ARAK MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL (AMUJ)
Year:2006 | Volume:9 | Issue:SPECIAL ISSUE (POPULATION RESEARCH)|Papers Count:10

Introduction: Community dentistry is one of the most important approaches that has revolutionized the dental health education system and has led to community health promotion. This approach is established based on preventive dentistry and health education that can promote community partnership. Visual media is one of the health education methods most useful to achieve the above aim This study was done to evaluate the effect of an educational film in oral health promotion of students aged 12-14 years old in city of isfahan.Materials and Methods: Initially, an educational film about oral health, designed for the age group of 12-14 years old, was chosen. Questionnaires based on the film was prepared and completed by the students in three stages: before watching the film, immediately after that and one month later. Data was collected and statistical analysis was done using analysis of variance and paired T test.Results: The results of this study showed that oral health knowledge was significantly improved immediately after film and one month later (p<0.05). Mean practice of oral health including amount of daily brushing and flossing and method of brushing was significantly improved after one month (p<0.05).Conclusion: Results of this study showed that using educational films as one of the visual media to promote oral hygiene not only enhanced students' instant knowledge but also improved their oral hygiene knowledge and practice in long term Therefore education by visual media to promote oral health in community, as an effective method, is recommended.

Introduction: Active cooperation of individuals in their political, economic, cultural and other aspects of life is called participation. In local participation, participants in addition to acquiring benefits of each project can affect its direction and implementation. This participation in local societies produces empowerment and development. In order to perform community based participatory researches, people were encouraged to cooperate in Arak population research base.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, to encourage people to be active in the base, 10 methods were implemented which are categorized in three major groups: 1. Man to man methods such as peer groups, invitation of friends, residents of quarters and helping in need people 2.Commercialmethods such as billboards, posters, local publications, celebrations and national and religious occasions 3.Group making methods in which members were active in reaching a special goal. Questionnaires were completed for 200 individuals having at least 1 hour participation a week.Results: People participated in the base during 8 months, overlay selected these different participation methods as their introducing methods to the base: man to man methods 236 times, commercial ones 104 times and group making 62 times. From the viewpoint of cost, man to man methods had 12500000, commercial ones 42000000 and group making 14500000 Rials cost. Conclusion: Results showed that the best way to draw individuals' participation was man to man methods especially by friends and the second was commercial ones. Group making methods had the least success. Also women (especially housewives) and youths were the most active groups. Man to man methods had the lowest and commercial ones had the highest coast.

Introduction: Quality of passing the leisure time is one of the women problems which have a long - standing effect on their life. It needs to solve promptly. Since solving every problem is due to recognizing it, this research is designed to investigate the passing of leisure time.Materials and Methods: This study is a qualitative one and is called "grounded theory" which has performed in research population base of Arak University of medical sciences in 2005. Sampling was based on objective and data gathering was done by in-depth interview. Data was saturated after 50 interviews. All of them were coded and classified and summarized as main topics. Research ethical points were determined carefully. Results: Women believed that they had 3-8 hours leisure time in a day. Most of them mentioned that they had spared their time with other women in allies and streets, watching television and talking to each other. Studying, exercising and social activities were the least activities. Their leisure time does not have any effect in their learning. Lack of library, sport camps, entertaining facilities and cultural clubs were their problems.Conclusion: According to the results of study, passing the leisure time in women is not suitable, which needs special attention. Establishing cultural, educational and entertaining centers which can be available for every person is suggested.

Introduction: Community based participatory research in population research center is an important plan of undersecretary for research and technology of ministry of health and medical education in Iran. Preliminary need assessment by participation of Dena population is the first aim of this project.Materials and Methods: Focus group discussion (FGD) was the method in this project. Twenty seven sessions were organized and various groups of Dena population (from rural and urban areas) were participated in these sessions. Viewpoints of participants were collected with taking notes and voice recording by facilitators.Results: People of Dena, propounded 47 problems in their society which 16 (35%) were related to environ'1lentalhealth, 13 (27%) were related to health system deficit, and 9 cases (19%) were economical and social problems. Conclusion: FGD can be used for need community based participatory researches. Also interventions must be considered.

Introduction: Reaching to the goal of health promotion and directing people toward community based participatory research, needs a scientific approach. Census is the first step in knowing people and environmental potentials in order to drawing people participation and empowering them, need assessment, performing applied research and planning interventions to promote their health. This study is done as census in 2006.Materials and methods: Sampling method was census and concluded all people in Arak population research center. Census was done in the form of 11 clusters in the field and by 11 questioning teams which were active under the supervision of 5 observer teams. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: In the performed census, 34918 persons were assessed in which 51.2% were male. 50.6% of them were unmarried, 45.6% married, 0.15% remarried, 0.08% divorced and 0.09% widowed. Also 11.72% were illiterate, 18.73% had elementary education, 30.32% were under diploma, 15.42% had diploma and 6.81% college education.Conclusion: The region is in a moderate to low socioeconomic level and has a lower immigration rate than other suburb areas. Results are available and necessary for future researches.

Introduction: Healthy lifestyle is an essential issue and each individual needs a healthy lifestyle throughout his life. The purpose of this study is to identify the lifestyle of the residents in zone 17 of Tehran and issues affecting it. The main reason for applying this study is promoting the quality of life among residents, based on their analysis of socio-economic patterns and participation.Materials and Methods: Participatory approach has been conducted in this qualitative research the methods for collecting data were participatory tools consisting of participatory observation, interview and community group work. Research team was a rapid appraisal team composed of members with different backgrounds and skills of community, organizations and University.Results: Overall local facilities in zone 17 included: companion facilities and city facilities. Results showed that the distribution of resources and facilities was different in different quarters of the zone and people were more interested in companion facilities than city facilities. Most social communication of people was traditional and ethnical which had a direct effect on their health. Also three groups of barriers in establishing healthy lifestyle were found including: wrong personal beliefs, social communication based on relative relationship and talking same language and structural and environmental barriers.Conclusion: Findings showed that most social communication and relationship was based on relativeness and neighborhood which had a significant effect on people lifestyle. When people participation and communication expands to general population, a good chance for social development will be provided. Also local organizations by using effective education methods can provide people participation in their own health promotion.

Introduction: Population lab is a new policy for improving population health that has been established on the basis of participation of community members in research activities. In this study strategies for increasing collaboration based on local conditions have been investigated.Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was performed by group discussion. Sample group consisted of 24 active volunteer members of "Baghodrat Jupari" population lab in Kerman. Brain storming and problem finding were the instruments for determination of effective factors of increasing participation and collaboration. Findings were classified by content analysis method and presented after group agreement.Results: Mutual respect, cooperative skills, common goals and kindness were among effective factors on cooperative participation. Suggested strategies for increasing mentioned items were establishing training courses, providing group recreations and organizing activities by duty sharing, defining members' duties and attendance checking.Discussion: Considering the method used in this study, effective factors and strategies obtained are important practically, because all of them are inventive solutions based on special conditions of our region. These strategies along with increasing morality are accepted locally with a flexible intension and could be a model adaptable to similar studies.

Introduction: The ability to communicate and work together with harmony respective of selfishness and increasing innovation, inspiration and creativity in different conditions and roles are among the most important subjects all over the world. Investigating the attitude of the participants towards the qualitative and quantitative specifications of the workshops and getting familiar with them have been the dominating reasons of the present research.Materials and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional descriptive one and included the participants of the three aforementioned workshops holding in population research base of Arak University of medical sciences. The data collection tool was an 88-item questionnaire and at first it was tested by a pilot study. After measuring the validity and reliability of the questions, 20 ones were selected as appropriate items. Data analysis was done by central indices (mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum).Results: The results revealed that participants can communicate with each other, their friends and family by 100%, working together 93.8% and doing the innovative and creative works 87.5%, and according to direct observation they have wonderful changes in different aspects of life by learning these skills. Conclusion: It has been understood that the participants of workshops have shown many qualifications and the education should be continued to sustain the skills since they can promote their mental and psychological abilities.

Introduction: Regular physical activity has proved to be an effective behavior against noncommunicable diseases. It is partly influenced by accessing to physical activity related facilities. The purpose of this study is to determine the accessibility and utilization of physical activities resources in the area covered by Social development and health promotion research center.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study at first stakeholders were identified. Task force was formed to assess the public access to physical activity related facilities. The group prepared appropriate forms to gather information on technical resources (according to environmental and workplace health center guidelines). This study was conducted on 63 physical activity facilities in the area. Data was gathered through interview and observation checklists and analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: 34.7% of clubs were for men, 8.6% for women and 56.5% both. 47.8% of clubs were for bodybuilding. 81.5% of individual-sessions in 20 sports were especially for men. Bodybuilding with 35.2% and wrestling with 12.9% concluded more individual sessions. Also the most individual-sessions were related to summer (36.3%). Morning exercise had only one place. Prom 157 active instructors in 20 sports, 68.2% were men. Most men instructors were active in wrestling (17.8%) and bodybuilding (12.7%). In women this was 26% in aerobics and 18% in Karate.Conclusion: This investigation showed that sport areas are not suitable and sufficient and women have fewer facilities. Regarding the importance of diseases related to inactivity, it is necessary to look for suitable interventions. Also the low rate of aerobics, which are very important in physical and emotional health, needs special attention.