A family-based model for Iranian women's health: a grounded theory study

An empowerment model of Iranian women for the management of menopause: a grounded theory study

Background and Objectives: There is still no clear portrayal of women's empowerment in managing menopause. The present study was conducted to design a model for the empowerment of Iranian women in managing menopause. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using the grounded theory on  40-60-year-old women who were first selected through purposive sampling and then by theoretical sampling from November 2013 to July 2016. Data were collected using 33 in-depth, semi-structured, individual interviews with 30 participants. Data were analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin(2008) approach and organized in MAXQDA-10. Results: The analysis of the data led to the emergence of "active coping with menopause" as the core variable with four themes. The two themes "threat to feminine identity" and "latent opportunity" explained the context of the study, and "redefining the feminine identity" and "self-retrieval" explained its process. Conclusion: In our social context, the phenomenon of menopause is a coin with two sides and its experience leans more on the threat to feminine identity and less on latent opportunity. The model of postmenopausal women's empowerment for managing menopause might offer health policy-makers a realistic and divergent understanding of the challenges of empowering women by explaining key concepts.

The Need for A Training Software among Iranian Infertile Couples: A Qualitative Study

Background

Training needs are multidimensional requirements affected by social and cultural background, level of knowledge and personal and health conditions. This study was conducted to explain the needs for a training software among Iranian infertile couples.

Materials and Methods

In this qualitative study, we used content analysis to examine the need among ten infertile participants (four men and six women) and six health care professionals (including two gynecologists, two reproduc- tive health specialists and two midwives). The present research was carried out from January 2017 to July 2018 at Rouyesh and Ibn Sina infertility treatment centers in Karaj, Iran. The participants were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation. Four focus group discussions with the health care professionals and twelve semi- structured, in-depth interviews with the infertile participants were held for data collection. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis in MAXQDA-10.

Results

Data analysis led to the extraction of a central theme of “a multidimensional training application” and its four main categories, including "pre-treatment training", "diagnostic training", "mid- and post-treatment training" and “continuous psychological training". These main categories also had 20 subcategories.

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study, infertile women and men have multidimensional training needs before and after treatment and during the process of diagnosis; psychological aspects should also be considered.The inter- viewed health care professionals helped to explain these training needs. A training software thus needs to be designed based on the real needs of the infertile community.