Woman's experiences of applying for a divorce.
BACKGROUND
Divorce is one of the most controversial and damaging social issues. Since the divorce rates are increasing rapidly, the current study evaluated the effects of factors leading to divorce application.


METHODS
This qualitative content analysis used purposive sampling to select 10 female divorce applicants at Isfahan Department of Justice (Isfahan, Iran). In-depth interviews were used for data collection. The contents of the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a phenomenological method. The reliability and validity, i.e. real values, applicability, stability, and fact-based results, were ensured through relevant measures.


RESULTS
Overall, 110 codes were extracted from the interviews. The codes were organized in 18 subthemes and seven main themes. The main themes included experiences of violence, cultural factors, family factors, financial factors, safety factors, experiences of promiscuity, and social factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Different individual, social, and cultural factors may lead to divorce. The first step in reducing divorce rates is to identify the most important and influential risk factors for divorce. Community health nurses will then be able to help the families solve their problems. In general, eliminating the causes of divorce can prevent its severe consequences at individual, family, and social levels.
Department of Health, Faculty of Nursing, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Zahra
Z
Zandiyeh
Department of Adult Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Hojatollah
H
Yousefi
Divorce; Iran; experiences; qualitative research; women