mohammad anbari

Considering the importance of sexual health literacy in promoting individual sexual health and ultimately improving family and social health as well as the effect of health literacy on sexual function, this study was designed and conducted to determine the association between sexual health literacy and sexual function among women.

This was a cross‑sectional study. A total of 420 women referring to health centers were entered into the study using one‑stage cluster sampling method. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, Iranian Adult Sexual Health Literacy Assessment Questionnaire, and the Persian version of the Female Sexual Function Assessment Questionnaire (FSFI). Data were collected and entered into SPSS 22 and logistic regression.

The results of the logistic regression test showed that the variable of sexual health literacy was effective on women’s sexual function (P = 0.021) so that the chances of having a desirable sexual function in women with excellent were 4.222 times more than women with inadequate health literacy; the variables of employment status, level of education, duration of marital life, and the number of sexual intercourses per recent week were the factors affecting women’s sexual function (P < 0.05).

The results of this study pointed out the existence of an undesirable level of sexual function and a desirable level of sexual health literacy among participating women. Hence, designing and implementing the training plans to promote sexual function among these women is necessary.

Sexual health literacy is a context-based variable affected by the ecosystem or a set of cultural and social factors of each community. This study aimed to determine sexual health literacy and the related factors.

This was a cross-sectional study. The population of this study was 305 women referring to the health centers of Qazvin, Iran. Sampling was done through a one-stage cluster method. The data collection tool was a demographic and the standard questionnaire sexual health literacy for adults. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 and descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

In this study, 44.9% of women were under 30 years old. The mean±SD of sexual health literacy was 76.89±18.32. Women had 7.9% inadequate sexual health literacy, 9.5% had inadequate sexual health literacy, 50.1% had adequate sexual health literacy, and 32.5% had excellent sexual health literacy. The results of the logistic regression test showed that the variables of education level, spouse education level, and use of contraceptives affect women's health literacy (p<0.05).

Women with a lower education level, women whose spouses had low education levels, and women who did not use contraceptives had lower sexual health literacy. Therefore, according to the role of sexual health literacy in understanding, accepting, and applying sexual health messages, it is suggested that researchers and health providers pay more attention to the mentioned women in designing educational programs to promote women's sexual health literacy.

The Covid-19 infectious disease is caused by a new coronavirus. Its outbreak was first discovered in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and it quickly became a pandemic of this century [1]. The rapid spread of the virus has caused countries to face a large number of infected people, so that as of August 8, 2020, globally, 19,187,943 people have been infected by the virus, and 716,075 people have died.. It is estimated that the mortality rate of this disease is between 1 to 5%, but it varies with age and other health conditions such as a history of underlying diseases . A significant proportion of deaths from Covid-19 infectious occur in the elderly and those with underlying diseases .Preventive behaviors play an important role in reducing the morbidity and mortality of this disease . Measures such as training, awareness promoting, attitude, and adopting preventative and protective actions are an important strategy to prevent Covid-19.

Health literacy plays an important role in adopting preventive behaviors. Considering the relatively high prevalence of breast cancer in women, this study aimed to assess the association between health literacy and adopting the preventive behavior of breast cancer in Iran.

This was a descriptive, cross‑sectional study, in which 375 female students at Imam Khomeini International University in Qazvin in the academic year of 2018–2019 were selected through a stratified random sampling method. Demographic and background questionnaire, the standard questionnaire of Health Literacy for Iranian Adults in addition to another questionnaire for measuring breast cancer preventive behaviors, were used for collecting data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

The mean of the breast cancer preventive behaviors and health literacy were 8.92 ± 1.82 out of 16 and 70.80 ± 12.49 out of 100. Regression results showed that there was a statistically significant association between the adoption of breast cancer preventive behaviors and physical activity (P < 0.001) and health literacy (P < 0.018). Accordingly, the chance for adopting the preventive behaviors in good level among students with rare and without physical activity was 0.105 and 0.100 times, respectively, more than students who had been doing physical activity on a daily basis. Moreover, the same chance among students with adequate and very adequate health literacy was 1.802 and 2.169 times more than students with inadequate health literacy.

The results indicated that students with lower levels of health literacy and less physical activity had shown less tendency to adopt preventive behaviors of breast cancer. Therefore, special attention should be paid to health literacy (HL), particularly physical activity, application of health information, and assessment in students when designing educational programs to prevent breast cancer.

One of the priorities of public health to reduce smoking is to prevent young people from smoking. Considering the role of the model of medical students in the society and due to the increasing smoking among them, the aim of this study was to assess the adoption of smoking preventive behaviors and its related factors among university students.

In this descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study, 355 dormitory students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, were selected by single-stage cluster sampling method and entered the study, in 2016. Data were collected using a questionnaire including demographic and background information and a valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire for measuring the adoption of smoking preventive behaviors. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16 and descriptive statistics, independent t-test and ANOVA. All stages of the study were conducted according to moral standards.

The mean (standard deviation) score of smoking preventive behaviors adoption was 39.01(19.96) out of 100 demonstrating a weak level. The adoption of smoking preventive behavior were significantly related with gender, having smokers' friends, having a smoker in the family, father's education level and smoking variables (P<0.05).

Due to the low mean score of adoption of smoking preventive behaviors among university students, it is necessary to carry out necessary education regarding smoking prevention among them.

Given the increasing trend of smoking among students and considering the potential of Health Belief Model (HBM) in predicting Health Literacy (HL) and smoking prevention as well as the role of HL in smoking prevention, this study aimed to determine the effect of HBM based education on HL and smoking prevention among students.

The present work is a quasi-experimental interventional study that was conducted in 2017 among 120 non-smoking students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran (60 in each intervention and control group). Data gathering tool was a valid and reliable questionnaire based on the constructs of perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy from the HBM, smoking preventive behaviors and the HL Assessment Questionnaire (HELIA) completed in two stages before and 6 months after the education. The collected data were analyzed using proportional tests and SPSS software version 18. All stages of the study were conducted according to moral standards.

There was no significant difference between demographic and background variables. The mean scores of perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits and self-efficacy, HL and preventive behaviors did not show any significant difference between both groups before the intervention (p>0.05). Following intervention, however, the mean scores of perceived susceptibility, benefits and self-efficacy, HL and preventive behaviors have changed significantly in experimental group as compared to control group (p<0.05).

Education based on constructs of perceived susceptibility, benefits, and self-efficacy could be effective in promoting HL and thus smoking prevention among non-smoker students.

 Health literacy (HL) influences adoption of preventive behaviors for breast cancer. This study aimed to examine association between HL and adoption of breast cancer preventive behaviors.

This was a cross sectional study. A sample of students in Qazvin was selected using stratified random sampling method. The data collection instruments included: Health Literacy Instrument for Adults (HELIA) and breast cancer preventive behaviors.

In total 375 students were studied. The mean score for the breast cancer preventive behaviors was 8.92±1.82 (out of 16). Among the five dimensions of HL, the highest mean score was for understanding and the lowest was for decision making and application of health information. Multiple regression analysis showed that the appraisal (β=0.252, P=0.024), decision making and application of health information (β=0.479, P=0.005) were the predictor of the adoption of breast cancer preventive behaviors that jointly explain 48.3% of variance in behavior changes.

The results indicate that in order to prevent breast cancer, educational programs need to focus on HL in general and on some specific skills in particular.

Diabetes is considered as a major public health problem all over the world. Self-care behaviors is the most important strategy for controlling chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the self-care agency and some associated factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

This cross-sectional study was performed on a descriptive-analytic approach on 374 patients referring to the Diabetes Clinic of Tohid Hospital in Sanandaj, selected using systematic sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire including demographic and background information questionnaire and a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing the self-care agency of diabetic patients. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software version 16 and appropriate tests. All stages of the study were conducted according to moral standards.

The mean and standard deviation of self-care agency score was 58.40 ± 12.49 from 105, that is considered moderate. There was a significant difference in self-care agency of patients according to variables such as gender, ability to measure blood glucose, occupational status, history of education about diabetes, regular dental examinations and annual infusion of influenza vaccine (P<0.05). There was a significant and inverse correlation between the number of years elapsed since diabetes diagnosis and self-care agency (P<0.05 and r=0.24).

Regarding the average self-care level in the majority of patients and the important role of self-care in controlling diabetes, the need to implement self-care education is increasingly felt in diabetic patients.