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University students in early adulthood indeed encounter diverse developmental demands, particularly in the realm of relationships and social development. This stage often involves considerations related to establishing families and entering into marriage or long-term partnerships. This study aims to assess the efficacy of a premarital counseling program grounded in the Adlerian approach in enhancing intimacy and social interest among a sample of single university students. The sample comprised 718 single young individuals from a public university in Jordan. Among them, 38 students displaying low social interest and experiencing fear of intimacy voluntarily participated. They were divided into two groups: an experimental group of 19 participants and a control group of 19 participants. The study utilized two measurement scales-one for fear of intimacy and another for social interest. The group counseling program, consisting of 11 sessions, was administered. The findings revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in pre- and post-measurements, indicating the positive impact of the group counseling program on the experimental group. Additionally, follow-up assessments indicated that the beneficial effects of the group counseling program were sustained over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractHuman services educators continually seek ways to make outreach programming more engaging and effective. This study evaluated an ongoing relationship education program funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (Administration of Children and Families) to determine the effectiveness of the Before You Tie the Knot (BYTK) premarital education program. A self-reported, quantitative, retrospective-pretest-then-post-test evaluation was utilized to assess key objectives in the sample (n = 1285). Clearly- evident effect sizes were found for perceived behavior changes in the participants’ implementation of skills related to relationship quality (i.e., positive interaction, negative interaction, positive bonds, happiness/satisfaction, commitment, and not feeling trapped) covered in the training over a five-week period. Implications for how the BYTK program can facilitate change and learning in educational settings, as well as inform relationship education outreach programming, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMarriage among cousins or close relatives, i.e., consanguinity, is prevalent in many parts of the world, especially the Muslim world. Across civilizations, cultural norms, religious beliefs, and economic factors affect consanguineous marriages (CMs); however, such marriages have social, genetic, and health repercussions. The present study investigated the university students’ attitudes regarding CMs and factors influencing their attitudes at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).MethodsThis cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at KAU Jeddah in 2023. The questionnaire was distributed via electronic media (Emails, Facebook Messenger & WhatsApp). The convenience sampling technique was used to select participants, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data on SPSS-26.ResultsA total of 1707 university students were part of the study (females, 1,198, 70.2%; males, 509, 29.8%). Almost half of the participants, 819 (48.0%), had parents with CMs. Most of the participants, 1,391 (81.5%), had CMs in the family. Half of the participants disagreed that parents consider marriage stable due to high compatibility and the same social relationship before and after marriage. About one-third of respondents said parents believe family marriage transmits cultural values and continuity and keeps wealth in the family. More than three-fourths of the participants stated that if marriage is arranged with first cousins, they will opt for genetic analysis (82.5%) and premarital counseling (85.2%). The personal attitudes of females (p

Background: Pre-marital period is the best time to prepare for the quality of family health; however, In Indonesia, examinations and promotion of reproductive health and pre-marital counseling have yet to be carried out in all districts. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the description of reproductive health services and marriage counseling in Grobogan Regency, Central Java. Methods: This study used an assessment method of the implementation of the Reproductive Health Service Program for the bride, which includes IEC (Communication, Information, and Education) and medical examination of the bride and groom by health workers conducted in community health centers (Puskesmas) and other health care facilities, and office of religious affair (KUA), with the In-depth Interview Method. The subject was the KUA Officer under the Department of Religious Islamic Education in the Marriage Guidance program. Results: The interviews with KUA officers obtained results in 2017. There were still underage marriages, and the number increased in 2018. Prospective brides have submitted forms (N1, N2, N3, and N4) to KUA. Most of the brides were not physically examined (pulse, breathing frequency, blood pressure, body temperature) by health workers (63.7%), and blood groups were not examined (91.4%). Half of the respondents examined blood sugar, HIV, IMS, Hepatitis, and TORCH (56.8%). The bridegrooms were not examined for mid-upper arm circumferences (MUAC) (17.2%) and for signs of anemia (8.6%). The brides were not immunized against Hepatitis B (72.4%). Almost all brides get TT immunization at the Puskesmas (94.8%). Health workers stated that only some brides had been getting counseling about the bride's mental health (29,3%). Only 17.2% of the officers stated that the bride still needs to get a certificate of following the reproductive health IEC. Conclusions: KUA has conducted pre-marriage courses for couples according to the rules of the Ministry of Religion. Some PUSKESMAS had carried out activities for the bride and groom on a scheduled basis (for example, every Tuesday/Wednesday) but have not been carried out routinely, even stopped due to budgetary problems. The certificate is given after the bride and groom take the marriage guidance course, but it has yet to be required for marriage registration.

This study was conducted to compile a premarital counseling package for girls on the brink of marriage whose parents are divorced. The current study was applied and conducted based on a mixedmethods research design. For this purpose, a qualitative systematic review was initially conducted, and then the descriptive survey was used. Since the initial stage of every systematic review includes a complete and regular search of the existing literature, Persian articles published from 2012 to 2022 were selected. Finally, 12 articles were investigated by searching Mag-Iran, SID, Irandoc, and Comprehensive Portal of Human Sciences databases. Also, the revised PRISMA2020 checklist was used to evaluate the quality of the studies, and all 12 studies possessed the necessary quality to enter the systematic review. An educational counseling package including various techniques and concepts was compiled by reviewing the literature. Besides, ten experts in the field of counseling were selected based on availability to check the content validity. The findings of the qualitative phase showed three major negative psychological, sociological, and family experiences. Finally, the findings of the quantitative phase resulted in developing the content of counseling sessions in twelve weekly sessions of 60-90 minutes. Its content validity and Kappa agreement coefficient were .8 and .71, respectively. It can be said that the premarital educational counseling package has appropriate validity and is suggested to be used for girls with divorced parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Nigeria has the highest burden of sickle cell disease in the world. Premarital counseling (PMC) programs to reduce the burden of hemoglobinopathies have been successfully implemented in Muslim predominant countries with similar religious and cultural practices to northern Nigeria. Religious leaders have a significant role to play in the success of PMC in northern Nigeria. Aims: To assess the knowledge and perception of premarital genetic counseling for sickle cell disease (SCD) among religious leaders in a culturally and religiously sensitive environment. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional (pre and post) study was conducted during the premarital screening workshop for SCD on July 20th, 2019, at Bayero University Kano, northwest Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Convenient sampling method was used to identify and invite 126 Islamic clerics through the CICID (Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue) at Bayero University Kano, to a premarital screening workshop for SCD. Self-administered semi-structured pre-and posttest questionnaires were used to collect data from the participants. Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Human Health Research and Ethics Committee approved this study. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analyses were performed with R version 4.0.2. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics and presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD), median and interquartile range (IQR), and percentages as appropriate. Wilcoxon test for score comparison of pre-and posttest was used with a significance level of 0.05. Results: A total of 97 religious' leaders with a mean age ± SD of 44.7 ± 12.7 completed both pre-and posttests. The male-to-female ratio was 5:1. Participants gave more accurate responses to questions during the posttest period than during the pretest; knowledge of the sign of SCD (Proportion of False Discoveries Rate (pFDR) =0.005), knowledge for the complications of SCD (pFDR = <0.001), knowledge for the best time to test for SCD (pFDR = 0.023) and perception for SCD (pFDR = <0.001). Conclusion: Providing health education to Islamic clerics improved their knowledge about SCD and their willingness to advocate for PMC to intending couples, and as such, we recommend that religious leaders should be involved in PMC counseling programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to develop a scientific-operational model of "premarital counseling" using Islamic teachings about marriage, marriage theories and family psychology and indigenous-cultural considerations. The research design is applied in terms of purpose and "contextual theory", "thematic analysis" and "experts' lived experience" in terms of implementation method. In this research, first, religious texts (verses of the Holy Quran and the narrations of the Infallibles) on the importance of marriage, criteria for choosing a spouse, the rights and duties of couples, and the communication ethics of couples have been studied. Then, psychological theories related to marriage and counseling methods used by internal experts are examined. After applying the concepts and extracting the categories of successful marriage, the concept of "awareness and acceptance" is the main component in choosing a spouse and the four dimensions are "health", "similarity", "proportionality" and "skill". Necessary subsets for choosing a spouse Based on this, the executive model of premarital counseling was developed.

Background: Pre-marital period is the best time to prepare for the quality of family health; however, In Indonesia, examinations and promotion of reproductive health and pre-marital counseling have yet to be carried out in all districts. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the description of reproductive health services and marriage counseling in Grobogan Regency, Central Java. Methods: This study used an assessment method of the implementation of the Reproductive Health Service Program for the bride, which includes IEC (Communication, Information, and Education) and medical examination of the bride and groom by health workers conducted in community health centers (Puskesmas) and other health care facilities, and office of religious affair (KUA), with the In-depth Interview Method. The subject was the KUA Officer under the Department of Religious Islamic Education in the Marriage Guidance program. Results: The interviews with KUA officers obtained results in 2017. There were still underage marriages, and the number increased in 2018. Prospective brides have submitted forms (N1, N2, N3, and N4) to KUA. Most of the brides were not physically examined (pulse, breathing frequency, blood pressure, body temperature) by health workers (63.7%), and blood groups were not examined (91.4%). Half of the respondents examined blood sugar, HIV, IMS, Hepatitis, and TORCH (56.8%). The bridegrooms were not examined for mid-upper arm circumferences (MUAC) (17.2%) and for signs of anemia (8.6%). The brides were not immunized against Hepatitis B (72.4%). Almost all brides get TT immunization at the Puskesmas (94.8%). Health workers stated that only some brides had been getting counseling about the bride's mental health (29,3%). Only 17.2% of the officers stated that the bride still needs to get a certificate of following the reproductive health IEC. Conclusions: KUA has conducted pre-marriage courses for couples according to the rules of the Ministry of Religion. Some PUSKESMAS had carried out activities for the bride and groom on a scheduled basis (for example, every Tuesday/Wednesday) but have not been carried out routinely, even stopped due to budgetary problems. The certificate is given after the bride and groom take the marriage guidance course, but it has yet to be required for marriage registration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Unplanned pregnancy has been a worldwide issue, many of which end as unplanned abortions, miscarriages and deliveries. One-time premarital reproductive and sexual health counseling has been chosen as a program; however, its later effect on knowledge and attitude has not been evaluated. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of such premarital counseling for prospective brides on their knowledge and attitude during their first pregnancy. Methods: The exposed group of 20 and control group of 40 primigravida participants were selected consecutively. Questionnaires were distributed online using Google Form application to participants to gather data on premarital counseling attendance in the past, and current knowledge and attitude. The influences were tested with logistic regressions at the significance level (α) of .05. Results: There was influence of sexual and reproductive health counseling for the bride and groom on the knowledge (p = .036 OR = 8.480 95% CI = 1.153 - 62.346) and the attitude (p = .020 OR = 5.411 95% CI = 1.311 - 22.329). Conclusion: Premarital sexual and reproductive health counseling influenced primigravidas’ knowledge and attitude. The counselling should be intensified and extended to other cities to improve knowledge and attitude of primigravidas. Studies are needed to measure the effect of primigravidas’ knowledge of and attitude toward reproductive and sexual health on the outcome of the pregnancy.

This study examines how social support is related to divorce among interracial couples in Louisiana. Using longitudinal, couple-level data from the Marriage Matters Survey, we analyze how measures generally associated with divorce (e.g., couple-level characteristics, individual characteristics, and premarital events) operate similarly within interracial and same-race unions, and whether these measures moderate the relationship between social support and divorce among interracial couples. Results indicate that interracial marriages are not more likely to divorce than same-race unions, and lacking social support does not predict divorce for any marriage. Irrespective of marriage type, premarital counseling reduces the odds of divorce, while marriages with women who had more education than their husband and who cohabitated with someone other than their husband prior to marriage increase the likelihood of divorce. This study contributes towards understanding the mechanisms associated with interracial divorce and questions the claim that interracial marriages are less stable than same-race marriages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Cukurova University Institute of Social Sciences is the property of Cukurova University Institute of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Reproductive Health is the property of Women's Health & Action Research Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Marriage among cousins or close relatives, i.e., consanguinity, is prevalent in many parts of the world, especially the Muslim world. Across civilizations, cultural norms, religious beliefs, and economic factors affect consanguineous marriages (CMs); however, such marriages have social, genetic, and health repercussions. The present study investigated the university students' attitudes regarding CMs and factors influencing their attitudes at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)., Methods: This cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at KAU Jeddah in 2023. The questionnaire was distributed via electronic media (Emails, Facebook Messenger & WhatsApp). The convenience sampling technique was used to select participants, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data on SPSS-26., Results: A total of 1707 university students were part of the study (females, 1,198, 70.2%; males, 509, 29.8%). Almost half of the participants, 819 (48.0%), had parents with CMs. Most of the participants, 1,391 (81.5%), had CMs in the family. Half of the participants disagreed that parents consider marriage stable due to high compatibility and the same social relationship before and after marriage. About one-third of respondents said parents believe family marriage transmits cultural values and continuity and keeps wealth in the family. More than three-fourths of the participants stated that if marriage is arranged with first cousins, they will opt for genetic analysis (82.5%) and premarital counseling (85.2%). The personal attitudes of females ( p  < 0.001), undergraduate ( p  = 0.02), and health sciences students ( p  = 0.02) were more positive than their counterparts. Males (OR = 0.41; p  < 0.001) and non-health sciences students (OR = 0.68; p  = 0.01) were less likely to have significant positive attitudes than their counterparts. Among participants who had CM parents, males (OR = 0.397; p  < 0.001) and non-health sciences students (OR = 0.60; p  = 0.01) and urban residents (OR = 0.59; p  = 0.01) had significantly lower odds of having a positive attitude than their counterparts., Conclusion: The practice of CMs is still prevalent in Saudi culture, with almost half of the participants having CM parents and the majority reporting these marriages in their families. Personal attitudes toward CMs were extremely positive. Most students prefer genetic testing and premarital counseling if marrying first cousins. Gender, faculty, parental income, and educational background influenced participants' attitudes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Jameel, Baig, Murad, Gazzaz, Mal, Alyoubi, Alyoubi, Alaslani, Alshuaibi, Nawaz and Alkaabi.)

Background & aim: Attitude is taken into account as the most important determinant of behavior. However, the present knowledge considering opinions of the youths on the verge of marriage is not sufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the attitudes towards childbearing in women and men on the verge of marriage attending health centers in Mashhad, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 on 170 women and 100 men referring to the premarital counseling centers. The participants were selected through convenience sampling method. The data were collected using the Childbearing Attitudes Scale and analyzed by descriptive statistics and independent t-test by the SPSS. Results: The mean scores of attitudes to childbearing in women and men were 164.03±21.62 and 158.86±24.91, respectively, with no significant difference (P=0.11). The mean desired number of children was 2.23±1.01 in women and 2.14±0.9 in men. There were significant differences between the attitudes of women and men in terms of the impacts of childbirth on women’s body shape (P=0.01), childbearing as one of the purposes of human creation (P=0.04), and the relationship between the number of children and their upbringing quality (P=0.002). A significant relationship was found between the attitudes and ideal number of children (P=0.001). Conclusion: Attitudes towards childbearing among young adults on the verge of marriage were not so favorable. Consequently, it is essential to implement comprehensive training programs in order to enhance the positive views both in women and men towards childbearing.

Background: Caregivers knowledge regarding thalassemia is one of the vital areas in the prevention of the disease. Studies related to caregivers knowledge and its sociodemographic predictors are very few in number which is helpful in designing interventions across different study settings. Objectives: the study aimed to find out the knowledge level of caregivers of thalassemic children and its sociodemographic determinants. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in a thalassemia day care unit of Eastern India. The study included 328 caregivers of thalassemic children attending thalassemia day care unit during May 2015–April 2016. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 16). Results: Out of 328 caregivers only 47.6% knew about genetic etiology of the disease, while only 52.4% and 50.9% knew about premarital counseling and antenatal screening, respectively. Regarding treatment of the disease, 75.9% knew that both blood transfusion and iron chelation are the treatment of thalassemia, while only 19.2% and 2.7% of them had knowledge regarding splenectomy and bone marrow transplantation, respectively. Only 52.7% had satisfactory knowledge regarding the disease. In multivariable model, caregivers educational level (adjusted odds ratio, AOR-3.13 [1.87–5.25]), working status (AOR-2.18 [1.23–3.86]), place of residence (AOR-2.05 [1.19–3.52]), and socioeconomic class (AOR-2.11 [1.25–3.58]) were significant predictors of their knowledge. Conclusion: Caregivers' knowledge regarding thalassemia was not at all satisfactory. Regular counseling of caregivers should be done addressing the knowledge lacunae's among them.

BACKGROUND: Genetic red cell disorders are common in Arabic countries with a significant burden on healthcare systems. OBJECTIVES: We aimed was to assess the level of awareness of Saudi females toward potential risk of the most common inherited anemia in the region. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was undertaken on 386 undergraduate students. RESULTS: The majority (60%) of participants have a poor knowledge score. The self-reported incidence of sickle cell anemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, and thalassemia among them was 7.3%, 4.9%, and 3.4%, respectively. Even though the majority (86.8%) expressed a positive attitude toward premarital screening tests, a wrong perception was noticed as 45.1% of them believe that irrespective of the test result, marriage decision will not be changed and 38.9% will refuse to marry a person who is a carrier of inherited anemia even if she is free of same disorder. Only 47.4% will refuse to marry a carrier if she was the carrier of some genetic disorders. CONCLUSION: Inadequate knowledge and wrong perception reflect the need to raise their awareness. Mass media should be greatly encouraged. Long-term regular targeted health education campaigns should be designed for adult Saudi, thereby reducing the burden and detrimental effect of these disorders in the community.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder with an estimated 5200 live births each year indicating towards a major public health issue in India. Although SCD has been described in India in numerous ethnic groups, it is most prevalent in tribal community. Prevalence of sickle cell gene is 5 to 34% in tribal communities, who have a high prevalence of socioeconomic disadvantage and are frequently medically underserved. The objective of the present study is to explore the knowledge, awareness, and attitude of premarital genetic counseling and screening for sickle cell hemoglobin among individuals of Koraput district. A cross-sectional study design was employed and a total of 152 individuals were recruited using multistage sampling technique, including 43 individuals with sickle cell hemoglobinopathy. Data was collected using a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS-20. Though people are aware of SCD and SCT, majority believe that sickle cell carriers transmit the disease and they do not know that marriage between sickle cell carriers need to be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships are significantly stressed in the Southeastern United States. Of the six states in the Gulf region (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas), four are in the top-third of the nation's highest divorce rates. Threats to relationship household stability cause a myriad of social problems and public expenses of approximately $24 billion in increased spending in benefit programs to offset family hardship following divorce and relationship dissolution. This study analyzed associations between relationship quality and satisfaction, consensus, and a series of contextual variables among three types of cohabiting homeowners across the Gulf States (unmarried, married, and married with additional family members), surveying variables of interest. Findings indicated that dyadic couple relationships in this sample are generally distressed relative to other states and that significant negativity is present, but that a large portion of the variance in relationship quality is consistently predicted by certain factors. Using an instrument of increased sensitivity, these factors (consensus, negative interaction, household composition, etc.) have been parsed into specific components (types of consensus, types of interaction, etc.) for improved individual analysis. Specific relationship problem areas are outlined, clarified, and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background: Family is the most important component of community and family health leads to spiritual excellence and intellectual growth. One of the debates in current society is to enhance the bases of marital life. More than half of the sexual problems which cause family life and marital relationships abolishment are due to insufficient knowledge or erroneous beliefs about sexual relationships. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of acceptance commitment therapy (ACT)-based premarital counseling on the couples’ sexual function. Materials and Methods: The study population of this clinical trial consisted of all couples referring to premarital counseling centers of Isfahan in 2015. Sixty couples were selected and then randomly divided into two groups, an experimental group(30 couples) and a control group(30 couples). Then they completed a questionnaire of sexual function. The data were analyzed by SPSS 21 using the Mann-Whitney test. Conclusion: The results of this study with the aforementioned condition showed the lack of significant difference in the couple’s sexual function between premarital counseling and the approach based on acceptance and commitment. So, it seems that performing a research with more samples and a target group having 1-5 marital experience would be necessary. Results: The results showed no significant difference between the effect of premarital counseling acceptance and commitment therapy – based approach on the couples’ sexual fanction in comparison with a premarital conventional approach(p>0.02).

Relationship researchers have long studied factors that boost or detract from relationship success. Social support and premarital counseling are factors that have been shown to boost relationship satisfaction and relationship success. However, little is known about how relationship status may influence attitudes toward social support and premarital counseling. Using a human ecology lens, this study explores the relationship between relationship status and attitudes toward social support and premarital counseling from a sample of 385 individuals. Implications for family practitioners and future researchers are provided based on study results.

Marriage is one of the five important phenomena in life that can be programmed after education and employed. The aime of this study was to standardization of the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis for Iranian couples, determination of reliability and validity as well as providing quantitative and qualitative norms. The statistical sample includes candidates, the threshold marriages and couples who are living together under three years, respectively. The statistical sample consisted of 420 couples that among couples who were eligible for this study were selected randomly. The research tool was Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis which contains9 subscales of Nervous/ Composed (A), Depressive/Light-Hearted (B), Active-Social/Quiet (C), Expressive-Responsive/ Inhibited(D),Sympathetic/ Indifferent (E), Subjective/ Objective (F), Dominant/ Submissive (G), Hostile/Tolerant (H) and Self- Disciplined/ Impulsive (I). -. To validate the test, confirmatory factor analysis method and to determine the simultaneous validity the Pearson correlation were used. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test's split-half with Spearman-Brown correction were used for validation. The results showed that Taylor-Johnson scale for Iranian couples and families has high correlation with Enrich marital satisfaction scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was equal to 0.92 and test's split-half validity coefficient has been determined as 0.75 which is significant. Also in order to determine the quantitative norm, the overall average and standard deviation have been achieved by 256.56 and 50.192 respectively. To determine the qualitative norm for Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis, the cutoff points (interquartile deviation) is used and the quantitative norm has been determined too. The results of factor analysis revealed that this scale has good reliability and validity in Iranian couples population and 9 subscales it were confirmed. From these findings we can conclude that the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis is a valid tool for premarital counseling.

Hemoglobinopathies can disturb a patient's life style leading to community problems. Premarital screening is an important tool to control and minimize hemoglobinopathies. This study aimed to assess and improve the awareness and attitude of King Khalid University (KKU) [Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)] students in the Aseer Region, regarding hemoglobinopathies and the National Premarital Screening Programme (NPMS) in addition to screening for hemoglobin (Hb) variants of students who agreed to participate. This study was an interventional educational prospective study of electronic-lectures (e-lectures) that addressed some important issues of hemoglobinopathies and premarital screening. Six hundred and eleven students were interviewed during the academic year 2017/2018, using closed-ended questionnaires that distributed before and after intervention. Blood samples were taken from 114 students who agreed to check their Hb type by the D-10 Hemoglobin Testing System. The results revealed significant changes in knowledge and attitude of students toward hemoglobinopathies and premarital counseling after intervention. These results reflected the need for easily accessible and continuous health education programs for students to increase their awareness and attitude toward hemoglobinopathies. Laboratory results for 114 students revealed seven cases with microcytic hypochromic anemia (6.1%); they were all females. Blood screening for Hb variants revealed another two females (1.75%) with sickle cell trait (Hb AS). Electronic-health (E-health) is an efficient tool for improving the awareness and attitude of the community toward hemoglobinopathies. Screening blood tests for detection of hemoglobinopathies should be provided to young adults at an earlier stage (before marriage) to decrease the incidence of hereditary diseases in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & aim: Considering the lack of information regarding the effects of religion on young couples’ fertility preferences, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between religious beliefs and fertility preferences among engaged couples in Mashhad, Iran, in 2013. Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 450 engaged couples, referring to premarital counseling clinics at healthcare centers of Mashhad. Convenience sampling was applied and data were collected using Miller’s Fertility Preferences and Childbearing Questionnaires (1995), Khodayari's Religious Attitude Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire; all four questionnaires were completed by the participants. Spearman's correlation, Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for data analysis. The significance level was considered to be 0.05. Results: Scores of religious beliefs were low, moderate, and high among 5.7%, 62.1%, and 32.2% of the couples, respectively. Childbearing desires (P≤0.001), ideal number of children (P≤0.001), and birth interval (P≤0.001) showed significant differences in groups with low, moderate, and high scores of religious beliefs. The mean number of children desired by the groups with low, moderate, and high religious belief scores was 2.24±1.49, 2.21±0.87, and 2.69±1.37, respectively. In total, 42.2% of the participants were moderately affected by religious beliefs. Conclusion:Fertility motivations and the ideal number of children were higher among individuals with stronger religious beliefs; however, even among these religious people, fertility preferences were not favorable, compared to figures recommended by reproductive health policymakers. These findings can contribute to the improvement of reproductive indices and fertility reforms towards higher fertility rate in the country.

The aim of this study is to reveal the meanings university students attribute to marriage. The sample of the study consists of 14 final year students (7 males and 7 females), whose ages range between 22 and 32, studying in the Education Faculty at Ege University. The study is of phenomenological research design. Semi-structured interview forms were used as the data collection tool of the study. The data was analyzed with content analysis based on the inductive analysis method. Themes were constituted out of the codes. The analysis results suggest that marriage mostly evokes positive emotions among the participants; the premarital phase consists of self-knowledge, choosing the right life partner and deciding to marry stages, and students emphasized social relations, financial issues, relationship with family of origin, communication and roles in the marriage in association with the marriage process. According to the final year students, the unchanged but definitive constructs of marriage are deciding on marriage, key elements of marriage and marriage dynamics. The study results were also discussed in relation to the literature and some implications were suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family is the most important component of community and family health leads to spiritual excellence and intellectual growth. One of the debates in current society is to enhance the bases of marital life. More than half of the sexual problems which cause family life and marital relationships abolishment are due to insufficient knowledge or erroneous beliefs about sexual relationships. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of acceptance commitment therapy (ACT)-based premarital counseling on the couples' sexual function. Materials and Methods: The study population of this clinical trial consisted of all couples referring to premarital counseling centers of Isfahan in 2015. Sixty couples were selected and then randomly divided into two groups, an experimental group(30 couples) and a control group(30 couples). Then they completed a questionnaire of sexual function. The data were analyzed by SPSS 21 using the Mann-Whitney test. Conclusion: The results of this study with the aforementioned condition showed the lack of significant difference in the couple’s sexual function between premarital counseling and the approach based on acceptance and commitment. So, it seems that performing a research with more samples and a target group having 1-5 marital experience would be necessary. Results: The results showed no significant difference between the effect of premarital counseling acceptance and commitment therapy - based approach on the couples' sexual fanction in comparison with a premarital conventional approach(p>0.02). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines some of the main elements that shaped eugenic discourse and practices during the first decades of the Franco regime. It primarily addresses the ideological basis of racial hygiene stemming from Francoist medicine and psychiatry, examining its relationship with the concept of Spanishness (Hispanidad). It shows that Francoist eugenics had punitive and coercive aspects and outlines the role it played in the brutal repression unleashed against the regime's political enemies, constructing its anti-Spanish identity. The paper also explores how the Catholic Church accepted eugenics as long as it was not linked to neo-Malthusianism and did not propagate sterilization, contraception, and abortion. In this respect, the paper examines the Catholic Church's position on the premarital certificate and counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: Divorce, unwanted pregnancies, and unsuccessful marriages create mental, emotional, physical, and financial problems for individuals, families, and ultimately the community. Premarital education and counseling is one of the most effective ways for the prevention of such problems. The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of a premarital educational program by using the TRA (Theory of Reasoned Action). Materials and Methods: Four hundred couples who attended premarital education and counseling classes voluntarily participated in this descriptive and analytical study. Variables such as attitude, subjective norms, and intention, were collected by using a validated questionnaire based on the TRA components. The questionnaire was filled out before and after the educational classes. Results: The mean age of the couples was 23.16 ± 5.64 years old. Statistically significant differences were found in knowledge, attitude, and subjective norms before and after participation in the classes (p value < 0.001). However, in terms of the couples’ intention of following the recommendations, no statistically significant difference was observed between the values before and after the classes (p value > 0.05). Conclusion: Although the mean knowledge and attitude of the couples under study increased after the classes, the increase was not high and only 20% of the couples gained acceptable knowledge. The effectiveness of such classes in the current manner is very low. Application of appropriate educational methods and media-based models and theories is highly recommended.

Objective: The present study was undertaken to explore the incidence of congenital foetal anomalies and the advantages of ultrasonography in detecting the foetal anomalies during the antenatal period. Method: We focused our study on 1000 consecutive pregnancies that came for check up in the second and third trimesters, with major or minor clinically relevant malformations which were detectable by ultrasonography. Results: The analysis revealed that they were 38 foetal anomalies in 37 foetuses. One had multiple anomalies, with the highest incidence of neural tube defects. There was also significant correlation with consanguinity. Conclusion: The overall incidence of congenital foetal anomalies in the present study was 3.8%.This might be probably due to environmental pollution, radiation, exposure to different chemicals and teratogenic drugs.

Background and Objectives: In recent years, premarital programs are considered to be important in order to promote the quality of married lives in our country. The aim of this study was to determine the pre-marital educational needs of couples referring to premarital education center of Zanjan. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 424 participants in pre-marriage counseling centers in zanjan, 2010. The questionnaire included demographic section and educational needs section that measured different subject of reproductive health, spousal relationships and Islamic rules and rights. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Kroscal Valiswere used for analyzing the data. Results: The need to education in all areas was higher than average in both groups. Comparing the scores showed no significant difference between males and females. The most important need in both groups was concerning the reproductive health. Conclusion: Regarding high education requirements in couples, it is necessary to modify the educational curriculums according to couples needs.

Introduction: In recent years, premarital programs are considered important in order to promote the quality of married life. This study was performed to determine the educational needs in premarital stages from the viewpoints of married couples referring to health care centers of Mashhad. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 223 couples (n=446) referring to health centers in Mashhad during the years 2006-2007. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire containing 2 forms. The first form included 8 demographic questions and 4 questions related to samples' viewpoints about the way of holding sessions. The second form included 47 questions on 7 areas including fertility, family planning, congenital diseases, prevalent cancer prevention, sexual relationships, relationship with spouse and family, and Islamic and legal issues and 2 open questions were dedicated to other viewpoints of couples. Descriptive statistics and t-test were used for analyzing the data. Results: The need to education in all areas was higher than average in both groups. Comparing the scores in 7 areas showed no significant difference between males and females. The most important need in both groups was concerning the relationship with spouse and family (3.970.067 in females and 3.950.077 in males). Conclusion: Couples have a tendency for more education in the field of relationship with spouse and family, and are willing to increase the number of educational sessions to 3 or 4. Males and females had felt the need for providing educational programs in the mentioned priorities.

Marriage is one of the five important phenomena in life that can be programmed after education and employed. The aime of this study was to standardization of the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis for Iranian couples, determination of reliability and validity as well as providing quantitative and qualitative norms. The statistical sample includes candidates, the threshold marriages and couples who are living together under three years, respectively. The statistical sample consisted of 420 couples that among couples who were eligible for this study were selected randomly. The research tool was Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis which contains9 subscales of Nervous/ Composed (A), Depressive/Light-Hearted (B), Active-Social/Quiet (C), Expressive-Responsive/ Inhibited(D),Sympathetic/ Indifferent (E), Subjective/ Objective (F), Dominant/ Submissive (G), Hostile/Tolerant (H) and Self- Disciplined/ Impulsive (I). -. To validate the test, confirmatory factor analysis method and to determine the simultaneous validity the Pearson correlation were used. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test's split-half with Spearman-Brown correction were used for validation. The results showed that Taylor-Johnson scale for Iranian couples and families has high correlation with Enrich marital satisfaction scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was equal to 0.92 and test's split-half validity coefficient has been determined as 0.75 which is significant. Also in order to determine the quantitative norm, the overall average and standard deviation have been achieved by 256.56 and 50.192 respectively. To determine the qualitative norm for Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis, the cutoff points (interquartile deviation) is used and the quantitative norm has been determined too. The results of factor analysis revealed that this scale has good reliability and validity in Iranian couples population and 9 subscales it were confirmed. From these findings we can conclude that the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis is a valid tool for premarital counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]