Objectives: Health-promoting behaviors are essential for maintaining independence and enhancing quality of life in aging populations. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support and health-promoting behaviors among older adults in Fasa, Iran in 2020. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 300 older adults attending a specialized outpatient clinic in Fasa, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Walker Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile, and the Canty Perceived Social Support Scale, administered either through self-report or structured interviews. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 25 and included descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, the chi-square test, and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: The mean age of participants was 68.9±7.8 years. Most participants were women (56.6%), married (81.7%), and had less than a high school education (41.3%). The mean scores for health-promoting behaviors and perceived social support were 124.2±31.3 and 24.4±9.4, respectively. A statistically significant positive association was observed between perceived social support and health-promoting behaviors (r=0.10, p=0.04). Social support, gender, and education level were identified as significant predictors of health-promoting behaviors, collectively explaining 34% of the variance. Conclusions These findings emphasize the pivotal role of social support in promoting health-related behaviors among older adults. Interventions that strengthen social support networks, foster enabling environments, and address gender and educational disparities are recommended to improve health outcomes and quality of life in aging populations. Policymakers and healthcare planners should incorporate these determinants into the design of targeted, evidence-based interventions for older adults.

Empathy plays a major role in improving and regulating the relationship between physician and patient. The objective of this research was to assess the level of empathy with patients and its relationship with the type of favorite specialty in medical students of Fasa University of Medical Sciences in 2017. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 120 medical students of Fasa University of Medical Sciences were selected among fifth-year to seventh-year students using census sampling method. Jefferson's empathy questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential tests (independent t-test and ANOVA) through SPSS 22 software. The mean score of empathy among medical students was 101.20 ± 16.81 and the highest level of empathy was related to adopting empathic view (50.56 ± 9.54). There was a significant difference between demographic characteristics including gender and interested specialty with the level of empathy (p <0.05). However, the level of empathy with patient did not show significant relationship with other variables, such as marital status, age, and academic years. Results revealed a significant difference between the level of students' empathy and their favorite specialty. Moreover, the level of empathy of medical students with patients increases during academic years, so that the level of empathy in medical students in the sixth year is higher than that in the fifth and fourth years. Given the importance of empathy in the quality of healthcare services, planning to strengthen empathy with patients and inclusion of this concept in medical students' curriculum is recommended.