Improving Physical Fitness and Health of Office Workers in Iran.

This paper reports on a study on improving the health and fitness of office workers in Iran using a comprehensive model. The research design was a randomized controlled trial involving 294 employees. The intervention was a 6-month program to promote physical activity. The primary outcome measure was their scores on the physical activity (PA) index recorded at 3 and 6 months. A statistically significantly increase in PA was found in the intervention group over the control group. In addition, the mean values of related health and physiological indices of the intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant increase compared to the control group. The conclusions of this study support research findings in multiple countries, that the physical activity and health of office workers can be improved in a short period.

Lived Experiences of Recovered COVID-19 Patients after Hospitalization: A Phenomenological Research.

Background: The deadly novel Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) epidemic has sickened and killed millions of people around the world. Accordingly, Iran has had the second highest incidence rate of COVID-19 deaths in the world. Because this disease affects all individual, familial, and social aspects, there is not enough information about experiences of COVID-19 patients. However, these experiences could be a missing link in explaining their attitudes, beliefs, and concerns for improving care and treatment processes during and after the disease. Materials and Methods: Descriptive phenomenological research was conducted in 2020 to explain experiences of 21 COVID-19 patients after post-hospitalization recovery. Semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection tool via purposeful sampling, which were continued until data saturation and analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Results: The main theme of "value of health" and the seven categories of (1) inefficient self-care, (2) overcoming the catastrophic crisis, (3) the shadow of death, (4) coping behaviors and resilience, (5) the need for support and accountability, (6) sympathy, and (7) new insights as well as 38 main codes were extracted. The patients' general explanation in the early stages of the disease, recovery, and subsequent periods included transition from the crisis to new insights into physical, mental, sexual, familial, and economic dimensions that finally led to the review value and concept of their life. Conclusions: The findings of this study can be used to fulfil care and treatment needs of the patients, their families as well as caregivers, psychologists, counselors, health planners, and managers presently and in the future for similar diseases.

Promoting health literacy through the teach back method among Iranian health ambassadors: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Describe the effect the teach back method on promoting the health literacy of health ambassadors in Urmia County in 2020. METHODS: In the present quasi-experiment, 200 persons over 14 years old participated. They were divided into two research groups, a control (n=100) and an intervention (n=100). The sampling method was simple randomization and the data collection instrument was a questionnaire comprised of demographic information and health literacy (HELIA). The educational intervention took 4 sessions each 45 minutes in length following the teach back method. The questionnaire-based data were collected once before the intervention and once again three months after the intervention. RESULTS: The present findings showed that 54% of the control group and 50% of the intervention group had a good or very good level of health literacy before the intervention(p>0.05). However, after the intervention, 52% of the control and 78% of the intervention group had a good or very good level of health literacy. The present findings revealed that the mean scores of health literacy dimensions (access to information, reading, understanding, appraisal, decision-making) and the overall health literacy score were significantly higher in the intervention group than the control (after the intervention). Wilcoxon's test results showed that the mean difference of the overall health literacy scores and the dimensions before and after the intervention were statistically significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the light of the present findings, we can conclude that participatory methods and the teach back method can improve health literacy, acquire reliable information and adopt healthy behaviors.

The challenges of strategic management of the wastage produced due to earthquake in Kermanshah and Varzaghan-Ahar: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Strategic management of the wastage produced due to earthquakes has faced many challenges over the recent decade. Thus, the present study seeks to identify and explain the challenges in earthquake wastage strategic management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present qualitative study has been steered through a content analysis approach and conducted using semi-structured interviews and a purposive selection of 17 professors, experts, and managers experienced in the field of waste management in Kermanshah and Varzaghan-Ahar earthquakes over 2020-2021. Besides, the interviews were initially categorized using MAXQDA18 software. RESULTS: Analysis of the experiences and perception regarding the changes in strategic management of wastage produced due to Kermanshah and Varzaghan-Ahar earthquakes revealed 418 codes, 97 subcategories, 33 categories, and 8 main categories including management and leadership, organizational culture, planning, organizational learning, employee management, rules and regulations, resource management, and procedure management. CONCLUSION: Strategic waste management has not been implemented in a coherent, integrated, and well-planned manner in the cases of the Kermanshah and Varzaghan-Ahar earthquakes. The challenges of strategic waste management turned out to be due to various reasons which will result in many issues in achieving the goals and selecting the suitable method for resource and procedure management should they not be managed well. Hence, policymakers, managers, and executors in the field of crisis management and waste management in disasters -specifically earthquakes- must take the necessary measures to remove these barriers.

Facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine use in diabetic patients: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: In several countries such as Iran, the use of complementary and alternative medical products like herbal medicine is growing. There is, however, a lack of research on the prospects of herbal medicine patrons regarding facilitators and herbal medicine use barriers. The aim of this study was to explain the facilitators and the barriers of herbal medicine use in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Qualitative one-to-one in-depth interviews were conducted with patients with T2DM from the Yazd Diabetes Research Center, using a semi-structured guide. For the recruitment of T2DM participants who used herbal medicine beside conventional medicine, purposeful sampling was used. Analysis of the data was carried out using the steps proposed by Graneheim and Landman strategies. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were interviewed. There were 2 subjects (facilitators and barriers herbal medicine use), 8 categories, and 89 initial codes. The facilitators included individual preferences, preparation skills, and family support and the factors obstructing the use of herbal medicine included insufficient skills about preparing, lack of easy access to consumption, insufficient of efficacy of herbal medicine, and negative properties of herbal medicine and taking time in preparing herbal medicine. CONCLUSION: Although some people use herbal medicine, the interest in use of herbal medicine is limited because of inadequate awareness of the impact and usage them. Therefore, the use of effective strategy in the integration of herbal remedies with conventional medicine can promote well-being of patients.

Evaluation of Educational intervention on Standard Precautions among Healthcare Provider Based on Health Belief Model

Background and objective: Occupational exposure makes healthcare provider at risk of a variety of infections such as AIDS, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. This study investigated the effect of educational intervention on standardized precautionary behaviors in healthcare provider based on health belief model, in Jam city, Iran during 2016. Methods: This experimental study was carried out on Tohid hospital staff and health care provider of Jam`s health center. Random stratified sampling based on different occupation designated into two groups, intervention (n=50) and control (n=50). After confirming the validity and reliability of the data collection tool, the educational intervention was examined before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, independent t-test and one-way ANOVA (SPSS 20). Results: The results revealed that the healthcare provider did not have any previous educational background on standardized precautionary (34.3%). Furthermore, the history of needle stick injuries (42.5%) and contact with patients' body fluids (17.5%) were reported. Educational intervention regarding to standardized precautions in the intervention group was significantly increased the mean score of knowledge constructs, perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and behaviors. However, no significant changes were observed in increasing the self-efficacy the score. Conclusion: The results indicate the effectiveness of educational intervention on standard precautionsamong healthcare provider based on health belief model. Educational program based on promotion behavioral pattern in relation to standard precautionsis recommended to the healthcare provider

Effect of education on knowledge, attitude and behavioral intention in family relative with colorectal cancer patients based on theory of planned behavior.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is one of most common cancers in women and men and one of the major causes of death due to neoplasia. Colonoscopy is considered as the most accurate diagnostic procedure to detect colorectal cancer at the earlier stages. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of an education program using the Theory of Planned Behavior on promoting behavioral intention among first degree relatives of colorectal cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A quasi-experimental study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program to promote attitudinal factors associated with early detection of colorectal cancer in 99 first degree relatives of colorectal cancer patients aged more than 20 years in Yazd city, Iran. A researcher made questionnaire forwhich validity and reliability were confirmed by expert point of view and pilot testing was employed for data collection. Questionnaires were filled in before and after educational intervention. The registered data were transferred to SPSS 19 and analyzed by paired T-test, Man-Whitney and Wilcaxon. RESULTS: Mean scores of knowledge, attitude, perceived behavioral control and intention regarding colorectal cancer increased after education significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior has positive influence on promoting intention behavior. It is therefore recommended to apply educational programs to promote behavioral intention.