Development and validation of a new tool to measure Iranian pregnant women's empowerment

Empowering pregnant women improves their health and reduces maternal mortality, but there is a lack of suitable tools to measure women's empowerment in some cultures. This study aimed to design and validate a questionnaire for measuring the dimensions of empowerment among Iranian pregnant women. After a literature review, and face and content validity testing, a 38-item questionnaire was developed and tested on a sample of 161 pregnant women. Factor analysis grouped the items into 3 subscales: educational empowerment [e.g. prenatal training], autonomy [e.g. financial independency and mental ability] and sociopolitical empowerment [e.g. involvement in social and political activities]. Criterion validity testing showed a strong positive correlation of the total scale and subscales scores with the Kameda and the Spritzer empowerment scales. Cronbach alpha was 0.92 for total empowerment. A total of 32 items remained in the Self-Structured Pregnancy Empowerment Questionnaire, which is a valid new tool to measure the dimensions of pregnant women's empowerment

[Serologic immunity of Gorgan medical personnels against hepatitis B [2003]]

Hepatitis B, is a common kind of viral hepatitis. Vaccination is the most secure way of prevention for the health care worker. The present study was designed to survey the seropositivity of Gorgan teaching hospitals. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was done on 300 medical and official personals at 3 hospitals in Gorgan in 2003, with using 3ml of peripheral blood, sampling assay was performed to determine HBs-Ab and HBs Ag. Questionnaire form concerning demographic information, vaccination status and risk factors were compeleted for participants. Statistical analysis was done by means of SPSS soft ware with confidence interval equal to 95%. 13% of individuals were not be vaccinated and 74.6% of them were vaccinated completely. There were statistically significant differences between HBs Ag and vaccination status, individual's age, the last vaccination time, occupation and use of glove [p<0.05]. Furthermore, 1% of samples [one female, two males] were HBs Ag -positive. These three Persons has 10 years at service and were vaccinated compeletely were HBs -Ab neagtive. As a result of vaccination project, vaccination coverage of employees and immunologic status of them were satisfactory. Because of repetitive encountering of under considertion individuals with hepaptitis virus, 2% of unvaccinated subject had been infected but fortunately were be cured. Concomitant reduction in probability of immunity was being occurred after vaccination with the passing time and considering the importance of booster dose injection