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

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.

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.

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).

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.