Journal of Education and Community Health
Year:2021 | Volume:8 | Issue:2|Papers Count:10

Aims: Brucellosis (Malta fever) is one of the most common zoonosis diseases. The role of the family in preventive behaviors against brucellosis is important, so this study was conducted to determine the relationship between preventative behaviors of brucellosis and family-based empowerment models in women in families with brucellosis patients in Iran. Instrument & Methods: 200 people participated in this descriptive study through the multi-stage cluster method. Data were collected through demographic questionnaires, awareness, attitude, self-efficacy, and self-esteem and behavior. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and independent T-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson and Spearman correlation and regression. Findings: 96 (48%) participants had a history of brucellosis, 174 (87%) had a history of contact with livestock, 131 (65. 5%) had a history of consumption of unpasteurized dairy products (r=-0. 218, p=0. 003). Based on the independent t-test, a significant relationship was observed between pasteurized dairy consumption and housekeeping with preventive behavior (p=0. 039) (p=0. 455). Variance analysis test showed a significant relationship between the level of education and preventive behavior (p=0. 002). According to the linear regression model, the relationship between self-efficacy and behavior was significant (p<0. 001), and self-efficacy had more predictive power than other constructs. Conclusion: In countrywomen, self-efficacy plays an important role in predicting behavior. In order to promote preventive behaviors against brucellosis, people's self-efficacy should be improved.

Aims: Charshanbeh Suri is one of the most important Iranian ceremonies every year when many people are injured due to the use of explosives on the day. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the developed parallel process model in injury prevention in students. Materials & Methods: This experimental study was conducted in 2020-21 with 240 male students in Sanandaj who were randomly and equally divided into experimental and control groups. The intervention consisted of two 90-minute training sessions in the form of lectures, questions, and answers, group discussions, and screenings of related videos. The researcher-made questionnaire based on the model constructs of the developed parallel process, the validity, and reliability of which were confirmed, was used before the intervention and two months after the intervention. Data were analyzed by independent t-test and logistic regression analysis using SPSS 16 software. Findings: The mean age of students was 15. 82± 1. 05 years. There was no significant difference in fireworks behavior between the two groups before the intervention, and 88% of the students used explosives during the Charshanbeh Suri ceremony. The results of the logistic regression test before the intervention showed that the perceived threat predicted the non-use of incendiary materials. The effectiveness of the educational intervention caused the students in the experimental group to be in the path of risk control, and the use of incendiary substances after the intervention in the experimental group was significantly reduced (p<0. 001). Conclusion: Education with the content of sensitization and fear and efficiency is an appropriate educational intervention in reducing Charshanbeh Suri events in adolescents.

Aims: Inactivity among Iranian women is higher than in Iranian men. Since teachers are exposed to occupational damages, it is necessary to consider physical activity in teachers. The Social-Cognitive Theory (SCT) is a useful framework for understanding physical activity behavior. Therefore, the present research was aimed to determine physical activity determinants in female teachers based on SCT. Instrument & Methods: This analytic-cross sectional study was performed on 612 female schoolteachers of all educational levels of urban and rural areas of Rasht County using multi-stage random sampling in the 2019-2020 academic years. The data collection instruments included demographic information, International Physical Activity Questionnaire– Short Form, and Social Cognitive Theory Questionnaire. In order to analyze the data, I used Independent Samples t-test, Analysis of Variance, Spearman Correlation Coefficient, and Multiple Linear Regression tests in SPSS 21 software. Findings: The age average of the teachers was 40. 25± 7. 65. Of the total, 331 teachers (54. 1%) had light physical activity (0-599 MET minutes/week). It observed the most direct correlation between self-efficacy (r=0. 439) and exercise planning (r=0. 513) with physical activity behavior. Constructs of exercise Planning (B=0. 34, p=0. 001) and Self-Efficacy (B=0. 14, p=0. 003) were the most significant predictors of physical activity and accounted for 17% and 12% of the variance, respectively. Conclusion; Constructs of exercise Planning and Self-Efficacy were the most important predictors of physical activity that can be used in designing interventions to promote physical activity in teachers.

Aims: Difficulty in adhering to the recommended diet is a common problem among most people with metabolic risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with dietary adherence among people with metabolic risk factors based on a psychological theory. Materials & Methods: This research was a mixed-method study. In the qualitative phase, 50 people who had at least one metabolic risk factor and were referred to the diabetes units of Karaj health centers were interviewed, and the interviews were analyzed using NVivo10. In the quantitative phase, a survey was carried out to investigate factors associated with dietary adherence. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling via AMOS18. Findings: Personal factors especially perceived self-efficacy (β =0. 49; p=0. 001) and perceived barriers (β =-0. 33; p=0. 001), were the most important predictors influencing dietary adherence. However, the findings of interviews and surveys were not aligned with structural and social factors. The structural factor was perceived as a deep factor influencing healthy eating behaviors in the qualitative phase, but the social factor was a significant predictor in the quantitative phase (β =0. 67; p=0. 001). Conclusion: Only 51. 07% of people with at least one cardiovascular metabolic risk factor adheres to healthy eating behaviors. Although personal determinants are the most dominant contributors of dietary adherence among people with cardiovascular metabolic risk factors, social and structural factors should be considered to enhance dietary adherence.

Aims: Elderly is an important period of human life, and the elderly population in Iran is increasing. Therefore, the present study was aimed to investigate the relationship between quality and lifestyle health promotion behaviors among the elderly in Hamadan, 2015. Instrument & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 230 retired elderly over 60 years selected by cluster sampling method in Hamadan retirement centers. A standard questionnaire for quality of life and lifestyle was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 software, chi-square, and correlation analysis. The significance level was considered 5%. Findings: Lifestyle in the elderly was undesirable (61. 3%), and 38. 7% had a moderate quality of life. Physical functioning was the most undesirable aspect of lifestyle, and physical activity was the most undesirable aspect of quality of life. The results of the Chi-squared test showed two significant relationships between lifestyle status and gender as well as the quality of life with gender (p<0. 05). The mean of lifestyle and quality of life were significantly different between marital variables (p<0. 05). The results showed a positive correlation between lifestyle scores and quality of life (r=0. 479, p<0. 001). Conclusion: According to an undesirable lifestyle and moderate quality of life in the elderly, it is recommended that interventions be made to increase lifestyle and quality of life, especially in physical functioning, exercise, and physical activity in the elderly.

Aims: One of the effective factors in causing chronic diseases is inactivity. Therefore, considering the importance of modifying adolescent girl's physical activity behavior and developing appropriate educational strategies and interventions in this field, this study aimed to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on social cognitive theory (SCT) on adolescent girl's physical activity. Materials & Methods: A Quasi-experimental study was conducted among 246 female high school's Students (124=intervention group and 122=control group) in Rafsanjan (Southern Iran) by random cluster sampling in 2018-19. Demographics variables and valid and reliable questionnaire included the physical activity assessment of the last week and its effective factors based on SCT constructs collected in two stages. Educational interventions were applied in four sessions to students and two sessions to parents, teachers, and school officials. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 16. 0, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Wilcoxon test, and the T-test. Findings: After executing the educational program, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the two groups in environmental factors (p=0. 027), knowledge (p<0. 001), family support (p=0. 001), self-efficacy (p=0. 001), and self-regulation (p=0. 008), comparative between two groups the rates of daily and weekly physical activity increased (p=0. 001). Conclusion: The implementation of educational programs based on the SCT positively affects promoting physical activity in adolescents.

Aims: Oral problems, particularly dental caries, are among prevalent health problems across the world that normally initiate in adolescence. This study aimed to determine oral health-related factors based on the health belief model among 10th to 12th-grade students in Kashan. Instrument & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 10th to 12th-grade students living in Kashan City, Iran, in 2017-18. Using multistage sampling, students were randomly selected from schools. Then, students completed a valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire. Utilizing independent t-test, logistic regression, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient, the collected data were analyzed by SPSS 20. Findings: 50. 6% of the participants brushed teeth at least once a day, 20% used dental floss once a day, and 8. 3% referred to the dentist once every six months. There was a significant positive correlation between perceived self-efficacy and oral health behaviors (r=0. 35; p<0. 001). In addition, perceived barriers had a significant negative relationship with oral health behaviors (r=-0. 30; p<0. 001). However, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived benefits had no significant correlation with oral health behaviors (p>0. 05). Conclusion: The health belief model has the necessary effectiveness in promoting oral health behaviors. It is suggested to utilize appropriate plans and educational interventions based on behavioral models and theories to increase self-efficacy and remove barriers to toothbrushing behavior, utilization of dental floss, and improvement of oral health in students.

Aims: Due to the widespread outbreak of COVID-19, thousands of people have died, and millions of people have been infected around the world, putting communities at great risk. The present study assessed the lived experience of people infected by COVID-19. Participants & Methods: This qualitative research with a phenomenological approach was conducted in March 2020 in Boroujerd, Lorestan. Using the theoretical sampling method, 18 citizens were interviewed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The Colaizzi method was used for data analysis, and Goba and Lincoln validation model was used for scientific validation of research findings. Findings: After qualitative data analysis, seven main themes were identified, including the dimensions of health and education (highlighting the role of health care providers, improving personal health, stagnation of educational activities, the need to improve media literacy), family (family-centered lifestyle, generational convergence and family cohesion), social (disruption of relationships and social interactions of individuals, increasing social trust in health care institutions, reproduction of social inequality), cultural and religious (spirituality, cultural weakness), economic (disorder and recession following disruption of business and production), sovereignty and politics (organizational integrity, bioterrorism), psychological (anxiety and social phobia). Conclusion: COVID-19 has seriously affected people’ s daily life and mental and social health in Boroujerd.

Aims: Our knowledge of the prevalence of high-risk behaviors among Iranian adolescents is controversial. This paper was aimed to estimate the prevalence of drug abuse, alcohol consumption, smoking, hookah, and extramarital sex among Iranian adolescents with a systematic approach. Information & Methods: In this meta-analyses study, the databases were searched up to date of 2020/1/21 that searched major international databases including Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus, and some national databases include SID, IranDoc, Magiran, and a reference list of the selected studies to obtain the relevant studies until 2020/02/21. PRISMA checklist and the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist were used. Stata 11 software was used to analyze data. Findings: Out of 8047 studies identified at initial phase, 37 studies were eligible for meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of drug abuse, alcohol consumption, smoking, hookah and extramarital sex were 4% (95% CI: 3% to 5%), 9% (95% CI: 6% to 10%), 9% (95% CI: 7% to 10%), 20% (95% CI: 14% to 25%) and 20% (95% CI: 9% to 31%), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of high-risk behaviors in Iranian adolescents is high. Taking primary prevention measures to reduce prevalence is recommended by legal and health measures.

Aims: Identifying the factors affecting the older adult's quality of life can be effective in finding ways to improve their quality of life. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the factors affecting older adult's quality of life in Middle Eastern countries. Information & Methods: This systematic review study was conducted in March and April 2020. According to the World Health Organization classification, studies published up to April 2020 on older adults aged 60 years and older were included. STROBE was used to screen and evaluate articles. Articles were searched without language restrictions using Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, Magiran, Proquest, SID, Noormags, IranDoc, and the keywords of quality of life, elder, aging, aging, seniors, and old age conducted in all Middle Eastern countries. Findings: In the initial search, 1606 articles were obtained. After screening, finally, 123 articles were reviewed. The results were classified into four categories, including socio-demographic, psychological, physical, and spiritual factors. The results showed that socio-demographic and physical factors were the most important factors. In Iran, demographic factors, in Turkey, diseases, and the Arab countries, health-related behaviors were more frequent and had a significant relationship with quality of life. Conclusion: The elderly's quality of life in the Middle East is related to various factors, including socio-demographic, psychological, physical, and spiritual factors; therefore, it is necessary to plan at different levels to increase their quality of life according to the relevant factors.