The role of the Coronavirus pandemic on childbearing intentions in Iranian women based on path analysis: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may lead to couples not being physically and mentally ready to assume a parenting role. Objective: Given the changes in reproductive behaviors and the lack of accurate information about childbearing factors during the Coronavirus pandemic, this study was conducted to investigate the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iranian couples' childbearing intentions based on the theory of planned behavior model. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 married Iranian women from July to October 2020 using official online popular social networks. Data were collected using a demographic checklist and the researcher-made questionnaire, which was designed based on the main constructs of the planned behavior model. Results: Testing the indirect relationships of the mediation model effect showed a positive relationship between knowledge (ß = 0.226, p < 0.001) and subjective norms (ß = 0.155, p = 0.001) about COVID-19. Anxiety about COVID-19 mediated the relationship of knowledge (ß = 0.105, p = 0.009), attitude (ß = -0.125, p = 0.002), subjective norms (ß = 0.238, p < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control (ß = 0.513, p < 0.001) about COVID-19 with childbearing intentions. Conclusion: The results showed that COVID-19-induced anxiety can affect the relationship between the components of the theory of planned behavior model and childbearing intentions. Therefore, it is suggested that by designing appropriate interventions through anxiety-reducing and relaxation techniques, a fundamental step can be taken in increasing childbearing desires.

Correction to: The translation and psychometric assessment of the perception of empowerment in midwifery scale: the Persian version.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

The translation and psychometric assessment of the perception of empowerment in midwifery scale: the Persian version.

BACKGROUND: A major part of midwifery care involves the empowerment of women and their families for the control of factors affecting their health. To this end, midwives should experience their own empowerment first. The present study was conducted to translate and determine the psychometric properties of the Perception of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale among Iranian midwives. METHODS: A total of 380 people participated in this cross-sectional study. A demographic questionnaire and the 22-item Perception of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale were sent to the participants online. The validity of the scale and the analysis of its main components were carried out through exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability of the scale was assessed using the internal consistency method with Cronbach's alpha coefficient, average inter-item correlation (AIC) and McDonald's omega. RESULTS: Seventeen scale items were retained after the exploratory factor analysis, and five factors were extracted, including "effective management", "professional practice", "authority", "advocacy", and "professional informant", with factor loadings ranging from 0.489 to 0.899. The five latent factors explained 53.07% of the overall variance of the scale. The confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable goodness of fit. The internal consistency of the scale was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha above 0.7. CONCLUSION: The Persian version of the Perception of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale with 17 items has adequate reliability for midwives working in Iran. Given its appropriate psychometric properties, this scale is fit to be used among midwives in future studies.