Table 3 Interview guide during the face-to-face interviews with participants

Trigger question of pregnant/postpartum women and spouses and key informants:

1. What is the meaning of spouse’s participation in prenatal period, in your mind?

2. What is the meaning of spouse’s participation in childbirth period (since beginning the labor pain until discharge of hospital after birth), in your mind?

3. What is the meaning of spouse’s participation in postnatal period, in your mind?

Continue questions:

A. Continue questions related to pregnant/postpartum women:

1. Do you have any experience with your spouse in your past or current pregnancy or delivery?

4. In your opinion, how was this experience?

5. In your opinion, how much can your spouse’s participation be effective during pregnancy, childbirth or after it?

6. In your opinion, what does your spouse need to increase his participation with you, during this period?

7. In your opinion, what are the current obstacles for your spouse’s participation during perinatal period?

8. In your opinion, which factors can increase your spouse’s participation during perinatal period?

B- Continue questions related to spouses:

1. Do you have any experience of participation with your wife in past or current pregnancy or delivery?

2. In your opinion, how was this experience?

3. In your opinion, how much can your participation be effective during pregnancy, birth process or postpartum?

4. In your opinion, what do you need to increase your participation during this period?

5. In your opinion, what are the current obstacles for husband’s participation during this period?

6. In your opinion, which factors increase husband’s participation in this period?

C. Continue questions related to key informants:

1. Do you have any experience with spouse’ participation in perinatal period?

2. In your opinion, how was this experience?

3. According to your job experiences, how much can spouse’s participation be effective during perinatal period?

4. According to your job experiences, what do husbands need to increase their participation with their wife during this period?

5. According to your job experiences, what are the current obstacles for spouses’ participation during this period?

6. According to your job experiences, which factors increase spouses’ participation in this period?