Effectiveness of Education Based on the Health Belief Model on Performing Preventive Measures for Breast Cancer Among Female Teachers in Zahedan

Introduction: Preventive behaviors such as screening tests have an important role in prevention and control of breast cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of educational programs on preventive behaviors of breast cancer based on the health belief model among female teachers of guidance schools in Zahedan city. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 240 female teachers from (120 participants in each of the control and intervention groups) Zahedan guidance schools. The data-gathering tool was a multipart questionnaire containing demographic variables, knowledge and health belief model structures. An educational program was performed based on the health belief model in five sessions through lectures, training videos, question and answer session for participants in the intervention group. Questionnaires were filled before and two months after the intervention in the two groups. Data was analyzed by independent T-test, chi-square and multiple linear regressions using SPSS-15 software. Results: There was no meaningful difference in the mean scores of knowledge, health belief model constructs, and performance between the two groups before the educational intervention, but the mean scores of variables increased significantly after the intervention (P< 0.05). Conclusion: The health belief model was effective to promote preventive behaviors. Hence, educational interventions with an emphasis on raising awareness, change in beliefs and improving self-efficacy regarding breast cancer are recommende

Evaluation of the prevalence of illness anxiety disorder following the COVID‐19 pandemic in Iran and its related factors: a cross‐sectional study

Abstract Background and Aims COVID‐19 pandemic has generated a rise in psychological distress, such as illness anxiety disorder, apart from its negative physical effects. This study intends to the evaluation of illness anxiety disorder rate following the prevalence of COVID‐19 in Iran and its associated factors. Methods In this study, 634 people were studied. The data collection method was performed via the virtual networks using a questionnaire, with the sampling method being convenient and nonprobable with the method of snowball. Evans illness anxiety disorder questionnaire was utilized in this investigation. The logistic regression model and the χ2 were used to evaluate the data. Results The prevalence of illness anxiety disorder was 12.1%. The chance to have an illness anxiety disorder in the people whose relatives had a history of COVID‐19 was 5.32 times, and in those who had a relative with a history of COVID‐19 had higher (odds ratio = 1.27). But, this connection in people who worked or studied in nonmedical fields, is several times more than those who are busy in the medical fields. In individuals of 30 years and older, the chance of patients in single people compared to married people was 5.20 times higher, but under the age of 30 years, the chance of illness anxiety disorder in single people was 0.91. Conclusion COVID‐19 pandemic, also to the physical effects, may have psychological implications for people. Therefore, reducing the individual and social activities in terms of this disease, along with measures related to physical problems, diagnosis, timely treatment and proper psychological consequences, including illness anxiety disorder can be very fruitful

COVID‐19 pandemic and the prevalence of domestic violence against Iranian married women

Abstract Aim Domestic violence is an important public health and human rights problem. In most countries of the world, including Iran, the COVID‐19 pandemic made quarantine necessary to reduce the disease transmission rate. Therefore, due to the spread of the COVID‐19 disease and the emergence of mandatory quarantine conditions, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of domestic violence against women during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Iran. Methods In this cross‐sectional study, which was done in 2020, 240 married women were investigated. Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, data collection was performed through virtual networks using standard questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics (relative frequencies, mean, and standard deviation) were used to determine the extent of violence. Independent t‐test and Chi‐square were used to analyze the data of the relation between the types of violence with independent variables. Also, the data were analyzed using the logistic regression model. Results In this study, 240 married women with a mean age of 36.27 were studied. The highest frequency was related to social violence (56.3%), and the lowest was related to financial and verbal violence (11.7%). In addition, a significant relationship was observed between sexual violence and age (p‐value < 0.05). A significant relationship was also observed between social violence and education [(OR = 1.99)] Jobs [(OR = 2.4, CI = 95%, 1.30–4.4), quarantine duration [(OR = 1.94, CI = 95%, 0.98–3.7)] and underlying diseases [OR = 1.90]. Conclusion The high prevalence of domestic violence against women during quarantine indicates the poor health of women in society. Therefore, the roots of violence against women and methods to reduce this problem should be sought. Therefore, identification of subjects at risk and raising women's knowledge may be useful for the prevention of domestic violence and its physical and psychological complications