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Aim: This study was carried out to investigate the perception of the main competencies of disaster management in Iranian emergency department nurses in 2023 in hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The present study was conducted to explore the perceived core disaster competencies in nurses of hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2023. Background: Due to the rise in natural disasters, their escalating severity and associated regulatory response necessitate a closer look at the preparedness and core competencies of nursing personnel. The main competencies of nurses are necessary to deal with disasters in unexpected events, and they are expected to use their professional expertise to provide the required nursing services to reduce the risks caused by disasters. Methodology: This descriptive‐analytical study was conducted cross‐sectionally between May and September 2023. In the study, a sample of 384 nurses working in the departments of four hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences was selected through a random stratification. The data collection instrument was a 45‐item scale of nursesʼ perceived core competencies (NPDCC) in handling disasters. The data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U‐test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and independent samples t‐test. The significance level was set at 5%. Results: The mean total score of perceived core disaster competencies was 139.11 ± 37.65. The technical skills subscale got the highest score (51.81 ± 11.28) and critical thinking skills received the lowest (9.74 ± 3.92). Also, "technical skills" had the highest average and "critical thinking skills" had the lowest average in all three age groups. The results found a significant difference between the scores of nurses in perceived core disaster competencies in age groups, work environments, education degrees, marital statuses, and experiences of attending disaster workshops (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: The results showed that nurses had different levels of core disaster competencies in the department. There are gaps in the core disaster nursing competencies that need to be filled. Nursing managers should consistently evaluate the core nursing competencies to achieve efficacious disaster preparedness. To this aim, it is recommended that authorities implement training courses and programs to enhance the preparedness of nurses in responding to disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Suicide attempts are a fundamental problem in health care systems and are known for their complex and multifaceted nature. This study aimed to explore the reasons for suicide attempts and to identify associated factors in western Iran. Methods: In Asadabad, western Iran, a cross‐sectional study was carried out between April 2020 and March 2021. A nonrandom sampling method was used to select 110 participants, ages 15–35. Structured questionnaires such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI‐II), and the Suicide Motivation Scale (IMSA) were used to gather the data. Multiple linear regression, one‐way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and independent t tests were all used in the data analysis. Results: The majority of participants (59.1%) were female, with a mean age of 25.78 years. The most common reason for suicide attempts (43.6%) was family issues, and the most popular means (66.4%) were pills and medication. Eighty‐nine percent of participants had symptoms of depression. The mean scores were calculated for motivation for suicide attempts (32.46 ± 16.11), depression (34.60 ± 20.50), and anxiety (34.14 ± 15.69). The analysis showed that the motivation for suicide attempts and anxiety was greater in single persons than in married and divorced persons (p < 0.05). Motivation for suicide attempts was also greater in low‐ to middle‐income individuals with a history of divorce (p < 0.05). The multiple regression model showed that anxiety, sex, education, and medical history significantly influenced the motivation for suicide attempts (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that a wide range of social, economic, and cultural factors and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression, are involved in suicide attempts. This study aimed to design interventions and strategies to prioritize mental health, improve life skills to control stressful events, and focus on high‐risk groups (women, married people, people with low education levels, and those with a history of physical and mental illnesses) for suicide prevention in health promotion programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research was conducted to compare the effects of two methods of traditional lecture and Jigsaw Cooperative Learning on the students’ knowledge, performance, and satisfaction. This quasi-experimental study was done on 50 public health students, who had been chosen through available sampling. The performance and satisfaction of students was measured through two researcher-made 80 and 18-item questionnaires after receiving the training. Data were analyzed through SPSS 2423.0 software. The mean score of knowledge in the pre-test stage in the jigsaw and lecture groups was 11.40 and 10.56, respectively, while these values in the post-test stage significantly increased in the jigsaw group compared to their lecture counterpart (16.68 vs. 10.76) (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference between the two groups regarding the score of poster and pamphlet preparation, role-playing, and slide preparation in all subscales (P < 0.001). The mean score of satisfaction was higher in the jigsaw group in all subscales except for motivation (P = 0.17) and problem-solving (P = 0.43), compared to the lecture group (P < 0.001). The results indicated that the JCL method, by engaging students in the teaching-learning process, could cause enhanced knowledge, performance, and satisfaction of the learner, helping them deal with their courses with greater interest. . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study was conducted with the aim of designing and validating questionnaires for evaluating the public health students' knowledge, performance, and satisfaction (KPS) in the course of educational technology. Methods: The present study was conducted with qualitative‐quantitative approach. Qualitative stage was done based on experts' opinion and related articles and questionnaires for developing, designing, and validating the tools. For validating the tools, face validity and content validity was done based on the opinion of the 10 expert panel. In quantitative stage, all initial validated tools were implemented on 50 students of public health for determining the reliability. The reliability of the tools was calculated using the internal consistency method of the items with Cronbach's ⍺ coefficient, and Kuder–Richardson. All analyses were conducted using SPSS‐19 software. Results: In the field of qualitative research, an assessment tool consisting of 20 four‐option questions was designed. The content validity of this tool was confirmed based on the opinions of 10 educational experts, with CVI Total = 0.862 and CVR = 0.885. Additionally, the reliability of the tool was validated through testing on 50 public health students, resulting in a reliability coefficient of r = 0.780. Furthermore, for performance evaluation, four assessment tools each comprising 20 questions (totaling 80 questions) were designed. The validity values for these tools in the areas of PowerPoint (CVI = 0.981, CVR = 0.960), pamphlet (CVI = 0.866, CVR = 0.877), poster (CVI = 0.871, CVR = 0.906), role‐playing (CVI = 0.871, CVR = 0.980), and the reliability of the tools with Cronbach's ⍺ r > 0.80 were confirmed. In the satisfaction assessment section, a researcher‐made questionnaire consisting of 18 questions across seven domains was designed, with confirmed content validity (CVI = 0.949, CVR = 0.861) and reliability (r = 0.928). Conclusions: It seems that this tool can be used to measure the KPS of students from the educational technology course of the health field and similar fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): With the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, different countries have implemented various intervention to control the disease. Providing information on how the disease spreads and local risk factors can help policymakers and managers to control the disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the spatial factors of Covid-19 disease in Hamadan province, Iran. Methods: All cases of Covid-19 in Hamadan province from the beginning of the epidemic (Jan 2020) to the end of March 2021 with a confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 disease based on PCR test were included in the study. The required information was collected through the Covid-19 case registration system in Hamadan University of medical science, other provincial institutions and the Statistics Center of Iran. Statistical analyzes were performed in two parts: descriptive and analytical. Zoning maps were used to show the distribution of disease cases. Getis-Ord G statistic was used in the analytical analysis to analyze the hot spots. Results: A total of 25197 patients suspected of Covid-19 were studied. Of these 10366 were positive based on PCR test. There were 1510 confirmed positive cases of the disease who died during the period of investigation. Population density, employment rate, development index, illiteracy rate, distance from the provincial center, air temperature, number of frosty days, average air humidity showed a significant relationship with the incidence of positive cases of Covid-19 in Hamadan province. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the most important variables related to the increase in the death of covid-19 included the increase in population density and the level of development. The preparation of risk maps using GIS can help to plan a rapid response to the COVID-19 epidemic, focus on prevention programs in high-risk areas, and plan the necessary strategies appropriate to the epidemic trend to control COVID-19 and similar epidemics in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The term infodemic refers to the proliferation of both accurate and inaccurate information that creates a challenge in identifying trustworthy and credible sources. Among the strategies employed to mitigate the impact of the infodemic, social media literacy has emerged as a significant and effective approach. This systematic review examines the role of social media literacy in the management of the infodemic. Methods: Six databases, including SID, Magiran, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science were systematically searched using relevant keywords. We included the relevant publications between 2012 and 2023 in our analysis. To ensure a qualitative assessment of the studies, we used the STROBE and AMSTAR checklists as evaluation tools. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guideline was used for the design of this review study. Finally, we organized the studies into groups based on similarities and retrieved and analyzed evidence pertaining to the challenges and opportunities identified. Results: Eleven papers were included in this study after reviewing the retrieved studies. Five of them examined the effect of social media literacy and health literacy on acceptance of health behaviors. Four studies investigated the role of media literacy in managing misinformation and fake news related to health. Two studies focused on infodemic management and promoting citizen engagement during health crises. Results showed that health-related infodemics are derived from the users' lack of media knowledge, distrust of government service systems, local influencers and peers, rapid circulation of information through mass media messages, weakness of solutions proposed by health care providers, failure to pay attention to the needs of the audience, vertical management, and inconsistency of published messages. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the importance of increasing social media literacy among the general public as a recognized strategy for managing the infodemic. Consequently, it is recommended that relevant organizations and institutions, such as the Ministry of Health, develop targeted training programs to effectively address this need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing the desire to have children is an important priority of the healthcare systems, which requires targeted planning. This paper describes the development of an intervention program using an intervention mapping approach (IMA) to increase the childbearing desires. Methods: From July to November 2022, the steps of the IMA process were completed. Starting with needs assessment, in this stage, we conducted a literature review, created focus groups, and conducted interviews with local stakeholders; meanwhile, the program objectives and the target audience were determined. Then, the road map for targeted interventions was prepared. Results: The needs assessment completed questionnaires (n=1288), the literature review, 3 focus groups (n=25 participants), in addition to interviews (n=30 participants) indicated that the most effective factors in the parents’ childbearing low desires were concern about the future of their children, economic problems, low parenting skills, and low skills to interact with their spouse. According to the PRECEDE-PROCEED model awareness, attitude, and self-efficacy were categorized as determinants at the individual level, perceived subjective norm at the family level, and organizational changes at the social level based on the results of the needs assessment. The findings from each step of the process informed successive steps. Conclusion: The IMA is a control-oriented, systematic, participation-based technique to design and implement targeted and ongoing health promotion programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Reluctance to childbearing and then the reduction of the total fertility rate are common experiences of developed countries and many developing countries, including Iran, therefore, the purpose of this study was explaining barriers to childbearing using the risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategy. Methods: The study was conducted by action research and according to RCCE during 9 months in Ardabil city. The statistical population consisted of 41 married women aged 15–54 who were eligible for childbearing, these women were purposefully selected from among the people covered by Ardabil health centers and interviewed. Data were collected using open and in‐depth interviews by the researcher and analyzed by content analysis. Results: The results of data analysis led to the extraction of three main categories, personal, familial, and social barriers. The "personal barriers" category was classified into three subcategories, namely mental, belief, and awareness barriers, the "familial barriers" category was classified into two subcategories, namely social and financial barriers, and the "social barriers" category was classified into two subcategories, political and managerial barriers. Conclusions: According to the results, a set of personal, familial, and social factors could affect childbearing among married women. Identification of these factors can play an effective role in designing educational and managerial programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Suicidal thoughts have been increasing in recent years, and having multiple intelligences, including spiritual intelligence and aesthetic intelligence, can be effective in reducing them. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between spiritual intelligence and aesthetic intelligence and suicidal thoughts in the students of Asadabad School of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in the academic year 2022-2023 on the students of the School of Medical Sciences of Asadabad City. The statistical population included 267 students of Asadabad School of Medical Sciences, who were investigated by census. Data collection tools were Beck's Suicidal Thoughts, King's Spiritual Intelligence and Aesthetic Intelligence Questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Tukey's post hoc test, and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: A total of 165 people participated in the study. The results showed that the mean scores of all variables in the group with suicidal thoughts were significantly lower than the group without suicidal thoughts (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed between male and female students in terms of suicidal thoughts (p=0.155). Also, in the examination of the average scores of aesthetic intelligence and dimensions of spiritual intelligence, only the average of the personal meaning generation dimension among students had a significant difference (p=0.046). Conclusion: The results showed that the higher aesthetic intelligence and spiritual intelligence people have, the less self-harming behaviors they probably have. Therefore, it is recommended to apply preventive policies in the form of educational workshops in the university in order to strengthen the spiritual intelligence and aesthetic intelligence of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Suicide is one of the most important public health problems. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the epidemiology of suicide and some related demographic factors in Asadabad City during 2017-2021. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on all cases of suicide leading to death and attempted suicide in Asadabad City, referred to health care units (hospital emergency and forensic medicine) from the beginning of 2017 to March 2021. The monthly report checklist of the suicide prevention program was used to collect data. The data was reported as numbers (percentages) in the form of graphs and statistical tables. Results: According to the results of this study, during the years 2017 to 2021, 840 people committed suicide, out of which 73 cases (8.69%) resulted in death. The trend of the rate of suicide attempts in Asadabad City from 2017 to 2021 was increasing according to gender in both city and rural areas, and in all the years of 2017-2021 (except 2018) the rate of suicide attempts was higher in women than men. The highest suicide rate was among those aged 15-24 and the lowest among those aged 64 and older. Conclusion: Due to the rising trend of suicide attempts in Asadabad City, it is essential serious plans be developed by health and medical centers, including educational interventions, establishment of family counseling centers, training for families, students, and vulnerable groups to reduce this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Examining the Necessity of Evaluating Life Skills in Health Education" discusses the importance of assessing life skills in health education. The authors argue that in order to effectively address health issues, it is crucial to analyze the gaps in health knowledge and behavior, and prioritize the evaluation of life skills. They highlight the ten life skills recommended by the World Health Organization, such as self-awareness, empathy, and critical thinking, which are essential for promoting health literacy. The authors emphasize the need to measure knowledge, attitude, skill, and behavioral performance when assessing health education needs. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are the most common questions in clinical tests. Content validity and appropriate structure of the questions are always outstanding issues for each education system. This study aimed to evaluate the role of providing quantitative and qualitative feedback on the quality of faculty members' MCQs. Methods: This analytical study was conductedonKermanshah University of Medical Sciences facultymembersusing the totalMCQs test at least two times from 2018 to 2021. The quantitative data, including the validity of the tests, difficulty, and discrimination indices, were collected using a computer algorithm by experts. Results: The second analysis revealed that 14 (27.5%) faculty members had credit scores below 0.4, which was within the acceptable range for the overall validity of the test. The results showed a higher difficulty index in the second feedback than the first (0.46 ± 0.21 vs 0.55 ± 0.21, P = 0.30). No significant difference was found in the discrimination index (0.24 ± 0.1.25 vs 0.24 ± 0.10, P = 0.006). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in terms of taxonomy I (61.29 ± 20.84 vs 59.32 ± 22.11, P = 0.54), II (29.71 ± 17.84 vs 32.76 ± 18.82 P = 0.39), and III (8.50 ± 16.60 vs 7.36 ± 14.48, P = 0 .44) before and after feedback. Conclusions: Based on the results, the questions were not ideal regarding Bloom's taxonomy standards and the difficulty and discrimination indexes. Furthermore, providing feedback alone is not enough, and proper planning by the educational and medical development centers' authorities is required to empower the faculty members in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescents are increasingly at risks of HIV infection through high-risk sexual behaviors. This paper aimed to assess the effectiveness of a HIV/AIDS educational intervention among female adolescents in Tehran. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among high school girls aged 12-16 years studying in Tehran in 2016-17. The sample was selected using multistage random cluster sampling. Four schools per district were randomly selected using probability-proportional to size. Adolescents were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=289) and the control (n=289) groups. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was the basis of both the intervention and the evaluation phase. Both experimental and control groups completed a questionnaire designed for HIV related behaviors for female adolescents (HBQFA) at baseline and after six months follow up. A theory-based educational program was implemented for the experimental group. Results: The mean age of participants was 14.1 years (SD=0.96). In the experimental group, significant improvements were shown in adolescents' HIV knowledge (31.9%, 95% CI: 28.8- 35.0), attitudes towards HIV (16.6%, 95% CI=14.4-18.8), subjective norm (16.8%, 95% CI=12.9-20.6) and perceived behavioral control (19.1%, 95% CI=16.2-22.1), perceived parental support (17%, 95% CI=13.8-20.2), behavioral intention to prevent HIV (19%, 95% CI=16.3-21.6), and HIV preventive behavior (17.3%, 95% CI=13.9-20.6) (p<0.001). Conclusion: Theory-based educational intervention on HIV/AIDS prevention can significantly protect adolescents from misconceptions, wrong attitudes and risky behaviors and unsupportive social environment that expose them to greater HIV risk. Health policy -makers are advised to consider effective training programs related to HIV/AIDS prevention behaviors in the school system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decades, air pollution has been regarded as one of the major environmental problems. Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are among the most common illnesses arising from air pollution and dust storm. Nowadays, non-communicable diseases resulting from air pollution have affected many people around the world. In recent years, the cities of Abadan and Khorramshahr, located in the southwestern Iran have been adversely affected by air pollution and dust storm. To address the issue, this study set out to investigate the relationship between hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases and dust storms in Abadan and Khorramshahr in 2014–2016. The data was collected by the Abadan Environmental Protection Agency (Abadan EPA) office. The monitoring station is fully automated and provides hourly particulate matter (PM10) concentrations using a β-ray absorption monitor (Met One Model BAM-1020-Continuous Beta, USA). The annual PM10 mean concentrations reached 169, 187 and 201 µg/m3 in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. The number of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases attributed to PM10 during this period was 237, 259, and 274, respectively. The results showed that high levels of particulate matter (PM) in the air drastically increased the number of people with cardiovascular diseases. The results also revealed that there was a significant relationship between concentrations of PM10 in dusty days and the cases of cardiovascular diseases in Abadan and Khorramshahr. According to the results of the study, an increase in the exposure concentrations of particulate matter could potentially cause different health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lack of accurate menstrual knowledge, attitude, and practices leave female adolescents ignorant of the necessary health behaviors during menstruation. This study aimed to develop a menstrual health-seeking behavior questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior to evaluate its psychometric properties in female adolescents in Tehran. Methods: This study was conducted on 578 female adolescents aged 12-15 years in Tehran. The first draft of the menstrual health-seeking behavior questionnaire containing 52 items was developed based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The content and face validity of the questionnaire was assessed by a panel of experts. Construct validity was also assessed using exploratory factor analysis (KMO=0.73) with varimax rotation. Cranach's alpha and test-retest were used to examine the reliability of the questionnaire. All statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0. Results: The content and face validity of the 42 items were finally confirmed. Content validity index was greater than 0.73 for all six TPB constructs. Explanatory factor analysis yielded an acceptable fit for the six-factor model (RMSE=0.053, 95% CI 0.042-0.064). These factors jointly explained 65% of the variance in the outcome variables. Cranach's alpha coefficients ranged from 0.79 to 0.91, demonstrating an excellent internal consistency and high reliability of the questionnaire. Test-retest reliability was also satisfactory for all items (ICC=0.86-0.94). Conclusion: The results illustrate that the menstrual health-seeking behavior questionnaire is psychometrically adequate and highly reliable. This theoretically grounded questionnaire can be well applied in future interventions for female adolescents to assess their menstrual health-related knowledge, attitude, and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of the internet has regarded as an advantageous breakthrough which sometimes has led to over usage so-called "internet addiction". Increased prevalence of internet addiction among students and the necessity of acquiring information to design interventions have compelled us to design the present study on knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy of students regarding the Internet addiction. This study was two-stage cluster sampling consisted of 160 girl participants who were residing in selected dormitories of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire including demographic, knowledge, attitude and self-efficacy questions regarding the Internet addiction and. 49 participants (30.6 %) were at risk of the Internet addiction. Majority of the students were on the average national levels of knowledge (48.1%), attitude (49.1%), and self-efficacy (61.2%). We also found a statistically significant association between mean score of attitude with educational degree (p<0.003), and between the average daily hours of the Internet use with user type (p<0.001). Given the importance of knowledge, attitude and self-efficacy on the adaptation of healthy behaviors, the findings of this study revealed that extra educational interventions aiming to increase knowledge, improve attitudes and self-efficacy regarding internet use has a paramount importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional behaviors of adolescent girls are a major health concern. Adolescents are considered main target group for improvement in nutritional behaviors. This study aimed to determine the impact of an educational intervention based on theory of planned behavior (TPB) on nutritional behaviors in Iranian adolescent girls. This randomized controlled trial study was conducted among 12-16 years old high-school girls in Tehran, Iran, from September 2015 to July 2016. The study subjects were selected using multistage random cluster sampling. Then, they were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=289) and control (n=289) groups. The school-based intervention including nutrition education program based on a modified TPB was performed among intervention group. The control group received only school routine education program. Both groups were assessed at baseline, and after 6-months follow-up. The significant improvement in attitude (15.5%, 95% CI=14.7 to 19.3), subjective norms (17.5%, 95% CI=15.1 to 0.19), perceived behavioral control (16.l %, 95% CI=14.8 to 18.5), perceived parental control (13.4 %, 95% CI=1 1.2 to 17 .6), behavioral intention (16.4%, 95% CI=14.7 to 19.3), and behavior (17.2%, 95% CI=13.7 to 20.7) was observed in intervention group compared to control group (p<0.001 for all dimensions). This study evaluates the impact of a school-based intervention, guided by TPB, on nutritional behaviors improvement as well as knowledge of adolescent girls towards those behaviors. TPB-based educational intervention can effectively improve the healthy nutritional behaviors of adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess and compare the normal ranges of androgen hormones level, total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), dehydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione (A4), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), in Iranian women based on different statistical methods. Materials and methods: This study was conducted on previous data collected in Iranian PCOS Prevalence Study, which details have been published before. A total of 1772 women of 18-45 years were recruited from urban areas of five randomly selected provinces in different geographic regions of Iran. The natural range of androgen hormones was determined and compared by two statistical methods including k-means cluster analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: In women younger than 35 years old with any BMI, cut-off points obtained for FAI hormone were in lower percentiles; however, in older women, the results of the two methods were almost the same. Cut-off points of DHEAS in under 35 years old women of normal and obese weight and women older than 35 years old with normal weight calculated by ROC curve method was in higher percentiles than that in the cluster analysis method. In >35 years obese women, obtained cut-off points for DHEAS ROC curve was in lower percentiles in comparison to cluster analysis Conclusion: Although our study depicts the differences among the cutoff values among two statistical methods; however, lacking a gold standard test to define hyperandrogenism, we need further studies to obtain more comprehensive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Excessive and uncontrolled television watching by children predisposes them to some risks such as developmental, social and psychological disorders. Parents play an important role in nurturing their children and controlling the factors affecting their health. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of health education programs on parents' supervision skills to control their children's television watching habits based on the theory of planned behavior. Methods: One hundred twenty parents of the students at the first and fifth grades of primary school were randomly divided into an intervention and a control group. Data were collected by a self-report questionnaire at the beginning of and one month after intervention. An educational intervention was implemented for the case group parents, who were divided into four 15-member groups, in the form of three 45-60 minute sessions with focus group discussions. Moreover, the parents were provided with children and television booklet. Data were entered into SPSS-16 and were analyzed using Chi-square, paired t test, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests. Results: After the intervention, significant changes were detected in the intervention group with respect to the mean hours of watching television (from 6.74±2.02 to 4.28±2.40; p= 0.039), knowledge scores (from 5.8±2.1 to 7.7±1.9; p= 0.001), attitude towards less television watching (from 35.5±11.5 to 48.4±8.9; p=0.003), subjective norms (from 11.8±8.1 to 24.5±8.6; p>0.001) and behavioral intention (from 18.6±7.4 to 31.8±5.1; p=0.001). Conclusion: The results revealed that educational interventions based on the theory of planned behavior are capable of changing knowledge, attitude, subjective norm and intention of parents towards controlling and monitoring their children's television watching and can improve the performance of parental control and reduce the hours of TV watching by children. Therefore, this pattern is suggested for reforming the nurturing skills of parents about other behavioral problems of their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]