Purpose. Due to the use of different methodologies, tools, and measurements, the positive or negative impact of Internet use on human life quality is accompanied by a series of ambiguities and uncertainties. Therefore, in this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis are conducted regarding the effect of Internet addiction on the quality of life. Methods. A systematic search of resources was conducted to investigate the effect of Internet addiction on the quality of life. The databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Science Direct were searched from January 1980 to July 2020. The articles were screened by two researchers in multiple levels in terms of the title, abstract, and full-text; then, final studies that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved and included in the study. Results. After searching the previously mentioned international databases, 3863 papers were found, 18 of which we included in the final analysis. Surveys indicated that people who had a high Internet addiction received lower scores of quality of life than those who were normal Internet users (OR = 2.45, 95% CI; 2.31–2.61, p < 0.001 ; I2 = 85.23%, p < 0.001 ). Furthermore, There was a negative significant relationship between Internet addiction and quality of life in the psychological (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.32–0.99, p = 0.04 , I2 = 97.47%, p < 0.001 ), physical (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39–0.86, p = 0.007 , I2 = 95.29%, p = 0.001 ), and overall quality of life score (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.27–0.55, p < 0.001 , I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.746 ). Conclusion. These findings illustrate that Internet addiction should be regarded as a major health concern and incorporated into health education and intervention initiatives.

Background Many cardiovascular patients suffer from respiratory failure. Environmental conditions can exacerbate symptomatology. It is necessary to prevent exposure to dust by taking educational steps to identify and modify patient behavior. This study aimed to develop and validate a dust exposure behavior questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model. Methods A mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods was employed to design and develop the desired tool. Qualitative methods were used to identify the preventive behaviors needed by cardiovascular patients at risk of dust exposure using the opinions of two expert panels and a literature review. The quantitative phase of the research was performed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the research tool. The research population comprised 417 people with cardiovascular disease referred to a heart hospital in Bushehr, Iran in 2018. Consenting participants entered the study through consecutive sampling. Results The final version of the questionnaire included 27 items across six domains, namely perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, perceived severity, perceived benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy. The mean values of the content validity ratio and content validity index were 0.93 and 0.9, respectively. In addition, all items had a good correlation with the total score of their parent domain (P < 0.01). The model fit was initially unsuitable, according to the related indices. Hence, to achieve a better model fit, the model was improved by releasing some parameters based on the modifications suggested by the AMOS software. The modified model featured an acceptable fit (χ2/df = 2.2, P < 0.001). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients also confirmed appropriate reliability for all six domains. Conclusion The Dust Exposure Prevention questionnaire has desirable psychometric properties and appropriate validity to determine the behavioral factors involved in harm from dust exposure among cardiovascular disease patients. This marks an effective step toward evaluating the factors effective in preventing complications related to dust exposure among such patients.

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Purpose. Hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. This study aimed to evaluate an intervention based on the Health Belief Model regarding the whole family’s salt consumption and blood pressure among hypertensive patients in rural areas in Iran. Methods. This clinical multicenter trial (clinical and community) with a control and an intervention group was conducted on the residents of 14 villages covered by 14 health houses. Totally, 200 hypertensive patients (n = 100 in each group) were selected via multistage random sampling. The intervention included a two-day workshop on blood pressure and reducing salt consumption based on HBM structures for health personnel and an eight-session workshop on how to reduce salt intake and blood pressure for mothers who were responsible for the families’ diets. Participants completed the questionnaires before and immediately after the intervention. Results. Compared to the control group, in the intervention group, a significant reduction was observed in salt consumption by the families (urine sodium and creatinine reduced by 35 mEq/l and 7.5 mg/dL, respectively). The results also revealed a significant decrease in blood pressure in the intervention group. Conclusion. The results showed that the mothers’ model-based education could effectively improve the diet of the whole family members and, as a result, reduce the associated diseases. The main advantage of this study was the involvement of the rural health personnel, which helped run longer and larger-scale health-promotion programs in the communities.

Work-family conflict can lead to irreparable losses to individuals, families and organizations. This matter is especially important for married working women who cannot eschew home responsibilities. To consider an appropriate intervention for this issue, we investigated the effect of a one-month intervention on support from the workplace and the family, individual characteristics and work-family conflict. This quasi-experimental longitudinal study includes an intervention group and a control group, and uses a pre-test, post-test and 6-months follow up design. Participants were 120 married women working in healthcare services, recruited from two cities in South Iran. The web-based multimedia educational program comprised four modules: one for each of the women participants, their spouses, their co-workers, and their workplace supervisors. Data collection tools included a demographic information form, and co-worker support, supervisor social support, spouse support, core self-evaluation and work-family conflict questionnaires. The effect of the intervention was examined at two post-intervention time points. A comparison of changes in mean scores between the intervention and control groups indicated that scores of supervisor support, spouse support, core self-evaluation and work-family conflict in the intervention group one month and six months after the intervention were all significantly improved compared to before the intervention. There was no benefit of the intervention in terms of a change in co-worker support. There was no significant difference across the three time points in the control group. These results confirm that online educational methods can enable health promotion professionals to reduce work-family conflict to the benefit of both employees and organizations.