The fear of COVID-19 and its role in preventive behaviors

The economic and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been far-reaching and unprecedented around the world. These circumstances appear to have had profound psychological effects on all individuals worldwide. One psychological aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic is fear. This brief paper argues that assessing fear is important and is the key reason we co-developed the 'Fear of COVID-19 Scale' (FCV-19S). It is argued that without knowing the level of fear about COVID-19 among different groups by specific socio-demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, education, ethnicity, religiosity, etc.) and/or different psychological factors (e.g., personality type) it is difficult to know whether education and prevention programs are needed, and if they are needed which groups to target and where. The collation and application of such data could be used to devise targeted education and/or prevention programs to help overcome fear of COVID-19 and help such individuals to engage in preventative behaviors

Assessing psychological response to the COVID-19: the fear of COVID-19 Scale and the COVID Stress Scales

202007 bcwhNot applicablePublished12 month

The role of religious coping and social support on medication adherence and quality of life among the elderly with type 2 diabetes

© 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Purpose: Type 2 diabetes is a major public health issue particularly in the elderly. Religion may affect the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in such patients, mediated by factors such as religious coping and social support. This study aimed to investigate the impact of religiosity on medication adherence and HRQoL. Methods: 793 adults (> 65 years old, 45% females) were recruited from 4 diabetes care centers and followed for 1 year. Duke University Religion Index, Spiritual Coping Strategies, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support, Medication Adherence Report Scale, WHOQOL-BREF and Diabetes-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire Module were used for assessment, as well as HbA1c and fasting blood glucose level. Using structural equation modeling, the potential paths were tested between religiosity, medication adherence and HRQoL; social support, religious coping and medication adherence served as the mediators. Results: Religious coping and social support were recognized as the significant mediators between religiosity and medication adherence (CFI = 0.983, TLI = 0.985, and RMSEA = 0.021). The relationships between religiosity and HRQoL were considerably mediated by social support, religious coping and medication adherence and these variables explained 12% and 33% of variances of generic and specific HRQoL, respectively. There was no significant direct effect of religiosity on HRQoL. HbA1c and fasting blood glucose level were successfully loaded on the latent construct of medication adherence (factor loading = 0.51 and 0.44, respectively). Conclusions: The impact of religiosity on medication adherence and HRQoL occurs through the mediators such as religious coping and social support. Therefore, to improve the adherence to treatment and quality of life, interventions may be designed based on these mediators

Depression, anxiety, stress, and dysmenorrhea: a protocol for a systematic review

Background: Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common menstrual disorders and is influenced by various factors. Psychological disorders including anxiety, depression, and stress have been suggested as influencing dysmenorrhea, but previous findings are inconsistent. This study will investigate the relationship between depression/anxiety/stress and dysmenorrhea using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Online databases including PsycINFO, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, ProQuest, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Embase will be searched. Appropriate keywords and MeSH terms will be used to retrieve the journal papers published from 1990 until the end of December 2019. To improve search coverage, the reference lists of all included studies will be reviewed to find eligible papers. Inclusion criteria include the following: descriptive, cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies; the relationship between depression/anxiety/stress and dysmenorrhea being an objective of the study; and published in peer-reviewed journals. The paper selection, data extraction, and quality assessment of selected studies will be performed independently by two researchers, and disagreements will be resolved through discussions. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale will be used to assess the quality of selected studies. A quantitative synthesis will be performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) via the STATA software, if retrieving enough number of studies with no severe methodological heterogeneities. Otherwise, qualitative synthesis will be used to report the findings. Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first systematic review on this topic. Performing an inclusive search in major databases over a wide timescale is one key strength of the proposed study and will maximize the coverage of the original research studies on this topic. Results of present study are expected to lead to deeper understanding the relationship between common mental health conditions and dysmenorrhea

Validity of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C): classical test theory and item response theory of the Persian YFAS-C

Purpose: To examine whether the child/adolescent version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS-C) is valid to assess the Iranian adolescents who are overweight. Methods: After using an internationally standardized method to translate the YFAS-C into Persian, 1186 overweight/obese adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years participated in the present study [666 males; mean age=15.5 (SD=1.9) years; zBMI=2.5 (1.0) kg/m2 ]. All the participants completed the Persian YFAS-C alongside Persian versions of the following scales: Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA), Binge Eating Scale (BES), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results: At the scale level, confrmatory factor analysis verifed the single-factor structure of the Persian YFAS-C. Additionally, the Persian YFAS-C had promising properties regarding internal consistency (KR20=0.81), test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefcient=0.83), separation reliability (person separation reliability=0.77; item separation reliability=0.98), and separation index (person separation index=2.04; item separation index=8.01). At the item level, all items had satisfactory properties in factor loadings, corrected item-total correlation, test–retest reliability, and inft and outft mean square. Moreover, no substantial diferential item functioning (DIF) was found concerning gender (male vs. female) or weight status (overweight vs. obesity). Signifcant and moderate correlations were found between the Persian YFAS-C and other psychometric scales assessing eating symptomatology and general psychopathology (r=0.352 to 0.484). Conclusion: The Persian YFAS-C is a valid instrument that assists healthcare providers in assessing food addiction among Iranian adolescents. Level of evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study

Psychometric properties of the Persian Generalized Trust Scale: confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch models and relationship with quality of life, happiness, and depression

The psychometric properties of the Generalized Trust Scale (GTS) are well established. Furthermore, previous studies have found that the GTS is positively associated with better mental health and lower distress, and the literature finds that trust is good for mental health. However, current literature does not have any psychometric evidence concerning the Persian GTS. This study translated the GTS into Persian and validated its psychometric properties. After translating the GTS into Persian using robust and standardized translation procedure, 1200 Iranians (mean age = 34.83 years; 583 [48.6%] males) completed the GTS, along with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Short Form-12 (SF-12), and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form (OHQ-SF). The factor structure of Persian GTS was confirmed by a unidimensional model with a method factor (comparative fit index = 0.998; Tucker-Lewis index = 0.992). The unidimensional model was also supported by Rasch analysis (mean square = 0.75 to 1.31). Other properties of the Persian GTS were satisfactory. More specifically, test-retest reliability was good (intraclass correlational coefficient = 0.865), internal consistency was good (α = 0.881), and concurrent validity was supported (standardized β = − 0.086 with depression in the HADS [p = 0.045]; = − 0.162 with anxiety in the HADS [

A Persian Adaptation of Medication Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale (MASES) in Hypertensive Patients: Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure

© 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland. Introduction: Poor adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment significantly contributes to the failure to achieve well-controlled blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Aim: To convert the original English version of Medication Adherence Self-efficacy Scale (MASES) into a Persian version for clinical application in hypertensive patients. Methods: The backward–forward translation method was used to produce the Persian version of the questionnaire. Then the internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Exploratory Factor Analysis was applied to extract the components of the questionnaire. Correlation between blood pressures and drug adherence was then determined using the Persian MASES in hypertensive patients. Results: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the Persian version of MASES was >0.92, suggesting that it can yield consistent results. Exploratory Factor Analysis suggested an uni-dimensionality of the scale. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension showed poor adherence to hypertensive medications, therefore had significant lower self-efficacy scores than those with well-controlled blood pressure by medications. Conclusion: The Persian version of MASES is valid and reliable to assess self-efficacy of antihypertensive medication adherence in hypertensive patient, which is helpful to improve medication compliance in such patients in order to achieve better blood pressure controls

A theory-based intervention delivered by an online social media platform to promote oral health among Iranian adolescents: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Objective: Based on the Health Action Process Approach, we tested the efficacy of a theory-based program using an online social media platform (Telegram) to promote good oral hygiene behaviour among Iranian adolescents. / Design: A three-arm randomized-controlled trial design was used, consisting of an adolescent only intervention group (A group; n = 253), an adolescent and mother intervention group (A + M group; n = 260), and a control group (n = 278). / Main outcome measures: Psychosocial variables, toothbrushing behaviour, Visual Plaque Index, and Community Periodontal Index. / Results: Increases in adolescent toothbrushing at the one- and six-month follow-ups in both intervention groups compared to the control group were observed. Adolescents in the A + M group showed significant greater improvements in their toothbrushing behaviour, Visual Plaque Index, and Community Periodontal Index scores than adolescents in the A group. Improvements to toothbrushing social cognitions were also observed. / Conclusions: Current results support the use of the theory-based program delivered by Telegram in improving good oral hygiene behaviour and oral health outcomes among Iranian adolescents. Involving mothers in an intervention can confer additional benefits for adolescent oral health

Long-Term Effect of Motivational Interviewing on Dietary Intake and Weight Loss in Iranian Obese/Overweight Women

Background: This study aimed to determine whether motivational interviewing (MI) could change dietary habit and body mass index (BMI) in obese/overweight women. Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled study was performed in four health centers in Qazvin, central Iran. In total, 327 obese/overweight women were selected by a multi-stage sampling method and randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. Food frequency (using questionnaire; FFQ), BMI, and metabolic markers including blood pressure, total serum cholesterol and fasting blood glucose levels were measured in all participants. Data were collected twice (before and one year after the MI interventions). Data were analyzed using student t-test, and Stepwise Linear Regression. Results: There was a significant increase in daily consumption of dietary fiber, whole grain products, fruits and vegetables in the MI group (P<0.05). The consumption of meat product, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate and total energy intake were also significantly reduced after MI intervention (P<0.05). As a result, body weight and BMI were significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: MI is suggested to be an effective strategy to change life style and reduce BMI in overweight/obese women in the long term. This effect needs to be further investigated in different gender and age populations

Psychometric validation of the Persian Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale using classic test theory and Rasch models

Background and aims: The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), a six-item self-report scale that is a brief and effective psychometric instrument for assessing at-risk social media addiction on the Internet. However, its psychometric properties in Persian have never been examined and no studies have applied Rasch analysis for the psychometric testing. This study aimed to verify the construct validity of the Persian BSMAS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch models among 2,676 Iranian adolescents. Methods: In addition to construct validity, measurement invariance in CFA and differential item functioning (DIF) in Rasch analysis across gender were tested for in the Persian BSMAS. Results: Both CFA [comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.993; Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.989; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.057; standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.039] and Rasch (infit MnSq = 0.88–1.28; outfit MnSq = 0.86–1.22) confirmed the unidimensionality of the BSMAS. Moreover, measurement invariance was supported in multigroup CFA including metric invariance (ΔCFI = −0.001; ΔSRMR = 0.003; ΔRMSEA = −0.005) and scalar invariance (ΔCFI = −0.002; ΔSRMR = 0.005; ΔRMSEA = 0.001) across gender. No item displayed DIF (DIF contrast = −0.48 to 0.24) in Rasch across gender. Conclusions: Given the Persian BSMAS was unidimensional, it is concluded that the instrument can be used to assess how an adolescent is addicted to social media on the Internet. Moreover, users of the instrument may comfortably compare the sum scores of the BSMAS across gender