Assessment of Perceived Social Support and its Related Factors in Infertile Women Referring to Shahrekord Infertility Clinic

Background and Aim: Nowadays, infertility has become a social concern and has associated with numerous problems. Social support as a protective factor can have a significant effect on the health and social functioning of infertile women. The aim of this study was to assess perceived social support and its related factors in infertile women referred to the Shahrekord Infertility Clinic in 2018. Methods: In the descriptive cross-sectional study, 400 infertile women (18-49years) referred to Shahrekord Infertility Clinic with primary and secondary infertility were enrolled on the basis of objective sampling. Demographic characteristics of infertile women were recorded and social support was determined by Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) of Sarason. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results of the study showed that the mean total score of social support, network of social support and satisfaction of social support of infertile women were 150.22 ± 50.09, 32.99 ± 16.36, and 117.97 ± 38.5 respectively. The highest frequency of social support was for mother (51.6%), father (40.7%) and spouse (29.5%). Social support scores had a direct and significant relationship with the marriage age of infertile women spouses (r = 0.151 and P = 0.002), so Social support increased as the marriage age increased. Social support of satisfaction dimension was not significantly correlated with the age of women and their spouses, as well as the age of marriage of women and their spouses. Social support of network dimension has a significant relationship with the marriage age of infertile women (r = 0.173 and P < 0.001), the age of infertile women spouses (r = 0.180 and P < 0.001) and the marriage age of infertile women spouses (r = 0.265 and P < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that the age and marriage age affect social support, especially from the network dimension, so that with the increase of age and marriage age, the social support of infertile women increased.