| Summary: | Rapid population growth is now one of the biggest socio-economic and consequently, health problems in the world. The significance of this dramatic increase in population becomes apparent when the limited possibilities of socio-economic growth are considered among developing countries. The use of modern contraceptives in order to control birth rates, on the other hand, is rather limited in these countries. === The present study investigates the knowledge and attitudes of family planning programs by Iranian males, who play a major role in all familial decision-making, including the practice of family planning. This research examines subjects' reasoning strategies about practicing family planning. A sample of sixty laborers with various levels of formal education were selected and some methods developed within the domain of cognitive psychology were used in analyzing the data. === The results showed that males, as proposed, play a vital role in decision-making regarding the practice of family planning. Formal education appears to have no significant impact on the subjects' knowledge and attitudes toward issues of family planning. Furthermore, early age of marriage, particularly with respect to the girls, appears to be an accepted phenomenon and has strong roots in the belief systems of the population. === This research has implications for developing educational programs in the domain of health. It is proposed that future research should devote considerable effort to better understand the role of the males in the process of decision-making regarding the practice of family planning.
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