Background:Hypertension is a major health problem in developing and developed countries, and its increasing epidemy is a serious warning to take more attention to this silent disease.Aim:This study was aimed to determine the factors of adherence to hypertension medication based on health belief model (HBM).Subjects and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural area of the Ardabil city in 2013. This study was carried out using a pre-structured and validated questionnaire. The questionnaire included information on demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, HBM constructs and adherence to hypertension medication (Morisky 4-Item Self-Report Measure of Medication-taking Behavior [Morisky Medication Adherence Scale]). Data were analyzed with the use of SPSS version 18. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results:A total of 671 hypertensive patients participated in the study (169 were males and 502 were females). The prevalence of adherence was 24% (161/671)% in the study population. Respondents with regular physical activity and nonsmokers were more adherent to hypertension medication when compared to respondents with sedentary lifestyle and smoking (P < 0.01). Based on HBM constructs, the respondents who perceived high susceptibility, severity, benefit had better adherence compared to moderate and low susceptibility, severity, and benefit.Conclusion:The prevalence of adherence to hypertension management was low in study population, this due to inadequate perceived susceptibility, perceived, severity, perceived benefit and poor lifestyle factors. Improving adherence in hypertension patients need to recognize the value and importance of patient perceptions medications.

BackgroundCommunity assessment is a core function of public health. In such assessments, a commitment to community participation and empowerment is at the heart of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network, reflecting its origins in health for all and the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. This study employs a participation and empowerment plan in order to conduct community assessment.MethodsThe method of participatory action research (PAR) was used. The study was carried out in an area of high socio-economic deprivation in Ardabil, a city in the northwest of Iran, which is currently served by a branch of the Social Development Center (SDC). The steering committee of the project was formed by some university faculty members, health officials and delegates form Farhikhteh non-governmental organization and representatives from twelve blocks or districts of the community. Then, the representatives were trained and then conducted focus groups in their block. The focus group findings informed the development of the questionnaire. About six hundred households were surveyed and study questionnaires were completed either during face-to-face interviews by the research team (in case of illiteracy) or via self-completion. The primary question for the residents was: 'what is the most important health problem in your community? Each health problem identified by the community was weighted based on the frequency it was selected on the survey, and steering committee perception of the problem's seriousness, urgency, solvability, and financial load.ResultsThe main problems of the area appeared to be the asphalt problem, lack of easy access to medical centers, addiction among relatives and unemployment of youth. High participation rates of community members in the steering committee and survey suggest that the PAR approach was greatly appreciated by the community and that problems identified through this research truly reflect community opinion.ConclusionsParticipatory action research is an effective method for community assessments. However, researchers must rigorously embrace principles of mutual cooperation, respect for public ideas, and a robust belief in community empowerment in order to pave the way for responsible and active citizen participation in the various stages of research.

Background:The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of amblyopia screening in Ardabil Province in three examination levels by kindergarten teacher, optometrist, and ophthalmologist.Methods:In a cross-sectional study, the results of the national amblyopic prevention program in 2–6 years old children in Ardabil Province were investigated in 2012. The results pertained to the examinations of children participating in this research were collected in the national approved forms. The data were entered into the computer and were analyzed using statistical methods in SPSS 18.Results:Around 38,844 children (51.7%) out of 75173 with 2–6 years old qualified children participated in the screening program in Ardabil Province. In the first stage of screening, 1068 children (33.1%) are visually impaired in one eye and 2160 children (66.9%) are visually impaired in two eyes. In the second stage, the results related to the examinations by optometrists indicated that the prevalence of refractive errors, strabismus, and others were 70%, 27.8%, and 2.2%, respectively. Refractive errors problem was most prevalent in Ardabil city (72.6%).The prevalence of refractive errors, strabismus, and other reasons in amblyopic children was 51.3%, 23.9%, and 24.8%; respectively.Conclusions:The present investigation showed that coverage of amblyopia screening program was not enough in Ardabil Province. To increase the screening accuracy, standard instruments and examination room must be used; more optometrists must be involved in this program and increasing the validity of obtained results for future programming.

Background: The aim of this research was to perform an epidemiologic survey of esophageal cancer in Ardabil province. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 661 patients diagnosed with EC were studied from March 2002 to May 2011 e. The necessary data were collected with a checklist from the documents in Ardabil Cancer Registry (ACR) and analyzed by statistical methods with SPSS.18 software. Results: Of the total new cases of EC registered in ARC during study period, 430 (65.1%) of patients were male with the male to female standard ratio was 1.18, with a statistically significant gender bias. The most common morphology of EC was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, 68.8%) followed by adenocarcinoma (28.5%). It was observed that in most of patients, EC lesions were in the middle third of esophagus. In addition, most patients were rural and about 40% had smoking habits. The age-standardized incidence rate of cancers was 48.4 per 100,000 among females and males. The annual incidence rates in males and females was 7.1 and 6.7 per 100,000; respectively. Conclusions: Results showed that the prevalence and annual incidence rate of cancer in Ardabil province is lower than other areas of the country with a male predominance and a relatively high proprortion of adenocarcinomas.

For any informed decision making about community-oriented nursing, it is necessary to map out the community regarding the psychological factors. This study is an attempt to estimate the mental disorders' rate among the age group of 15-65 in the urban areas of Ardabil province. A sample of 1430 individuals was selected through random multistage cluster sampling. The instruments employed in this study included Personal Data Questionnaire and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The findings revealed that, on the whole, 27.83% of the subjects suffer from different mental disorders. The prevalence rate of mental disorders appeared to vary from 13.3% to 44.4% based on the place of residence, and the highest prevalence rate was found to be social dysfunction and anxiety disorders. According to GHQ test, the prevalence rate of social dysfunction, anxiety, somatization and depression disorders were 32%, 22.30%, 20% and 14%, respectively. The study also showed that the prevalence rate of mental disorders was higher among women as compared with men (34.2% vs. 21.1%). The findings of this study is hoped to contribute to community-oriented nursing practice and education.