Relationship between health literacy level and sexual function in women in the Northwest of Iran in 2020- a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Sexual health means coordination and adaptation of physical, emotional, intellectual and social aspects of human beings. One of the variables that affect sexual function and sexual satisfaction is health literacy. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between health literacy level and sexual function in married women in Qazvin health centers. METHODS: In the cross-sectional study, 340 married women were selected from four health centers in Qazvin, Iran, in 2020. These selected centers were chosen randomly from 26 health centers. Participants were included in the study by using the proportional selection method based on the sample size of the all health centers. Data collection tools include three questionnaires: demographic information, The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HELIA), and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Data were analyzed using SPSS 24 software. A significance level of P < 0.05 was considered for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The highest and lowest scores of dimension's sexual function are satisfaction, pain, and lubricant, respectively. The level of women's health literacy in Qazvin was inadequate and borderline (56.4%). Each of the sexual function dimensions had significant positive correlations with health literacy (P < 0.001). There was a significant relationship between health literacy level with age, education, and occupation (P < 0.05). According to linear regression analysis, with the increase in years of marriage, sexual function is decreased (P < 0.02). CONCLUSION: Health literacy was inadequate in more than half of the study sample and health literacy was significantly associated with sexual function. Educational programs were necessary in order to promote women's health literacy in health centers.

Mental Health Problems and the Associated Family and School Factors in Adolescents: A Multilevel Analysis.

Objective: Mental health is one of the most important issues in adolescents' life. Adolescents' health is highly important, because of their role in the future. This study was conducted using multilevel analysis to investigate the risk factors at student and school levels. Method : This was a cross sectional study for which 1740 students and 53 schools were selected between February and March 2018 in Qazvin, Iran. Multistage stratified cluster sampling was used for data collection. Mental health problems were measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Emotional symptom, conduct problem, hyperactivity, peer relationship problem, and prosocial behavior were the subscales. This study used multilevel analysis to determine the association between each of the questionnaire scales and students and schools variables. Results: The prevalence of the mental health problems was 16.2%. Conduct problem was more prevalent than others (21.1%). Overall, the score of mental health problems was significantly lower in boys' schools, in adolescents with physical activity, and in families with high socioeconomic status. Hyperactivity and emotional symptoms were significantly higher in girls' schools. While prosocial behavior and peer relationship problems were significantly higher in boys' schools. The association between variables and the scales of mental health problems was different.Conclusion: Results indicated desirable physical activity and socioeconomic status are effective components in the adolescents' mental health, and, mostly girls' schools were more vulnerable than boys' schools. Therefore, the educational authorities and health policymakers should consider this diversity to design interventional programs and pay more attention to the high-risk adolescents in different schools.