The Factors Contributing to Domestic Violence from the Perspective of Iranian Couples: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Domestic violence is the most common form of violence against women. Negative health outcomes caused by domestic violence have been recognized as a public health problem with extensive effects on society. The main objective of this study was to explore Iranian couples’ experiences of domestic violence. Methods: This study was carried out through a qualitative approach and a conventional content analysis method in 2015 in Mashhad, Iran. Fifteen couples (15 women and 15 men) were selected from five health centers in Mashhad using purposive sampling. Data were collected through individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with the participants about their perceptions and experiences of factors underlying domestic violence. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's content analysis approach with MAXQDA software. Results: The results of this study revealed three main themes including social factors affecting violence (the family’s economic position, culture and values, and social support), interpersonal relations (the type of marriage and life skills), and personal factors (intrinsic factors and acquired factors). Conclusion: Given that social, interpersonal, and personal factors such as economic problems, social culture, low social support, low education levels, addiction, and the absence of life skills can lead to the outbreak of domestic violence among couples, there is a need to train couples to adopt effective strategies to reduce domestic violence in the family and seek help from support centers

The Factors Contributing to Domestic Violence from the Perspective of Iranian Couples: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Domestic violence is the most common form of violence against women. Negative health outcomes caused by domestic violence have been recognized as a public health problem with extensive effects on society. The main objective of this study was to explore Iranian couples’ experiences of domestic violence. Methods: This study was carried out through a qualitative approach and a conventional content analysis method in 2015 in Mashhad, Iran. Fifteen couples (15 women and 15 men) were selected from five health centers in Mashhad using purposive sampling. Data were collected through individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with the participants about their perceptions and experiences of factors underlying domestic violence. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's content analysis approach with MAXQDA software. Results: The results of this study revealed three main themes including social factors affecting violence (the family’s economic position, culture and values, and social support), interpersonal relations (the type of marriage and life skills), and personal factors (intrinsic factors and acquired factors). Conclusion: Given that social, interpersonal, and personal factors such as economic problems, social culture, low social support, low education levels, addiction, and the absence of life skills can lead to the outbreak of domestic violence among couples, there is a need to train couples to adopt effective strategies to reduce domestic violence in the family and seek help from support centers

Voices of Midwives working in Family Physician Program Regarding Their Challenges and Blessings: A Qualitative Study

Background & aim: Midwives, as a part of the healthcare team, have a remarkable role in providing health to families and societies. Midwives have a prominent role in the family physician program (FPP); therefore, the lack of proper attention to their challenges results in a decline in their efficiency and quality of care. Therefore, this study was performed to explore the midwives’ perceptions and experiences about the challenges of working in the FPP. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted on 23 midwives recruited in the healthcare centers of Mashhad, Iran, in 2015. The study population was selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data collection was performed through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using conventional content analysis approach. The trustworthiness of the research findings was checked by the criteria recommended by Lincoln and Guba (1985). Results: The analysis of the data led to the identification of two themes including 1) professional struggles and 2) internal reflections, each of which was further divided into several categories. Professional struggles included categories of professional autonomy, professional role ambiguity and professional commitment. Two categories of internal challenges and internal satisfaction were subsumed under the main theme of internal reflections.   Conclusion: Listening to the voices of midwives working in family physician program could provide valuable messages for policy makers to recognize the challenges of midwives in the FPP and to find the best solutions for their organizational problems and consequently enhance their efficiency in fulfillment of organizational goals

Investigating Women’s Lifestyle during the Preconception Period in Kalat County, Iran

Background and aim: Factors such as weight, diet, cigarette smoking and unprescribed drug use, and also environmental pollutants affect maternal health and the birth of the healthy neonates. The aim of this study was to investigate women's lifestyle during the preconception period in Kalat, Iran. Materials & Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 118 married women, who did not use any contraceptive methods in order to get pregnant, from August to March 2012, in Kalat County, Iran. The subjects were covered by Kalat medical and health centers and were selected using quota sampling method. The data were collected using a questionnaire including demographic characteristics and preconception lifestyle. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and Pearson’s correlation and ANOVA tests. PResults: The mean age of the subjects was 25.2± 6.05 years. The most desirable and undesirable aspects of lifestyle were not using of unprescribed drugs and cigarettes (7.38 ± 0. 9) as well as lack of physical activity (3.06 ± 1.1), respectively. There was a significant correlation between women’s occupation and drug and cigarette use (