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Objective: This study aims to examine the association of quality of life (QOL) with life satisfaction, subjective norms, general health, optimism, and attitude among university students. Participants: Respondents include 632 university students (M[subscript age] = 21.36, SD = 2.86). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on university students in Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran. Several statistical models were tested, including hierarchical regression and path analysis, to examine the direct or indirect association between a set of important variables. Results: According to the results of path analysis, constructs of subjective norms, general health, positive attitude, optimism, and life satisfaction were significant predictors of students' QOL. Compared with other constructs, general health status (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.548) and life satisfaction (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.253) showed the strongest association with QOL. Conclusions: The results indicate that efforts to improve life satisfaction by targeting general health, subjective norms, optimism, and attitudes may provide promising ways to improve QOL.

Objective: The impact of self-efficacy and health literacy skills on pregnant women's adherence to urinary tract infection (UTI) preventive behaviors is inadequately investigated. Thus, the present study explored whether an educational intervention based on self-efficacy and health literacy skills managed to improve UTI preventive behaviors among pregnant women. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted from January to July 2021 among pregnant women residing in Mashhad, Iran. To this aim, 110 pregnant women at a gestational age of 12–18 weeks were randomly assigned to a control (n = 55) and an intervention group (n = 55) and completed all questionnaires during the intervention and the 3-month follow-up. The intervention group received the full training program, comprising six 2-hourly training sessions. Results: Most women were from low-income families (69.1%), were housewives (74.5%) with high school education or lower (63.6%). The theory-based intervention had a significant effect (P < 0·05) on UTI preventive behavior outcomes (i.e., clothing habits, nutrition, urination, health, and sexual behaviors) in the intervention group compared with the control group after intervention, and in their variation from baseline to follow-up in all scores. Conclusions: An educational intervention based on health literacy skills and self-efficacy could be an effective theory-based intervention to improve UTI preventive behaviors and reduce recurrent UTI and complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This cross -sectional research evaluated the psychometric properties of the Self-Stigma of Depression Scale (SSDS) among Iranian people. Methods: This methodological study was conducted among 881 people in 2023, Iran. The method of proportional stratified sampling was used to select participants. To evaluate the validity, face, content, construct, convergent, and discriminant were evaluated. The reliability of SSDS was assessed with the McDonald's omega coefficient, Cronbach α coefficient, and test– retest (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient). Results: In confirmatory factor analysis, the factor loading of all items of SSDS was more than 0.5, and two items had low factor loading. After deleted these items, goodness of fit indexes (such as GFI = 0.945, RMSEA = 0.067, AGFI = 0.917, CFI = 0.941, RFI = 0.905) confirmed the final model with 14 items and four factors of social inadequacy (3 items), help-seeking inhibition (4 questions), self-blame (3 questions), and shame (4 questions). In the reliability phase, for all items of SSDS, Cronbach α coefficient was 0.850, the McDonald omega coefficient was 0.853, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.903. Conclusion: The Persian form of SSDS was approved with 14 items and four factors: social inadequacy, help-seeking inhibition, self-blame, and shame. This tool can be used to check the status of self-stigmatization of depression in different groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and objective: In all societies, with the increase of age bone mass also decreases. Osteoporosis is a common disease among middle-age and older persons, especially women. Therefore, the necessity of implementing strategic plans to prevent osteoporosis is significantly important. This study was designed to determine the prediction of osteoporosis preventive behaviors through the use of the Health Belief Model (HBM). Methods: This cross-sectional study was done among 402 women in Mashhad in 2014. A multi-stage cluster sampling was used. In order to gather collection a questionnaire consistent with the structures of HBM and IPAQ and FFQ was used. Data were analyzed using the SPSS16 and descriptive analysis (frequency, percentage, mean ± SD) and analysis (correlation coefficient, regression and Linear regression). The significance level was 0.5. Results: The mean age of the participants were 36.5 ± 8.1 years. Average monthly calcium intake was 14703.1 ± 8377.5 mg 63.7% of the people with lower physical activity were among inactive groups. Construct barriers perceived (p = 0.008) had a significant impact on the feeding behavior of calcium intake. Self- efficacy (p> 0.001) had a significant impact on physical activity behavior. Conclusion: The results showed that the HBM to predict well for osteoporosis preventive behaviors in women. Its use in training programs will be effective. Type of Article: Research paper.

BACKGROUND: Students use a school bag to carry their school supplies which may not have the required standards and ergonomic factors. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to examine the ergonomic factors of schoolbags and their adaptation to the weight of elementary school students. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 721 primary schoolchildren. To collecting data a checklist, which its final version was approved by the experts, was designed by researchers. Data were analyzed by using SPSS ver. 22 and Chi-square test, One-Way ANOVA, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: In this study, about 90.1% of students used a backpack to carry their items and most students carried backpacks with a weight up to 10% of their body weight. In 43.5% of the students, waist width was appropriate with backpack width at the bottom, and in 96.6% shoulder width was appropriate with backpack width at the top. Multivariate logistic regression showed that girls in compared to boys were more likely tolerated ratio of backpack weight to body weight, and also had more likely proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom. The grades of the first, second, and fourth used more heavy backpacks. Students who their mothers were employee compared to housewives, carried heavier backpacks and had more likely proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom. As the mother's age increased, the proportion of waist width and the backpack width at the bottom is diminished. CONCLUSION: The schoolbags weight of many students was more than the standard weight, and their schoolbags did not have the required standards. Educational interventions can increase the knowledge of students and parents about the ideal weight of a schoolbag and the criteria for choosing a proper school bag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron and vitamin D deficiency are the common problems in Iranian adolescents. This study aimed to examine whether the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) implemented in the educational intervention were effectiveness to improve behavioural intention to intake iron and vitamin D supplements among adolescent girls. Quasi-experimental study was used to enrol 175 adolescent girls aged 12–14 years attending community-based practices in the Gonabad, Iran. We evaluated the effects of a behavioural intervention for adolescents compared to usual care controls, on the TPB constructs and adolescent's behavioural intentions to intake vitamin D and iron supplements, assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Bivariate analysis was used to assess whether the health provider training improved outcomes. Mean scores of knowledge, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and behavio\ural intention before intervention were, respectively, 20.65, 25.88, 25.82, 20.12 and 11.22, and after the intervention, were, respectively, 23.74, 25.48, 18.27, 11.33 and 11.82. All the constructs except the attitude in the intervention group were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the control group, indicating that adolescent's behavioural intention to intake iron and vitamin D supplements significantly improved in intervention group compared control group. Therefore, constructs of the TPB could be a significant determinate to change multiple behavioural intention in different populations. Given the importance of the use of supplements by female adolescents, it is necessary to pay more attention to the issue of training in this field and to remove the existing obstacles. Abbreviations: TPB: Theory of planned behavior; PBC: perceived behavioral control; IDA: iron deficiency anemia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, with increasing the lifespan, the importance of healthpromoting behavior and paying attention to maintaining individuals' function and autonomy are becoming increasingly evident and regular physical activity is considered as one of the important aspects of healthy lifestyle. This study aimed to apply the theory of planned behavior to predict the intention to do physical activity in the elderly. This study was conducted on the 371 elderly. A three-part questionnaire including demographic, knowledge, and theory of planned behavior questions was used. The views of the elderly were requested directly in this regard. According to the results, the elderly's mean age was 69 and the sample included 53% women. The behavior intention in this study had a positive significant correlation with all planned behavior theory constructs. The perceived behavior control construct hold the most prediction power regarding the variance of the elderly's intention of physical activity behavior. The constructs of theory could predict 26.7% of the variance of intention. Based on the results of this study, the theory of planned behavior was successful in predicting the elderly's intention to do physical activity and the necessity of paying attention to the component is emphasized to teach intention to elderly people, considering the role of the perceived behavior control construct in predicting behavior intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and objective: In all societies, with the increase of age bone mass also decreases. Osteoporosis is a common disease among middle-age and older persons, especially women. Therefore, the necessity of implementing strategic plans to prevent osteoporosis is significantly important. This study was designed to determine the prediction of osteoporosis preventive behaviors through the use of the Health Belief Model (HBM). Methods: This cross-sectional study was done among 402 women in Mashhad in 2014. A multi-stage cluster sampling was used. In order to gather collection a questionnaire consistent with the structures of HBM and IPAQ and FFQ was used. Data were analyzed using the SPSS16 and descriptive analysis (frequency, percentage, mean ± SD) and analysis (correlation coefficient, regression and Linear regression). The significance level was 0.5. Results: The mean age of the participants were 36.5 ± 8.1 years. Average monthly calcium intake was 14703.1 ± 8377.5 mg; 63.7% of the people with lower physical activity were among inactive groups. Construct barriers perceived (p = 0.008) had a significant impact on the feeding behavior of calcium intake. Self- efficacy (p> 0.001) had a significant impact on physical activity behavior. Conclusion: The results showed that the HBM to predict well for osteoporosis preventive behaviors in women. Its use in training programs will be effective. Paper Type: Research Article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]