Challenges and Barriers to Childbearing Among Faculty Members of Tehran University of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Study

How to Cite:Farhad Nosrati Nejad, Akbar Biglarian, Elham Sharifi, Shima Sadat Hosseini, Sina Ahmadi, Challenges and Barriers to Childbearing Among Faculty Members of Tehran University of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Study.koomesh.2025;27(2):e151682.https://doi.org/10.69107/koomesh-151682.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Considering the privileged position of faculty members in society and their significant role in childbearing, the present study investigated the challenges of childbearing among the faculty members of medical sciences universities.

Methods: This research was conducted using a qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 Tehran University of Medical Sciences faculty members. The data was analyzed using the qualitative content analysis technique (conventional type) based on the steps suggested by Granheim and Volandman in the MAXQDA-2018 software.

Results: After data analysis, 34 subcategories and 9 categories including social challenges (weakness of family support, increased social problems, insufficient social protection, problematic education, insufficient social capital, negative effect of media), cultural challenges (concerning the future of children, despair about the future, concern about marital relations, late fertility, the expiration of the grand narratives, the weakening of traditional and religious beliefs and opinions, individualism, hedonism, having a perfectionist approach towards children, weakening the normative pressure to have children), economic challenges (problems related to housing, rising living costs, back-breaking costs of having children, macroeconomic problems, inadequate income), political challenges (insufficient political trust, political changes), challenges of laws and policies (lack of support by laws, regulations and university guidelines, weak laws and policies in the field of childbearing), environmental challenges, job-related challenges (multiple job duties, lack of job stability), health challenges, and the challenges of emerging new issues were identified.

Conclusion: According to the study results, childbearing requires prerequisites in various social-cultural, economic-occupational, and political-legal fields.

Keywords

References

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Author(s):

Farhad Nosrati Nejad:[PubMed][Scholar]
Akbar Biglarian:[PubMed][Scholar]
Elham Sharifi:[PubMed][Scholar]
Shima Sadat Hosseini:[PubMed][Scholar]
Sina Ahmadi:[PubMed][Scholar]