RESUMO
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has enormously impacted human activity worldwide, partly due to many governments issuing stay-at-home orders and limiting the types of social interactions citizens can engage in. Hence, this study investigated psychological well-being and factors affecting it after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 345 participants were recruited in the study. This research was conducted between February and May 2023 in Sarab, East Azerbaijan, Iran. To measure the data, valid and reliable instruments of Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC), interpersonal support evaluation list (ISEL-SF), and health-protective behaviors checklist instrument were used. Results: According to the results, health locus of control (r = 0.227; p < 0.001), social support (r = 0.339; p < 0.001), and COVID-19 preventive behaviors (r = 0.376; p < 0.001) were positively correlated with psychological well-being. The strongest correlation was observed between psychological well-being and protective behaviors (r = 0.376; p < 0.001). In the hierarchical regression model, total, demographic characteristics along with health locus of control, social support, covid-19 preventive behaviors, and history of COVID-19 infection were able to explain 57.4% of the variation in psychological well-being. Discussion: Public healthcare providers' and policymakers' preventive and supportive actions are highly advised for promoting health locus of control and social support in adults after the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it is better to include a community's social and environmental changes.
RESUMO
Background and Aims: Head lice is a public health problem of worldwide distribution, particularly among school children and girls. Head lice infestation (HLI) can lead to negative social and psychological outcomes such as distress and anxiety in children and their families. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the role of cognitive-behavioral factors in its spread and prevention among adolescent girls. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 276 school-aged adolescent girls from September 2022 to January 2023 in Herris, a city located in Northwest Iran. A multistage cluster random sample was used to recruit adolescent girls in secondary schools. Two schools were randomly selected from five secondary schools. Then, students in each school were randomly selected from a school list. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire. Results: The high protective behaviors were significantly associated with the number of family members (ß = 0.158; p value = 0.012). An additional 21.8% of the variation in preventive behaviors was explained by cognitive factors as predictor variables (p value > 0.05). Perceived collective family efficacy, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, and response efficacy were predictors of head lice preventive behaviors, respectively. Among all variables, perceived collective family efficacy was the strongest predictor. Conclusions: The findings of current research support the determinants of the cognitive-behavioral factors in the spread and prevention of HLI. It is better to involve these factors in school-based educational programs by policymakers and healthcare providers.
