Background The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a major global public health challenge. This study aimed to investigate on how people perceive the COVID-19 outbreak using the components of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) and to find out how this might contribute to possible behavioral responses to the prevention and control of the disease. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran during March and April 2020. Participants were recruited via online applications using a number of platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram asking people to take part in the study. To collect data an electronic self-designed questionnaire based on the EPPM was used in order to measure the risk perception (efficacy, defensive responses, perceived treat) related to the COVID-19. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), were used to explore the data. Results A total of 3727 individuals with a mean age (SD) of 37.0 (11.1) years participated in the study. The results revealed significant differences in efficacy, defensive responses and perceived treat among different population groups particularly among those aged 60 and over. Women had significantly higher scores than men on some aspects such as self-efficacy, reactance, and avoidance but men had higher perceived susceptibility scores compared to women. Overall 56.4% of participants were engaged in danger control (preventive behavior) while the remaining 43.6% were engaged in fear control (non-preventive behavior) process. Conclusion More than half of all participants motivated by danger control. This indicated that more than half of participants had high perceived efficacy (i.e., self-efficacy and response efficacy). Self-efficacy scores were significantly higher among participants who were older, female, single, lived in rural areas, and had good economic status. The results suggest that socioeconomic and demographic factors are the main determinants of the COVID-19 risk perception. Indeed, targeted interventions are essential for controlling the pandemic.

Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a major global public health challenge. This study aimed to investigate how people perceived the COVID-19 outbreak using the components of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) and to find out how this might contribute to possible behavioral responses to the prevention and control of the disease.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted online in Iran in March and April 2020. The Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire via Porsline. Participants were recruited using online applications and posts on a number of platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram asking people to take part in the study. To collect data a self-designed questionnaire based on the EPPM was used in order to measure the risk perception (efficacy, defensive responses, perceived treat) related to the COVID-19. Descriptive statics, chi-square, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), were used to explore the data.Results: A total of 3,727 individuals with a mean age (SD) of 37.0 (11.1) years participated in the study. The results revealed significant progressive increases in efficacy, defensive responses and perceived treat particularly among those aged 60 and over. Women had significantly higher scores than men on some aspects such as self-efficacy, reactance, and avoidance but men had higher perceived susceptibility scores for COVID-19 than women. Overall 56.4% of participants were engaged in danger control (preventive behavior) while the remaining 43.6% were engaged in fear control (non-preventive behavior) process.Conclusion: More than half of all participants motivated by danger control. This indicated that more than half of participants had high perceived efficacy (i.e., self-efficacy and response efficacy). Self-efficacy scores were significantly higher among participants who were older, female, single, lived in rural areas, and had good economic status. The results suggest that socioeconomic and demographic factors are the main determinants of risk perceptions for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the predictors of choosing mode of delivery (MOD) among Iranian urban women applying the socio-ecological model. In 2015, a convenient sample of 530 pregnant women in urban regions of Urmia, Iran, was recruited to complete a socio-ecological approach-based questionnaire. Then, 1 week after childbirth, the women were followed up by telephone to be asked about their MOD (response rate = 81.88%). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of cesarean section (CS) among the women with university education, whose husbands were an employee in a governmental organization, who preferred a private hospital for delivery, and who selected the CS as the preferred MOD during pregnancy were significantly higher than their counterparts. Among all the factors, the socioeconomic status of the families was more influential in predicting the MOD among women. The cognitive factors like fear of childbirth may not be determinants for MOD if women are from privileged families.

Background and objective: Physical activity (PA) is a multi-factorial behavior that is affected by intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental and social factors. The aim of this study was to investigate determinants of PA among patients with cardiovascular (CV) metabolic risk factors based on the educational factors of PRECEDE Model. Materials and methods: This mix method study (qualitative and quantitative) was conducted in two consecutive phases. In the qualitative phase, the experiences of 50 patients with CV metabolic risk factors and 12 healthcare providers who worked in the Diabetes Units of Health Centers of Alborz University of Medical Sciences (ABZUMS) were explained based on the educational factors of PRECEDE Model. In the quantitative phase, the questionnaire of determinants of PA was developed and its validity and reliability were evaluated and confirmed and it was completed by 450 patients and the strongest determinants of PA using the Structural equation modeling (SEM) through AMOS 18 were identified. Results: Using path analysis the findings showed, self-efficacy (β= 0.90) and perceived barriers (β= -0.63) determinants of predisposing category, skill (β= 0.38) determinant of enabling category, motivation comply (β= 0.47), social support (β= 0.23) and behavioral outcomes (β= 0.17) determinants of reinforcing category were higher predictive power and they were significant. Conclusion:The determinants mentioned should be targeted in designing an intervention program for promoting PA. Identifying the determinants of PA helps health planners to select the most appropriate methods and applications to address these determinants in order to increase the PA behavior. Paper Type: Research Article. ‫بدنی‬ ‫فعالیت‬ ‫های‬ ‫کننده‬ ‫تعیین‬ ‫موانع‬ ‫و‬ )β=0/90( ‫خودکارآمدی‬ ‫های‬ ‫کننده‬ ‫تعیین‬ ‫داد‬ ‫نشان‬ ‫مسیر‬ ‫تحلیل‬ ‫از‬ ‫استفاده‬ ‫با‬ ‫ها:‬ ‫یافته‬ ‫قادرکننده‬ ‫طبقه‬ ‫از‬ )β= 0/38( ‫مسیر‬ ‫ضریب‬ ‫با‬ ‫مهارت‬ ‫کننده،‬ ‫مستعد‬ ‫طبقه‬ ‫از‬ )β=-0/63( ‫شده‬ ‫درک‬ ‫پیامد‬ ‫و‬ )β= 0/23( ‫اجتماعی‬ ‫حمایت‬ ،)β= 0/47( ‫مسیر‬ ‫ضریب‬ ‫با‬ ‫اطاعت‬ ‫انگیزش‬ ‫های‬ ‫کننده‬ ‫تعیین‬ ‫و‬ ‫بودند.‬ ‫معنادار‬ ‫و‬ ‫داشتند‬ ‫باالیی‬ ‫پیشگویی‬ ‫قدرت‬ ‫کننده‬ ‫تقویت‬ ‫طبقه‬ ‫از‬ )β= 0/17( ‫رفتاری‬

Introduction: There are strong evidences to support the relation between Physical Activity (PA) and improved health in older adults. So this study aimed to determine the predictors of PA among a group of older adults in northwest of Iran. Methods: In 2016, a randomly sample size of 340 older people in urban regions of Maku, West Azerbaijan, Iran, was recruited to complete Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) and individual factors questionnaires. Results: The mean score of PA was 94.02 ± 3.41. Logistic regression analysis showed that age was the strongest predictor of PA; among younger elderly with higher level education, who had less comorbidity were significantly more active than their counterparts. (β = -2.72, SE = 0.47, P- value = 0.001) Conclusion: In this study the level of PA among the older adults was low and interventions to promote PA in this population is recommended.