{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T14:13:37Z","timestamp":1788444817803,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782864000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Child marriage remains a pressing social and public health issue globally, with significant implications for the rights, well-being and development of affected individuals. In Iran, legal frameworks that permit marriage from as young as 9 lunar years for girls\u2014despite countervailing influences such as rising education levels and social reforms\u2014have failed to curb the persistence of early marriage, which continues to be driven by entrenched cultural, socioeconomic and legal factors. Understanding the multifaceted nature of child marriage within this context is crucial for developing effective interventions and policies. Existing research predominantly focuses on quantitative assessments, leaving qualitative insights underexplored. The aim of this protocol is to address the existing gap by undertaking a scoping review and meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence concerning child marriage in Iran. This study seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of the underlying determinants, lived experiences and associated consequences of child marriage with the aim of informing future research endeavours and guiding policy development.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods and analysis<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This scoping review protocol will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O\u2019Malley, incorporating recent methodological advancements. Selection criteria will be established through the Population, Concept and Context framework, targeting qualitative studies addressing child marriage within Iran. To ensure comprehensive coverage, an inclusive search will be conducted across diverse databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Scientific Information Database (SID), MagIran and the Barakat Knowledge Network System (BKNS), without any restriction on publication date, extending up to the search date. Both Persian and English language sources will be reviewed. Two independent reviewers will undertake the screening of titles, abstracts and full texts, resolving conflicting decisions through consensus or third-party arbitration. The methodological integrity of eligible studies will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. Data will be synthesised through content analysis methods. Confidence in the integrated findings will be evaluated employing the GRADE-CERQual approach to enhance the trustworthiness and applicability of the review outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Ethics and dissemination<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The Research Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of edical Sciences approved this proposed scoping review and meta-synthesis, confrming ethical compliance absent patient involvement. Results from this investigation will be shared through peer-reviewed journal articles and presentations at relevant academic conferences locally and internationally. Furthermore, the synthesised insights into the phenomenon of child marriage in Iran are intended to inform scholars, policymakers and practitioners, supporting evidence-based strategies and policies to mitigate the issue and promote social change.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2025-115159","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T13:55:32Z","timestamp":1782914132000},"page":"e115159","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Child marriage in Iran: a protocol for a scoping review and meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Mehrdad","family":"Amir-Behghadami","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Student Research Committee (SRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)"},{"name":"Department of Health Policy & Management, Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)"},{"name":"Iranian Center of Excellence in Health Management, Department of Health Service Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8552-138X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Farhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)"},{"name":"Rob Giel Research Center, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry, Groningen, Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1211.060510"},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.2","unstructured":"UNICEF . Child Marriage: Latest Trends and Future Prospects. New York: UNICEF, 2018."},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"490","DOI":"10.3390\/adolescents3030035","article-title":"The Right to Leave: Dissolution of Child, Early, and Forced Marriages and Unions","volume":"3","author":"Ricker","year":"2023","journal-title":"Adolescents"},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.4","first-page":"536","article-title":"The Role of the Government in Supporting Children of White Marriage: Comparative Approaches to International Child Rights in Iranian Medical Law Policies","volume":"19","author":"Ghasemi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Medical Law Journal"},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.5","unstructured":"Child UNCotRot, Qatar . Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention: Combined Third and Fourth Periodic Reports of States Parties Due in 2013. Qatar: UN, 2016."},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.6","unstructured":"Sharim E , Deborah S . Childhood marriages in iran: stolen lives, empty classrooms, and lost dreams. In: Childhood Marriages in Iran: Stolen Lives, Empty Classrooms, and Lost Dreams. 2022."},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1080\/26410397.2020.1820655","article-title":"The trend of girl child marriage in Iran based on national census data","volume":"28","author":"Azimi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sex Reprod Health Matters"},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1477197","article-title":"Factors associated with girl child marriage in Iran: a qualitative socio-ecological approach","volume":"12","author":"Pourtaheri","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-022-02127-9","article-title":"Reasons for early marriage of women in Zahedan, Iran: a qualitative study","volume":"22","author":"Hosseini","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Womens Health"},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1155\/2016\/8615929","article-title":"Determinants of Early Marriage from Married Girls\u2019 Perspectives in Iranian Setting: A Qualitative Study","volume":"2016","author":"Montazeri","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Environ Public Health"},{"key":"2026090306250568000_16.7.e115159.11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1080\/0145935X.2023.2167708","article-title":"What Socio-Cultural Factors Encourage Child Marriage in Sanandaj, Iran? 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