Background: Food addiction has been defined as consuming palatable foods leading to addictive-like behaviors. Little studies have assayed food addiction in children and adolescents. Thus, we aimed at identifying the prevalence of food addiction and the relationship between food addiction, sociodemographic and anthropometric indicators among children and adolescents in southwestern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 222 elementary school students aged 7 to 13 years in Ahvaz, Iran, using a random sampling method. Sociodemographic and anthropometric indicators were obtained. The 25-item child version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS-C) was applied to provide food addiction diagnosis and symptoms. A nonparametric analysis was used for data analysis. Results: The prevalence of food addiction was 17.3%. Also, the most common symptoms associated with food addiction were (1) inability to cut down, (2) withdrawal, and (3) tolerance. The students with food addiction diagnosis were older than the undiagnosed (p=0.04). The males and students older than 8 years showed a higher food addiction score than females and students under 8 years (p<0.05). In females, significant positive correlations were found between anthropometric indicators, including body mass index and body mass index z-score, with food addiction score (p<0.01). Conclusion: Food addiction diagnosis was more prevalent in males and students over 8 years. Females with higher YFAS-C scores had elevated body mass index z-scores, suggesting that food addiction may be a remarkable problem in childhood and early adolescence and may also be related to a risk of overweight/obesity in Iranian students.

bjective: Social distancing remains an effective solution to prevent Covid-19 and its new strains as approved by WHO and CDC. This study aims to develop and evaluate an attitude and practice questionnaire on the role of social distancing in the prevention of Covid-19. Methods: Based on a mixed-method exploratory approach, the study was conducted to develop a social distancing questionnaire using Waltz method in 4 steps. The preliminary items were developed based on semi-structured interviews with the target group and social distancing guidelines. After the face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed, the questionnaire was distributed among the target population via mobile-based social networks. Next, the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. In the next step, EFA and CFA were carried out in SPSS-16 and IBM SPSS AMOS -24 software programs. Finally, the reliability was evaluated using the test-retest method. Results: The 33 preliminary items (15 attitude and 18 practice items) of the questionnaire were answered by 623 participants. The resulting attitude questionnaire after CFA consisted of 7 items and three factors with CVR = 0.77, CVI = 0.92 and Cronbach's alpha =0.73; the 8-item practice questionnaire had three factors and CVR=1, CVI=0.98 and Cronbach's alpha=0. 76. Conclusion: The 7-item social distancing attitude questionnaire with three factors and the 8-item social distancing practice questionnaire with three factors are valid and reliable tools to evaluate the status of social distance in Iranian societies during Covid-19.

Objective. The aim of study is the effect of educational intervention on anxiety of pregnant women. Methods. This quasi-experimental study is done on the pregnant women referring to family physician’s offices in Gerash City, Iran. 62 women were selected and divided into 2 groups (control and intervention). In intervention group the anxiety reduction training classes were held as a group discussion in 4 weekly 90-minute sessions. Control group received routine care. The anxiety assessment completed by two groups before and after the educational intervention. The measurement instruments included a demographic information questionnaire and the short form of the Pregnancy Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ-17). Results. Comparison of the mean scores of different dimensions of pregnancy anxiety in the pre-intervention and post-intervention stages in the intervention group using paired t-test indicated a statistically significant difference in the dimensions Fear of childbirth, Fear of giving birth to a physically or mentally disabled child, Fear of mood swings and Fear of changes in marital relations (p < 0.05) in comparison with control group.  Conclusion. Holding pregnancy-training classes using group discussion method is a good strategy to reduce anxiety in pregnant women. Therefore, it is recommended that this educational  strategy classes be used with mothers from the second trimester of pregnancy in urban family physician centers or those referred to a nearby clinic.