Most countries in Middle East have been successful in establishing and furthering basic facilities for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. The rate of compliance with mammography screening, however, remains well below North American and Western European countries. We utilized the Health Belief Model (HBM) to explore factors associated with mammography screening behavior among a sample of 320 Muslim women aged > or = 35. Carrying out this cross-sectional study, we found that screening behavior was associated with older age, higher perceived benefit of breast cancer screening, and lower perceived barrier. Additionally, we demonstrate the importance of religious beliefs in influencing mammography screening behavior and explaining the link between religious involvement and mammography behavior.

Background Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of premature deaths worldwide. Physical activity reduces the levels of blood lipids and blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension. Objectives To apply the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to determine factors associated with physical activity by women with hypertension who were referred to health care centers in Kiashahr in 2016. Methods The present observational study was conducted in a cross-section of 215 women diagnosed with hypertension who had records in health care centers in Kiashahr and who were recruited through census from August to September 2016. The data collection tool was a custom-designed questionnaire based on the TPB, and the collected data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical methods. Results The mean scores of knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to undertake physical activity were significantly (P < 0.01) higher among women who performed regular physical activity than in those without regular physical activity. Constructs including behavioral intention (P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15, 1.61) and attitude (P = 0.004, OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.08, 1.50) were significant predictors for undertaking physical activities. Conclusions Attitude and behavioral intention were predictors for undertaking physical activities. We recommended the design of interventional programs based on these 2 factors for women with hypertension living in rural areas of Iran.

Background Despite the effective role of men in promoting their sexual and reproductive health, they have been often been overlooked for cultural and social issues and limited data are available in this context. In developing countries, the majority of men have limited knowledge and ability in terms of reproductive and sexual health. Hence, this study aimed to investigate male perceptions of sexual and reproductive health concepts.Materials and methods Using the conventional content analysis approach, a qualitative study was conducted on data retrieved through semi-structured interviews with 19 adult males aged 18 to 59 years, purposefully selected from among populations of health centers in the province of Alborz, Iran.Results Three main concepts and 9 categories emerged from the conventional content analysis: 1) Needs including “access to sexual and reproductive health services”, “awareness”, and “high-quality and safe sex”; 2) Responsibilities including “health- seeking behaviors”, “sexual skills”, “childbearing responsibilities” and “ethical commitment”; and 3) Social norms including “gender role attitudes”, and “changing marriage rules”.Conclusion This study showed that structural factors along with cultural and social norms affect sexual and reproductive health in men, who are men not adequately taken care and many of their sexual and reproductive health needs have not yet been addressed. Participants believed that men are responsible for their sexual reproductive health, although they have often difficulties fulfilling their responsibilities because of inadequate knowledge on the subject and the lack of access to sexual/ reproductive health services. Hence, along with socioeconomic changes, the health care system should be prepared to meet these needs and responsibilities using preventive strategies and programs.

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic condition among children. It requires parents to engage in child care. Thus, the quality of asthma control depends on parents' knowledge and attitude towards asthma and its treatments.Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effects of family-centered education based on the Health Belief Model on knowledge and attitude among the parents of children with asthma.Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 64 parents of children with asthma who were purposefully recruited from a pulmonary clinic in Ahvaz, Iran. Participants were randomly allocated to either a control or an intervention group. Participants in the intervention group were offered a family-centered educational program based on the Health Belief Model, while participants in the control group received the same educational materials without the use of the Health Belief Model. Participants' knowledge and attitude were measured before and three months after the intervention using a forty-item researcher-made questionnaire. The SPSS program (version 18.0) was employed for data analysis.Results: There were no significant differences between the groups regarding participants' demographic characteristics and the pretest mean scores of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and selfefficacy (P > 0.05). However, all posttest values of these mean scores in the intervention group were significantly different from the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions:Family-centered education based on the Health Belief Model is effective in significantly improving knowledge and attitude about asthma and its treatments among the parents of children with asthma.

No abstract