Iranian single-child couples' perceptions and experiences regarding childbearing incentives.

Background: The single-child issue is a significant contributor to population decline, which adversely affects both parents and children. Despite government-approved incentives, the single-child problem remains a major population challenge. This study was conducted to explore the perceptions and experiences of single-child couples regarding childbearing incentives. Methods: This qualitative study used conventional content analysis and was performed on 21 single-child couples in Mashhad, North East Iran, selected through purposive sampling from urban health centers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews until saturation was reached. The data were analyzed using the Elo and Kyngas (J Adv Nurs 62(1):107-15, 2008. 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x) method with MaxQDA10 software. Results: Two generic categories emerged from the data analysis including (1) "Advertising and providing information as an influencing factor to encourage childbearing", which included two subcategories of "Attention to the key lever of advertising" and "Necessity of adopting advertising policies and creating a culture of respecting maternal role", and (2) "Focusing on effective incentive policies", which consisted of three subcategories of "Adopting incentive policies to reduce people's financial problems", "Avoiding punitive policies" and "Need to adopt incentive policies for working women and elites". Conclusions: Incentive policies should focus on the culture building of the general public, implementing effective incentive policies, and addressing economic challenges, particularly for specific groups such as working women and higher education students. In addition, a public mobilization effort is needed to effectively implement population laws. Plain English summary: Single-child issue is a challenge, being a cause of population decline, and poses adverse effects on both parents and children. Various childbearing incentive policies exist, but single-child couples' perceptions regarding these incentives have been less explored. To encourage childbearing, it is crucial to implement effective advertising and information release among the target groups, based on respecting the maternal role and addressing conflicting attitudes towards the influence of employment and education on maternal role. Avoiding punitive policies, using financial incentive policies to reduce people's financial burdens and being ensured of their implementation, and adopting incentives to support working women and elites (female students in higher education), would be among the effective fertility incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]