Health Education and Health Promotion
Volume:10 Issue: 4, Fall 2022

This study aimed to determine the adherence to treatment and affecting factors in tuberculosis patients during COVID-19 outbreaks.

This is a mixed-method study with an explanatory sequential design. The first phase was a cross-sectional study on 108 tuberculosis patients. Data were collected with an adherence questionnaire in patients with chronic disease. Descriptive statistics and linear regression tests were used for quantitative data analysis. The second phase was a qualitative study with the conventional content analysis approach. Participants included 12 patients and healthcare providers involved in the directly observed treatment short course program for tuberculosis in related centers to Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Southeast of Iran.

The median scores of treatment adherence were 110.00±35.00, and 48 (44%) of subjects had poor to moderate scores. COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 factors have influenced the adherence to treatment in patients with tuberculosis patients.

A worldwide and unanticipated crisis can negatively affect the control of chronic diseases.  Anxiety and panic over the unknown nature, lack of definitive treatment, and mortality of COVID-19 led to the disruption of the directly observed therapies program by both tuberculosis patients and healthcare providers. Giving part of the tuberculosis management responsibility to the patient and family was not an effective solution during the COVID-19 crisis.

One of the essential strategies in reducing energy supplements, especially in adolescents and young individuals, is preventive measures, such as training. This study aimed to determine the effect of prototype willingness model-based training on bodybuilder athletes

This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 112 bodybuilder athletes in Sabzevar and was selected by cluster sampling method. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the prototype willingness model. The educational intervention was performed for the experimental group based on the pre-test results. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical tests in SPSS 21 software.  

The three constructs of attitude, subjective norms, and intention accounted for 23. 1% of the variance in behavioral intention, among which the effect of attitude was more than other variables. Behavioral intention and behavioral willingness predicted 14% of the behavior variance that Behavioral intention had the most significant impact on behavior. Regarding the effect of educational interventions, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of model constructs of imagery and intentions between the two groups before and two months after the educational intervention(p<0.05).

Educational interventions based on the prototype/willingness model could effectively improve the preventive predictor’s behavior of not using energy supplements. The educational intervention aimed at increasing the attitude and reducing the influence of friends can provide the basis for lowering intention and ultimately decreasing the intake of energy supplements in athletes.

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers on medical waste management and determine the relationship between the socio-demographic characteristics of healthcare workers with their knowledge and attitudes at public hospitals.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the public hospitals of Al-Najaf, Iraq. The study includes 443 participants (93 medical staff, 310 paramedical staff, and 40 housekeeping staff) collected from 2nd January until 31st March 2022 using a researcher made questionnaire. Analysis of data carried out using SPSS 25.

The study was conducted on 443 participants with a mean±SD age of 29.18 ±7.68 years. The age group 20-29 years had the highest percentage (69.1%), females (58.9%) represented the studied sample compared to males (41.1%). The highest percentage of the studied sample had Baccalaureate certification (44%) and a period of experience of 1-5 years (62.98%). The majority of the studied sample were paramedical staff (70%). Regarding training on medical waste management, the majority of them (69.1%) did not undergo any training program. In general, the overall assessment of participants’ knowledge about medical waste management was 69.9% fair, 25.1% good, and 4.9% poor knowledge, while about attitudes, 51.9% had good attitudes, 46.7% had fair attitudes, and (1.4%) had poor attitudes.

The current study concluded that only 25.1% of healthcare workers had good knowledge of medical waste management, and about half of them 51.9% had a good attitude. The good knowledge and attitude of paramedical staff were higher than medical and housekeeping staff.

The spread of the Corona pandemic has affected the status of companies involved in information and communication technology. This study aimed to investigate individuals’ subjective perspectives on the use of ICT (online businesses, virtual meetings, e-learning, and generally the role and impact of cyberspace) and finally evaluate people’s willingness to pay.

In this study, a conditional logit model was used. The required information was collected through a field survey by completing a questionnaire from 384 respondents of Tehran citizens in 2021.

Based on the information from the questionnaires filled, more than 75% of the respondents rated the use of cyberspace capabilities for encountering Corona disease as moderate and high. The result of estimating people’s willingness to pay for the feature of “use of information and communication technology” in the present study was 5600000 Rials.

Considering the capabilities of this technology and its position among the people, it is necessary to put on the agenda ICT penetration expansion and planning to make maximum use of its capabilities in similar pandemics and crises.

The present study aimed to investigate the determinants of COVID-19 preventive behaviors among women of reproductive age in Urmia using a behavioral change model.

The present descriptive-analytical study examined 400 women selected by the snowball and convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a valid and reliable electronic researcher-made questionnaire consisting of four sections (demographic characteristics, knowledge, model constructs, and preventive behaviors) and analyzed by the descriptive and inferential statistical methods by SPSS 16.

There was a positive correlation between COVID-19 preventive behaviors with self-efficacy (p<0.001, r=0.68), knowledge (r<0.26, p<0.001), cues to action (p<0.001, r=0.29), perceived benefits (p<0.001, r=0.43), perceived susceptibility (p=0.002, r=0.15), and  perceived severity (p<0.001, r=0.20), and a negative and significant correlation with perceived barriers (p<0.001, r=-0.32). The constructs of the health belief model predicted 50% of the variance of preventive behaviors, and the self-efficacy construct (p<0.001, β=0.5388) was the strongest predictor.

Given the effective role of the research model in explaining the determinants of the COVID-19 preventive behaviors, the health belief model (HBM) and effective constructs can be used in educational planning and interventions.

Naturally, the advancement of information and communication technology has a good effect on improving the learning process by incorporating physical digital education literacy as a medium for student learning. Analyzing digital education literacy as a teaching tool for Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang students who study online was the aim of this study.

The research was carried out in Karawang, Indonesia at Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang from March to July of 2021 on 104 students who participated in this study. The research tool was a questionnaire given online through Google Form.

The percentage of 88.57% was classified as being “extremely practical” according to the results of the expert and material validation. Results from kids using web-based media fall into the “Very Appropriate” category with a proportion of 84.17%.

Therefore, it can be disputed that Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang students can effectively use the Digital Literacy of Physical Education as a Website-Based Learning Media.

COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy is a public health concern in the world. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of vaccination hesitancy and its relevant factors using the health belief model among people in northeast Iran.

The present cross-sectional study examined 626 people using convenience sampling. Data were collected through an online survey using a questionnaire based on the health belief model at intervals of 10 September 2021 and 15 October 2021. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 16.

Overall, 70.6% of the samples reported that they would use the vaccine for free after it becomes available. Health belief model constructs predicted 40% of the variance of vaccination behavioral intention. The results indicated that the perceived barriers were significantly related to using the vaccine, thereby reducing the probability of using the vaccine by 10% (Relative Risk Ratio=0.90, 95% CI: 0.82-0.99). Perceived benefits (Relative Risk Ratio =1.21, 95% CI: 1.11-1.32), perceived susceptibility (Relative Risk Ratio =1.54, 95% Cl: 1.23-1.92), and behavioral intention (Relative Risk Ratio =3.06, 95% CI: 2.23-4.20) had a significant relationship with the probability of using the vaccine.

About one-third of the participants had COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. Interventions are necessary to increase compliance with vaccination, especially among people with low education levels. The health belief model constructs have a high power of predicting hesitancy and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and can be used in intervention programs.

Colorectal cancer is a global health problem, but most of these patients are curable through early diagnosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention through a campaign on health anxiety and participation of middle-aged people (ages 50-70 years) in CRC screening based on the Health Belief Model in urban areas.

A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 390 people in age range 50-70 years in Parsian in 2021. The participants were selected using convenience sampling. Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale and Health Anxiety Questionnaire were used to collect data. The educational intervention was carried out in the form of a campaign through educational video clips and a banner for four weeks. Data analysis was done in SPSS 26 software using descriptive statistics and univariate analysis of covariance.

There was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of the mean scores of the Health Belief Model scale (knowledge, perceived severity, perceived sensitivity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, and action guide) and the health anxiety questionnaire (consequences of disease and probability of disease) after the intervention (p<0.001).

The constructs of the Health Belief Model are good determinants of the action of high-risk individuals to undergo fecal occult blood testing. This highlights the necessity of implementing comprehensive educational programs focusing on the constructs of the Health Belief Model in this population.

Fifty-one swab samples were collected from mobile phones randomly form the social group in Kufa Technical Institute, wet swabs samples were taken  from different sources  including (Lecturer, administration staff, restaurant workers, garden workers and students)  then the samples were cultured on selective and enrichment  culture media to isolate all the bacterial contaminated species and identified by gram stain and biochemical tests and confirmation were carried out by using vitek2.The results showed that all sample were contaminated with bacteria, ten different types of bacteria isolated include Staphylococcus aureus (49%), Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria (12%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11%). Staphylococcus haemolyticus Escherichia vulneris (6%), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus sp with (4%), while the lowest percentage of presence was due to bacteria Pantoea spp and Cronobacter sakazakii group (2%). Also the results showed that the percentage of bacteria present on mobile phone by the student group is the highest in (41.18%) while the lowest for lecturer (4%). we also noted a decrease in microbial growth using disinfectants, the first disinfectant showed high level of  inhibitory effect compared to the second disinfectant, while  control disinfectant (70% ethanol alcohol) did not show any effect against all tested bacteria.

The role of mothers as main caregivers in toddlers with diarrhea and their familiarity with the factors associated with diarrhea is very important in managing the disease and preventing mortality. This study aimed to investigate the mothers’ performance regarding feeding a toddler with diarrhea and related factors.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 210 mothers who had toddlers with diarrhea that were selected through convenience sampling in Tehran, Iran, in 2021. The parental socio-demographic and toddler clinical characteristics questionnaire and Mother Performance questionnaire were used to collecting data. Data analysis was done using SPSS 20 software.

The mean age of the mothers and toddlers were 32.69±6.67 years and 23.97±7.24 months, respectively, and about 51.4% of toddlers were boys. The total mean scores of mothers’ performance was 121.92±8.37. There were significant differences in the mean scores of maternal performance based on the father's education level (p=0.03) and marital status (p=0.04). Furthermore, the frequent diarrhea and referral setting (p<0.0001) were significantly different in the hygiene principles and common beliefs dimension. Mothers with wanted pregnancy have better performance in the breastfeeding dimension (p=0.04).

The mothers’ performance regarding diarrhea and its dietary management is low, and less than half of them have a good level of knowledge. So it is necessary to improve and implement relevant policies to control and manage diarrhea.

The success of COVID-19 vaccination depends on public acceptance of the vaccine. It is necessary to evaluate the factors affecting vaccine acceptance to increase the acceptance of vaccination. The current study aimed to determine the relationships between the three components of the COM-B (capability, motivation, and opportunity) model and the explanatory domains of each component.

In this cross-sectional study, 1102 adults aged 18 years and older were selected through multi-stage sampling and received an online questionnaire on the WhatsApp platform in February 2021. Structure equation modeling was used to investigate the factors affecting vaccine acceptance.

Of the 1102 respondents, 938 respondents (85.1%) wanted to get vaccinated. The main indicators for the COM-B components were "behavioral regulation"(capability), "subjective norms and social support" (opportunity) and "social role" (motivation). Opportunity strongly predicted motivation (93%) and Covid-19 vaccine acceptance (74%). Motivation and capability were mediator for opportunity on vaccine acceptance.

Providing environmental and interpersonal conditions by creating capability and motivation in people increases vaccine acceptance.

The present study aimed to examine the effect of talent management (talent attraction, talent retention, talent development) on the personal growth of employees (growth mindset, metacognition, and self-authorship) in private hospitals in Benghazi, Libya.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in July 2022 using a questionnaire that was specifically designed for this purpose and had 29 paragraphs on a five-point Likert scale. The studied population consisted of the upper and middle managers of 5 private hospitals in Benghazi. 255 employees were selected to form a stratified random sample from the studied population with a response rate of 90.16%. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable.

A high level of application was observed for talent management, while the application of personal development was low. Also, the effect of talent management on individual growth was significant with β=0.720.

 Talent management practices affect positively employees’ personal growth in private hospitals in Benghazi, Libya.

One of the professional duties of nurses is providing the education needed to continue patients' medical treatment at home, influenced by their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nurses and nursing students toward family drug education in pediatric wards.

Instruments & Methods:

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 300 nurses and nursing students in the pediatric wards of hospitals affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nurses and students concerning patient and family education in pediatric wards were assessed using a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software.

All nurses and students agreed with teaching families the safety tips of home medication, but only 60% of nurses and 65% of students agreed with teaching families about drug side effects. Also, there was a significant relationship between the viewpoints of nurses and students regarding the non-use of drugs in the case of teaching drug side effects to the family and their pharmacological knowledge and performance (p<0.05). Students’ knowledge and performance of home pharmaceutical care indicated statistically significant differences with nurses (p<0.05).

Knowledge of pharmaceutical care at home among nurses and students who do not have a positive attitude towards educating families in some areas is not satisfactory.

The Electronic Health Record is a collection of medical information about a person's health status. The development of electronic health records has occurred worldwide, and developing countries, including Iran, have been no exception and have tried to take action in this regard. Therefore, this study aimed to review the types of Electronic Health Records designed in Iran.

Information & Methods:

This systematic review was conducted without any time limitation until 12 June 2022 by searching the keywords "Electronic Health Record", and "Iran", and their synonyms in the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, SID, and Magiran databases, and Google Scholar search engine. Published articles on the development or design of electronic health records in Iran were reviewed.

Among 28 papers, 11, 6, and 11 records were designed in Electronic Health Record, Electronic Medical Record, and Personal Electronic Record formats, respectively. Approximately 46% of the studies only designed electronic records but never implemented them, and the rest (54%) had completed the electronic record development. Among 15 implemented records, 7, 4, and 4 were in Personal Electronic Record, Electronic Health Record, and Electronic Medical Records formats, respectively. In addition, implementation platforms for records were in the form of web-based, mobile-based, and windows-based applications. Most of the minimum data set in the designed records were demographic data, medical history, therapeutic procedures, and laboratory tests.

Designing various Electronic Health Record systems for different diseases and clinical conditions can be an effective step toward developing a national Electronic Health Record.

In sports activities, the structure of the upper body plays a very important role and is often the target of various kinds of injuries that harm the body. This study aimed to determine the effect of combined therapy manipulation on upper extremity injuries.

Materials & Methods: 

This experimental study with a randomized pre-test and post-test design was conducted on 60 people who experienced upper extremity injuries from February 14 to March 14, 2022. Subjects were divided into four groups, including three treatment groups (sports massage manipulation, trigger point manipulation, and chiropractic manipulation) and one control group. The treatment was carried out at the Gauging Massage Medical Manual Therapy practice in Yogyakarta. The degree of strain was measured using a Visual Analogue Scale . Multivariate Analysis of Variance was used to determine the effect of giving combined therapy manipulation on pain intensity in all groups of research subjects.

The administration of the combined therapy manipulation significantly reduced the intensity of strain-induced pain in all treatment groups of sports massage, trigger point, and chiropractic compared to the control group (p=0.001).

All combined massage manipulation groups, including sports massage, trigger point, and chiropractic can reduce pain intensity 15 minutes after treatment, and there is no significant difference between these three groups in reducing pain intensity.

Covid-19 is a new disease that threatens public health. To combat this disease, the first step is to recognize the behavioral categories of people and their reactions, then provide solutions to improve people's preventive behavior. This study aimed to investigate the behavioral patterns of people using the lived experiences of experts in the 4030 call system.

Participants & Methods:

 In this qualitative research, data were collected from the lived experiences of experts in the 4030 call system by purposeful snowball sampling to achieve theoretical saturation through semi-structured interviews. Ultimately, the codes were converted into categories and sub-categories using MAXQDA 11 software.

After analyzing people's behavior, in addition to some appropriate behaviors, seven inappropriate behaviors were found, including reckless behaviors, inappropriate responses to fear and stress, indifference and negligence, creating family tension, obsession, and rejecting the sick or recovered patients. The solutions found in dealing with the different inappropriate behaviors of people are as follows: recognizing the cause of behaviors, education and counseling, policymaking and planning simultaneously with proper management, trust-building, monitoring and follow-up, and making laws by taking into account the implementation of Covid-19 prevention protocols.

Individuals had different behaviors at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of which were improper and led to problematic circumstances. The strategies proposed by 4030 call system experts include a proper understanding of the behaviors and their causes, policymaking, planning and enforcing laws appropriate to the challenges ahead, and face-to-face or virtual counseling and training.

Missed care affects the quality of care and endangers patient safety. The purpose of the present study is to assess the missed nursing care and its relationship with nursing social responsibility.

Instrument & Methods:

In this descriptive-correlational study, 342 nurses practicing in hospitals affiliated to Khoy University of Medical Sciences were studied as a sample. Data collection tools included a demographic profile, missed nursing care questionnaire, and Carroll's social responsibility questionnaire. The results were analyzed using SPSS 20 software and statistical tests.

The blood glucose control (1.74±0.96) and intravenous line care (1.90±0.85) were the lowest neglected nursing cares, and emotional support of patients and companions (3.12±1.28) and hand washing (3.80±1.27) were the highest neglected nursing care. Missed nursing care had a reverse and significant correlation with social responsibility (r=-0.56). Also, the variables of social responsibility (β=-0.401; p=0.0001), workload (β=7.365; p=0.0001), and exotic expectations (β=4.064; p=0.003) were good predictors for missed nursing care.

Nursing care is neglected among nurses; these errors have an inverse relationship with the social responsibility of nurses. First, the supervision system of supervisors is more effective than that of nurses. Secondly, nursing managers have special ethical standards in the selection of staff.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the global economy as well as the healthcare delivery systems. Without effective treatment and vaccines in the earlier phase of the pandemic, the public needs to engage in precautionary behaviors and disease surveillance and response at the policy level. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 among the residents in Sabah, Malaysia.

Instruments & Methods:

An online cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling from March to April 2020. The chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used to examine the association factors of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 536 participants completed the questionnaire. The mean knowledge score was 10.1±1.2, and 84.2% had a correct rate of knowledge. The attitude towards the final success in controlling COVID-19 was significantly different in age groups, marital status, and occupation types (p<0.05). Those with higher knowledge scores were more likely to agree with the confidence of the final success in controlling COVID-19. 94.4% were confident that Malaysia will win the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. People in government sectors were 6.19 times more likely to wear masks than unemployed respondents.

The level of knowledge of the residents in Sabah, Malaysia, about COVID-19 is quite satisfactory. Meanwhile, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 differ according to the socio-demography of the population in Sabah.

How people react to stressful and painful situations, such as suffering from a chronic disease like multiple sclerosis, is influenced by various factors, one of which is self-compassion. Self-compassion has a psychological nature and significant efficiency in the care and treatment of chronic patients. Existing tools have not paid attention to the characteristics of people suffering from chronic diseases such as MS in using self-compassion for managing the disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to design a questionnaire to measure self-compassion in patients with MS.

Instrument & Methods:

The present study is methodological research that was conducted in qualitative and quantitative parts. The items were designed based on the qualitative part of the study and review of texts. The validation characteristics of the questionnaire were performed using face validity, content, and structure. The reliability was assessed by internal consistency and stability methods.

In the qualitative phase, 78 initial items were extracted. After calculating the item impact score index with values higher than 1.5, content validity ratio higher than 0.51, and content validity index higher than 0.79, 73 items were selected. Confirmatory and then exploratory factor analysis was performed. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was 0.813, and the stability of the questionnaire was 0.778.

Self-compassion scale in patients with MS is a valid and reliable tool in Iranian society. Since Neff theory was used as a guiding framework in this study, the tool can also be used for non-Iranian patients to understand their perception and experiences.

Health-promoting hospitals seek to institutionalize the concept of prevention and health promotion among staff, empower patients in the hospital, and provide proper hospital interaction with the community, which improves the quality of services provided to people and communities. This study aimed to investigate strategies for improving the standards of health-promoting hospitals in the selected hospitals in Iran using the importance-performance analysis matrix in 2021.

Instruments & Methods:

The present mixed-method study consisted of two phases. In the quantitative phase, data related to the importance and performance of health-promoting hospital standards were collected in the selected hospitals using the World Health Organization questionnaire. In the qualitative phase, the weaknesses and strengths of the selected hospitals were identified using the importance-performance analysis matrix, and solutions to improve them were presented using the focus group method. The statistical population was managers and officials of 4 selected hospitals in Iran. By census method, 65 people were selected, and 61 people participated in the study. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the performance scores among the hospitals.

Non-government hospitals had higher mean performance scores in the standards of health-promoting hospitals. According to the importance-performance analysis matrix, standards for promoting a healthy workplace, continuity, cooperation, and patient evaluation were identified as critical points and the waste management policy standard of the selected hospitals.

Setting up appropriate educational programs regarding the promotion of staff health and staff participation in hospital policies, determining and evaluating the health promotion needs of different groups of patients recommended.

The high population growth is due to the high birth rate compared to the population death rate. Contraceptive methods have been presented to suppress population growth. This study aimed to analyze the effect of e-book-based learning media for family planning services on the knowledge of women of childbearing age.

Materials & Methods:

The current study is a quasi-experimental study with one group design and pretest-posttest, which was conducted from January to November 2021. The study population was women of childbearing age, from which 120 women were randomly selected. The research variable was the knowledge of women of childbearing age, which was evaluated using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test.

The mean level of knowledge before the intervention was 6.18±3.09, which reached 12.15±4.91 after the intervention, and this increase was significant (p<0.05).

E-book-based learning media on contraceptive services significantly affects the knowledge of women of childbearing age in Penyengat Rendah Village, Jambi City.

Failure to comply with the treatment plan is a challenge and a problem to control chronic diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the continuity self-preservation model on compliance with the care-treatment regimen in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials & Methods:

This quasi-experimental clinical trial study was performed on 80 patients with type 2 diabetes (intervention and control groups) admitted to a hospital in Zahedan, Iran, from 2020 to 2021. Questionnaires and blood samples were used as data-gathering methods. The intervention program was designed and implemented based on the self-preservation continuity model. The dependent variables were then assessed during a four-stage period. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in SPSS 9 software to analyze the data.

Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in the two groups. However, there was a significant difference in the mean scores of compliance with treatment, quality of life, health belief, and mean glycosylated hemoglobin after the intervention between the two groups (p=0.001).

The self-preservation continuity model is effective in metabolic control and compliance with the treatment of diabetic patients.

It is important to know the factors that influence physicians when choosing a medical specialty so that authorities can improve the admission and selection processes for medical residency positions accordingly. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the choice of medical specialty among general practitioners of Peru.

Instruments & Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire and included 576 general practitioners who were preparing for the medical residency exam in Peru. To establish the association of demographic variables and other factors with the choice of medical specialty, we used Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test.

Most participants were women (56.8%) under 30 years (79.2%). The specialties in high demand were pediatrics (11.1%), general surgery (7.3%), and gynecology and obstetrics (5.4%). Most physicians believed that their university education did not prepare them enough for the residency exam (59.8%). Moreover, 64% of the participants chose their specialty based on vocation and mainly intended to work in hospitals where they could better perform their clinical and surgery rotations (40.5%). Most participants did not consider the economic factor as decisive for choosing their medical specialty (76.3%). Male physicians (p˂0.0001) and those who consider the economic factor (p=0.008) important for choosing their medical specialty were more likely to choose a surgical specialty.

Physicians already have a fixed choice and do not choose specialties where there is less competition. Economic factors are not decisive in choosing a specialty. Additionally, we observed few applicants for primary care specialties.

Technology can facilitate the limitations of health literacy for children with special needs. Therefore a design is needed that is adapted to the limitations of children with special needs, especially deaf children. This study aimed to develop reproductive health reading materials on puberty for deaf students based on digital pocketbooks.

Materials & Methods:

The present study is a design and development research with qualitative and quantitative approaches (mixed method) with ADDIE steps. This study involved 15 deaf children in SMALB class X to XII who were selected using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. This study was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, so surveys and other research activities were online. The qualitative results were analyzed using content analysis, and quantitative results were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test.

 Most students said they had never been invited to discuss what changes would occur when they entered puberty. The knowledge of deaf students significantly increased after receiving reproductive health promotion intervention using digital pocketbooks (p=0.001).

Parents and deaf students need comprehensive reproductive health literacy adapted by focusing on digital-based text and images to be widely accessible.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men and is one of the major causes of pain and cost in the health care system. Prostate cancer screening is a low-cost and easy way to detect cancer early. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with prostate cancer screening in men over 50 years in Jiroft using the Protection Motivation Theory.

Instruments & Methods:

The present study is a cross-sectional study that was performed on 414 men over 50 years old. The sampling method was multi-stage. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire of 58 questions whose validity and reliability was measured. Data were analyzed by SPSS 18 software using one-way ANOVA, independent t-test, Pearson correlation, and linear regression.

53.9% of the participants were in the age group of 60-69 years. Only 8.2% had an annual prostate cancer screening. Perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, self-efficacy, response efficiency, and fear had a significant positive relationship, and response cost and perceived reward had a significant inverse relationship with prostate cancer screening behavior (p<0.05). Perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, self-efficacy, fear, and protection motivation constructs could explain 37% of the variance of prostate cancer screening behavior (p<0.05).

The constructs of perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, self-efficacy, fear, and protection motivation can explain 37% of prostate cancer screening behavior in Iranian Men, and protection motivation is a stronger predictor.