Rural Healthcare Workers` Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice toward COVID-19 two years after the pandemic onset: is health literacy training still necessary?

This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the coronavirus disease among Iranian rural and urban healthcare workers. The study population consisted of all healthcare experts and staff working in 38 rural health centers in Iran. An online questionnaire was distributed in November 2021. The anonymous questionnaire was comprised of a series of questions about demographic information; knowledge about COVID-19, the attitudes and preventive practices toward COVID-19. The majority of the participants (92.6%) had appropriate knowledge about COVID-19 disease. Most of the participants (77.2%) had a good attitude toward COVID-19 and 60.3% showed good practice. There was a significant, strong, and positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores (p valu

Predictive Factors of Stages of Change in Hookah Smoking Cessation Among Iranian Adults Based on the Transtheoretical Model

Background: Hookah, as a traditional method of smoking, is widely used in Iran, especially in Bushehr province. It is essential to identify the most important determinants of modifying hookah smoking behavior. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of the stages of change in quitting hookah smoking in 15-60-year-old individuals in Bushehr province, southern Iran, based on the transtheoretical model (TTM).   Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 1173 Hookah smokers in Bushehr province. The samples were selected by two-stage random sampling from 10 cities. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire consisting of 5 sections (demographic characteristics, stages of change, processes of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy). Data were analyzed by R version.3.3.1 using analysis of variance and ordinal logistic regression at a significant level of 0.05.  Findings: The data revealed 82% of the participants were in the preparatory phase (55.3% in pre-contemplation and 26.7% in contemplation stages). Marital status, family members smoking hookah, cigarette smoking, level of education, number of family members, number of quitting attempts, self-efficacy, self-reevaluation, counter-conditioning, reinforcement management, and stimulus control were predictors of quitting hookah smoking. Conclusion: Given that most study participants were in the inactive stages of quitting hookah smoking, it seems necessary to design and implement behavioral interventions based on the predictive TTM constructs in this population