TY - JOUR ID - 21245 TI - Childbearing Barriers among Iranian Women: A Qualitative Study JO - Journal of Midwifery and Reproductive Health JA - JMRH LA - en SN - AU - Jalali Aria, Katayoun AU - Tehranian, Najmeh AU - Mohammadi, Eesa AU - Kazem Nejad, Anoshirvan AU - Montazeri, Ali AD - PhD Student of Reproductive Health, Department of Reproductive Health and Midvifery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran AD - Associate Professor, Department of Reproductive Health and Midvifery, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran AD - Professor, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran AD - Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran AD - Professor, Population Health Research Group, Health Metrics Research Center, Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran Y1 - 2023 PY - 2023 VL - 11 IS - 2 SP - 3682 EP - 3693 KW - Childbearing KW - Childlessness KW - Women DO - 10.22038/jmrh.2022.67362.1973 N2 - Background & aim: The Fertility rate is decreasing in most countries and the total fertility rate (TFR) has reached its lower replacement level, and negative population growth is observed in some countries, including Iran. This study aimed to explore the childbearing barriers among women living in northern Iran.Methods: This qualitative study was performed with a conventional content analysis approach in Gorgan, Iran, from November 2018 to October 2019. A total of 23 women participated in this study. Of these, ten women had delayed childbearing at least four years after marriage, nine experienced induced abortion (without medical reasons), and four were voluntarily childless. Three childbearing politicians were also interviewed. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews and analyzed following recommendations by Hsieh & Shannon. The four criteria of credibility, dependability, conformability, and transferability were used to achieve trustworthiness.Results: Seven themes emerged as childbearing barriers: undesirable society, economic hardship, work-family conflict, changed value of motherhood and childbearing, self- interest and convenience, feeling of inadequacy about parental role, being worried about child suffering and loneliness.Conclusion: It seems that societal and personal concerns are the most important childbearing barriers among Iranian women. Perhaps some barriers such as economic and social problems could be resolved by advancing women's status in society, equality policies and paid parental leave. However, personal concerns might be reconciled by implementing appropriate educational interventions ensuring that assist couples in making informed decisions about childbearing. UR - https://jmrh.mums.ac.ir/article_21245.html L1 - https://jmrh.mums.ac.ir/article_21245_8a0a5d68797eb2c7f264ce72d2ae0599.pdf ER -