The effect of an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on childbearing intentions in women: A quasi-experimental study

Nourossadat Kariman; Seyyedeh Sara Baki Hashemi; Shahla Ghanbari; Mohammad Amin Pourhoseingholi; Zainab Alimoradi; Farzaneh Rashidi Fakari

doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_2_20

The effect of an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on childbearing intentions in women: A quasi-experimental study

J Educ Health Promot. 2020 Apr 28:9:96. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_2_20. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Nourossadat Kariman¹, Seyyedeh Sara Baki Hashemi², Shahla Ghanbari³, Mohammad Amin Pourhoseingholi⁴, Zainab Alimoradi⁵, Farzaneh Rashidi Fakari²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ Department of Health Education and Promotion, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Health System Research, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ 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: Education; intention; reproductive behavior; theory of planned behavior.