Impact of Learning Mediums: A Comparative Analysis of Telephone and Virtual Education on Women's Childbearing Attitudes

Background: Improving women's attitudes towards childbearing plays a key role in promoting childbearing policies. Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two educational methods-telephone-based and virtual training-on women's attitudes towards childbearing. Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 174 married women aged 18-35, without children, living in Babol city. The participants were randomly divided into three groups of 58: Two intervention groups and one control group. The first group received telephone-based training, while the second group received virtual training via WhatsApp video calls, both on the topic of childbearing over a four-week period. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and a fertility and childbearing attitude scale, completed before, immediately after, and three months post-intervention. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 with chi-square tests, analysis of variance, and a linear mixed model. Results: The mean attitude scores towards childbearing increased significantly in both the telephone training group (P = 0.008) and the virtual training group (P = 0.038) compared to the control group three months later. Although telephone-based training had a greater effect on attitude scores during the follow-up phase compared to virtual training, this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Both educational methods had a lasting impact on women's attitudes towards childbearing. This underscores the value of using accessible and cost-effective platforms to support childbearing policies.