Patients' sense of security from clinical factors in Iran: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: One of the clinical responsibilities and goals of hospitals is to provide patients with comfort and security. The present study aims to assess patients' sense of security among patients in Iranian hospitals. METHODS: The present research employed a cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 830 patients visiting public, private, and social security hospitals in Mazandaran in the North of Iran. The required data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researcher of this study.This questionnaire consisted of 4 dimensions:nursing, medical, advanced facilities and patient rights. The participants were selected using a proportional stratified random sampling method. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and ANOVA were used for data analysis using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: The mean scores of patients' sense of security in social security, private, and public hospitals were 4.16 ± 0.89, 3.78 ± 0.67, and 3.60 ± 0.89, respectively. Medical factors with a mean and standard deviation of 3.92 ± 0.76, advanced facilities and equipment with 3.89 ± 0.89, nursing factors with 3.87 ± 0.73, and patient rights with 3.71 ± 0.90 were the highest to the lowest scores, respectively. The results showed that the type of hospital significantly affected the mean dimensions of security (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed variations in the sense of securityacross the sampled hospitals. Particularly, the sense of security attributed to the patient rights factors was lower than other factors. Therefore, to enhance the sense of security for patients, it is recommended to focus on staff training and fostering a culturethat emphasizes obtaining informed consent, demonstrating respect for the patient, and introducing the medical team to the patient before initiating any treatment.

Investigating perceived core disaster competencies of nurses in Iran: A case study of northwest hospitals.

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 nurses' 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.

Identification of causes and consequences of Kolberi among Iranian Kurdish women: a grounded theory study.

BACKGROUND: Women turn to Kolberi for various reasons, which cause numerous challenges for them. Thus, it is imperative to identify these causes and problems. Since no study has ever been undertaken to deal with this participant, the present research aims to identify the causes and consequences of Kolberi among Kurdish women in Iran. METHOD: The present research uses the grounded theory approach to investigate 28 female Kurdish Kolbers. To achieve several participants, purposive, snowball, and theoretical sampling methods were used, while face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. The process of data collection and analysis took 10 months, from April to December 2022. The data were analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin method and MAXQDA-20018 software. The Guba and Lincoln criteria were also met to increase the trustworthiness of the results. FINDINGS: Analysis of the data led to 143 initial codes, 31 subcategories, and 9 main categories: Causal condition (individual characteristics and economic factors); predisposing conditions (social and cultural factors, familial factors); intervening conditions (advantages and characteristics of Kolberi); strategies (strengthening compatibility with Kolberi); and consequences (individual problems, social problems and positive consequences). CONCLUSION: Measures such as training occupational skills for women and providing employment conditions for them, increasing social, financial, and mental support for women without guardians, creating border markets, and expanding women's handicrafts can help prevent female Kolberi.

Challenging experiences of the elderly with heart failure in the COVID-19 pandemic: a phenomenological study in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure (HF), especially the elderly, faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which need to be explored. The present study aimed to analyse the challenging experiences facing the elderly with heart failure during the pandemic in Iran. To achieve this aim, a qualitative approach to research was employed. METHODS: The present qualitative research employed a phenomenological approach to study 12 elderly with heart failure visiting Imam Ali Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kermanshah, Iran. The data collection occurred between August 5, 2022, and November 21, 2022. The participants were selected through a purposive sampling method and interviewed using a semi-structured interview. MAXQDA10 software was used for data organisation and the Colizzi analytical technique for data analysis. Guba and Lincoln's criteria were also used to evaluate the trustworthiness of the qualitative research. RESULTS: A total of two categories, 8 subcategories, and 110 primary codes were extracted from the data. The two categories were challenges and coping strategies. The former included the sub-categories of economic issues, fear, anxiety, and fear of death; limited access to health care; quarantine issues; disruption of family life; and medication non-adherence. The subcategories of the latter were faith in God, social support, and self-care behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed the challenges experienced and the coping strategies employed by elderly patients with heart failure during the pandemic in Iran. A knowledge of these challenges and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic can raise healthcare workers' awareness of the elderly patients' strategies used to cope with the virus.

Does coping with pain help the elderly with cardiovascular disease? The association of sense of coherence, spiritual well-being and self-compassion with quality of life through the mediating role of pain self-efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Population ageing is considered one of the biggest challenges facing the world, and the status of the elderly in society and their quality of life (QOL) have proved to be a concern in professional and scientific research circles. As a result, the current study sought to investigate the role of pain self-efficacy (PSE) as a moderator in the relationship between sense of coherence (SOC), spiritual well-being, and self-compassion with QOL in Iranian elderly with cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHOD: This was a correlational study of the path analysis type. The statistical population included all elderly people with CVD who were at least 60 years of age in Kermanshah Province, Iran, in 2022, of whom 298 (181 men and 117 women) were selected using convenience sampling and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants answered questionnaires from the World Health Organization on QOL, Paloutzian and Ellison's spiritual well-being, Nicholas's PSE, Antonovsky's SOC, and Raes et al.'s self-compassion. RESULTS: The results of path analysis demonstrated that the hypothesized model of this study has a good fit in the studied sample. There were significant paths between SOC (ß = 0.39), spiritual well-being (ß = 0.13) and self-compassion (ß = 0.44) with PSE. Although there were significant paths between SOC (ß = 0.16) and self-compassion (ß = 0.31) with QOL, there was no significant path between spiritual well-being and QOL (ß = 0.06). Besides, there was a significant path between PSE and QOL (ß = 0.35). Finally, PSE was found to mediate the relationship of SOC, spiritual well-being and self-compassion with QOL. CONCLUSION: The results may provide psychotherapists and counselors working in this field of inquiry with advantageous information to choose or create a useful therapeutic method to work with the elderly with CVD. Meanwhile, other researchers are suggested to examine other variables which may serve a mediating role in the mentioned model.

Analysis of ethical considerations of COVID­19 vaccination: lessons for future.

BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, different countries sought to manufacture and supply effective vaccines to control the disease and prevent and protect public health in society. The implementation of vaccination has created many ethical dilemmas for humans, which must be recognized and resolved. Therefore, the present study was conducted to analyze the ethical considerations in vaccination against COVID-19 from the perspective of service providers. METHODS: The present qualitative research was conducted in 2022 in the north of Iran. The participants included 23 health workers with at least five years of work experience and members of the COVID-19 vaccination team. The data were initially collected through systematic semi-structured interviews, then snowball sampling and finally continued until data saturation. The next steps were transcription of interviews, identification of meaning units, coding, categorization based on similarity and symmetry, extraction of themes and the analysis of themes through content analysis. RESULTS: The analysis of participants' experiences led to the extraction of five main categories of themes and fifteen sub-categories of the ethical considerations of COVID-19 vaccination. Safe and standard vaccine production, vaccine supply, fairness, respect for autonomy, and accountability were the main categories. The subcategories included compliance with scientific and ethical procedures, effectiveness and profitability of vaccine, absence of severe adverse effects, allocation of resources for vaccine supply, vaccine availability, diversity and comprehensiveness of alternative vaccines, vaccination prioritization, prioritization of the vulnerable populations of society, autonomy of patient (equal rights), autonomy of community, autonomy of service providers, reporting correct information, reporting vaccine side effects, public trust and acceptance. CONCLUSION: The health system managers should be adequately prepared to solve the ethical problems posed by COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid haste in vaccination and pay more attention to vaccination safety standards, provide sufficient resources for a comprehensive vaccine supply, pay close attention to collective interests versus individual interests, and meet community needs.

Experiences of operating room nurses in disaster preparedness of a great disaster in Iran: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Iran has encountered a growing frequency of earthquake disasters. Given that nurses constitute the largest group of healthcare providers, it is imperative that they possess adequate disaster preparedness skills, irrespective of the location or time. Despite the operating room nurses' roles in disasters, their experiences and challenges in disaster preparedness have been overlooked. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the experiences, challenges, perspectives, and factors influencing the disaster preparedness of operating room nurses during the 2017 earthquake in Kermanshah, Iran. METHODS: The present qualitative research was carried out in Iran In 2022 utilizing conventional content analysis. The study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 16 operating room nurses who had participated in disaster preparedness during the Kermanshah earthquake. The participants were selected using a purposive sampling approach that aimed to achieve maximum diversity. The interviews were continued until the point of data saturation was reached, and the verbatim transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis in MAXQDA software. To ensure the rigor of the research, Guba and Lincoln's criteria were employed. RESULTS: The study conducted data analysis to identify the main theme as "insufficient disaster preparedness due to a faded preparedness", along with six major categories and eighteen subcategories related to earthquake disaster preparedness. The major categories included: knowledge and perception of preparedness for disasters; educational and training programs for disaster preparedness; equipment preparedness for disasters; managerial-organizational preparedness for disasters; clinical skills for responding to disasters; and resilient ability in disaster response situations. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the dimensions of disaster preparedness in earthquake disasters among operating room nurses. Nursing managers can utilize these findings to develop effective strategies and provide support in areas such as improving knowledge and educational level, equipment preparedness, strengthening plans and managerial structures, enhancing skills, and explaining resilience strategies to improve the disaster preparedness of operating room nurses and medical organizations' disaster response teams.

Reproductive health status of adolescent mothers in an Iranian setting: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: In low and middle-income countries (LMICs), where millions of women give birth before the age of 18, the reproductive health status of married adolescent mothers, including family planning, sexual, psychosocial, and maternal health, remains a significant and recurring phenomenon. As a result, the purpose of this study was to assess the reproductive health status of married adolescent mothers who sought treatment at Ardabil health care centers in 2019. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in five health centers in Ardabil, Iran. This research included 312 married adolescent mothers who were under 19 years old. Health workers who asked questions of each participant completed a demographic questionnaire and the Reproductive Health Assessment Scale for Married Adolescent Women, and all data were self-reported. Univariate and multivariate linear regressions were used to determine risk factors associated with reproductive health scores. The data was examined using statistical software (SPSS version 20). RESULTS: The mean age (years) of the respondents was 16.41 ± 0.85, the mean age of their husbands was 24.18 ± 2.29, and the mean age of their marriage was 15.06 ± 1.15. In this study, adolescent mothers had an average reproductive health score of 63.78 ± 11.06. There was a significant association between reproductive health status and age, education, husband's age and education, and contraceptive methods among married adolescent mothers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The research findings indicated that adolescent mothers had an average level of reproductive health. Several socio-demographic characteristics, including age, education, gravida, and contraception, were linked to reproductive health scores. Programmers and policymakers should prioritize improving the reproductive health of adolescent mothers through education and increasing women's and spouses' knowledge and awareness.

In LMICs, the health status of adolescent mothers remains unstudied in a systematic way. This study aims to evaluate the reproductive health of married adolescent mothers. A cross-sectional study of adolescent mothers was conducted at five Ardabil health centers. A total of 312 adolescent mothers under the age of 19 were selected to complete a survey regarding their health and contraceptive awareness. The mothers' reproductive health status was rated as average. Age, education, husband's age and education, gravida, and contraceptive methods significantly impacted reproductive health. Increased education among women and their spouses, as well as pregnancy prevention, appear to be essential for safeguarding the health of adolescent mothers. This study recommends conducting qualitative research on reproductive health and contraception in the cultural context.

Challenges and Problems Facing 2017 Kermanshah Earthquake Survivors: A Qualitative Study.

It is widely accepted that earthquake poses many challenges to human life. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to explore challenges and problems facing the 2017 Kermanshah earthquake survivors. The present qualitative study was conducted using conventional qualitative content analysis in Kermanshah Province, Iran, in 2018. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 28 earthquake-stricken individuals, aged over 18 years, selected through purposive sampling method. The Graneheim and Lundman method was also used to analyze the data, and then Lincoln and Guba criteria were employed to provide robustness and transferability of the research. The results of data analysis were classified into 4 main categories and 11 sub-categories. Accordingly, the main categories were: (1) health problems and issues, (2) economic problems and issues, (3) improper management of human and non-human resources, and (4) incomplete social services. According to the results, earthquake victims face many challenges. Therefore, fundamental steps can be taken to reduce survivors' problems by considering all aspects of their health, improving equal distribution of social assistance and services provided, and using local social capital in a better way.

Causes of the plagiarism: A grounded theory study.

BACKGROUND: Plagiarism is an ethical and academic issue, which is affected by several factors. OBJECTIVES: This study is an attempt to introduce a model for elaborating on the causes of plagiarism in Iran. RESEARCH DESIGN: The study was carried out as a grounded theory study. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 32 university professors and postgraduate students at Iranian universities of medical sciences. The participants were selected through purposeful and theoretical sampling. Data analysis was done following Strauss et al.'s work. To ensure study rigor, Lincoln and Guba's measures were used. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. RESULTS: A conceptual model of the causes of plagiarism was developed based on analyzing and coding the data. The main core of the model was the emergence of plagiarism, and other cores were (1) causal condition: lack of skills, pressure by education system, and lack of awareness; (2) intervening factors: technological advances, legal gaps, and lack of efficient supervision; (3) ground factors: personal traits and attitudes of the academic community; (4) strategy and interventions: role model, supervision, national/international coordination, and higher awareness; (5) outcomes: regeneration of plagiarism and negative attitudes toward Iranian authors in the world academic communities. CONCLUSION: Several factors affect plagiarism. Among the approaches to attenuate plagiarism in Iranian academic communities are improving self-esteem and self-efficacy in Iranian researchers, emphasizing on quality rather than quantity of published works, discouraging boasting attitudes in the practitioners, denouncing intense competition among researchers, and introducing clear laws and severe punishments for plagiarism.

The Role of Clerics in Confronting the COVID-19 Crisis in Iran.

Clerics were an authoritative and prominent group in society during the spread of the COVID-19 in Iran. Some of them contributed to social welfare services to assist Iranians. However, others engaged in improper activities, such as calling the COVID-19 pandemic a hoax, standing against the quarantine rules, questioning the scientific methods of preventing COVID-19, and offering incorrect strategies that affected prevention and treatment. Yet, clerics are powerful social assets in Iranian society who have the status to help minimize the spread and effects of pandemics upon Iranian people. As a result, their assistance and influence must be used to combat the COVID-19 crisis. This paper argues that clerics in Iran should motivate people to uphold and obey health norms in four ways: (1) health promotion and encouragement, (2) material and instrumental support, (3) spiritual support, and (4) the mobilization of people to combat the disease. Conversely, it highlights the negative roles of clerics, such as (1) opposing social restrictions and opposing the closure of religious places, (2) countering the scientific-hygienic principles appropriate to COVID-19 prevention, and (3) opposing vaccination.

Study of Adolescents' Puberty, Adolescence Training Program: The Application of Intervention Mapping Approach.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a significant period of life which is crucial for life long health. The purpose of the study was to develop a puberty intervention-training program using an intervention mapping approach (IMA). METHODS: The present study was a study protocol where IMA was used as a planning framework for developing a puberty intervention-training program (PITP). Six intervention mapping steps have been described in this protocol. As the first step, needs assessment was performed by reviewing the studies, qualitative evaluation, and interviews. In the second step, the matrix of change objectives was designed from the intersection of performance goals and determinants. Later on, after designing the program and planning the program implementation, the program evaluation plan was developed. RESULTS: IMA guided us in designing and implementing a control-oriented training program with the participation of the participants along with the definition of outcomes, performance goals and determinants, theoretical methods and practical applications, intervention program, implementation and step by step assessment. CONCLUSION: Intervention mapping is a control-oriented, systematic, participation-based approach to design and implement targeted and on-going health promotion programs.

Emotional Intelligence and Quality of Life in Elderly Diabetic Patients.

BACKGROUND: Coordination of various physical and mental aspects of individuals, including the ability to control difficult conditions and situations has an effect in the prevention and development of various diseases, such as diabetes, and the improvement of the quality of life. Therefore, the purpose of this study was is to determine the effect of emotional intelligence on the quality of life of elderly diabetic patients. METHODS: This study was conducted in 2018. The statistical population in this cross-sectional study consisted of elderly people referred to the health centers of Kermanshah province in western Iran, who were divided via available sampling into two groups with diabetes and without diabetes. Data gathering tools were a couple of LIPAD Quality of Life and Shrink Emotional Intelligence standard questionnaires. The Data was analysed using software SPSS, 23 th version. Tests were used (T-test, Chi-square, Anova and regression). RESULTS: Most of them were male (52.72%) and the mean age of the patients was 65.01(±6.08) years old and married. The quality of life score in diabetics and non-diabetics was respectively 51.9 and 50.37 with a standard deviation of 17.73 and 20.54. The mean total score of emotional intelligence in the elderly with diabetes was 99.42 with a standard deviation of 10.37 and non-diabetic subjects were 97.18 with a standard deviation of 18.4. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the mean scores of quality of life (0.652) and emotional intelligence (0.421) in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. But, the emotional intelligence has an effect on the quality of life of the elderly people.

Nurses' Work-Related Quality of Life and Its Influencing Demographic Factors at a Public Hospital in Western Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The quality of life as a concept beyond physical health stands one of the protuberant indexes, and various health-based studies required distinct measurements, which deemed necessary for their significant implications. The nurses fight at the front and play a leading role in providing services to patients at healthcare centers. They deserve a higher quality of life in catering to physical health services. This present study focuses on examining nurses' work-life quality standards and how demographic variables contribute to the hospital of Imam Reza in Kermanshah of Western Iran. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study recruited a sample of 271 nurses affiliated with Imam Reza Hospital and Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences by incorporating the stratified random sampling in 2019. This study used a two-part questionnaire to collect data from the targeted respondents. The first part presented the participants' demographic profiles, and the second part showed the nurses' work-related quality of life (WRQoL) on the scale developed by Van Laar et al. The study screened the data and performed analyses through the SPSS version-23. The research study conducted a descriptive analysis to measure mean and standard deviation with inferential statistics, including independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA (P < 0.05). RESULTS: The study findings specified that nurses' average quality of the work-life was at a moderate level 3.11 ± 0.47. Besides, results indicated that 57.50% of the nurses reported high standards of quality of work-life, 36.50% showed a modest and 5.20% revealed a lower level of work-life quality. The findings indicated that the quality of work-life significantly correlated with respondent'' age, marital status, education, work experience, position, department, shifts, and employment status (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings of this research demonstrated that the nurses' quality of work-life was higher than the average standard. The results provide useful insight for nurses and hospital managers. The policymakers and health managers need to pay more attention to providing a better quality of work-life to the nurses.

The Impact of Educational Intervention Based on Theory of Planned Behavior for Promoting Physical Activity Among Middle-Aged Women Referring to Karaj (Iran) Health Centers.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is the most critical determinant of physical health which reduces the health risks during life. This designed study aims to evaluate the effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on promoting physical activity among middle-aged women attending the health centers in Karaj city during 2017-2018. METHODS: This research was a quasi-experimental controlled trial, and the study incorporated 140 Middle-Aged Women Referring to Karaj Health Centers assigned randomly to a control and intervention group (70 each group). Participants enrolling in the survey were asked to complete the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and also the theory of planned behavior measures at the baseline and the end of the study. The SPSS software were used, to analyze the data. The study applied Nonparametric Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests and ANCOVA to interpret the results. RESULTS: The results revealed participants' age range between 30 to 50 years with the mean and standard deviation scores 40.07 (8.750) in training and 45.81 (8.513) at the control group. The intervention improved the theory of planned behavior measures and the physical activities of participants. The results showed a significant difference in the attitude score, the perceived behavioral control score, and the level of subjective norms between two training and non-training groups (P < 0.001). The followed-up physical activity score also showed an improvement in the IPAQ score of participants in the training group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this specific study support the effectiveness of the theory of planned behavior for promoting the physical activity of women.

Challenges and opportunities confronting female-headed households in Iran: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Female-headed households are one of the most vulnerable groups of society that confront many problems and challenges. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the challenges and opportunities confronting female-headed households in Iran. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted among female-headed households in Kermanshah, West of Iran, in 2019. The data were collected through Semi-structured interviews with 26 female-headed households who were selected by purposeful and theoretical sampling. Data analysis was done through conventional qualitative content analysis, and the software MAXQDA-12 was used for the management of data. The four criteria of Goba and Lincon, including credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability, were observed to evaluate the quality of research results. RESULTS: After analyzing the data, 4 main categories and 13 subcategories were obtained as follows: individual problems (role overload, role conflict, end of love, psychological problems), intra-family problems (declined independence, intra-family tension, poverty reproduction and family disability), social problems (stigma of being unattended, social insecurity, social isolation, social exclusion), positive outcomes (positive self-concept, social maturity). CONCLUSION: Female-headed households face many challenges that can become a big threat or an opportunity. Therefore, their health improvement can be achieved through training and helping them to adapt to new and multifaceted roles, providing more economic support and helping them raise their social status.

Experiences of rural women with damages resulting from an earthquake in Iran: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Women, with more vulnerabilities and less access to resources, are often seen as victims of natural disasters. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the experiences of rural women with damages resulting from an earthquake in Iran. METHODS: In this research, a qualitative approach, as well as the conventional content analysis was employed. The study population consisted of rural women residing in the earthquake-stricken areas of Sarpol-e Zahab and Salas-e Babajani counties in Kermanshah Province, Iran. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Moreover, sampling was purposeful, theoretical saturation was achieved by conducting 22 interviews, and the data analysis process was performed according to the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. For the strength and transferability of the research, Lincoln and Guba's Evaluative Criteria were used. RESULTS: There were seven categories regarding the experiences of rural women after the earthquakes including neglecting the health needs; tension in the family and marital relations; gender inequality in the provision of assistance; feeling insecure; ignoring the ruling culture of the region; concealing needs for fear of stigmatization, and incoherent mourning as well as two categories regarding their reactions to and interaction with the earthquake consequences including positive and negative interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Paying more attention to the needs of rural women, taking the culture governing the village into account at the time of service delivery, and helping them with positive adaptations are some indispensable measures that should be taken.

The obstacles to organ donation following brain death in Iran: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Organ donation following brain death has become an important way of supplying organs for transplantation in many countries. This practice is less common in Iran for different reasons. Therefore, this study aims to explore the obstacles to organ donation following brain death in Iran. METHODS: This qualitative research was conducted following the conventional content analysis method. The study population consisted of individuals with a history of brain death among their blood relatives who refused to donate the organs. Snowball sampling was employed to select the participants. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted for data gathering. Theoretical saturation was achieved through 20 interviews. Data analysis was done following the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to ensure data rigor and transferability of the study. RESULTS: Data analyses revealed 185 codes, 23 categories, and seven themes including, poor knowledge about brain death and organ transplantation from a dead body, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, deficiencies of requesting process, fear and concerns, inability to make a decision, and social learning. CONCLUSION: There were several factors in families' reluctance to donate organs of a brain-dead patient. Through improving knowledge and changing cultural beliefs in society, it is possible to take large steps towards promoting organ donation from brain-dead patients.

The role of social media literacy in infodemic management: a systematic review.

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.

Social determinants of violence against adolescent married women and how the women respond to it: A qualitative study in the Kurdish areas of Iran.

OBJECTIVE: It is crucial to identify the factors that influence violence against women, one of Iran's most significant health and social issues. Thus, the purpose of this research is to explore the social determinants of violence against adolescent married women and how the women respond to it in the Kurdish areas of Iran via a qualitative approach. METHOD: The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach and the conventional content analysis method among 33 married adolescent women who experienced violence and key informants in the Kurdish areas of Iran. Targeted and snowball sampling were used to reach the participants, and semistructured interviews were used to collect data. In order to improve the quality of the research results, Guba and Lincoln criteria were observed. RESULTS: Four categories, 18 subcategories, and 195 codes were obtained from the data analysis: (a) sociocultural factors (beliefs dictated by cultural norms, fatalism, incomplete social support, and weakness of the law), (b) family factors (the prevalence of silence in the face of violence, the existence of a model of violence and aggression in families, and inappropriate conditions of the husband), (c) individual factors (strong dependence on the husband, unstable position, low self-confidence, not having enough sexual skills, not having enough skills in interpersonal relationships, and too much insistence on continuing married life), and (d) reactions from the victims (silence and concealment, seeking support, tolerance, confrontation, and revenge). CONCLUSIONS: Violence against adolescent married women is influenced by various sociocultural, family, and individual factors, and women react differently to the violence of their husbands, the most common of which is silence and concealment. Therefore, prevention of this phenomenon requires individual, family, social, and cultural interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).