and integrated childbirth education program supported by policy, adequate funding, manageable workloads, and ongoing evaluation to empower pregnant women and improve maternal and neonatal health.

کلیدواژه ها:

Iran ، Qualitative Research ، Prenatal Care ، Health Providers