evaluation of the predictive power of the theory of planned behavior on the intention of infertile couples to solve the problem of infertility

background : today, infertility is a major medical problem and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. infertility affects men and women of reproductive ages. in addition, infertile couples encounter many emotional and mental problems. the theory of planned behavior is a theory that explains the process of adopting appropriate behaviors. the aim of this study was to determine the predictive power of the theory of planned behavior on the intention of infertile couples to solve the problem of infertility. methods: this descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 64 infertile couples referred to obstetrics and gynecologist clinics of birjand, iran, in 2015. the study participants were selected through convenience sampling. the data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire in accordance with constructs of the theory of planned behavior. the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were approved using the opinions of 10 experts and cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.91), respectively. data were analyzed in spss software. the pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the constructs and regression analysis was used to determine the predictive power of each construct. all p values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. findings: the mean age of the subject was 30.68 ± 5.24 years. significant positive correlations were observed between all variables of the theory of planned behavior and intention (p < 0.05). regression analysis revealed that the constructs of the theory of planned behavior predict 36% of the variance in intention. perceived behavioral control (β = 0.465) and attitude (β = 0.289) were, respectively, the most significant predictors of the intention to solve the infertility problem (p < 0.05). conclusion: the theory of planned behavior can predict the intention to solve the infertility problem.