Qualitative Analysis of Students’ Experiences of Happiness: A Phenomenological Study

Introduction: Happiness is the amount of positive value that a person considers it for him/herself. Happiness is the common goal of all human beings; so that all human efforts will be done to get it, and it has changed to an important issue in human life at recent decades. Present study aimed to assess students' experiences of happiness phenomenon in Iran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Method: This qualitative study was done in 2015 using phenomenological method. The number of participants was 12; the data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using Colaizzi 7-step technique. Results: After considering and analyzing the data, 219 themes, 10 subthemes, and 3 main themes were extracted. The main categories included "goals achievement", "social ties", and "the ravages of life". Participants gained happiness through the process of social life and meanwhile declared basic individual efforts to achieve desires and happiness. They also suffered from some ravages and life destructive changes such as inappropriate welfare status, and encountered uncertain future. Conclusion: Considering particular importance of social aspect of gaining happiness, and the effect of welfare status on it, preparing appropriate educational policy for students and planning to improve their economic conditions to increase happiness are of great importance. Keywords: Happiness, Phenomenology, Student

Educational Interventions Relating to Breakfast Consumption among Students: A Systematic Review

Implementing interventions in the field of breakfast consumption and subsequently evaluating them is an appropriate solution to promote healthy breakfast consumption and improve health status. The present study aims to systematically investigate the educational interventions in relation to breakfast consumption among students. In this study, the SID, IRANMEDEX, IRANDOC, ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were systematically searched for the period from January 2000 to March 2018. The selection criteria for final articles include having as their topics education and intervention relating to breakfast consumption among pre-school and other school students as well as the availability of the full text of the articles. In general, 3742 articles were identified, out of which 17 articles—containing educational intervention relating to breakfast consumption among the students—were selected after removing duplicate articles and articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria. However, 5451 students had participated in the 17 investigated articles. The main emphasis in these interventions was on increasing breakfast consumption and knowledge and changing attitudes towards breakfast and its benefits. The use of theories and models for intervention increased the frequency of breakfast consumption among the students in all the reviewed studies. Accordingly, it seems necessary to design, implement, and assess more educational and interventional programs. More attention should be devoted to different theories and models of health education and promotion and to some lesser noteworthy factors, such as the role of schools, teachers, and parents in education, and modern communication technologies

The Effect of Educational Intervention based on Social Support Theory on Improvement of Hemodialysis Patients’ Quality of Life

Chronic kidney failure is a progressive and irreversible degeneration of renal function that affects the quality of life of patients. Social support as a coping mechanism can help promote health and improve the quality of life of a person. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of educational intervention based on social support theory on the improvement of hemodialysis patients’ QOL. This is a controlled quasi-experimental conducted in 2015 in Sari and with the participation of 100 hemodialysis patients that were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Prior to education, the patients were evaluated with demographic form, quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and social support (MOS-SSS) questionnaires. Then, an educational program was developed based on social support theory and implemented for the intervention group. The two groups were re-evaluated with the same questionnaires after 1 and 3 months and the data were analyzed in SPSS. In the intervention group compared to the control group, the mean scores of quality of life and social support increased significantly after the intervention (

Explaining the Experiences of Health Care Providers about Barriers of Client Education in Ghaemshahr Health Centers: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Providing an effective education by healthcare workers is very important in improving the quality of health services and patients' lives. Effective education faces a variety of challenges, which results in the low productivity of experienced health care providers. The aim of this study was to explain the experiences of health care providers about barriers of client education in Ghaemshahr health centers. Method: This qualitative research was conducted by content analysis method in Ghaemshahr healthcare centers. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews through focus group discussion and individual interviews with 20 healthcare staff that were selected by purposive and theoretical sampling. Data were analyzed and interpreted using conventional content analysis with Lundman and Graneheim technique. Results: After data analysis, 4 main themes and 15 subthemes were extracted. The main themes include structural challenges, inappropriate working conditions, lack of integrated professional knowledge, and inefficient teaching methods. Conclusion: Structural barriers are the main obstacle for providing an effective education by healthcare workers. Also, there is not a context for proper training, and despite many efforts, staff are incapable of providing an effective education. Educational policies need to be changed and client education whould be provided with higher quality and more effectively by employing expert forces and putting aside big challenges

Qualitative Study of Typology of Lifestyles: Study of the Youth in Mahabad City

Introduction Lifestyle is one of the modern concepts to which particular attention has been paid in the last century, especially after World War II. This term is the product of the modern world in which hobby choices and behaviors are considered to be based on individual choices and behaviors due to the weakening of structural variables such as social class. Young people could be considered important to study and analyze their lifestyles. They determine their social identity using a variety of factors (such as " a lot of culture consumption, much production of culture and reproduction of cultural activities" (Wyn and White, 1997: 86). On this basis, "lifestyle, consumer behaviors and choices and so on are of very high importance in life, and are considered as the basis and foundation of social identity formation" (Bourdieu, 1984; Lash & Urry, 1987; Featherstone, 1991; Giddens, 2008). Therefore, it is greatly important to study the status of social identity of youth and how to shape and redefine it in the current situation. On this basis, the present study aims at reviewing various theories about lifestyle, providing a conceptual framework, and extracting core concepts of lifestyle based on the opinions of scholars and empirical research related to the subject, and finally suggesting a typology of current lifestyles among youth in the city of Mahabad. Materials & Methods The method used in this research is qualitative. Qualitative method is appropriate to examine the issues in which in-depth understanding of complexities, details and context of the phenomenon under study are emphasized. Lifestyle is also a complex, multi-dimensional and diverse phenomenon, which means that it has many obscure and unknown aspects, and there are many components and elements consisting of the lifestyle, which may vary among individuals. Among the various methods that can be used for qualitative research, we picked grounded theory method, which means discovery of theory from the data that are produced as a posterior on the basis of social research. Thus, unlike methods that focus primarily on the evidence of hypotheses and theoretical propositions, this approach emphasizes the generation of theory (Dunican, 2006). Field data were collected using semi-structured interviews and participant observation techniques. 25 young boys in the range of 18 to 29 years old were finally included in the sample. The sampling method is a theoretical sampling, in which the sample selection process depends on the extent to which the sample to be selected can clarify a theory and idea that it is being developed and formed, and on the extent to which it helps the moving flow. In theoretical sampling, the sample size is determined with the theoretical saturation criterion; that is, whenever researcher finds that more interviews do not provide new information and insights, or data are being repeated, or nothing new is discovered, he does not continue the process of sampling and collecting data (Mohammad Pur, 2010). In this study, to obtain more complete and better results, we have considered the concept of sampling with maximum changes, due to the assumption of diverse lifestyles. Sampling with maximum changes, environments, activities, events, and informed people are deliberately chosen so that they make different and more diverse positions available to the researcher (Wimmer & Dominick, 2008). Accordingly, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 young boys in the city of Mahabad. After the initial survey, three interviews were removed, and finally, 25 people formed our sample size. Discussion of Results and Conclusions Considering the new situation and changes in the global and local levels, no doubt a phenomenon such as lifestyle has also changed, and has taken different forms and different aspects, influenced by modern processes. Meanwhile, modern processes and phenomena of technological progress and communication technologies have strongly affected the lives of young people, leading them to accept patterns from generalistic objectives. However, an approach to tackle and to some extent combat with those which make global events also exists, which is proportionally less powerful. The identity of young people in today's changing and fluid world is uncertain and greatly changeable, and the youth are often confused, with discord of opinions and actions. They both pay attention to the modern phenomena and the local identifiers. They have shaped their identity with the selection of their lifestyle elements, and give it direction in order to make them and their lifestyles different from others with different lifestyles. The distinction between these individuals is obvious, and the difference can be found in every element of their lives. Thus, lifestyle gives both identity and distinction. In addition, these people accept separate styles with presence in different types of social status. In sum, we can conclude that along with the increasing importance of lifestyle in the recent period, this problem was apparent in the youth of our study, and their lifestyle typically leads life and determines identity. The variety of lifestyles in the present era can be found in this study, and there are six lifestyles (pre-modern, modern, scientific, sports-oriented, joyful and global-local) that prove this claim. As the most active population of society, the youth are not passive, and they value their agency. They try to shape their own lifestyles, and have access to a certain lifestyle according to the social status and influence of the prevailing global trends. Choosing any lifestyle forms patterns, norms, actions, thoughts, and generally an identity in a person, and distinguishes him/her from other people who choose different lifestyles. The modern world and its identifiers and changes, the increasing cultural capital in families, plenty of access to new elements and facilities, and special attention to the youth in this process all have enormous and undeniable influences in shaping lifestyles and consequently identities that fit within them

Qualitative Study of Typology of Lifestyles: Study of the Youth in Mahabad City

Introduction Lifestyle is one of the modern concepts to which particular attention has been paid in the last century, especially after World War II. This term is the product of the modern world in which hobby choices and behaviors are considered to be based on individual choices and behaviors due to the weakening of structural variables such as social class. Young people could be considered important to study and analyze their lifestyles. They determine their social identity using a variety of factors (such as " a lot of culture consumption, much production of culture and reproduction of cultural activities" (Wyn and White, 1997: 86). On this basis, "lifestyle, consumer behaviors and choices and so on are of very high importance in life, and are considered as the basis and foundation of social identity formation" (Bourdieu, 1984 Lash & Urry, 1987 Featherstone, 1991 Giddens, 2008). Therefore, it is greatly important to study the status of social identity of youth and how to shape and redefine it in the current situation. On this basis, the present study aims at reviewing various theories about lifestyle, providing a conceptual framework, and extracting core concepts of lifestyle based on the opinions of scholars and empirical research related to the subject, and finally suggesting a typology of current lifestyles among youth in the city of Mahabad. Materials & Methods The method used in this research is qualitative. Qualitative method is appropriate to examine the issues in which in-depth understanding of complexities, details and context of the phenomenon under study are emphasized. Lifestyle is also a complex, multi-dimensional and diverse phenomenon, which means that it has many obscure and unknown aspects, and there are many components and elements consisting of the lifestyle, which may vary among individuals. Among the various methods that can be used for qualitative research, we picked grounded theory method, which means discovery of theory from the data that are produced as a posterior on the basis of social research. Thus, unlike methods that focus primarily on the evidence of hypotheses and theoretical propositions, this approach emphasizes the generation of theory (Dunican, 2006). Field data were collected using semi-structured interviews and participant observation techniques. 25 young boys in the range of 18 to 29 years old were finally included in the sample. The sampling method is a theoretical sampling, in which the sample selection process depends on the extent to which the sample to be selected can clarify a theory and idea that it is being developed and formed, and on the extent to which it helps the moving flow. In theoretical sampling, the sample size is determined with the theoretical saturation criterion that is, whenever researcher finds that more interviews do not provide new information and insights, or data are being repeated, or nothing new is discovered, he does not continue the process of sampling and collecting data (Mohammad Pur, 2010). In this study, to obtain more complete and better results, we have considered the concept of sampling with maximum changes, due to the assumption of diverse lifestyles. Sampling with maximum changes, environments, activities, events, and informed people are deliberately chosen so that they make different and more diverse positions available to the researcher (Wimmer & Dominick, 2008). Accordingly, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 young boys in the city of Mahabad. After the initial survey, three interviews were removed, and finally, 25 people formed our sample size. Discussion of Results and Conclusions Considering the new situation and changes in the global and local levels, no doubt a phenomenon such as lifestyle has also changed, and has taken different forms and different aspects, influenced by modern processes. Meanwhile, modern processes and phenomena of technological progress and communication technologies have strongly affected the lives of young people, leading them to accept patterns from generalistic objectives. However, an approach to tackle and to some extent combat with those which make global events also exists, which is proportionally less powerful. The identity of young people in today's changing and fluid world is uncertain and greatly changeable, and the youth are often confused, with discord of opinions and actions. They both pay attention to the modern phenomena and the local identifiers. They have shaped their identity with the selection of their lifestyle elements, and give it direction in order to make them and their lifestyles different from others with different lifestyles. The distinction between these individuals is obvious, and the difference can be found in every element of their lives. Thus, lifestyle gives both identity and distinction. In addition, these people accept separate styles with presence in different types of social status. In sum, we can conclude that along with the increasing importance of lifestyle in the recent period, this problem was apparent in the youth of our study, and their lifestyle typically leads life and determines identity. The variety of lifestyles in the present era can be found in this study, and there are six lifestyles (pre-modern, modern, scientific, sports-oriented, joyful and global-local) that prove this claim. As the most active population of society, the youth are not passive, and they value their agency. They try to shape their own lifestyles, and have access to a certain lifestyle according to the social status and influence of the prevailing global trends. Choosing any lifestyle forms patterns, norms, actions, thoughts, and generally an identity in a person, and distinguishes him/her from other people who choose different lifestyles. The modern world and its identifiers and changes, the increasing cultural capital in families, plenty of access to new elements and facilities, and special attention to the youth in this process all have enormous and undeniable influences in shaping lifestyles and consequently identities that fit within them

Explaining the Experiences of Health Care Providers about Barriers of Client Education in Ghaemshahr Health Centers: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Providing an effective education by healthcare workers is very important in improving the quality of health services and patients' lives. Effective education faces a variety of challenges, which results in the low productivity of experienced health care providers. The aim of this study was to explain the experiences of health care providers about barriers of client education in Ghaemshahr health centers. Method: This qualitative research was conducted by content analysis method in Ghaemshahr healthcare centers. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews through focus group discussion and individual interviews with 20 healthcare staff that were selected by purposive and theoretical sampling. Data were analyzed and interpreted using conventional content analysis with Lundman and Graneheim technique. Results: After data analysis, 4 main themes and 15 subthemes were extracted. The main themes include structural challenges, inappropriate working conditions, lack of integrated professional knowledge, and inefficient teaching methods. Conclusion: Structural barriers are the main obstacle for providing an effective education by healthcare workers. Also, there is not a context for proper training, and despite many efforts, staff are incapable of providing an effective education. Educational policies need to be changed and client education whould be provided with higher quality and more effectively by employing expert forces and putting aside big challenges

Exploring the determinants of health service utilization among people living with HIV: a qualitative study in Iran

Abstract Background Health service utilization among people living with HIV is vital for their survival and quality of life. This study aims to exploring the determinants influencing health service utilization among people living with HIV. Methods We conducted a qualitative study involving 16 men and women aged 18–64 living with HIV in Tehran. Data were collected between September and December 2021 through semi-structured interviews conducted via telephone and online platforms, utilizing the purposeful sampling method. Data were analyzed by MAXQDA-2018 software using conventional content analysis approaches and the Granheim and Landman method. Results Two main themes, seven categories, and 21 subcategories were obtained from the interviews. The main themes included facilitators of health service utilization (positive personality traits, social factors, and structural-behavioral determinants) and inhibitors of health service utilization (personal conditions, insufficient knowledge and understanding of the disease, negative consequences of disease disclosure, and difficult access to services). Conclusion This study underscores the need to invest and expand specialized services for people living with HIV by policy makers, while simultaneously increasing public awareness to reduce the social stigma

Challenges and Opportunities Experienced by Iranian Researchers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused new conditions, problems, and different research platforms for qualitative research. The aim of the present study was to analyse the challenges and opportunities facing qualitative researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. This qualitative research was conducted with a conventional content analysis approach with twenty-four Iranian health sciences researchers. The participants were selected by snowball and purposive sampling. Data collection was carried out using semi-structured face-to-face and online interviews until reaching saturation. Data analysis was also carried out using the Graneheim & Lundman approach in MAXQDA-2018 software, and to improve the trustworthiness of the results, Guba and Lincoln’s criteria were used. Data analysis led to the identification of two main categories, 13 subcategories, and 69 primary codes: The challenges were in areas such as data collection methods, access to participants and how to conduct interviews. Opportunities also included formation of new topics for qualitative research, highlighting the importance of qualitative research, strengthening the technological knowledge of researchers, research cost-effectiveness, and presenting further information on sensitive topics. It is also possible to strengthen qualitative research by supporting qualitative researchers at universities and research centres, facilitating the administrative processes, providing communication infrastructure such as suitable Internet in universities, ensuring more diversity in data collection methods, developing an appropriate protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic, and dedicating some university rooms to qualitative researchers to conduct interviews

Identification of causes and consequences of Kolberi among Iranian Kurdish women: a grounded theory study

Abstract Background Women turn to Kolberi for various reasons, which cause numerous challenges for them. Thus, it is imperative to identify these causes and problems. Since no study has ever been undertaken to deal with this participant, the present research aims to identify the causes and consequences of Kolberi among Kurdish women in Iran. Method The present research uses the grounded theory approach to investigate 28 female Kurdish Kolbers. To achieve several participants, purposive, snowball, and theoretical sampling methods were used, while face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. The process of data collection and analysis took 10 months, from April to December 2022. The data were analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin method and MAXQDA-20018 software. The Guba and Lincoln criteria were also met to increase the trustworthiness of the results. Findings Analysis of the data led to 143 initial codes, 31 subcategories, and 9 main categories: Causal condition (individual characteristics and economic factors); predisposing conditions (social and cultural factors, familial factors); intervening conditions (advantages and characteristics of Kolberi); strategies (strengthening compatibility with Kolberi); and consequences (individual problems, social problems and positive consequences). Conclusion Measures such as training occupational skills for women and providing employment conditions for them, increasing social, financial, and mental support for women without guardians, creating border markets, and expanding women's handicrafts can help prevent female Kolberi