[ effect of an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior to improve safety climate]

Annually, occupational accidents have a major impact on workers health and Impose large costs on employers. The current study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the theory of planned behavior-based intervention to improve workers safety climate in industrial city of Qazvin in the first half of 2010. A number of 75 workers in each of the control and intervention groups participated in a quasi experimental study. With respect to the fact that the changes of safety climate usually take place in the long term, and for the longer follow-up of participants, data were collected through selfreport questionnaires in three different time intervals including initial followed by, 3 and 6 months after the intervention. The intervention consisted of four training courses with 8-15 trainees in each group and its duration was 45-69 minutes. The data were entered into SPSS 16.0 software and were analyzed using statistical tests. The score of Management commitment was significantly increased in the three and six month evaluation in intervention group [p< 0.001]. Also, results showed a significant increase in other dimensions such as safety communication, secure environment, responsibility, risk perception, safety climate [p<0.05]. Results also indicate a significant change in mean scores of attitude, subjective norm [p<0.05], perceived behavioral control [p<0.001] and attempted [p<0.05] in the intervention group and no significant change in these variables in the control group. Results showed an improvement of workers' safety and common perceptions of workplace safety policies and procedures due to educational intervention based on theory of planned behavior. Thus, the theory of planned behavior can be used as a theoretical framework for the design and implementation of workplace safety interventions.

[ impact of health education based on theory of planned behavior on the prevention of AIDS among adolescents]

Adolescents are among the most vulnerable age groups against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of health education based on Theory of Planned Behavior on the prevention of AIDS among high school students in Qazvin city. It was a quasi experimental study that was conducted on 120 students in boys' high schools in Qazvin. The students were randomly assigned into either control or experimental groups [each 60]. Data was gathered before and after educational program. The instruments included questions related to demographic characteristics, a questionnaire for assessing constructs of theory of planned behavior and an observation checklist to assess refusal skills and stalling risk suggestions. Educational intervention was conducted in 5 focus group discussions each lasting for 45-60 minutes with emphasis on the above mentioned theory. An educational pamphlet also was given to the subjects. Data were collected before and 3 months after training and was analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxan test, paired t test, Chi-square and ANOVA using SPSS-PC [v.17.0]. The average age of the subjects was 16 +/- 3.29 years. No difference was detected between demographic characteristics of the control and experimental groups. There was also no difference between the groups regarding cognitive variables [knowledge, attitude, perceived behavior control and intention] before the intervention. The adolescents in the experimental group reported higher scores for the cognitive variables compared with the control group [P=0.001]. The results related to refusal skill and stalling risk suggestions indicated that the educational intervention increased these skills at the end of study [P<0.05]. The findings revealed that an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior results in the formation of refusal skills and stalling risk suggestions related to HIV/AIDS behaviors among male adolescents

[Assessing the readiness of assembly line workers to adopt the upright posture]

Based on a biomechanical model, an upright body posture has an important contribution to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and back pain. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the constructs of theory of planned behavior and the stage of readiness for maintaining correct body posture among the assembly line. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 264 workers from Pars Electric and Kachiran factories with an average age of 35 years and selected by convenient sampling method were investigated in 2009. Data were collected using a questionnaire with appropriate psychometric properties of 5 parts including the demographic information, attitude, perceived behavior control, subjective norms, and intention as well as a staging algorithm for maintaining an upright posture during a 6-month period. The results of analysis of variance [ANOVA] showed that all selected variables shared a significant variance with the stage of readiness and that the discrimination between the stages by the selected variables was successful. Structural equation modeling was indicative of a direct relationship between the intention and the stage of readiness. Also, the subjective norms and perceived behavior control which showed to have direct relationships with intention exerted their effects on stage of readiness through intention mediation [P<0.05]. Perceived behavior control, subjective norms, and intention are beneficial to understand the individual differences in stage of readiness for maintaining upright body posture and considering the subjective norms and managerial supportive network is essential to promote safe behavior

[Predicting the stages of change in physical activity behavior of QUMS students with Pender's model]

Low level physical activity is a risk factor for several chronic diseases and evidences suggest that the level of physical activity is decreasing. Reversing the trend depends on a behavior change by most people. However, the association between various psychosocial determinants and physical activity are not well understood. The aim of this study was to predict the stages of change in physical activity behavior of QUMS students by Pender's model. This cross-sectional survey was carried out at Qazvin University of Medical Science in 2008. A total sample of 222 students completed a self-report questionnaire consisting of an exercise change. A test-retest method was applied to determine the reliability while the Cronbach's Alpha used to confirm internal consistency. Face and content validity were confirmed in this study. Also, ANOVA and Path analysis were performed to determine the association between these constructs and stage of physical activity behavior change. More than half of students were in inactive stage and exercised for 41.62 minutes a week on average. Exercise self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits were found to be significant predictors of the stage of exercise behavior change among medical students. Only self-efficacy and stages of change [P<0.001] could directly predict the significant variance of physical activity while other constructs from Pander's model indirectly influenced the physical activity behavior through mediating stages of change construct. Perceived benefits [P<0.001] directly and perceived barriers inversely [P<0.001] were predictor of stage of exercise behavior. Perceived health status could indirectly influence the stage of change via perceived benefit. Our results indicated that the change in stage of readiness for exercise is probably dependent on the student's perceptions of exercise self-efficacy, benefits and barriers as well as the perceived health status to engage in physical activity. Furthermore, the results of this study made moderate support for the health promotion model constructs to predict physical activity and exercise stage of change

[Effectiveness of an ergonomic education to modify of body posture, ergonomic risk factors and musculoskeletal pain severity in computer users]

Use of computers with disregard ergonomics may lead to health problems, long-term discomfort and physical disabilities and lose workdays. To assess the effectiveness of an ergonomic education to modify of body posture, ergonomic risk factors and musculoskeletal pain severity in computer users. In this Quasi-experimental randomized controlled study, computer users were assigned to two groups: case group [n=75] receiving the theory based on intervention by using construct of theory of planned behavior and stage of change, and control group [n =75]. Both groups were evaluated at the beginning of the study and 3 and 6 months later. The following tools were used: the Rapid upper limp Assessment [RULA] method to assess upper-extremity work-related posture, self administrated questionnaire that evaluated TPB constructs, stage of change algorithm, ergonomic risk factors checklist, ergo- knowledge quiz and VAS for assessing musculoskeletal pain severity. The intervention included two program elements: staged matched informative brochure and personalized preventive educational counseling. The intervention group had significantly higher scores than controls in ergo-knowledge, attitudes, perceived behavior control, intention, as well as non natural posture maintenance as goal behavior [P<0.05] Also, finding showed the significant diminish in musculoskeletal pain severity [P<0.05]. At 3 and 6 months follow up, no significant differences were found between the two groups for subjective norms constructs. Intervention couldn't improve RULA risk level to low and very low area [1, 2 level] and only decreased risk exposure to medium level. According to the results preventive ergonomic campaigns would be more successful if educational intervention regarded as a part of multifaceted interventions: analysis and elimination of risk factors, engineering controls and administrative controls