Investigation of factors related to healthy eating behavior based on the developed theory of planned behavior in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a complicated and sensitive period, and proper nutrition in this period of life can influence the quality and quantity of growth and maturity. The aim of the present study is to determine the factors associated with healthy eating behavior based on the developed theory of planned behavior in adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a descriptive-correlational study in which 400 female students of the first grade of high school in Bandar Anzali participated. Among the junior high schools in this city, two schools were randomly selected and sampling was done using census method. Data collection tool was Healthy Eating Behavior questionnaire based on Theory of Planned Behavior, which includes three sections of demographic information, constructs of Theory of Planned Behavior, including attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention, and food behavior, and food habits questionnaire. The scale was evaluated and confirmed by content validity ratio, content validity index, and alpha coefficient. P value was considered significant at less than 5%. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software 24, through linear regression and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: As shown by linear regression analysis, the developed theory of planned behavior is able to predict 26% of the variance of healthy eating behavior, and this predictive power is related to the constructs of behavioral intention, attitude, and habits. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, adding the variable of habits to the theory of planned behavior showed that this variable is very effective in predicting healthy eating behavior in adolescents, just like the constructs of behavioral intention and attitude. Therefore, it is suggested to carry out educational interventions based on the developed theory of planned behavior with the focus of the mentioned structures.

Analyzing the concept of sexual self-care in preschool children: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Child sexual abuse is a global concern for families and societies. Therefore, child protection from sexual harassment is of particular importance. The present study aimed to investigate the concept of sexual self-care in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present research is a qualitative study conducted with a content analysis approach. The study participants include 39 child sex education specialists, parents of children aged 4-7 years, adolescents who were sexually abused in childhood, and those with no experience of sexual abuse in childhood. The participants were selected through purposive sampling method. Different people's interpretations of the concept of sexual self-care in children were explored using semi-structured and face-to-face interviews, which continued until the saturation of concepts. Data were analyzed using the Graneheim and Lundman method. Guba and Lincoln's criteria were used to strengthen the validity and transferability of the data. RESULTS: Sexual self-care in children was identified from participants' viewpoints in the study. This self-care includes three main components and six subcomponents of (1) knowledge about privacy, risk situation, and trustworthy people, (2) attitude and perception of risk, and (3) behavioral skills in self-protection (i.e., post-injury reaction). CONCLUSION: Further injuries can be prevented by improving the level of awareness, forming the right attitude, and strengthening children's behavioral skills toward sexual self-care. Such issues, which are representatives of privacy, risk situations, and self-protection ability, can improve children's sexual self-care skills.

Patterns of better breast cancer care in countries with higher human development index and healthcare expenditure: Insights from GLOBOCAN 2020.

Background: The huge burden of breast cancer (BC) necessitates the profound and accurate knowledge of the most recent cancer epidemiology and quality of care provided. We aimed to evaluate BC epidemiology and quality of care and examine the effects of socioeconomic development and healthcare expenditure on disparities in BC care. Methods: The results from the GLOBOCAN 2020 study were utilized to extract data on female BC, including incidence and mortality numbers, crude rates, and age-standardized rates [age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs)]. The mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) was calculated for different locations and socioeconomic stratifications to examine disparities in BC care, with higher values reflecting poor quality of care and vice versa. In both descriptive and analytic approaches, the human development index (HDI) and the proportion of current healthcare expenditure (CHE) to gross domestic product (CHE/GDP%) were used to evaluate the values of MIR. Results: Globally, 2,261,419 (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 2,244,260-2,278,710) new cases of female BC were diagnosed in 2020, with a crude rate of 58.5/100,000 population, and caused 684,996 (675,493-694,633) deaths, with a crude rate of 17.7. The WHO region with the highest BC ASIR (69.7) was Europe, and the WHO region with the highest ASMR (19.1) was Africa. The very high HDI category had the highest BC ASIR (75.6), and low HDI areas had the highest ASMR (20.1). The overall calculated value of female BC MIR in 2020 was 0.30, with Africa having the highest value (0.48) and the low HDI category (0.53). A strong statistically significant inverse correlation was observed between the MIR and HDI values for countries/territories (Pearson's coefficient = -0.850, p-value < 0.001). A significant moderate inverse correlation was observed between the MIR and CHE/GDP values (Pearson's coefficient = -0.431, p-value < 0.001). Conclusions: This study highlighted that MIR of BC was higher in less developed areas and less wealthy countries. MIR as an indicator of the quality of care showed that locations with higher healthcare expenditure had better BC care. More focused interventions in developing regions and in those with limited resources are needed to alleviate the burden of BC and resolve disparities in BC care.

Factors affecting the health literacy status of patients with type 2 diabetes through demographic variables: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy (HL) is the ability of a person to acquire the process, understand the necessary health information, and make the health services needed for conscious health decisions. Besides, diabetes is the most common metabolic disorder that affects patients' quantity and quality of life. This study focused on determining the factors that affect the HL status of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) through the role of the demographic variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive-analytical research survey recruited a sample based on 280 patients with T2D at the Diabetes Research Center of Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital in Kermanshah in 2020. This study selected patients with T2D using a simple random sampling technique. The study applied the demographic information questionnaire and the Functional, Communicative, and Critical HL Scale to collect data from patients with T2D. This study used the SPSS version 23 on the received data sets to perform statistical analysis, including t-test, analysis of the variance, and multiple regression, to predict the factors affecting HL among diabetes patients. RESULTS: The study results showed that the mean age of the participating patients with T2D was 55.80 ± 13.04. The results indicated the mean score and standard deviation of total HL score in patients with T2D 2.70 ± 0.44. The findings specified a statistically significant relationship between HL, gender, education, occupation, income, and place of residence. Results indicated that ß-coefficients of the multiple regression analysis and the income variable (ß = 0.170), age (ß = 0.176), and employment variable (ß = 0.157). These are the most predictive of the HL of patients with T2D. CONCLUSION: The results of this study specified that the HL rate of individuals with diabetes type 2 is average. The potential communicative and critical HL influence is essential for communication and education for diabetes patients in the primary health-care system settings. The findings indicate that communicative and critical HL related to patients' management and functional HL looks passable in this study.

Significance of Knowledge in Children on Self-Protection of Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review.

Background: Sexual child abuse is a form of anti-social behavior with the children that cause potential harm to the health, development and dignity of the child. Knowledge of children about these issues can help to protect themselves against sexual abuse. This study aimed to review systematically available documents about the importance of knowledge on self-protection of sexual abuse in children. Methods: In this systematic review, "sexual abuse", "self-protection" and "knowledge" were searched in Scopus, Google Scholar, Ovid, PubMed, and Science Direct as the search words, and after considering the inclusion criteria and excluding irrelevant articles, the relevant articles were included for data extraction. In the included studies, children were educated about sexual abuse, and questionnaires were designed to compare the impact of education and the level of knowledge in children before and after education. Results: Overall, 19 articles with overall 6582 children were found that were published from 1987-2020. The main awareness of children was from parents, educators and then the media. Age of the child, education level of family, good relationship between family members, adequate education by school teachers in the form of educational programs and even media play an important role in increasing knowledge of children about sexual abuse. Education to children, on average, led to 77.43% more awareness and as a results self-protection against sexual abuse and rape. Conclusion: Insufficient education or lack of knowledge about sexual abuse is a critical issue in children. Therefore, it is necessary to design educational programs to increase their knowledge about sexual abuse and strategies for self-protection in this age group.

The effect of group logotherapy on spirituality and preoperative anxiety in patients seeking open heart surgery referring to Tehran Heart Center in 2020.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Most patients experience anxiety before heart surgery. On the other hand, spiritual health can improve the candidate patient's adaptation to surgery. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of group logotherapy on spirituality and anxiety of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this quasi-experimental study, 60 hospitalized candidates for cardiac surgery were randomly assigned to two groups (30 in the experimental group, 30 in the control group). To measure anxiety and relationship with God, Beck Anxiety Questionnaire and the researcher-made scale about relationship with God (reconstruction of Lawrence's scale of perception of God) were used, respectively. In the intervention group, in addition to drug therapy, individuals received two sessions of group discussion and spiritual skills training using the behavioral-cognitive method with emphasis on spiritual thoughts and problem-solving methods, but the control group received only drug therapy. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: In the experimental group, the anxiety scores mean in the posttest and follow-up were significantly lower than the pretest (P < 0.05), while the mean anxiety in the control group in the posttest stage was not significantly different, but at the follow-up stage, it was significantly lower than the pretest, but the decrease in mean anxiety in the experimental group was greater (P < 0.05). The mean subscales of relationship with god (influence, divine providence, acceptance, presence, challenge, benevolence) were significantly higher in the experimental and control groups in the follow-up stage than the pretest, but the increase in the mean of these variables was more in the experimental group in the follow-up stage (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Findings showed that the components of relationship with God are a good predictor of pre-surgery anxiety, so by focusing on spiritual training of patients who are candidates for surgery, the incidence or severity of anxiety can be reduced.

The child-to-family education program regarding self-medication: A theory-based interventional study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Self-medication is considered one of the largest social, economic, and health problems in developing communities, including Iran. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a child to family communication approach to self-medication based on the Health Belief Model [HBM]. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study is a quasi-experimental study that was conducted on 124 students in the fourth grade and their mothers in the intervention and control groups in Isfahan city, Iran. Using multi-stage simple random sampling, two primary schools were selected from each group, and then one class was selected from each primary school. Students in the intervention group attended the educational sessions. Then, the students were required to transfer their education to their families. The impact of education on mothers was evaluated two months after the last session. Data were collected before and after the intervention with a researcher-created questionnaire based on the HBM and were analysed using the SPSS 17 software package, with chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Wilcoxon tests. RESULTS: Before training, there was not a significant difference in the mean scores of the HBM constructs in terms of the demographic characteristics between the two groups. After the educational intervention, the mean of knowledge and HBM constructs were increased significantly, and the mean of perceived barriers decreased significantly in the experimental group [P < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: According to the present study, the child-to-family education based on the HBM was effective. It is suggested that educational interventions based on the HBM be designed and implemented to decrease self-medication in Iranian families.

Determining the characteristics of a mental supportive workplace according to female hospital staff in one of Tehran hospitals: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Health-care workers are exposed to complex types of health and safety hazards. A high percentage of hospital staff in Iran are women, who in addition to heavy and stressful hospital work, also carry the burden of the family roles. It is in these circumstances that creating a supportive environment for women is of particular importance. Accordingly, this study is designed to determine the characteristics of a mental supporting work environment in the workplace from the perspective of female hospital staff. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed by a qualitative method and content analysis approach. Sampling was purposive and 26 women working in different wards of this hospital were included in the study. In this study, women with maximum diversity in terms of age, work experience, and employment ward were selected. The main method of data collection in this study was a semi-structured interview. Interview texts were extracted and divided into meaningful units. To validate and confirm the results plus accuracy of the research, the criterion of data validity or data credibility, admissibility, data accuracy, verifiability, reliability, and transferability were used. RESULTS: Through the data analysis, 58 primary concepts with the same features were classified into 10 subcategories. Then, based on common features at a more abstract level, they were converted into four main categories including job stressors, women's stress management, providing women's psychological-job satisfaction, and women's work-life balance. CONCLUSION: Creating supportive work environments for women, especially those operating in workplaces such as hospitals, which brings a lot of work pressure and workload for them, can be an important policy for organizations and hospital work environments.

Psychosocial issues and sleep quality among seafarers: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Seafarers, especially those working for a prolonged period of time, are exposed to a high number of social, psychological and physical stressors including irregular working hours. AIM: This study aims to identify important aspects of Asian seafarers' psychosocial wellbeing and quality of sleep that could affect safety and health of the seafarers in long voyage tankers. METHODS: In this mixed method study, psychological health issues were investigated through semi-structured interviews with 17 Asian male seafarers. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. In the quantitative phase, 179 seafarers completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) on sleep quality. RESULTS: From the interviews, three categories consisting of six themes emerged, including sleep abnormalities, inevitable stressors, and lack of social communication. The majority of the seafarers believed that their quality of sleep was affected by their physical work environment and by issues raised by their families. As reasons for stress at sea, they mentioned the nature of the occupation and the psychosocial work environment. Most participants pointed out that lack of social communications had adverse effects on both their work lives on board and their private lives at home. In the quantitative phase, the response rate was 81.4%. Mean PSQI index was 5.9 (SD 2.6 and range from 2 to 14). Sleep impairment was higher in academic than non-academic individuals (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Sleep abnormalities and lack of social communication should be considered as modifiable risk factors for seafarers' psychosocial well-being at sea.

Backpack improper use causes musculoskeletal injuries in adolescents: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This research is one of the very few studies, which seeks a focalized examination to observe the effects of the backpack on the teenager students. Adolescents prefer rucksacks as one of their favorite school bags during their school studies. This study inspects how knapsacks gradually bring changes as injuries in the bodies of school-going adolescents. There are ample studies in the past literature, which evidence the injuries of backpack among adolescents, such as backache, neck pain, and shoulder pain. The principal objective of this study is to determine the effects of backpacks on musculoskeletal injuries among school-going adolescents based on previous studies support in this research field. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review study selected observational studies from the past literature indexed in the databases of Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL during 1999-2020. This review focused on the keywords of "Backpack," "Musculoskeletal Injuries," and "Adolescent" from MESH and selected 14 out of 210 articles based on the research objective. According to the Crombie Checklist, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and investigating the quality of the report, this review focused on literature evidence to the field under investigation. RESULTS: Based on the chosen 14 articles, the findings of the present review indicated two outcomes by considering the impact of the backpack on musculoskeletal injuries and pains among adolescents. The results of the review studies specified that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries and pain using a backpack among most of the male and female adolescents. The findings also stipulate that injuries and pain intensity among female adolescents were higher than the male students. CONCLUSION: The results of this review study specified that improper use of the backpack, which exceeded the standard weight, caused chorionic pain and injuries between both genders of adolescents. The generalizability of the results is suitable for this review study.

Economic inequality in prevalence of underweight and short stature in children and adolescents: the weight disorders survey of the CASPIAN-IV study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the determinants of socio-economic inequality in the prevalence of short stature and underweight in Iranian children and adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional nationwide study was conducted on 36,486 participants, aged 6-18 years. This school-based surveillance (CASPIAN- IV) program and its complementary part on weight disorders evaluation was conducted in urban and rural areas of 30 provinces in Iran. In addition to physical examination, a validated questionnaire was completed from students and their parents. Socio-economic status (SES) was determined using principal component analysis, and was classified in quintile scale. Inequality in the prevalence of underweight and short stature was assessed using concentration (C) index and slop index of inequality (SII) by the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method. RESULTS: The prevalence (95% CI) of underweight and short stature at national level was 10.89 (10.55, 11.23) and 4.15 (3.94, 4.38), respectively; it had a downtrend from the lowest to highest SES quintile. Furthermore, the value of C for underweight and short stature was negative, i.e. inequality was in favor of high SES groups. Moreover, the prevalence gap of underweight and short stature in the first and fifth quintiles of SES was 6.58% and 5.80%, respectively. The highest proportion of this gap was explained by living area. In the multiple logistic model, odds of underweight and short stature were significantly lower in individuals with higher SES. Compared to boys, odds of underweight were decreased in girls, whereas odds of short stature were increased in them. Odds of underweight and short stature were increased in participants from rural areas than in urban areas. With increasing age, the odds of underweight and short stature decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that inequality in the prevalence of short stature and underweight was in favor of high SES groups. Moreover, living area was one of the most important determinants that explained this inequality. Therefore, this issue needs to be considered in health promotion policies.

Explaining the reasons for not maintaining the health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 in high-risk jobs: a qualitative study in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Although the workers in many occupations are at the greatest risk of catching and spreading COVID-19 due to assembling and contacting people, the owners of these occupations do not follow COVID-19 health instructions. The purpose of this study is to explain the reasons for not maintaining health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 in high-risk jobs in Iran. METHODS: The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach among people with high-risk jobs in Tehran during March and April of 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 31 people with high-risk occupations selected by purposeful sampling and snowballing. The data were analyzed using the conventional qualitative content analysis method and MAXQDA-18 software. Guba and Lincoln's criteria were also used to evaluate the quality of the research results. RESULTS: 4 main categories and 13 sub-categories were obtained, including individual factors (personality traits, lack of self-efficacy, little knowledge of the disease and how to observe health norms related to it, misconceptions about health), structural factors (difficulty of access to health supplies, lack of supportive environment, weak laws and supervision, the poor performance of officials and national media), economic factors (economic costs of living, lack of government economic support), Socio-cultural factors (learning, cultural beliefs, social customs, and rituals). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 prevention requires intervention at different levels. At the individual level: increasing people's awareness and understanding about how to prevent COVID-19 and strengthening self-efficacy in observing health norms, at the social level: highlighting positive patterns of observing health issues and training people about the consequences of social interactions during the outbreak of the virus, and at the macro level: strengthening regulatory rules and increasing people's access to hygienic products and support for the vulnerable must be taken into account.

The components of workplace violence against nurses from the perspective of women working in a hospital in Tehran: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Based on the World Health Organization (WHO), workplace violence can affect events where employees are abused, attacked or threatened in their workplace, and it also has some consequences such as safety, welfare, and health. Like other types of violence, workplace violence and aggression are an increasing phenomenon. Moreover, workplace violence not only disrupts interpersonal and organizational relationships, but it also impairs the persons self-esteem and affects their physical and mental health and well-being. Thus, this study aimed to explain the components of workplace violence against nurses from the perspective of women working in a hospital in Tehran, which was conducted through the qualitative method and content analysis. METHODS: In this study Purposive sampling included 21 female nurses who were working in different wards of the hospital. Also, female nurses were selected with maximum diversity in terms of work experience, age, and the wards they were working in. in this study the semi-structured interview was the main method of data collection. The interview transcriptions were extracted and then divided into meaningful units. For strengthening and confirming the results and accuracy of the research, the author used the data acceptability, credibility, accuracy, validity, believability, verifiability, reliability, and transferability. RESULTS: During the data analysis process of this study, the first 15 classes with the same characteristics were put together and then divided into 6 classes. Afterwards, based on the common features at a more abstract level, they were converted into 2 themes. Based on the findings, violence against women in the workplace occurs at two levels, that namely interpersonal violence and organizational coercion. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is necessary for managers to commit to lay the groundwork for reducing violence in the hospital, as well as barriers to report these cases especially the hospital managers and officials should create awareness on workplace among the staff, patient and visitors and must ensure stringent actions to prevent it.

Survey of happiness in students of Iran University of Medical Sciences and its relationship with students' attitudes toward the field of education and the future of career.

BACKGROUND: Happiness is one of the main components of mental health that plays an important role in promoting people's health. This study aimed to investigate the status of happiness in students of Iran University of Medical Sciences and its relationship with students' attitudes toward the field of education and the future of career in 2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 500 students of Iran University of Medical Sciences The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of three parts: demographic information, Oxford Happiness Inventory; A questionnaire was used to measure students' attitudes about their career future, which was completed by students of Iran University of Medical Sciences. In order to analyze the data, SPSS software version 24 and descriptive and analytical statistics were used. RESULTS: Findings showed that 72% of students had a good level of happiness. There is also a significant relationship between happiness and attitude toward the field of study. According to the results, there is a significant relationship between the career future and the amount of happiness. There was a significant relationship between gender and happiness. CONCLUSION: The study findings show that, by planning correctly in determining the fields of education and ensuring the future of the job, happiness can be improved among students. Therefore, it is recommended that the authorities take the students with the correct needs assessment in the field of business education in the field of study.

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.

A study of internet addiction and its effects on mental health: A study based on Iranian University Students.

INTRODUCTION: The Internet has drastically affected human behavior, and it has positive and negative effects; however, its excessive usage exposes users to internet addiction. The diagnosis of students' mental dysfunction is vital to monitor their academic progress and success by preventing this technology through proper handling of the usage addiction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study selected 447 students (232 females and 215 males) of the first and second semesters enrolled at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2018 by using Cochrane's sample size formula and stratified random sampling. The study applied Young's Internet Addiction Test and Goldberg General Health Questionnaire 28 for data collection. The study screened the data received and analyzed valid data set through the t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient by incorporating SPSS Statistics software version 23.0. RESULTS: The results of the current study specified that the total mean score of the students for internet addiction and mental health was 3.81 ± 0.88 and 2.56 ± 0.33, correspondingly. The results revealed that internet addiction positively correlated with depression and mental health, which indicated a negative relationship (P > 0.001). The multiple regression analysis results showed students' five significant vulnerability predictors toward internet addiction, such as the critical reason for using the Internet, faculty, depression, the central place for using the Internet, and somatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings specified that students' excessive internet usage leads to anxiety, depression, and adverse mental health, which affect their academic performance. Monitoring and controlling students' internet addiction through informative sessions on how to use the Internet adequately is useful.

Economic inequality in prevalence of underweight and short stature in children and adolescents: the weight disorders survey of the CASPIAN-IV study

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the determinants of socio-economic inequality in the prevalence of short stature and underweight in Iranian children and adolescents. Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional nationwide study was conducted on 36,486 participants, aged 6-18 years. This school-based surveillance (CASPIAN- IV) program and its complementary part on weight disorders evaluation was conducted in urban and rural areas of 30 provinces in Iran. In addition to physical examination, a validated questionnaire was completed from students and their parents. Socio-economic status (SES) was determined using principal component analysis, and was classified in quintile scale. Inequality in the prevalence of underweight and short stature was assessed using concentration (C) index and slop index of inequality (SII) by the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method. Results: The prevalence (95% CI) of underweight and short stature at national level was 10.89 (10.55, 11.23) and 4.15 (3.94, 4.38), respectively; it had a downtrend from the lowest to highest SES quintile. Furthermore, the value of C for underweight and short stature was negative, i.e. inequality was in favor of high SES groups. Moreover, the prevalence gap of underweight and short stature in the first and fifth quintiles of SES was 6.58% and 5.80%, respectively. The highest proportion of this gap was explained by living area. In the multiple logistic model, odds of underweight and short stature were significantly lower in individuals with higher SES. Compared to boys, odds of underweight were decreased in girls, whereas odds of short stature were increased in them. Odds of underweight and short stature were increased in participants from rural areas than in urban areas. With increasing age, the odds of underweight and short stature decreased significantly. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that inequality in the prevalence of short stature and underweight was in favor of high SES groups. Moreover, living area was one of the most important determinants that explained this inequality. Therefore, this issue needs to be considered in health promotion policies.

The effect of educational intervention based on dramatic literature on parents of elementary schoolchildren skills in sex education.

BACKGROUND: Today, one of the biggest concerns of parents is protecting their children and properly educating them about sex. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational intervention on parental skills in sex education on their children in elementary schools in the northwest of Tehran-Iran in 2019 based on literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 125 parents of elementary schoolchildren in the northwestern of Tehran. The data were collected by valid and reliable questionnaire. Before the intervention, two intervention and control groups filled up the pretest questionnaire; the data were collected by valid and reliable questionnaire. Before the intervention, two intervention and control groups filled the pretest questionnaire, and then the parents participated in the educational program based on dramatic literature. Two months later, the same questionnaire was completed by the control and intervention groups. Finally, the data were analyzed by regression and one-way ANOVA test. RESULTS: The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of knowledge in the experimental and control groups in the posttest (P < 0.01). There was also a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of attitude in the experimental and control groups at the posttest stage (P < 0.01). There was also a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of performance based on group membership (experimental group and control group) in the posttest phase (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study showed that educational intervention on parental skills in sex education based on the dramatic literature to their children has significant effect on parental knowledge, attitude, and performance.

The consequences of regular methamphetamine use in Tehran: qualitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, methamphetamine use has increased noticeably in Iran, and this can make harmful consequences for the health of individuals and society. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the consequences of regular methamphetamine use in Tehran. METHODS: This study was conducted based on a conventional content analysis approach. Data were collected through observation and in-depth interviews with 20 regular adult users of methamphetamine in Tehran (including 15 males and 5 females). Participants were selected using snowball sampling and purposeful sampling, which continued until data saturation. Guba and Lincoln's criteria were used to assess the strength of the study. RESULTS: The extraction of the codes resulted in three main categories: (1)the short-term consequences, consisting of the sub-categories of individual and social consequences, (2) the long-term consequences, consisting of the sub-categories of psychological and physical consequences, high-risk behaviors, severely decayed memory and changes in the eating pattern, and (3) hallucinations and delusions including the sub-categories of visual and auditory hallucinations, persecutory delusions and delusion of having supernatural power. CONCLUSION: Regular methamphetamine use may have serious adverse effects on the overall health of individuals. It is therefore highly recommended that educational programs must implement with the use of methamphetamine in the high- risk groups in order to raise awareness and change attitudes about the short and long term consequences. is highly recommended.

Association of sleep duration and snack consumption in children and adolescents: The CASPIAN-V study.

OBJECTIVES: The relationship between sleep deprivation and the risk of overweight and obesity is somewhat known in children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and eating snacks in a national sample of children and adolescents aged 6-18 years old. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on the data of the fifth survey of the national school-based surveillance system entitled the "Childhood and Adolescence Surveillance and PreventIon of Adult Non-communicable Disease" (CASPIAN-V) study. Short sleeping duration was defined 10 hr per day for children under 10 years and 9 hr per day for children ≥ 10 years. To assess food habits, the consumption frequency of some food groups including sweets, salty snacks, carbonated beverages, diet soft drinks, soft beer, fresh fruits, dried fruits, fresh juices, vegetables, packed juices, dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese), fast foods, tea, sugar along with tea, and coffee was asked using Likert scale ( never, rarely, weekly, and daily). RESULTS: In multivariate model, short sleep versus long sleep in students was associated with increased chance of eating salty snacks (OR = 1.49 [95% CI: 1.38-1.61]; p = .001), soft drinks (OR = 1.12 [95% CI: 1.04-1.20]; p = .002), fast foods (OR = 1.66 [95% CI: 1.54-1.79]; p < .001), tea (OR = 1.49 [95% CI: 1.39-1.61]; p < .001), and tea with sugar (OR = 1.13 [95% CI: 1.05-1.22]; p < .001). In addition, short sleep in students was associated with a decreased odds of daily intake of soft drinks without sugars (OR = 0.64 [95% CI: 0.58-0.70]; p < .001), soft beer (OR = 0.92 [95% CI: 0.85-0.99]; p < .001), fresh fruit (OR = 0.83 [95% CI: 0.76-0.90]; p < .001), dried fruit (OR = 0.43 [95% CI: 0.39-0.46]; p < .001), fresh fruit juice (OR = 0.66 [95% CI: 0.62-0.72]; p < .001), packed juice (OR = 0.91 [95% CI: 0.84-0.98]; p < .009), milk (OR = 0.51 [95% CI: 0.47-0.55]; p < .001), yogurt (OR = 0.86 [95% CI: 0.79-0.93]; p ≤ .001), and coffee (OR = 0.82 [95% CI: 0.76-0.89]; p ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate a significant relationship between sleep duration and unhealthy food habits. Therefore, increasing awareness of families in this area may reduce obesity and its complications.