Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new viral disease that has caused a pandemic in the world. Due to the lack of vaccines and definitive treatment, preventive behaviors are the only way to overcome the disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the preventive behaviors from the disease based on constructs of the health belief model. Methods In the present cross-sectional study during March 11–16, 2020, 750 individuals in Golestan Province of Iran were included in the study using the convenience sampling and they completed the questionnaires through cyberspace. Factor scores were calculated using the confirmatory factor analysis. The effects of different factors were separately investigated using the univariate analyses, including students sample t-test, ANOVA, and simple linear regression. Finally, the effective factors were examined by the multiple regression analysis at a significant level of 0.05 and through Mplus 7 and SPSS 16. Results The participants’ mean age was 33.9 ± 9.45 years; and 57.1% of them had associate and bachelor's degrees. Multiple regression indicated that the mean score of preventive behavior from COVID-19 was higher in females than males, and greater in urban dwellers than rural dwellers. Furthermore, one unit increase in the standard deviation of factor scores of self-efficacy and perceived benefits increased the scores of preventive behavior from COVID-19 by 0.22 and 0.17 units respectively. On the contrary, one unit increase in the standard deviation of factor score of perceived barriers and fatalistic beliefs decreased the scores of the preventive behavior from COVID-19 by 0.36 and 0.19 units respectively. Conclusions Results of the present study indicated that female gender, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, fatalistic beliefs, perceived interests, and living in city had the greatest preventive behaviors from COVID-19 respectively. Preventive interventions were necessary among males and villagers.

Background: COVID-19 is a new viral disease that has caused a pandemic in the world. Due to the lack of vaccines and definitive treatment, preventive behaviors are the only way to overcome the disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the preventive behaviors from the disease based on constructs of the health belief model.Methods: In the present cross-sectional study during March 11 to 16, 2019, 750 individuals in Golestan province of Iran were included in the study using the convenience sampling and they completed the questionnaires through cyberspace. Factor scores were calculated using the confirmatory factor analysis. The effects of different factors were separately investigated using the univariate analyses, including students sample t-test, ANOVA, and simple linear regression. Finally, the effective factors were examined by the multiple regression analysis at a significant level of 0.05 and through Mplus 7 and SPSS 16.Results: The participants' mean age was 33.9±9.45 years; and 57.1% of them had associate and bachelor's degrees. Multiple regression indicated that the mean score of preventive behavior from COVID-19 was higher in women than men, and greater in urban dwellers than rural dwellers. Furthermore, one unit increase in the standard deviation of factor scores of self-efficacy and perceived benefits increased the scores of preventive behavior from COVID-19 by 0.22 and 0.17 units respectively. On the contrary, one unit increase in the standard deviation of factor score of perceived barriers and fatalistic beliefs decreased the scores of the preventive behavior from COVID-19 by 0.36 and 0.19 units respectively.Conclusion: Results of the present study indicated that female gender, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, fatalistic beliefs, perceived interests, and living in city had the greatest preventive behaviors from COVID-19 respectively. Preventive interventions were necessary among men and villagers.

The aim of the current study was to investigate breast cancer screening performance among Iranian Turkmen women along with their knowledge and beliefs. A cross-sectional study was carried out in June to December 2011. Through clustered sampling method, 1080 Iranian Turkmen women completed the questionnaire including breast cancer screening adherence, knowledge, fatalism beliefs, and perceived threat using Champions Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS).The mean age of the participants was 43.04 (SD = 11.80) years. Compliance rate in a regular basis based on national guidelines was 13.1%, 2.5%, and 0.9% for SBE, CBE, and mammography, respectively. A mere 4% have been provided adequately with information about breast cancer. Having knowledge was the best predictor of breast cancer screening adherence along with high educated husbands for SBE performing. Susceptibility and fatalism were low and were influenced by participants' educational level and age. In conclusion, Iranian Turkmen women had insufficient knowledge, low perceived susceptibility, high fatalistic belief, and very poor adherence to breast cancer screening. There is a need for providing breast cancer education programs among the Iranian Turkmen women to increase their adherence rate.

This study describes the impact of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using a generic instrument including 8 domains. Data were obtained from 54 patients with DFU who were compared with 78 patients who had diabetes without foot ulcer. HRQoL was measured using the Iranian version of Medical Outcome Study-Short Form (SF-36). The fasting plasma glucose, creatinine, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and urine microalbumin as well as ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) were measured for all participants in the 2 groups. In all, 51.9% of patients with DFU had ABI scores of <0.9 compared with only 11.8% of the control group (P < .001). No differences were found in any of the treatment characteristics (oral/insulin therapy) between the 2 groups (case/control). HRQoL evaluated by the SF-36 questionnaire, in particular in the areas of physical function, is lower in patients with diabetes with foot ulcers compared with patients with diabetes without foot ulcers (41.04 ± 22.69 vs 56.67 ± 25.57; P < .01). After adjusting by sex, 2 domains of physical functioning and bodily pain as well as the total HRQoL score in patients with DFU were lower than in patients with diabetes (P < .001). This study showed that physical functioning and bodily pain along with total score of HRQoL were important aspects that were lower in patients with DFU than in patients with diabetes. Gender was considered as a confounding factor, which was omitted in multivariate analysis.

BackgroundThe World Health Organization identifies oral health as a necessity for public health through the entirety of life. This issue has been considerably addressed due to susceptibility to tooth decay during pregnancy and maternal and fetal health.ObjectivesInvestigate the effect of educational intervention on perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, and DMFT of pregnant women.Patients and MethodsA quasi-experimental survey (pretest, posttest, and control group) was implemented in 88 primiparous women in the first trimester of pregnancy who attended private clinics in Delfan city, Iran. It was conducted using random sampling and then assigned to intervention and control groups. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, a DMFT checklist, and some health belief model (HBM) constructs. After collecting baseline information, an educational intervention consisting of 4 training sessions for the intervention group was scheduled. In the sessions, lecture, focus-group discussion, video, and role-playing were used as the main educational strategies. Four months after the intervention, a post-test questionnaire and DMFT checklist were conducted. Data were analyzed using SPSS (ver20) software and Chi-square, independent t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA at the significant level of α < 0.05.ResultsAccording to the independent t-test, the mean score of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, and DMFT was not different between the two groups before the education (P > 0.05), during the intervention, or after intervention. Repeated measure ANOVA explained that the aforementioned score was different in the three cases (pretest, 2 months after intervention, and 4 months after intervention) after intervention (P < 0.05). Paired t-test also showed that the DMFT mean increased 4 months after intervention in the control group (P < 0.001). It was not, however, augmented in the intervention group (P = 0.92).ConclusionsResults showed that education on some of the HBM constructs resulted in increased knowledge of oral health, perceived susceptibility, and self-efficacy of pregnant women. It is also possible to prevent increased DMFT during pregnancy.