Factors Affecting Social Health from Young Adults' Perspective: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Factors affecting social health, especially in young adults, are among the most important research priorities. Knowledge of social factors affecting young adults' health will lead to understand them in the social context. The present study is aimed to explain the perspective of young adults on social factors affecting health. METHODS: In the present qualitative content analysis study, semi-structured open interviews were conducted through targeted sampling of young volunteers aged 18-30 who were selected from Tehran Province. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The inclusion criteria for participants were willingness to participate in the study and ability to express their personal experiences. Twenty-one data were collected through collection was done with individual in-depth interviews. RESULTS: Using this qualitative approach, the present study was conducted to identify factors affecting social health from the perspective of young adults. The analysis led to the extraction of three main categories, each with two or three subcategories: expectations regarding the community, expectations regarding the family, and expectations regarding infrastructures. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings shown that social support considered as effective elements in providing social health of young adults. The evidence on controlling factors should be considered in promoting the social health of specific target groups. The results of the present study could be used for better planning of interventions in youth social health domains.

Complications of type 2 diabetes in Iranian population: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have increased dramatically through two past decades. Thus, the aim of this updated systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the pooled prevalence of T2DM complications in Iranian patients. Using Medical Subject Headings terms, Emtree, and related equal Persian key words, international databases including PubMed, ISI/WOS, Scopus, Iran Medex, SID, Magiran, Irandoc, Medlib, domestic databases were searched from January 1990 till January 2018 reporting prevalence of any complications of type 2 diabetes in Iran. All the keywords were searched electronically by two Boolean operators through the explained search strategy, separately. Relevant additional articles were identified from the lists of the retrieved articles. Random and fixed effect meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of complications in Iranian patients with T2DM. Through searching steps, among 1238 publications retrieved from literature search, finally 45 studies met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis, with number of 30679 participants. According to random effect, the estimated pooled prevalence of diabetic foot ulcer, cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy in Iranian patients with T2DM were 3%(95% CI: 1-5%), 33%(95% CI: 16-49%), 36%(95% CI: 27-45%), 38% (95% CI: 14-63%), and 43% (95% CI: 27-60%), respectively. This updated meta-analysis shows that prevalence of major microvascular complications of T2DM in Iran is high. Our findings provide practical evidence for better planning and clinical decision making.

An explanatory model for the concept of mental health in Iranian youth.

Background: Mental health is considered as an integral and essential component of overall health. Its determinants and related factors are one of the most important research priorities, especially in adolescents and young people. Using a qualitative approach, the present study aimed to identify factors affecting the mental health of youth in Iran. Methods: In 2017, following content analysis principles, and using semi-structured in-depth interviews, we conducted a qualitative study exploring the opinions of young people about mental health. A targeted sampling method was used, and participants were young volunteers aged 18 to 30 who were selected from Tehran province, Iran. Inclusion criteria for participants was willingness to participate in the study, and ability to express their experiences. Data collection was done with individual in-depth interviews. According to the explanatory model, the interviews were directed toward the concept of mental health and path of causality and auxiliary behaviors. Results: 21 young adults participated, who met the study inclusion criteria, of whom 12 participants were male. Their mean age was 24.4 ± 0.41 years and their education varied from primary school to Master's degree. Mental health was considered as mental well-being and a sense of satisfaction and efficacy, not only the presence of a disease or mental disorder. Based on the opinions of the interviewees, three factors of personal characteristics, family and society are involved in mental health. Individual factors were associated with behavioral and physical problems. One of the most important issues was revealed as tensions in societal and family conflicts. Economic problems and unemployment of young people were also extracted from the social factor. Conclusion: In Iran, social factors such as jobs for the unemployed and job security are considered as important determinants in the mental health of young people.

A Comprehensive Health Plan: The Lifestyle Affecting Factors in Iranian Youth.

BACKGROUND: Factors affecting lifestyle become one of the most priorities of the research field, especially in adolescents and youth. Using a qualitative approach, this study aimed to understand what factors are affecting young people's healthy lifestyle. METHODS: Using the conventional content analysis, and used the semi-structured in-depth interviews, we conducted a qualitative study to elicit the youth opinion considering their lifestyle affecting factors. Initially, purposeful sampling method was considered for data collection. Participants were selected from volunteered youths 18-30 years whom were selected from the Tehran city. Inclusion criteria for the participants were; (a) willingness to participate in the study, and (b) ability to express experiences. RESULTS: According to findings, although the majority of participants agreed on the important role of lifestyle related behaviors in their healthy life, the lack of essential motivation and the pressure of educational assignments remove it from their daily program priorities. The most important barrier to observing the healthy lifestyle was expressed as; the acceptance of the concept by the individual and the social and economic potential of the individual. It was also suggested that practical interventions should focus on improving more participator engagement of all of the related stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed the participatory strategies for youth healthy lifestyle promotion. Through which based on a specific needs the assessment of different target groups, designing, development, and implementation of health programs led to more effective interventions.

Exploring the youth experience about sense of social security: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Undoubtedly, one of the vital needs of man is security. Determinants and related factors to sense of social security is one of the most important research priorities, especially in adolescents and young people. OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors affecting the social security of the youth. METHODS: In 2017, using conventional content analysis, and benefiting from semi-structured in-depth interviews, we conducted a qualitative study exploring the opinions of young people about their feelings regarding social security. First, a targeted sampling method was determined to collect the data. Participants were young volunteers aged 18 to 30 who were selected from Tehran, the capital of Iran. Inclusion criteria for participants were willingness to participate in the study and ability to express their experiences. Data was extracted from 21 participants. RESULTS: The participants consisted of 21 young people who met the study inclusion criteria, of whom 12 participants were male. Their mean age was 24.4±0.41 years and their education varied from primary school to master's degree. Under two main categories of the need for economic and financial security and the need for a safe society, we extracted 11 subcategories following 32 codes. According to the findings, most participants agreed on the important role that sense of social security has in their lives and their health. CONCLUSION: The important role of sense of social security in participant's lives and health was the main important point of our findings, emphasized by most of participants. Based on the results; the assessment of the specific needs of different target groups, the design, development and implementation of health programs led to more effective interventions.

Dietary habits among adolescent girls and their association with parental educational levels.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a period of rapid psychological development and the appearance of secondary sex characteristics. Changes in facial structure are the most visible manifestation during this period. It is during adolescence period that the importance of optimal nutrients is greatest. Improving the nutrition of teenage girls especially is important girls because consequently will affect the health in future. In present study hypothesis is that improving the nutrition of teenage girls is correlated with the level of parental education and the adolescents' eating habits. METHODS: In this study, 386 random selected adolescent girls were selected by cluster sampling. We used questionnaire to study the level of knowledge to major nutritional problems and consuming optimal nutrients. Finally, collected data were analyzed by using descriptive techniques and statistical analysis. RESULTS: According to the results of present study the mean of age, weight and height of the participants were 13/2 years, 159/1 cm, and 52.05 kg respectively. The 48.4 percent of the participants not eat breakfast. The 67.4 percentages of girls daily were consuming bread and cereals, 57.5 fruits and vegetables, 62.7 dairy products, and 27.7 meat and eggs. In addition, 36.3 percentages of these girls consumed sweets everyday as part of their diet. The nutritional knowledge of participating in diet was on the average and common source of information were counselors and teachers at school (36 percentages). The results of our study revealed that there was a significant relationship between variations in level of parental educational level and dietetic safety of offspring (p < 0.05). Our conclusion is the interactive education and parental literacy especially is important regarding to the adolescent nutrition and health.

The effect of group play therapy on social-emotional skills in pre-school children.

BACKGROUND: Childhood is important and critical period in human life. The foundation of ego is shaped in childhood. Play therapy is one of the successful strategies to help children with inner conflicts problems. This method of psychotherapy is base on the normal learning processes of children, provides solutions to relieve feelings of stress, and expands self-expression. Group play therapy can enhance the self-awareness, self- regulation, social communication, empathy and adoptability in children. METHODS: Present study investigated the effects of play therapy on relational and emotional skills of pre-school children. For this purpose, the total numbers of 372 pre-school children were randomly selected, and divided into two equal groups (case and control). In next step, the BUSSE-SR methodology was used for evaluation and comparison of self-awareness, self-regulation, social interaction, empathy, adoptability, and control groups. Pre-test were performed for both groups and case group was involved in-group play therapy. According to the results of post-test, correlation of variables between case-control groups was examined by multivariate analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Frequency of boys and girls in our sample were 51.3 and 48.7 percent, respectively. The mean age of children was 5.1±0.6 year. According to the results of present study, play therapy significantly enhanced the social-emotional skills (P< 0.001). Our findings are consistent with the results of previous studies in other nations with different environmental and cultural properties. In conclusion, it seems that play therapy can be used in pre-school centers to help children learn problem-solving skills and communicate with others.