Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice toward Prevention of COVID-19 Among Nursing and Midwifery Students: A cross-sectional Study in Gorgan, Northern Iran

Background: Healthcare providers are high-risk groups for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection. Nursing students are an essential part of high-risk healthcare providers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of nursing and midwifery students at Golestan University of Medical Sciences (GOUMS) toward the prevention of COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 174 nursing and midwifery students of GOUMS (northeast of IRAN) in 2020. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire comprising three parts – Knowledge (8 questions), Attitude (10 questions), and Practice (8 questions) toward the prevention of COVID-19. The range of scores in each subscale (knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices) were 8–24, 10–50, and 8–24, respectively. Data were analyzed using the SPSS v.16 software. The Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for the analysis. Results: Overall, in this study, nursing and midwifery students had a good knowledge (mean score: 23.19 ± 2.56), a positive attitude (mean score: 45.48 ± 4.21), and appropriate practice (mean score: 23.30 ± 3.51) regarding COVID-19 prevention. Also, the results revealed a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.1, P = 0.18) and attitude and practice (r = 0.2, P = 0.01) among the students. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated a good preventive knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 among nursing and midwifery students

A Study on the Status, Citation Analysis, and Altmetric Indices of Journals of Golestan University of Medical Sciences

Background: Journals are regarded as the most important media for transferring knowledge and research results, accordingly their promotion is conditioned by continuous evaluation and improvement of performance. The present study aimed to determine the status, citation analysis, and altmetric indices of journals published by Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by a descriptive approach with scientometric and citation analysis methods in 2019. The statistical population consisted of 5 journals of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Data collection tool was a researcher-made checklist consisting of 28. Altmetric indices of journals were also evaluated. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics; and the results were presented in diagrams and tables. Results: All the studied journals had all "publication requirements. Only one journal had the requirement, "at least half of editorial board should be outside of the publication". Moreover, 37 percent of 105 editorial board members in the under examined journals had extra-organizational affiliation and only 8 percent were from abroad. The articles of "Journal of Gorgan University of Medical Sciences” was the most-cited article regarding citation bases. Conclusions: Journals of Golestan University of Medical Sciences need to revise their structures, especially for editorial board members namely being international, having an organizational affiliation outside the university, as well as the presence of editorial board members with further research activity and background

A Study on the Status, Citation Analysis, and Altmetric Indices of Journals of Golestan University of Medical Sciences

Background: Journals are regarded as the most important media for transferring knowledge and research results, accordingly their promotion is conditioned by continuous evaluation and improvement of performance. The present study aimed to determine the status, citation analysis, and altmetric indices of journals published by Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by a descriptive approach with scientometric and citation analysis methods in 2019. The statistical population consisted of 5 journals of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Data collection tool was a researcher-made checklist consisting of 28. Altmetric indices of journals were also evaluated. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics; and the results were presented in diagrams and tables. Results: All the studied journals had all "publication requirements. Only one journal had the requirement, "at least half of editorial board should be outside of the publication". Moreover, 37 percent of 105 editorial board members in the under examined journals had extra-organizational affiliation and only 8 percent were from abroad. The articles of "Journal of Gorgan University of Medical Sciences” was the most-cited article regarding citation bases. Conclusions: Journals of Golestan University of Medical Sciences need to revise their structures, especially for editorial board members namely being international, having an organizational affiliation outside the university, as well as the presence of editorial board members with further research activity and background

A comparative study of depression and its relationship with physical health among families with and without COVID-19 patients in comprehensive health centers

Background: The prevalence of the coronavirus has had various psychological effects on families with patients suffering from COVID-19, including depression. Depression can also affect the physical health of family members. This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the level of depression and its relationship with physical health among families with and without COVID-19 patients in comprehensive health centers. Methods: This case-control study was conducted in 2022 in comprehensive health centers in Gorgan (Iran) among 98 families with and without COVID-19 patients, using simple random sampling. The data collection tools included the Beck Depression Inventory and the PHQ physical health questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and tests such as the Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, and Spearman's correlation test at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The study revealed that the mean scores of depression and physical health in family members with COVID-19 patients were 11.56±7.50 and 7.60±4.32, respectively, while in families without COVID-19 patients, they were 8.01±4.67 and 3.98±3.43, respectively. The odds of depression (OR=5.11, p=0.001) and physical symptoms (OR=4.68, p=0.002) were higher in families with COVID-19 patients compared to those without. The findings also showed a direct and significant linear correlation between depression and physical health in both groups (p<0.001, r=0.44). Conclusion: These findings increase the awareness of health managers about the prevalence of depression and physical health disorders among families with COVID-19 patients and can help provide economic, social, and psychological support programs for these families

Food Security among Pregnant Women and Its Relationship with Body Mass Index in Eastern Iran

Background: Food insecurity is recognized as a serious public health problem worldwide. Since pregnant women are among the most vulnerable groups and their food insecurity may cause complications during pregnancy and on their newborns, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between food security and body mass index (BMI) of pregnant women in eastern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 335 pregnant women in 10 health centers in the east of Iran. Participants were selected by random cluster sampling. Data were collected using standard questionnaires including 18-item household food security survey module (HFSSM) designed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and nutritional evaluation forms. Results: The mean scores of the HFSSM of all pregnant women were 7.2±4.3. The household food security of pregnant women was significantly related to the occupation of spouses, mother's education, monthly salary, private home, and mother's age (P<0.05). There was no significant relationship between food security and BMI (P=0.98). Conclusions: Based on the results, few people have food security. Pregnancy in older age, lower-income, and education affected the household food security. Appropriate strategies and policies are necessary to combat this problem