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This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on the transtheoretical model aimed at increasing physical activity (PA) participation among female employees in Bandar Abbas city (Iran) healthcare centers in December 2017 and August 2018. Using a semi-experimental interventional study design with a randomized and multi-stage method, 100 participants were included in both the intervention (n = 50) and control groups (n = 50). Data collection involved questionnaires assessing demographic information (age, gender, marital status and education), stages of change in PA behavior, Perceived Benefits, Barriers and Self-efficacy. The data were analyzed using SPSS-16, employing both descriptive (mean, SD, frequency, percentage) and inferential statistics (t-tests, chi-squared tests, etc.). Prior to the educational intervention, 19 participants (0.38%) in the intervention group engaged consistently in PA (stages 4-5). After 3 and 6 months of intervention, these numbers increased to 29 (0.58%) and 25 (0.50%), respectively. This improvement was statistically significant compared to the pre-intervention stage (P < 0.001). The findings highlight the importance of theory-based behavior change models and health education programs in promoting PA and combating sedentary lifestyles. Although focused on a specific population in Bandar Abbas, the intervention can serve as a model for similar programs targeting diverse social classes and populations., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Given that physical activity can improve health, the present study was conducted to affect education based on the theory of planned behavior on the promotion of physical activity and awareness in the prevention of diabetes in students. This parallel quasi-experimental study with two equal groups of intervention and control was carried out in three stages by multistage sampling method. Students who were physically ill or had absence were excluded from the study. Only the intervention group received the required intervention and the evaluation was done before, immediately after and 3 months after the intervention in both groups. The educational program was implemented in various forms such as oral, pamphlets, brain storming, group discussions, role play for behavior modeling, and written media such as posters, and exercise demonstrations. Data collection was performed in primary schools of Mashhad. The questionnaire was contained; demographic information, diabetes awareness, physical activity based on the theory of planned behavior and physical activity (IPAQ). Data analysis was done by SPSS-16 software using Fisher's exact test, Chi-square, and marginal longitudinal models at the significance level of 0.05. The mean scores of knowledge (p < 0.001), subjective norm (p < 0.001), perceived behavior control (p = 0.015) and physical activity (p < 0.001) immediately after the intervention were higher in the intervention group compared to the control group and the differences were significant. Results of this study supported the effectiveness of education based on theory of planned behavior in the promotion of physical activity and knowledge of students regarding diabetes prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Identifying those with inadequate oral health literacy is difficult because little is known about its various multiple dimensions. Accordingly, the present research investigated dimensions of the concept using a qualitative approach. Method: Participants (n = 15) who met inclusion criteria (Including having expertise in the fields of general dental, social dental, and health education and health promotion and having at least 5 years of relevant working experience) were recruited by purposive sampling via the public health and dentistry faculty in Tehran between December 2018 and October 2019. Thematic analysis was used to assess the data. Results: A total of 15 specialists (ranging in age from 28 to 61, mean 44) were included in the study. Their working experience averaged 15.5 years (SD = 7.7, Min = 6, Max = 30). Independent analysis of qualitative data by three researchers led to identification of seven themes and 18 sub‐categories, including need perception (feeling the need and paying attention to meeting the need), emotional literacy (valuation of oral health, formation of personality and taking care of oral health), planning literacy (planning and goal‐orientation), communicative literacy (choice in decision‐making, interpersonal communication skill and claiming), behavioural literacy (self‐care), cognitive literacy (knowledge, information comprehension, information use, and information analysis) and media literacy (the ability to use up‐to‐date technologies, the ability to search for and acquire the information, and judgment). Conclusions: Our findings provide insights into the dimensions of oral health literacy. It is hoped that these findings can be used to guide the development of interventions on OHL and that aspects of the concept can help to enhance levels of OHL and help to promote health at societal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diseases induced by lifestyle account for a high rate of disabilities. Thus, the present research aimed to compare the lifestyles of women affected by blood hypertension and healthy women. Objective and Method: In this comparative study, 420 women referred to Bandar Abbas healthcare centers were selected through a mixed method (clustered and systematic randomized) and were divided into two groups including the healthy (n = 210) and hypertension groups (n = 210). The standardized Life-Style Questionnaire (LSQ) was used for data collection. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 19. Descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (chi-square test, independent-samples t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient) statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The significance level was set at p ˂ 0.05. The mean age of the hypertension group was 45.65 ± 9.61 years old, while for the healthy group it was 44.68 ± 8.70 years old. In the former group, the strongest correlation belonged to the mental health dimensions (r = 0.709, p ˂ 0.001) and spiritual health (r = 0.660, p ˂ 0.001). Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed that raising public awareness helps to recognize risk factors and correct lifestyles, and planning to educate people and instructing them on how to manage mental pressures can reduce the pressure induced by diseases such as hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present research aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention based on the health belief model in pregnant women visiting the healthcare centers in the west of Tehran in 2016. Materials and Methods: The present experimental research was conducted on 135 pregnant women visiting the healthcare centers in the west of Tehran. The subjects were selected through a randomized multistratified sampling and were divided into an experimental and a control group. The collected data were then statistically analyzed in SPSS ver.16. To do so, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used including the independent‐samples t‐test, repeated‐measures one‐way ANOVA and paired‐sample t‐test. Results: The present findings revealed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of immediate post‐test results including perceived sensitivity, severity, benefits, barriers, and self‐efficacy along with awareness and performance constructs (p ˂ 0.001). Moreover, two months after the intervention, except for the perceived sensitivity construct (p = 0.088), the two groups diverged significantly in terms of the other constructs (p ˂ 0.001). Conclusions: The educational intervention driven by the health belief theory showed to be effective on pregnant women and can help to promote preventive behaviors of tooth decay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]