[Effect of educational intervention based on health belief model on knowledge and attitude about pap smear test among female secondary school teachers in district 11 of Tehran]

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women with incidence of more than 500000 cases per year. It is preventable because of its long precancerous period, suitable screening programs and effective treatments. Since the social and cultural barriers alongside the lack of knowledge are deterrents to participation in screening programs, the current study was performed to assess the effect of educational intervention through the Health Belief Model on knowledge and attitude of teachers about pap smear, considering their role in making people aware. This was a controlled before-after interventional study conducted on 72 individuals selected through simple sampling, assigned to two groups. Data collection tool was a questionnaire used and compared before training and one month after that. Training methods [intervention] included lectures with questions and answers. Data were analyzed with SPSS, version 11.5. 47.2% of intervention and 45.8% of control group were 40 to 50 years old and majority of them [47.2% and 50% respectively] had undergraduate educational level and 86.1% were married. Respectively, 67.2% and 74.2% have experience of being examined via Pap smear, while the knowledge of women in both groups was moderate about the disease. Study results revealed significant differences in knowledge, attitude and Health Belief Model constructs within intervention group [before and after training] as well as between groups [p<0.05]. Using Pap smear test among the participants was lower compared with healthy people aims targeted by 2010. Therefore, necessity of education and knowledge promotions are obvious

[Relationship between cervicovaginal ferritin levels in 22-26 weeks of pregnant women with spontaneous preterm delivery]

Low serum ferritin levels correlate with low iron stores, whereas high levels are associated with an acute-phase reaction. Our objective was to determine whether elevated levels of ferritin in the genital tract can be a potential marker to identify patients at risk for spontaneous preterm delivery. We performed a nested case-control study involving 28 women who had spontaneous preterm delivery. 28 term control subjects mathched for parity, age, education, previous history of PTL and vaginal bleeding selected from 275 women enrolled in the preterm prediction study of the prenatal care unit at Imam Hospital. Cervical ferritin was measured using radoimmunoassay. Cervical ferritin levels were significantly higher in women who subsequently had spontaneous early preterm delivery [mean +/- SD: 54.5 +/- 5 ng/ml VS 36.39 +/- 1.59 in control, P=0.001]. Elevated cervical ferritin levels in 22=24 weeks of gestation in asymptomatic women are associated with subsequent spontaneous preterm birth. Cervical ferritin, alone or in combination with other potential markers, maybe a useful tool to help identify high risk women who would potentially benefit from such prospective intervention. Until the identification of such clinical interventions in a clinical trial, the use of cervical ferritin for the prediction of preterm delivery remains experimental