Factors Affecting Breast Self-examination Behavior Among Female Healthcare Workers in Iran: The Role of Social Support Theory / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES@#In women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death. Screening tests are the basis for early diagnosis. In Iranian women, the mortality rate of breast cancer is high due to insufficient screening examinations and delayed visits for care. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the factors affecting breast self-examinations among Iranian women employed in medical careers.@*METHODS@#This cross-sectional study included 501 women working in the medical professions at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in western Iran in 2018. The subjects were selected by stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed, self-report questionnaire that contained demographic information and questions based on protection motivation theory and social support theory. Descriptive data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23 and model fitting with PLS version 2.@*RESULTS@#The mean age of the participants was 37.1±8.3 years, and most of the women (80.4%) were married. Most women had a bachelor's degree (67.5%). The findings of this study showed that the coping appraisal construct was a predictor of protection motivation (β=0.380, p<0.05), and protection motivation (β=0.604, p<0.05) was a predictor of breast self-examination behavior. Additionally, social support theory (β=0.202, p<0.05) had a significant positive effect on breast self-examination behavior.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The frequency of practicing self-examinations among women employees in the medical sector was low; considering the influence of social support as a factor promoting screening, it is necessary to pay attention to influential people in women's lives when designing educational interventions.

Factors Affecting Breast Self-examination Behavior Among Female Healthcare Workers in Iran: The Role of Social Support Theory / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: In women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death. Screening tests are the basis for early diagnosis. In Iranian women, the mortality rate of breast cancer is high due to insufficient screening examinations and delayed visits for care. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the factors affecting breast self-examinations among Iranian women employed in medical careers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 501 women working in the medical professions at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in western Iran in 2018. The subjects were selected by stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed, self-report questionnaire that contained demographic information and questions based on protection motivation theory and social support theory. Descriptive data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23 and model fitting with PLS version 2. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 37.1±8.3 years, and most of the women (80.4%) were married. Most women had a bachelor's degree (67.5%). The findings of this study showed that the coping appraisal construct was a predictor of protection motivation (β=0.380, p<0.05), and protection motivation (β=0.604, p<0.05) was a predictor of breast self-examination behavior. Additionally, social support theory (β=0.202, p<0.05) had a significant positive effect on breast self-examination behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of practicing self-examinations among women employees in the medical sector was low; considering the influence of social support as a factor promoting screening, it is necessary to pay attention to influential people in women's lives when designing educational interventions.

Factors associated with hookah use among male high school students: the role of demographic characteristics and hookah user and non-user prototypes

Background: As students' hookah use has become a widespread problem in the developing countries, it is time to understand the cognitive determinants of students' decisions to do so. This study aimed to investigate the roles of psychological and demographic factors associated with hookah use among male high school students

Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed among 601 high school male students, recruited through multistage sampling method in the Kermanshah City, west of Iran in 2016. The data-gathering tool consisted of a self-administered questionnaire with questions about hookah use behavior and demographic, behavioral and psychological variables. Data were analyzed using SPSS-18 software using chi-square and logistic regression

Results: 36.1% of the participants reported ever hookah use and 17.1% mentioned using hookah in the past month

Pleasure [28.1%] and sensation seeking [22.5%] were common reasons of hookah use. In comparison to non-users, hookah users evaluated a typical hookah user as more clever, less immature, more popular, more attractive, more self-confident, more independent, and less selfish [P<0.001]

Conclusions: The results revealed the importance of psychological factors when examining students' hookah use status. Thus, design and implementation of interventions might be effective in prevention of hookah use among students

Predictive factors of regular physical activity among middle-aged women in West of Iran, Hamadan: application of precede model

Background: Regular physical activity is important for midlife women. Models and theories help better understanding this behavior among middle-aged women and better planning for change behavior in target group. This study aimed to investigate predictive factors of regular physical activity among middle-aged women based on PRECEDE model as a theoretical framework

Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 866 middle-aged women of Hamadan City western Iran, recruited with a proportional stratified sampling method in 2015. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire including questions on demographic characteristics and PRECEDE model constructs and IPAQ questionnaire. Data were then analyzed by SPSS-16 and AMOS-16 using the Pearson correlation test and the pathway analysis method

Results: Overall, 57% of middle-aged women were inactive [light level] or not sufficiently active. With SEM [Structural Equation Modeling] analysis, knowledge b=0.84, P<0.001, attitude b=0.799, P<0.001, self-efficacy b=0.633, P<0.001 as predisposing factor and social support as reinforcing factor b=0.2, P<0.001 were the most important predictors for physical activity among middle-aged women in Hamadan

Conclusions: The framework of the PRECEDE model is useful in understanding regular physical activity among middle-aged women. Furthermore, results showed the importance of predisposing and reinforcing factors when planning educational interventions

Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS] on primary dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls

Dysmenorrhea is a common problem among female adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of high-frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation [TENS] on primary dysmenorrhea and to compare it with placebo in a randomized controlled study. Sixty four female aged between 14-18 years at the first day of their menstruation cyclerandomly divided in two groups [TENS or placebo TENS]. Participants' physical characteristics and menstrual history were recorded. Menstrual pain was measured by self-reported pain intensity using visual analog scale [VAS] before and just after treatment. Paired t-test and independent t-test was conducted to compare pain intensity between pre and post treatment between the two groups [TENS vs. placebo]. The decrease in pain intensity after TENS and placebo TENS were both significant, [Active group:6.31 to 2.40, t= 9.70, p<0.01; placebo group: 6.65 to 5.00, t= 5.97, p<0.01]. However, pain intensity inactive TENS was significantly decreased than the placebo group [t=-4.690, p=0.000]. Concurrent use of analgesic was reduced significantly in the active TENS [t= 5.475, p<0.01]; but not after placebo TENS. This result supports that using TENS could be effective in pain reduction among adolescents who suffered from primary dysmenorrhea

pattern of folic acid intake in pregnant women referring to Fatemieh hospital in Hamadan [2005]

Half a million of newborns are annually born with neural tube defect around the world. Folic acid intake prevents neural tube defects in newborns significantly. Therefore, this study was performed to determine the pattern of folic acid intake during pregnancy. This descriptive-analytic study was performed using questionnaire and interview. Three hundred and twenty-two women who had terminated their pregnancies at Fatemieh hospital were participated in the study. The results showed that 81.4% of women had used folic acid during pregnancy. 23.9% of women took it from the first month of pregnancy and 16.4% after the third month. Most of women had taken it for more than three months. The lack of knowledge about Folic acid necessity [73.3%] was the main reason for the women who had not taken folic acid during pregnancy. Folic acid intake during pregnancy was significantly associated with education [P=0.004], employment [P=0.052], parity [P=0.000], the number of abortions [P=0.046], the number of newborns with neural tube defects [P=0.034]. Also, there was a significant relationship between the use of folic acid during pregnancy and planned pregnancies [P=0.006] and also prenatal care [P=0.047]. Although most of women had taken folic acid during pregnancy, the time of initiation was not right. Therefore, it seems that it is necessary to educate women about folic acid advantages and its usage