{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T11:03:11Z","timestamp":1790334191930,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784073600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Biosoc. Sci."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Single childhood is a growing social phenomenon in Iran that occurs under the influence of various factors that need to be identified. Therefore, the current research was conducted to explain the reasons behind only single children in Western Iran. This qualitative research was conducted using a conventional qualitative content analysis approach in Lorestan province, western Iran. The study participants were parents with one child who no longer wanted to have more children. Key informants were also involved in the study. To identify participants, purposive and snowball sampling were used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 29 couples with one child and seven key informants until saturation was reached. Data analysis was conducted using the Graneheim and Lundman qualitative content analysis approach with the assistance of MAXQDA software (version 2020). Analysis of the interviews obtained four categories, 16 subcategories, and 205 initial codes. The main categories were (1) past negative experiences (concerns about the mother and child\u2019s health, negative experiences with the first child), (2) weak support systems (lack of a supportive environment, dissatisfaction with married life), (3) changing social discourses on childbearing and parenting (spread of individualism, normalization of single-childing in society, considering having a child as more of a limitation, formation of new gender attitudes among women, changes in parental expectations of children, fading of religious beliefs encouraging childbearing, idealism in child-rearing, increased knowledge and access to contraceptives), and (4) inability to overcome challenges (financial challenges, lack of a suitable living environment, social hopelessness, missing opportunities for re-parenthood). Single-child families represent a complex phenomenon driven by a multitude of factors, necessitating interventions at the individual, family, and societal levels to address it. Enhancing financial support, expanding social welfare programmes, emphasizing religious norms that encourage childbearing, strengthening family bonds, and providing appropriate parenting models can potentially increase fertility intentions and behaviours.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/s0021932026100601","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T09:34:12Z","timestamp":1784108052000},"page":"317-338","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Exploring the factors behind single-child households in Iranian families: a qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"58","author":[{"given":"Javad","family":"Yoosefi Lebni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Lorestan University of Medical Sciences"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmad","family":"Ahmadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Allameh Tabataba\u2019i University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mandana","family":"Saki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lorestan University of Medical Sciences"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rana","family":"Hosseini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Urmia University of Medical Sciences"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bahar","family":"Kkosravi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lorestan University of Medical Sciences"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Murat","family":"Yildirim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Agri Ibrahim Cecen University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5916-477X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seyed Fahim","family":"Irandoost","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Urmia University of Medical Sciences"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref29","first-page":"43","article-title":"Women\u2019s lived experience of one-child with emphasis on the reasons and consequences in the city of Shahriar","volume":"11","author":"Razeghi-Nasrabad","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Population Association of Iran"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref5","first-page":"153","article-title":"Sociological study on the transformation of fertility and childbearing concept in Iran","volume":"18","author":"Behjati-Ardakani","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Reproduction and Infertility"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17441730.2016.1144354"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17441730.2016.1176806"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref26","unstructured":"Moeini, B , Taheri, M , Shirahmadi, S and Otogara, M (2021) Declining desire for childbearing in couples with higher education: A qualitative study in Iran."},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref27","first-page":"111","article-title":"Attitudes to childbearing among families in the city of Ghazvin, Iran","volume":"1","author":"Mosavi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Journal of Women and Family Studies"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref32","first-page":"663","article-title":"Attitudes to childbearing among residents of Tehran: Reasons for not wanting children","volume":"15","author":"Tavousi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Payesh"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajhb.22316"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781529622737"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14647273.2016.1244708"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17441730.2014.909962"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref22","first-page":"173","article-title":"Women and child-rearing activities: A case study of Kordish women","volume":"14","author":"Mahmoudian","year":"2013","journal-title":"Women\u2019s Strategic Studies"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4054\/DemRes.2009.20.27"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4614-0266-4_38"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref16","first-page":"35","article-title":"Socioeconomic, cultural and demographic determinants of childbearing desires among married women attending health centers in Hamedan, 2012","volume":"18","author":"Hosseini","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences"},{"key":"S0021932026100601_ref17","first-page":"28","article-title":"A reluctance to embrace the one-child family in Britain. 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