The Role of Social Participation in Controlling and Preventing of Coronavirus 2019 Disease in Iran

BACKGROUND: According to the prevalence of coronavirus in the world, health measures will not be accountable to face the disease. As well as the economic, political, and social dimensions of the disease, there will be a lot of pressure on the health system, which may not be able to compensate in its various aspects. Therefore, the participation and cooperation of the society in the form of mobilizing the society with the health system will be effective in controlling and preventing this disease. AIM: Investigating the role of social participation in the controlling and preventing of Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) was the aim of this study. METHODS: In this review study, related English and Persian articles from PubMed, Google Scholar, Irandoc, SID, and Science direct were searched and studied using COVID-19, coronavirus, and social participation keywords. RESULTS: The opportunity to distribute health knowledge in the community has been created and led to the internal acquisition of mastery in health promoting of preventing and controlling of COVID-19 in the process of participation in health. Furthermore, the percentage of resources has been increased and the cost of government will be decreased and the possibility of accumulating available resources and the access to them will be provided; at the same time, the allocation of resources will be facilitated to the needy. A better understanding of the health and well-being needs of the people and the promotion of health are other benefits of people’s participation in controlling COVID-19. Involvement and active participation of the people increases the sense of social responsibility and the feeling of authority and it cause to disappear the dominance of official organizations. All of these outcomes have a positive effect on the health of people and society and ultimately in controlling COVID-19. CONCLUSION: As for a common goal is formed in social participation, the common motivation to achieve that goal in the light of proper and timely awareness and information can be a stimulus, a comprehensive determination to control coronavirus and lead to effective collective action against this disease

Investigating the Causes of Elderly People Leaving Home during Coronavirus Disease-19 Epidemic

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) disease affects all age groups, especially the elderly, and regarding the high mortality rate among the elderly, preventive measures are needed to reduce mortality in the elderly. AIM: This study was conducted to investigate the causes of in elderly people leaving home in time of COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS: The present study is a descriptive-analytical study performed on 1656 elderly people in Urmia, Iran, by simple random sampling method. The data collection tool in this study was a researcher-made questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, a questionnaire on the causes of the elderly leaving home during the COVID-19 epidemic. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher tests using SPSS 23 software. RESULTS: The results revealed that the highest concern of the elderly to leave home was to receive health services (45.89%) such as visiting the doctor or the caregiver, receiving medication, and so on. As the second priority, buying daily necessities such as bread, food, clothes … (42.75%) was one of the reasons for the elderly to leave home. Furthermore, education, gender, age, underlying diseases, occupation, and living conditions of the elderly were related to the needs of health services and living necessities and this relationship was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Effective interventions should be designed based on the causes of the elderly leaving home, including the use of home distance care and health ambassadors to estimate the needs and causes of leaving home. Therefore, the elderly would be protected from this disease and its mortality

Investigating Spiritual Health and its Relation to Crime among Female Prisoners in Urmia (2016)

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: Spiritual health is an important aspect of health that can create hope and inner peace in individuals, giving meaning to life. The aim of this study was to evaluate spiritual health of female prisoners and its relation to the type of crime.Method: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 150 female prisoners in 2016. To measure the spiritual health, the Palutzian and Ellison spiritual health questionnaire and a demographic questionnaire including demographic data, type of crime, and sentence length were used. The collected data were analyzed using Chi-square, ANOVA and Scheffe test. In this study, the ethical issues were all considered and the authors declared no conflict of interest.Results: The results indicated 27 participants (18%) with poor spiritual health, 90 (60%) with moderate spiritual health, and 33 (22%) with high spiritual health. The results also showed that convicts of murder and accomplices in murder and those sentenced to death were at the lowest level of spiritual health. Overall, spiritual health relationship to type of crime and sentence length was statistically significant (P <0.05).Conclusion: Given the low spiritual health of female prisoners and its relationship to the severity of the offense, it seems necessary that policies promoting spiritual health of the prisoners which are consistent with the evidence be taken so that not only other aspects of prisoners' health are improved but also crimes are prevented from recurring.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here

Effect of the Living Environment on falls among the Elderly in Urmia

BACKGROUND: The living environment has an impact on the health of the elderly, and the safety of the house is one of the concerns of the elderly. Disregarding the safety concerns increases the falling. AIM: This research was conducted with the aim of influencing the living environment on falls among elderly people in Urmia city. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytic) study which 200 elderly people were selected by random cluster sampling. Data were collected by using a two-part questionnaire including demographic information, and home safety assessment checklist. Data were analysed by using chi-square test and logistic regression in SPSS v. 21 software. RESULTS: The incidence of falling in the elderly was 30%. There was a significant statistical association with age, sex, marital status and history of chronic disease. Results of logistic regression showed non-safe stairs (OR = 1.1, p = 0.002), unsafe toilet/bath (OR = 1.3, p = 0.001), unsafe bedrooms (OR = 1.7, p = 0.05) unsafe living room (OR = 1.4, p = 0.02) increase the falls in the elderly, as well as male gender (OR = 1.14, p < 0.001) and living with other people (OR = 0.19, p = 0.002) reduce the falls in the elderly. CONCLUSION: By identifying the risk factors of the physical space of the home, we can plan for implementing necessary interventions according to the risk factor or risk factors to prevent and reduce the falls in the elderly community

The relationship between religious attitudes and psychological symptoms in pregnant women referring to Urima health centers in 1395

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: Religious beliefs constitute one of the crucial factors in human life and can have a marked effect on his mental health. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between religious attitudes and psychological symptoms in pregnant women referring to Urima health centers in 1395.Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional adopted a correlational design. In this study, 350 pregnant women referring to health centers in rural and urban areas of Urmia in the fourth quarter of 1395 were selected through two-stage random cluster sampling. The instrument used for data collection comprised 3 parts: The first part, which was aimed to gather demographic information, had 8 questions; the second part had 25 questions and was intended to assess the participants’ religious attitudes; and the third part contained 25 items measuring the participating women’s depression, anxiety and stress. After explaining the purpose of study and gaining the participants’ consent, questionnaires were administered among them. The data were analyzed through carrying out t-test, chi-square, linear regression and Pearson's correlation coefficient. All ethical issues were observed in the study and the researchers declared no conflict of interests.Results: The results indicated a significant inverse correlation between religious attitudes, on the one hand, and depression, anxiety and stress, on the other hand. This shows that with the rise of religious attitudes, depression, anxiety and stress are reduced in pregnant women (P<0.001). The findings also displayed significant, positive associations between depression, anxiety and stress. This means that higher degrees of depression will result in more anxiety and stress (P<0.001)Conclusion: According to the obtained results, stronger religious attitudes can improve the mental health of pregnant women.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Please cite this article as: ZareipourMA, Sadeghi R, AbdolkarimiM, Ghasemi Afshar N, Jadgal MS. The relationship between religious attitudes and psychological symptoms in pregnant women referring to Urima health centers in 1395. J Res Relig Health. 2019; 4(5): 45- 56.

Studying the Prevalence of Smokeless Tobacco Products and Related Factors among High School Students in Chabahar City

Smokeless tobacco consumption is one of the serious health-threatening factors in society, especially among adolescents. Due to the high usage of these products in the southeastern regions of Iran, this survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of smokeless tobacco products and related factors among high school students in Chabahar city. This study was a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study, in which 330 high school students were selected by a simple multi-stage random sampling method. Data were collected via a researcher-made questionnaire and was filled using an in-person method. Data were then analyzed using descriptive and analytical tests by SPSS v.21 software. In this study, the mean age of the students was 16.3±1.14 years. Results showed that the prevalence of smokeless tobacco products was 45.8% among students, 43.3% among close friends, and 38.8% in families, where the predominant form of smokeless tobacco products was Pan-Prague (62.2%). Furthermore, the results of logistic regression revealed that addiction of close friends (OR=3.8, p=0.001), addiction of family members (OR=2.1, p=0.03), addiction of males (OR=2.2, p=0.001), low awareness (OR=3.9, p=0.001), and low attitude (OR=2.7, p=0.001) can significantly increase the likelihood of smokeless tobacco usage in students. Altogether, the findings of this study showed that the prevalence of smokeless tobacco usage among high school students in Chabahar is high, and thus, appropriate, effective, and preventive interventions should be taken into account regarding the influential factors

Mother-Father Differences in Postnatal Psychological Distress and Its Determinants in Iran

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the mother-father differences in Postnatal Psychological Distress (PPD) and its determinants among the parents with 8-weeks old children.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, applying simple random sampling, 306 postnatal parents with an 8-weeks old infant in Saqqez County, Iran, were invited to answer the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) items through the telephone interview. Fifty-eight subjects declined to participate in the study (Response Rate = 81.04%). The data were analysed using the SPSS Statistics v. 21.RESULTS: About 16.9% of all the parents had PPD. The difference in the prevalence of PPD in three dimensions between the two groups were statistically significant (p < 0.01): social dysfunction (25.8% for fathers vs. 5.6% for mothers), somatic disorders (21% for fathers vs. 7.3% for mothers), and anxiety (21% for fathers vs. 6.5% for mothers). The mode of delivery of the mothers and the level of education, the number of children, monthly income, and being consent with pregnancy among the fathers were significant predictors for PPD.CONCLUSION: The level of PPD was more prevalent among the new fathers compared to the new mothers. Among the fathers, but not the mothers, socioeconomic characteristics were contributed to PPD. Considering the differences in risk factors for maternal and paternal PPD, our findings may help family health care providers and policymakers in designing gender-specific intervention programs and diagnosis tools aimed at PPD prevention among new parents

The Effect of a Health Education Intervention on Salivary Cotinine Levels among Guilds of Chabahar, Iran

In general, cotinine is taken into account as one of the stable metabolites of nicotine. The most common application of this biomarker is to measure tobacco exposure. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a health education intervention on salivary cotinine levels among Chabahar guilds.The present investigation was a quasi-experimental study design with one intervention group. The population study has been performed on the guilds of all classes in Chabahar city in 2019. A total of 320 participants were selected by the simple random sampling method. The baseline cotinine contents were determined for 150 participants by the random sampling technique. The intervention was performed in three training sessions using group discussion methods, lectures, imagery, documentation, brainstorming, and social media (WhatsApp). After six months from the intervention, the consumption behaviors were measured in the same 320 participants. Also, the cotinine levels were measured in the same 150 participants. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical tests in SPSS statistical software version 20.In the post-intervention phase, 34.4% of guilds reported that they did not use SLT, and a significant relationship was observed between consumption status before and after the intervention (P 0.001). Also, the mean score of salivary cotinine significantly dropped from 588.02 ± 344.4 m m-1 to 240.19 ± 300.8 m m-1 in the post-intervention stage (P 0.001).The cessation of SLT products in the present study and a significant reduction in cotinine levels in the post-intervention phase were compared to the pre-intervention phase. The results confirmed the effect of a health education intervention on the participants. It is suggested that the researchers measure the levels of cotinine in addition to the self-report questionnaire

Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Strategies of Coronavirus COVID 19 in Iran: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Following the announcement of the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 30, 2020, of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 as a global and emergency state of international health emergency; posing a serious threat to the physical health and lives of individuals transmitted through respiratory droplets and close contact. The virus causes respiratory symptoms and damages to other organs, sometimes leading to death in case of exacerbation of symptoms. AIM: This study was conducted through reviewing various articles related to COVID-19 disease, with the purpose of reviewing the epidemiology, prevention and control strategies of COVID-19 coronavirus in Iran. METHODS: In the present review study, the articles indexing in the Persian and Latin databases of SID, Magiran, PubMed, Scopus, Scholar, Web of Science, Embase, MedRxiv, and WHO were examined based on MESH keywords. Finally, 38 articles, 5 protocols and reports were reviewed. RESULTS: According to the report of the WHO on July 22, 2020, 14,765,256 people worldwide have been infected and 612,054 people have died of this virus. Moreover, in Iran, according to the WHO report, 278,827 people were infected and 14,634 people died of the virus until July 22, 2020. Respiratory droplets are the main way of transmission and it can also be transmitted through close contact. According to research, 51% of patients with chronic disease show symptoms such as fever (83%), cough (82%), shortness of breath (31%), muscle pain (11%), fatigue (9%), headache (8%), sore throat (5%), had rhinorrhea (4%), chest pain (2%), diarrhea (2%), and nausea and vomiting (1%). There is currently no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and clinical treatment for COVID-19 has so far been limited to prophylaxis and palliative care. Quarantine alone is not enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Basic health measurements to prevent the spread of the disease include frequent handwashing and the use of personal protective equipment such as masks. CONCLUSION: Extensive research can be the key to solve the existing challenges in the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. The best ways to fight the new corona disease include educating the people, providing accurate information, providing personal protective equipment, canceling meetings and emphasizing citizens homeliving and regular handwashing, observing social distancing, and finally identifying suspicious cases and quarantine

The impact of using BASNEF model on self-control behaviors among Patients with hypertension

Background: High blood pressure is the most important public health problem in developed countries. It is one reason for early mortality and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases like stroke and kidney failure. This study aimed to determine the effect of educational intervention based on BASNEF in blood pressure control in 1395.Methods and Materials: This study was a quasi-experimental study on 160 patients in two groups (each n = 80) suffering from hypertension in urban health centers of Urmia. Data collection questionnaire included: demographic questions, knowledge base questions, self-control behaviors questions and structures of  BASNEF model. Validity and reliability were respectively 80% and 79%. Intervention group had taken three 45 minutes sessions using speeches, questions and answers, posters, booklets, pamphlets and whiteboard. Before training, information collected through questionnaires and after training questionnaires were completed again after 3 months. The data were analyzed in SPSS software with chi-square tests, Fisher, independent and paired sample t-test.Results: The average age of case and control group were  99.11 ± 01.56 and 75.12 ± 66.53 years. That there was no statistically significant difference (p=0.1). After intervention average systolic blood pressure significantly decreased in the intervention group from 43.157 to 24.147 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased from 21.93 to 52.87 mm Hg (P <0.05)Conclusion:  The training program using BASNEF model has provided better results in controlling blood pressure than conventional trainings