OBJECTIVES: Health education programs are one of the most important strategies for controlling cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in endemic areas such as Neshabur city. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a comprehensive health education program to improve preventive behaviors for CL. METHODS: This was an interventional study conducted on 136 high school students in Neishabur city. Data collection instruments included a demographic questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire based on the “Health Belief Model” and “Beliefs, Attitudes, Subjective Norms and Enabling Factors Model” constructs. The control and intervention groups completed the questionnaires before and 2 months after the intervention. The intervention was conducted in 6, 1-hour educational sessions for the intervention group students and 2, 1-hour sessions for school administrators, teachers, and students’ parents. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the pre-intervention phase. However, in the post-intervention phase, there were significant differences between the 2 groups for mean scores of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, cues to action, self-efficacy, attitude, subjective norms, behavioral intention, enabling factors, and behavior associated with CL. CONCLUSION: Health education program based on the “Health Belief Model” and the “Beliefs, Attitudes, Subjective Norms and Enabling Factors Model” model constructs may be a comprehensive and effective educational program to improve preventive behaviors against CL in students.
Administrative Personnel ; Causality ; Cues ; Data Collection ; Education ; Health Education ; Humans ; Intention ; Iran ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous ; Parents

Background: In recent years, an increased incidence of breast cancer has made this disease the most common malignancy among Iranian women. Since education plays an important role in the implementation of preventive behaviors in breast cancer treatment, this study investigates the effect of educational interventions on the promotion of lifestyle-related behaviors that prevent breast cancer in middle-aged women. Methods: In this randomized control study, 120 women referred to Neyshabur Health Services Centers were randomly selected and divided into two groups: an intervention group (60 subjects) and a control group (60 subjects). An educational intervention was carried out over five sessions, based on protective motivation theory constructs. Participants completed a researcher-designed questionnaire immediately and again 2 months after the intervention. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS ver. 19.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The results revealed a significant difference between the mean scores of participants exposed to protective motivation theory, awareness, and physical activities immediately and also 2 months after the intervention (P<0.05). Although the healthy diet scores of the two groups differed significantly immediately after the educational intervention (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between the groups 2 months after the intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion Given the effective role of education in protective motivation theory and the physical activity levels of the women who participated in this research, it seems clear that the women’s financial status shaped their ability to consume more fruits and vegetables. As this social element impacts the health of individuals, training programs alone cannot succeed.

Background: In recent years, an increased incidence of breast cancer has made this disease the most common malignancy among Iranian women. Since education plays an important role in the implementation of preventive behaviors in breast cancer treatment, this study investigates the effect of educational interventions on the promotion of lifestyle-related behaviors that prevent breast cancer in middle-aged women. Methods: In this randomized control study, 120 women referred to Neyshabur Health Services Centers were randomly selected and divided into two groups: an intervention group (60 subjects) and a control group (60 subjects). An educational intervention was carried out over five sessions, based on protective motivation theory constructs. Participants completed a researcher-designed questionnaire immediately and again 2 months after the intervention. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS ver. 19.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The results revealed a significant difference between the mean scores of participants exposed to protective motivation theory, awareness, and physical activities immediately and also 2 months after the intervention (P<0.05). Although the healthy diet scores of the two groups differed significantly immediately after the educational intervention (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between the groups 2 months after the intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion Given the effective role of education in protective motivation theory and the physical activity levels of the women who participated in this research, it seems clear that the women’s financial status shaped their ability to consume more fruits and vegetables. As this social element impacts the health of individuals, training programs alone cannot succeed.

Objectives: Rural housewives are integral to household management and family care, yet their sedentary lifestyles present significant health risks. This study used the transtheoretical model (TTM) to investigate strategies that encourage and maintain regular exercise habits among rural housewives. Methods: A semi-experimental study was conducted in 2021 with 114 housewives aged 30 to 59 who attended rural health centers in Gorgan, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Data collection involved a validated questionnaire that gathered demographic information and constructs of the TTM. The intervention group participated in a comprehensive educational program, which included four 60-minute sessions. Data were collected again 6 months post-intervention and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS version 21. Results: The study encompassed women with an average age of 39.75±6.05 years, the majority of whom had educational levels below a diploma, and over 90% were married. We observed strong correlations between the processes of change, self-efficacy, and decisional balance. At the outset, there were no significant differences in demographics or model structures between the 2 groups. However, 6 months post-intervention, the intervention group exhibited statistically significant differences in the mean scores of model structures, stages of change, and body mass index (<>p<0.05). Conclusions This study highlights the importance of physical activity training for rural housewives. The findings suggest that the educational intervention, which utilized the TTM, significantly impacted the participants’ model structures and their stages of change.

INTRODUCTIONIron deficiency, associated with a decline in cognitive function, is the most common nutritional deficiency globally. The present study aimed to identify the impact of weekly iron supplements on the attention function of female students from a high school in North Khorasan Province, Iran.

METHODSThis was a blind, controlled, clinical trial study, involving 200 female students who were chosen using the stratified randomised sampling method. First, laboratory studies were performed to detect iron consumption limitations. Next, the 200 students were divided randomly and equally into case and control groups. The case group was treated with 50 mg of ferrous sulfate twice a week for 16 weeks. We compared both groups' data on attention, iron status and erythrocyte indices. Questionnaires were used to collect demographic data, while clinical data was collected using complete blood count and Toulouse-Piéron tests. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, as well as paired and independent t-tests.

RESULTSThe mean attention scores of the case and control groups were 104.8 ± 7.0 and 52.7 ± 9.6, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean haemoglobin levels of the two groups were 12.5 ± 0.9 and 11.2 ± 1.0, respectively (p < 0.001). Compared to the control group, the attention scores and haemoglobin concentrations of the case group were found to be improved by approximately 90% and 10%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONOral iron supplements (50 mg twice a week for 16 weeks) were able to improve the attention span and haematologic indices of female high school students.

Administration, Oral ; Adolescent ; Attention ; physiology ; Blood Cell Count ; Cognition ; physiology ; Dietary Supplements ; Double-Blind Method ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Female ; Ferrous Compounds ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires