Journal of Education and Community Health
Year:2018 | Volume:5 | Issue:3 (19) |Papers Count:10

Dear Editor-in-Chief: Health Belief Model is one of the most widely used models in health behaviors and it is considered an individual model of behavioral study. This model measures the relationship between health belief and health behavior, and it is based on the hypothesis that the adoption of preventive behavior is based on the beliefs of the person. In this model, whatever perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived benefits are stronger, perceived barriers are weaker, and the probability of adoption of preventive health behaviors is greater. In this model, perceived barriers are considered the most important predictors of behavior.

Background & Objective: Inactivity is one of the 10 leading causes of death in the world, doubling the risk of cardiovascular disease. Health belief model (HBM) is an effective model in predict the regular physical activity behavior. This study aimed at identifying determinants of the regular physical activity in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases, using HBM. Instruments & Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross sectional study was conducted on employees working in a healthcare network affiliated to Ilam University of Medical Sciences in 2017. 163 subjects were selected by simple random sampling method. The instruments to collect the data were standard inventory of HBM-ISCS and self-made questionnaire that were applied after reviewing and approving their validity and reliability. Eventually, the data were analyzed, by SPSS 16, using Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and ETA test. Results: The perceived severity and self-efficacy were significant predictors of daily and weekly regular physical activity. Meanwhile, multiple regression analysis predicted 23. 3% of the behavior. Also, gender had the strongest relationship with the barriers of physical activity and marital status and occupation had the strongest relationship with selfefficacy. Education had no significant statistical relationship with model constructs and age had a significant statistical relationship with perceived severity and the benefits of physical activity. Conclusion: The perceived severity and self-efficacy from health belief model are the strongest determinants for daily and weekly physical activity.

Background & Objective: One of the most important concerns of health care professionals is information. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effects of health-message broadcast via the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system of the waiting lounge of Tehran Heart Center (THC) on knowledge, satisfaction, and anxiety of patients’ companions. Materials & Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 196 patients’ companions were selected by the available sampling method in 2017. The intervention tool was a 17-minute video about cardiovascular disease displayed at a certain time in the THC waiting lounge. The data were collected by the Spielberger’ s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory before and after the intervention and a researcher-made questionnaire on the levels of satisfaction and awareness after the health-message broadcast. The data were analyzed by the SPSS 22 software, using paired t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: There was a positive and significant correlation between the awareness (r=0. 480) and satisfaction (r=0. 375) of individuals from health messages and the quality of the content of health messages (p=0. 001). There was a significant difference between the mean scores of participants' anxiety before and after intervention (p<0. 001), indicating the effect of intervention on reducing their anxiety levels. Conclusion: The strategy of broadcasting health messages on the CCTV of the THC waiting lounge is effective in improving the levels of knowledge, satisfaction, and anxiety of the patients’ companions and can be of help in protecting and making them participate in patient care and even prevention.

Background & Objective: In recent decades, social participation has been considered one of the development indicators in the framework of institutionalization of activities of individuals. The aim of this study was to identify the contexts of social participation in sport for all in Iran. Participants & Methods: Considering the exploratory nature of the subject, the method of qualitative research and the strategy of the grounded theory were used to determine the fields of social participation in sport for all in Iran. First, through the initial studies, the introductory list of effective codes was identified. Purposive sampling method was used. After completing 27 deep and semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable scholars, theoretical saturation was obtained and the main categories were extracted after the completing the coding process. Results: The open coding results indicated that 98 initial indications and 32 final indications could determine the contexts of social participation in sport for all in Iran. Then, in the axial coding, the final indications were categorized in 11 concepts and 5 categories. Then, in the central coding, the final indications were categorized in 11 concepts and 5 categories. Finally, the identified categories derived from the selective coding included human factors, structural factors, management factors, environmental complexity, and economic factors. Conclusion: The categories of social participation in sport for all in Iran are 5, including human factors, structural factors, management factors, environmental complexity, and economic factors, respectively.

Background & Objective: Due to its role in promoting appropriate decisions on the health of individuals, health literacy can affect their quality of life. This study aimed at determining the correlation between health literacy and quality of life in athletic disabled women in Tehran. Instruments & Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2017 among 169 athletic disabled women of the federation for the disabled and veterans in Tehran, who were selected by simple random sampling. Quality of life (SF-36) and health literacy questionnaires (HELIA) were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed by SPSS 20, using Pearson correlation coefficient and liner regression test. Results: The mean score of total health literacy was 101. 29± 28. 79 and the mean score of total quality of life was 53. 02± 21. 94. There was a direct and significant correlation between the dimensions of physical and mental health of quality of life with all aspects of health literacy (p<0. 01). Also, availability, reading, comprehension, evaluation, decision-making and application explained the variance in quality of life by 42. 7%, 41. 6%, 40. 9%, 36. 2%, and 19. 4% (p<0. 05). Conclusion: Having fair health literacy could improve the quality of life of athletic disabled women.

Background & Objective: Quality of life and psychological well-being are one of the issues that can play an important role in the development of diseases and their treatment. This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the quality of life and psychological well-being of patients with cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as healthy people. Materials & Methods: The study is a causal-comparative design. The study population included all patients with cardiovascular disease and cancer at Avicenna Clinic in Tabriz in 2016, and the samples were selected by purposive sampling. The total sample included 150 participants, 100 of whom were selected from the clinical population and 50 of whom were selected from healthy individuals. The data were collected by two questionnaires of quality of life and psychological well-being. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results: The quality of life of healthy people was at a higher level and there were no differences between patients with cardiovascular disease and cancer. Psychological well-being was at a higher level in healthy people than in patients with cardiovascular disease and cancer. Also, this variable was higher in patients with cardiovascular disease than in patients with cancer. Conclusion: Patients with cardiovascular disease and cancer have lower levels of quality of life and psychological well-being than healthy people.

Background & Objective: Behavioral change is one of the most powerful strategies for preventing osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the osteoporosis preventive behaviors in women based on the transtheoretical model. Instruments & Methods: This cross sectional descriptive-analytical study was performed on 400 women over 30 years covered by Fasa health care centers in 2018 that were selected by simple random sampling. The instruments of data collection included a personal information questionnaire, awareness, change stages, decision-making balance, selfefficacy in two parts of physical activity and dietary calcium, and a calcium intake questionnaire, as well as a checklist for physical activity and calcium intake performance. The data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software, using Pearson correlation coefficient, Chi-square, independent t-test, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The majority of the participants were involved with calcium intake performance (41. 25%) and walking (46. 25%) at the precontemplation stage. There was a direct correlation between calcium intake performance and self-efficacy of calcium intake (p=0. 032; r=0. 125) and an inverse correlation with perceived barriers of calcium intake (p=0. 045; r=-0. 187). There was a direct correlation between walking performance with exercise benefits (p=0. 020; r=0. 128) and exercise selfefficacy (p=0. 032; r=0. 184), and a reverse correlation with perceived barriers of exercise (p=0. 040; r=-0. 102). Totally, the variables under the study predicted 28. 6% of the variance in walking and 30. 2% of the variance in calcium intake behavior. Conclusion: Transtheoretical model structures can predict osteoporosis preventive behaviors in women. The predictive power of self-efficacy for walking behavior and calcium intake is more than other structures.

Background & Objective: Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of education through the Telegram network on increasing the self-efficacy of women in preventing osteoporosis. Materials & Methods: The present study is a semi-experimental research with pre-test post-test with randomized control group design, which was conducted in 2017 among 60 women referring to the health centers of Yazd surrounding. The subjects were selected by random cluster sampling and assigned to intervention and control groups. The research instrument was a two-part questionnaire, including demographic information and selfefficacy questions. After completing the questionnaires, a package of educational messages was sent to the intervention group via the Telegram channel, but the control group did not receive any education. A month later, the questionnaires were completed again and the data were analyzed by SPSS18 software, using paired and independent t-test as well as Chisquare test. Results: After intervention, the mean score of self-efficacy increased in intervention group compared to control group (p<0. 001). Also, the mean of self-efficacy score increased after intervention in the intervention group and decreased in the control group (p<0. 001). In the intervention group, the mean score of self-efficacy questions regarding the ability to use calcium and vitamin D supplements (p=0. 032), exposure to sunlight for 15 minutes (p=0. 005), and avoiding carbonated beverages (p=0. 001) was significantly higher after intervention than before. Conclusion: Education through the Telegram on osteoporosis can be effective in promoting the self-efficacy of women in preventing osteoporosis.

Background & Objective: Today, Likert scale data is used in many studies in medical, educational, and psychometric fields to understand the attitudes of individuals. This study was conducted with the aim of correctly understanding how to design a Likert scale and to analyse the issues and challenges in determining the reliability and analysis of Likert scale data. Instruments & Methods: In the current review study, search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct were searched between May and August 2017. Based on the searched terms, 532 articles were primarily obtained; according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study, eventually 60 articles were examined. Results: Using the 5-point scale is more common than other multi-choice options. Considering the option as intervals encourages people to answer the questions. While using Likert scale data, there are always decisionmaking challenges, especially when discussing the type of test to be used for parametric or non-parametric tests. If there is a presumption of the normalization of the distance data, independent t test is used for the two separate groups. Conclusion: In most of the Likert scale studies that have been carried out so far, there is some confusion or disagreement with how to design, construct, and analyse its data. Ultimately, although there is no detailed and comprehensive agreement on the design and analysis of Likert data, this study, with a general summary in this regard, has greatly curtailed the confusion.