Health Education and Health Promotion
Year:2021 | Volume:9 | Issue:2|Papers Count:10

Aims During the outbreak of COVID-19, the Militaries are still fighting against the virus alongside health care workers, so knowing the mental status of the military leads to identify their real needs and increase the performance of militaries. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare COVID-19 anxiety, health anxiety, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies between militaries and civilians during the outbreak of COVID-19. Instrument & Methods This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on military and civilian men living in Malayer, Hamedan, on September 1-6, 2020, coinciding with the prevalence of COVID-19. The researcher-made demographic information questionnaire, COVID-19 anxiety, health anxiety questionnaires, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies were completed by 204 people (102 militaries, 102 civilians). In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the convenience sampling method and internet implementation were used. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and chi-square using SPSS 24 software. Findings The results showed that civilians had a longer history of infection to Covid-19 and history of Covid-19 in their relatives than militaries and there was no significant difference between militaries and civilians in terms of having suspicious symptoms and history of close contact with individuals with Covid-19 disease (p>0. 05). Also, there was a significant and strong relationship between the job and COVID-19 anxiety (χ 2=90. 7; p=0. 0001) and type of job and health anxiety (χ 2=79. 4; p=0. 0001), and the militaries in term of COVID-19 and health anxiety were in a more inappropriate state. About half of the militaries (41. 2%) had severe COVID-19 anxiety, and one-third of them (31. 4%) had severe health anxiety. The militaries had a lower average than civilians in all aspects of adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (p<0. 05). Conclusion The level of health anxiety and anxiety of COVID-19 in the militaries is higher than in the normal population.

Aims With age, a person faces many threats, such as developing chronic diseases. Health literacy plays a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the relationship between health literacy and multiinfection based on gender differences in the elderly. Instrument & Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on the elderly population over 60 years in Comprehensive Health Center and Health Post at Malekan City, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in 2018. Four hundred eighty-seven people were sampled by the stratified random sampling method. Demographic and standard health literacy questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test, chi-square, and linear regression model by SPSS 26 software. Findings The mean participants’ age was 64. 9± 6. 5 years. The health literacy level of 63. 86% of the participants was insufficient, and only 1. 23% of the subjects had excellent health literacy. The rate of multi-infection in women was significantly higher than in men. Conclusion The level of health literacy and multi-infection rate in women is higher than in men.

Aims Communication skills refers to a person’ s ability to convey information to others effectively and efficiently, which can be learned and can be strengthened through practice and training. The purpose of the current study was to determine the effects of communication skills training on the lifestyle of the elderly. Materials & Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 140 elderly and their caregiver in Khorzugh, Isfahan province, in 2018. A stratified random sampling method was used. Data collection tools were demographic information, the Interpersonal-Communication Skills Test, and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. In the test group of the elderly, a 180min intervention with a 2-month follow-up was performed. Mann-Whitney, Kolmogorov– Smirnov, Wilcoxon, and Spearman tests were used and analyzed in SPSS 25. Findings Most of the group of caregivers and elderly were women, housewives, and married. The mean scores of the communication skills and lifestyles before and after 2-months of the intervention had a significant difference between the experimental and control groups of the elderly (p<0. 001). Nevertheless, Comparing the mean score of the spiritual growth between the two groups of test and control elderly before and after 2-months, the intervention showed no significant differences (p>0. 05). The total score of communication skills in both experimental and control groups of the caregivers two months after the training intervention was significantly different (p<0. 001). Conclusion An educational intervention based on communication skills training effectively improves the communication skills and lifestyles of the elderly.

Aims Dental caries in preschool children continues to be an important health problem in most countries. This study aimed to determine the effect of education to mothers based on the health belief model on decreasing the dental plaque index of 3– 6 years old children. Materials & Methods This experimental study was conducted on 88 mothers and their 3– 6-years old children (NTotal=176) referred to the Health Care Center No. 1 in Ilam in 2015. Participants were randomly selected using a random number and randomly assigned to either intervention or control groups on a 1: 1 ratio basis. A three-part questionnaire was used. Three training sessions were given to the intervention group; each lasted for one hour once a week. At one-month follow-up, the post-test questionnaires were administered to both groups. A trained dentist assessed the oral health status of children using O’ Leary plaque index with a dental mirror and a probe in broad daylight. SPSS 26 was used for data analysis, and the chisquare and T-test were applied to compare the data. Findings The mean ages of mothers and their children were 31. 28± 5. 63 years and 4. 5± 1. 56 years, respectively. Despite the similarity of groups at the beginning of the study (p>0. 05), significant differences were found between groups in follow-up (p≤ 0. 001) and between before intervention and follow-up in the intervention group (p≤ 0. 001) in all health belief model constructs, oral health practice, and the plaque index. Conclusion Providing mothers with oral health education for their children can promote their beliefs and behavior relating to brushing their children’ s teeth, and decreasing the plaque index.

Aims The purpose of this study was to explain pedestrians’ perception of the factors affecting the use of bridges according to the theory of planned behavior. Participants & Methods This qualitative study included 25 participants who were knowledgeable about pedestrian bridge use, and it was conducted in Yazd, Iran, from April to October 2018. Semi-structured interviews were used to extract the perceptions of behavioral, control, and normative beliefs of pedestrians. After transcribing the interviews, a directed content analysis was performed. Data analysis was performed by researchers with existing logic and MAXQDA 12 software. Finally, the beliefs of the pedestrian were extracted, and their outstanding beliefs were determined according to their frequencies. Findings 18 subcategories, 42 integrated codes, and 331 codes were identified. “ Less stress and more relaxation” were identified as the most important advantage, and “ high energy consumption and traversing long distances” were identified as the main disadvantage of pedestrian bridge use. The most frequent verifies were family members, and the main disapproving community was familiars, sick and disabled people, and family, respectively. “ Unsafe and non-standard equipment and facilities” was introduced as the most important factor making it difficult to use the bridge, and the most effective facilitator was “ providing amenities such as escalators” . Conclusion To increase using bridges by pedestrians, we require focusing on feeling more relaxed as the main advantage, family members as the main verifier, friends and peers as the most frequent disapprover, creating standard and safe facilities, and installing escalators the pedestrian bridges.

Aims Hospitalization in the cardiac care unit often imposes many physical and psychological tensions on the family. This study aimed to determine the effect of information support on depression of family caregivers of patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit. Materials & Methods This quasi-experimental study was performed on family caregivers of patients admitted to the cardiac care unit of Sevom Shaban Hospital of Damavand city, Iran, 2020. Participants included 60 family caregivers who were assigned to intervention and control groups. Family caregivers in the intervention group received information support through a training booklet, and the control group received the same routine information. Data collections were conducted by a demographic data sheet and anxiety and depression questionnaire (HADS). The data were then analyzed using SPSS 18 software. Findings The two family groups (intervention and control) showed different levels of depression after the information support intervention (p=0. 02). Wilcoxon’ s signed-rank test showed that the mean depression of family caregivers after the intervention was 4. 63± 2. 67 compared to the mean depression of 6. 50± 3. 01 in the control group (p<0. 05). Conclusion During the patient’ s stay in the cardiac care unit, nurses can alleviate family depression by providing information support.

Aims The COVID-19 pandemic could be considered a significant public health crisis. This study aimed to assess the rate of depressive symptoms and its related risk factors among older adults during the COVID-19 outbreak. Instrument & Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 older adults aged 60 and over in 2020 in Mashhad City, Iran. A random cluster sampling was done for selecting the older adults from 5 urban health care centers. The Persian version of the WHO-5 index was used. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20 using descriptive statistics, chi-square, and logistic regression tests. Findings The prevalence of moderate depressive symptoms was (33%). Although most of the participants had mild depressive symptoms (38. 2%); Moreover, There was a significant relationship between depression with family structure (p<0. 001) and underlying disease (p<0. 001). Conclusion The rate of depressive symptoms among older adults is high. The policy-makers and health professionals need to provide psychological interventions to decrease the psychological damages caused by the outbreak crisis.

Aims Balance is one of the key components of most physical activities. To control balance and choose a balanced strategy, vision plays a crucial role in processing visual inputs. The present study aimed to design and implement a game-like exercise protocol and determine its effectiveness on the static and dynamic balance of children with visual impairment. Materials & Methods This quasi-experimental study consisted of all 6-11-year-old children with visual impairment referring to the counseling centers Yazd province and done in the summer 2020. A total of 35 visually impaired children were selected using the purposeful convenience sampling method. After matching, the samples were assigned into an experimental group (n=18) and a control group (n=17). The experimental group received 24 sessions in 60min training. The required data was gathered using the Stork Balance Stand and Timed Up and Go tests for visually impaired children. The collected data were analyzed using ANCOVA by SPSS 20. Findings The obtained results showed a significant difference in the means of the static balance test (p<0. 01) and the dynamic balance test (p<0. 01) between subjects of the experimental and control groups. Conclusion Considering the effectiveness of the game-like exercises on improving children’ s balance with visual impairment, these games are suggested to be implemented daily at home.

Aims Experienced bodily sensation with basic emotions seems to be a universal phenomenon, but cross-cultural differences are expected. This study was designed to determine the topographic map of changes across six basic emotions and anxiety in a sample of Iranian people and to compare their perception of emotion-related bodily changes by sex. Materials & Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 220 Iranians aged 16-55 years. The Persian pencil and paper version of the emBODY application was used and validated during the study. The results were analyzed by SPSS 20 software using generalized linear models to determine the relationship between gender and emotion sensation in 5 main body areas and three main facial parts. Findings Anxiety was the most common reported basic emotion, and anger, fear, sadness, joy, surprise, and disgust, respectively, were identified basic emotions in both sexes. GLMs were significant (p<0. 05) for bodily sensation changes in the head and neck, upper body, upper and lower limbs, and all three main facial parts. Results also showed a significant gender difference in lower limbs (p<0. 05). Conclusion The results suggested the consistency of distinct emotion-triggered bodily sensation maps of Iranians with universal patterns.

Aims Nowadays, cesarean increased in most countries in the world, such as Iran, while cesarean is considered major surgery and it is often associated with very dangerous complications, like other major surgeries. This study aimed to determine the effect of education in choosing the type of delivery in primiparous pregnant women. Materials & Methods This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 190 primiparous pregnant women applicant cesarean in the third trimester of pregnancy, referred to health centers in Ramhormoz, Iran in 2018 (95 experimental groups and 95 control group). The educational program about cesarean was included four sections of 90min in the form of group education. The questionnaire written by Seyedeh Nouri & Jamshidi was used, and outcomes were included knowledge and attitude that were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS 19. 0 using T and Chi-square tests. Findings The mean age of the experimental group was 27. 37± 0. 00, and the control group was 27. 91± 0. 00. There was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in demographic variables (p>0. 05). Before training, the mean of knowledge was not significantly different, but training was significantly different between the experimental and control groups. The mean scores of dimensions of the reasons for choosing cesarean section before training were not significantly different between the experimental group and control group (p>0. 05), but after training, there were significant differences between the two groups (p<0. 05). Conclusion Educational intervention used effectively enhanced the knowledge and attitude of pregnant women in choosing the type of delivery.