The Role of Observation in Grounded Theory: A Narrative Review

Introduction: Grounded theory has become one of the most important interdisciplinary methods of research because of its attention to social interactions and investigation of hidden processes in social behaviors. This study aimed to explain observation as a tool in grounded theory and to place this data collection method parallel to interviews in terms of importance. Method: This was a narrative review of the literature. First, the available databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, SID, and Magiran) were searched using the keywords observation, qualitative study, and grounded theory, and the indicators AND and OR. As a result, 21 books, 2 professional websites, and 38 articles in English and 18 in Farsi were retrieved. After the final revision, 6 books, and 10 articles in English and 4 in Farsi, which discussed the nature and scope of observation in qualitative studies, were included in the review. Results: Studies show that although interview is the most important and perhaps the most practical tool for collecting data in grounded theory studies, this method cannot always help the researcher to investigate a social phenomenon from different perspectives. Awareness of observation method, ability of the observer, the pros and cons of observation, ethics of observation, and applied guidelines for observation are issues which can help qualitative researchers who adopt symbolic interactionism as theoretical perspective in their qualitative inquiry. Conclusion: Conducting precise observation through which the researcher is totally immersed in the phenomenon under study with curiosity, application of scientific observation principles and methods, as well as employment of in-depth interviews can help qualitative researchers to discover social processes hidden in human interactions. Keywords: Observation, Grounded theory approach, Narrative revie

The effect of infertility counseling interventions on marital and sexual satisfaction of infertile couples: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Psychological consequences of infertility could have a negative effect on marital and sexual satisfaction. Numerous medical associations have strongly recommended psychological interventions, including counseling, to help infertile couples. Objective: This study reviewed the effectiveness of counseling interventions on marital and sexual satisfaction in infertile couples. Materials and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist Databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Psych Info, Cochran Library, Scopus, and Embase were searched for relevant articles published up to March 2020. All randomized clinical trials assessing the impact of psychological interventions on marital and sexual satisfaction in infertile couples were included in the review. The outcome measures were marital and sexual satisfaction, and the pooled estimate of the effects was calculated using a random-effects model. The risk of bias was measured using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the summary measures were reported as 95% confidence interval and percentage of heterogeneity. Results: Out of the 309 studies found through the search, 13 randomized clinical trials including 230 infertile women and 512 infertile couples were systematically reviewed and included in the meta-analysis. It was found that counseling interventions improve marital and sexual satisfaction. Conclusion: As counseling and psychological interventions increase the marital and sexual satisfaction of infertile couples, those are highly recommended for the psychological management of infertile couples. Key words: Infertility, Psychosocial intervention, Counseling, Sexual satisfaction, Systematic review, Meta-analysis, Couples

The relationship of sociocultural beliefs and infertile couples’ attitude toward reproductive donation: A descriptive-correlational study

Background: There are controversial views on accepting a reproductive donation in the world. Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the sociocultural beliefs and infertile couples’ attitude toward reproductive donation in Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted out on 115 infertile couples visiting Milad Infertility Center in Mashhad, Iran with using convenience sampling. The research instruments were valid and reliable sociocultural beliefs and attitude questionnaires, which were completed by the respondents on a self-report basis. Results: The mean score of attitude toward reproductive donation in infertile women and men was 58.3 ± 12.6 and 57.8 ± 12.0, and the mean score of sociocultural beliefs in infertile women and men was 67.7 ± 11.5 and 67.6 ± 12.4, respectively. There was a direct correlation between sociocultural beliefs and attitude toward reproductive donation in infertile women (p < 0.001) and men (p < 0.001), that is, women and men with a higher score of sociocultural beliefs had a higher score of attitude as well. A direct correlation was also seen between sociocultural beliefs and infertile women and men’s public attitude, their attitude towards genetic bound between parents and children, their attitude regarding the issue of confidentiality of the donation process, as well as attitude in relation to oocyte donation, embryo donation, and surrogacy (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that sociocultural beliefs that surround reproductive donation could influence infertile couple’s attitude toward accepting these therapeutic alternatives in infertile couples. It is therefore recommended to take steps to incorporate sociocultural beliefs into the routine care of infertile couples with the help of social media to give them ability for making more pragmatic decision in relation to their chosen options

Repeated use of medications for ovulation induction after unsuccessful treatment: A cause of concern for infertile couples

This is a Letter to Editor and does not have an abstract

Women’s needs in their journey toward motherhood via oocyte donation: A mixed methods systematic review

Background: Given the significant changes in family formation through donation procedures, providing an optimal level of care that is responsive to the needs of mothers who get pregnant via oocyte donation is pivotal to improve their maternal role. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the needs of oocyte donation mothers to address their specific needs. Objective: This study aimed to review the needs of women in their journey toward motherhood via oocyte donation. Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, which followed the updated Joanna Briggs Institute’s methodological guidance for conducting a mixed methods systematic review, the quantitative observational and qualitative studies were searched through databases including PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, the Cochran Library, and Google Scholar search engine. Letters to the editor, commentaries, magazine articles, articles without full text and abstracts presented in congresses were excluded. All English-language articles related to the needs of oocyte donation mothers, without time limitations, were reviewed. The eligible studies were critically appraised independently by 2 researchers. Results: 4649 records were identified from those 18 articles that were finally included in the review. The needs of oocyte donation mothers comprised 8 categories: The need for special services in fertility clinics, the need to improve the quality of care, the need for emotional support and psychological consultation, information needs, the need for financial support, the need for disclosure counseling, educational needs, and the need for sociocultural and religious support. Conclusion: This review suggests various needs of oocyte donation mothers. The results can be used in carefully planning supportive programs for this vulnerable population. Key words: Need, Women, Oocyte donation, Motherhood

The factors affecting male infertility: A systematic review

Background: In recent years, the incidence of male infertility has increased worldwide. It is necessary to study the factors that influence male infertility in each area/region for better management. Objective: To determine the factors affecting male infertility in the Iranian male population. Materials and Methods: An online search was conducted in electronic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, SID, and Scopus to identify articles on the factors associated with male infertility, published in English and Persian. The keywords used to perform the search included “factor”, “epidemiology”, “causes of infertility”, and “male infertility”. The search was conducted without a time restriction, up to April 2020. Results: The search resulted in a total number of 691 studies. After an assessment of the articles, finally 14 studies were included in this study with a total number of 26,324 infertile males. The factors associated with male infertility included semen abnormalities, varicocele and testis disorder, smoking, exposure to heat, obesity, anabolic steroids, vascular abnormalities, anti-spermatogenesis factors, antidepressants, taking ranitidine and cimetidine, penile discharge and genital ulcers, painful micturition, occupational factors, alcohol, chronic disease, sexual disorder, Surgical and urological diseases, genetic factors and herpes infection. Among these, the semen and varicocele disorders were common in most studies. Conclusion: The present review suggests that the factors affecting male infertility in Iran are similar to those reported from other countries. The results of this study can be used in adopting appropriate strategies for infertility management in Iran. Key words: Male, Infertility, Sterility, Urogenital diseases

The effect of sexual health counseling on women’s sexual satisfaction in postpartum period: A randomized clinical trial

Background: Many couples experience decreasing sexual satisfaction in postpartum period. Various sexual health counseling approaches have been designed for postpartum women to address their common sexual concerns and problems. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Women’s Postpartum Sexual Health Program (WPSHP) on women’s sexual satisfaction in postpartum period. Materials and Methods: The study was a single blind randomized clinical trial on 75 postpartum women aged 18–35 yr with low sexual satisfaction who attended urban health-care centres in Mashhad, Iran in 2016. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21, and the Larson Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire. The intervention group received counselling based on the WPSHP, a four-session, group- and couples-based program. The control group  just received postpartum routine care. Results: Both the intervention and control groups were homogeneous for demographic variables. According to the Mann-Whitney test, sexual satisfaction score in the  intervention group was significantly higher than the control group 8 weeks after the intervention (p < 0.001). According to the Wilcoxon test, there was a significant difference in the mean score of sexual satisfaction before and after intervention in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: WPSHP caused higher levels of sexual satisfaction. It is therefore recommended to use this program in women during the postpartum period to promote their sexual satisfaction. Key words: Sexual satisfaction, Sexual counseling, Sexual health, Postpartum

Symbolic Interactionism in Grounded Theory: A Viewpoint for Explaining the Student-Educator Relationship in Clinical Nursing Education

Introduction: Although it is generally acknowledged that symbolic interactionism and grounded theory are connected, the precise nature of their connection remains implicit and unexplained in reviewed articles. Awareness of the nature of their connection can help qualitative researchers as guidance for data collection and analysis. This study was accomplished with the aim of exploration of the connection between grounded theory and symbolic interactionism. Method: The search of related articles and resources was done in databases such as Scopus, Elsevier, Google Scholar, and ProQuest and with keywords including grounded theory, symbolic interactionism, and methodology. Then the selected articles were reviewed. Results: In this study, researchers, by reviewing of related articles, have propounded the connection between methodological principles and processes of Blumer in the symbolic interactionism with grounded theory. Then, they have argued about the explanatory power of symbolic interactionism as a philosophical basis in a grounded theory study in the explanation of student-teacher relationship in clinical nursing education. Conclusion: When the grounded theory study is undertaken without a symbolic interactionism framework as an explanatory framework, the researcher describes rather than explains the data. Keywords: Symbolic interactionism, Grounded theory, Methodolog

The Relationship between Frequency of Breastfeeding and Sexual Distress in Postpartum Women

Background & aim: Due to frequent waking at night for breastfeeding, nursing mothers are likely to suffer from sleep deprivation, which may lead to sexual dysfunction. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have been conducted on sexual distress in nursing mothers. Thus, we sought to examine the relationship between the frequency of breastfeeding and female sexual distress during postpartum period. Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 80 women aged 18-35 years, visiting healthcare centers in Mashhad, Iran, during 2016. To select the participants, multi-stage sampling method was used. The data collection tools included demographic and fertility-related questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R). To analyze the data, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, and linear regression model were run in SPSS, version 16. Results: The mean score of postpartum sexual distress in mothers was 20.43±8.00. According to the results of the Spearman’s rank-order correlation, the frequency of nighttime breastfeeding was directly correlated with maternal sexual distress (P=0.010, r=0.26). However, there was no correlation between the frequency of daytime breastfeeding sessions and sexual distress (P=0.976, r=0.003). Conclusion: Considering the correlation between the frequency of breastfeeding at night and postpartum sexual distress in mothers, it seems necessary to adopt effective counselling approaches to overcome female sexual distress during this period

Predictive value of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in relation to fetal loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: For a woman with bleeding and threatened abortion, ultrasound scan is done to confirm the viability of the fetus; however, 10-15% of the embryos are eventually aborted. Distinguishing between women with good and poor prognosis can be a helpful approach. Objective: This study aimed to review the predictive value of Pregnancy-associated Plasma Protein A (PAPP-A) in relation to the diagnosis of fetal loss. Materials and Methods: The articles published in multiple databases including Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Persian databases such as ISC, Magiran, and IranMedx were searched for articles published until May 2019. MeSH terms was used for searching the databases including fetal loss OR pregnancy loss OR abortion OR miscarriage with the following word using AND; Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein- A OR PAPP-A. Two reviewers extracted data and recorded them in a pre-defined form and assessed the quality of articles using the Newcastle-Ottawa tool. Meta-analysis was done using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis/2.0 software and MetaDisc. Results: A total number of 16 studies were eligible for the qualitative data synthesis, out of which 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis. All studies had high and medium quality. The forest plot analysis showed a sensitivity of 57% (95% CI: 53-63%), a specificity of 83% (95% CI: 80-85%), a positive likelihood ratio of 3.52 (95% CI: 2.44- 5.07), a negative likelihood ratio of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.37-0.79), and a diagnostic odds ratio of 6.95 (95% CI: 3.58-13.50). Conclusion: PAPP-A cannot be recommended on a routine basis for predicting fetal loss and still further research with a combination of other biomarkers is required. Key words: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, Fetal loss, Pregnancy, Systematic review