Descriptive comparative survey reveals urban women have better knowledge and attitudes about infertility, indicating need for educational resources.
Introduction: Infertility is a significant public health issue that affects the physical, emotional, social, and psychological well-being of women. Despite medical advancements, infertility remains a stigmatized topic, especially in rural regions. This study aims to assess and compare the knowledge and attitudes regarding infertility among women aged 18 to 49 years residing in selected rural and urban areas of District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Methodology: A descriptive comparative survey research design was used for this study. The study includes a total sample of 268 women, 134 each from rural and urban areas by using convenient sampling technique. The tools used for data collection were socio-demographic profile, self-structured knowledge questionnaire and self-structured Likert scale to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding infertility. Results: Results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the knowledge scores (mean score 14.47 in urban area and 8.26 in rural area at p = 0.000) and a statistically significant difference in the attitude scores ( mean score 28.27 for urban area and 19.67 for rural area at p = 0.000). Knowledge levels were significantly associated with educational status in rural areas and with type of family and educational status in urban areas. Attitude score was significantly associated with socio-economic status in urban areas only. Conclusion: The findings revealed that women from urban areas demonstrated significantly better knowledge and more positive attitudes towards infertility compared to their rural counterparts. An information booklet developed as part of this study will serve as an educational tool to empower women with accurate information, reduce misconceptions, and promote a supportive approach to infertility-related issues in both rural and urban communities.
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Panwar et al. (2025) studied this question.
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