Primary Tooth Decay Prevention Program in Children: Application of Intervention Mapping Approach.

Background: As the most common diseases globally, oral and dental diseases are closely related to people's behavior. The present study is aimed at developing a program to prevent primary teeth decay in children using the intervention mapping approach. Methods: This study protocol is aimed at using the intervention mapping approach as the planning framework. The study consists of six steps of intervention mapping, including needs assessment based on the relevant literature review, development of an objectives matrix for changing people's behaviors and environmental factors, program preparation, program implementation, and program evaluation to develop a family-centered program. Results: The use of the intervention mapping approach helped us identify the outcomes and functional objectives, develop an appropriate intervention program, and evaluate the program. Conclusions: The intervention mapping approach is an appropriate guide to developing a systematic and evidence-based program.

Mothers' role in promoting oral health in children aged 6 months to 1 year.

INTRODUCTION: It is essential for parents, and especially mothers, to become aware of the factors that affect oral health-promoting behaviors in children through behavior change theories. This study aimed to determine mothers' role in improving children's oral health based on the health belief model (HBM). METHODS: The population of this descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study comprised 240 mothers in Ilam (Iran), selected via stratified random sampling. The data collection instrument was a self-report questionnaire with two sections, including seven demographic and contextual questions, four items for perceived severity, four items for perceived benefits, four items for perceived barriers, three items for cues to action, and five items for perceived self-efficacy. The data were analyzed in SPSS 21 by using descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent samples t-test, linear regression analysis, and Pearson correlation coefficient, at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The participants aged 20-47 with a mean of 31.8 ± 5.67 years. The linear regression analysis indicated that the constructs of perceived severity (B = 0.073, P < 0.001), perceived benefits (B = 0.013, P < 0.001), perceived barriers (B = 0.111, P < 0.01), cues to action (B = 0.517, P < 0.001), and perceived self-efficacy (B = 0.292, P < 0.001) explained 55% of the variance of behavioral intention. CONCLUSION: With respect to the effects of perceived barriers and perceived severity on predicting oral health behaviors, effective outcomes can be achieved by emphasizing these two constructs in educational programs based on the HBM.

Family-Centered Social Cognitive Factors Preventing Primary Tooth Caries in Children Based on Intervention Mapping Approach.

BACKGROUND: Given the increasing prevalence of primary tooth caries in Iran and the importance of providing evidence- and theory-based family-centered prevention programs, the present study is aimed at determining the family-centered social cognitive factors preventing deciduous tooth caries among children using the intervention mapping protocol. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 240 Iranian mothers in Ilam who were randomly selected to participate in the study. The data were collected using a self-designed questionnaire including items on demographic information and social cognitive constructs (knowledge, attitude, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, practice guidance, perceived self-efficacy, behavior intention, subjective norms, and social norms). The questionnaire was completed by mothers, and the data were analyzed by performing one-way analysis of variance and linear regression. RESULTS: The results obtained from linear regression analysis showed that perceived self-efficacy (B = 0.295, p < 0.001), perceived barriers (B = 0.084, p < 0.028), practice guidance (B = 0.774, p < 0.001), and social norms (B = 0.137, p < 0.020) accounted for 71% of the behavioral intention variance and were the most important predictors for preventing primary tooth caries among children. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that perceived self-efficacy, perceived barriers, practice guidance, and social norms are essential for developing family-centered programs to prevent primary tooth caries in children.

Cognitive factors related to drug abuse among a sample of Iranian male medical college students.

BACKGROUNDS: Drug abuse is one of the most serious social problems in many countries. College students, particularly at their first year of education, are considered as one of the at risk groups for drug abuse. The present study aimed to determine cognitive factors related to drug abuse among a sample of Iranian male medical college students based on the social cognitive theory (SCT). METHOD: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 425 Iranian male medical college students who were randomly selected to participate voluntarily in the study. The participants filled out a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software (ver. 21.0) using bivariate correlations, logistic and linear regression at 95% significant level. RESULTS: Attitude, outcome expectation, outcome expectancies, subjective norms, and self-control were cognitive factors that accounted for 49% of the variation in the outcome measure of the intention to abuse drugs.  Logistic regression showed that attitude (OR=1.062), outcome expectancies (OR=1.115), and subjective norms (OR=1.269) were the most influential predictors for drug abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that designing and implementation of educational programs may be useful to increase negative attitude, outcome expectancies, and subjective norms towards drug abuse for college students in order to prevent drug abuse.

Chance Constrained Input Relaxation to Congestion in Stochastic DEA. An Application to Iranian Hospitals.

This article developed an approached model of congestion, based on relaxed combination of inputs, in stochastic data envelopment analysis (SDEA) with chance constrained programming approaches. Classic data envelopment analysis models with deterministic data have been used by many authors to identify congestion and estimate its levels; however, data envelopment analysis with stochastic data were rarely used to identify congestion. This article used chance constrained programming approaches to replace stochastic models with "deterministic equivalents". This substitution leads us to non-linear problems that should be solved. Finally, the proposed method based on relaxed combination of inputs was used to identify congestion input in six Iranian hospital with one input and two outputs in the period of 2009 to 2012.

Intention and willingness in understanding Ritalin misuse among Iranian medical college students: a cross-sectional study.

Ritalin misuse can create powerful stimulant effects and serious health risks. The main aim of present study was compared that two cognitive construct (behavioral intention or behavioral willingness) for predicting Ritalin misuse. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 264 Iranian medical college students; participants selected in random sampling, and data were collected by using self-report questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 at 95% significant level. Our findings showed, the three predictor variables of (1) attitude, (2) subjective norms, and (3) prototype accounted for 29% of the variation in intention and 25% of the variation in willingness to Ritalin misuse. In addition, behavioral intention was a stronger prediction factor compared to willingness for Ritalin misuse, with odds ratio estimate of 1.607 [95% CI: 1.167, 2.213]. There is some support to use the prototype willingness model to design interventions to improve individuals' beliefs that academic goals are achievable without the misuse of Ritalin.