Health education campaign on population control: lessons from Iran

A descriptive study was carried out in Tehran, the capital of Iran, to investigate a health education campaign on population control. A sample of 68 adults aged 20 to 40 years participated in the study. Each respondent was shown a picture of the campaign. They then filled in a short questionnaire. The main objectives of the study were to measure recall rates and to assess attitude of the subjects. The study results show that recall rates were high (78%), 68% of respondents claimed that the campaign is likely to change their attitudes towards population control, and 87% of participants perceived the main idea of the campaign correctly. The study findings show that there are some significant associations between demographic variables (marital status, having child or not) and perception of the campaign. These may lead health educators and health promoters to communicate more effectively and efficiently in the context of family planning. In countries with a large number of young people, health education campaigns on population control with respect to social values of each society and moral considerations are recommended.