Comparison of premarital educational needs among would be spouses in Molahady center [Isfahan 2004]

One of the most important events in the life of people is marriage. Premarital counselling can help would be spouses first to get knowledge and then get married. Since, educational need assessment studies are essential to design every educational program, this study tried to evaluate the educational needs of would be spouses and to compare them between men and women. This research is a descriptive-comparative study with the goal of assessing educational needs of would be spouses in 4 fields [reproductive health, family planning, diseases and prevention of common cancers] in 300 women and men. Data were collected by a questionnaire with 57 questions in 2 sections [demographic and educational subjects]. Descriptive statistical methods and T-test were used to analyse the data. Findings of this study indicated significant differences between men and women's educational needs in all of the fields [p<0/05] with exception of cancer prevention. Also, all of the samples in both groups needed all these subjects. Premarital counselors must be aware of premarital educational needs of would be spouses and then design educational programs according to these needs. Inclusion of above four fields, investigated by this study, in designing educational programs is suggested