Factors Influencing Childbearing Intentions in Young Couples Attending Premarital Counseling in Southeast Iran: A Conventional Content Analysis
| Author | Alireza Ganjali | en |
| Author | Mehdi Rezvaniamin | en |
| Author | Mostafa Peyvand | en |
| Author | Kimia Ghasemzadeh | en |
| Author | Reza Nezam Doost | en |
| Orcid | Alireza Ganjali [0000-0003-1577-1548] | en |
| Orcid | Mehdi Rezvaniamin [0000-0003-4951-7767] | en |
| Orcid | Mostafa Peyvand [0000-0002-3213-2134] | en |
| Orcid | Kimia Ghasemzadeh [0009-0001-0489-879X] | en |
| Orcid | Reza Nezam Doost [0009-0009-9990-8521] | en |
| Issued Date | 2026-02-28 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Iran has experienced a sustained decline in fertility. Understanding how newly married couples navigate childbearing decisions is critical for policy and counseling. Objectives: To explore factors shaping childbearing intentions among couples attending premarital counseling in Zahedan, Iran. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using conventional content analysis (CCA) in 2024. Maximum-variation purposive sampling recruited 18 couples (36 individuals) from a university-affiliated premarital counseling center. Data were generated through in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews until information saturation. Verbatim transcripts were anonymized. Analysis proceeded inductively: Familiarization, line-by-line open coding, grouping codes into sub-categories, abstraction into main categories, and identification of an overarching (central) category. Trustworthiness was ensured via member checking, independent co-coding, an audit trail, reflexivity, and peer debriefing. This report was developed in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines. Results: One central category — “Deliberate childbearing: Decision-making contingent on readiness and capability” — organized five main categories: Economic-livelihood, bio-psychological, work-education, cultural-family, and personal preferences. Conclusions: Multilevel strategies that improve economic security, support education-work-family balance, and enhance premarital counseling content may better align couples’ goals with fertility policies. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/healthscope-167107 | en |
| URI | https://brieflands.com/journals/healthscope/articles/167107 | en |
| Keyword | Reproductive Behavior | en |
| Keyword | Fertility | en |
| Keyword | Premarital Counseling | en |
| Keyword | Qualitative Research | en |
| Keyword | Iran | en |
| Keyword | Content Analysis | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Factors Influencing Childbearing Intentions in Young Couples Attending Premarital Counseling in Southeast Iran: A Conventional Content Analysis | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
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