Sense of belonging to school has received considerable attention due to the importance of belonging needs in social life and its broad academic and non-academic consequences. However, there is a dearth of research that identifies its multilevel predictors. Thus, this study aimed to investigate student-level and school-level variables related to sense of belonging to the school. The target population was all high school students (n=25000) in Urmia in the academic year 2018-2019. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to determine the association between schoollevel and student-level variables. Findings of the study showed that student-level variables, such as socio-economic status, parental involvement, and peer support were related to sense of belonging to school. Moreover, school-level variables including sense of fairness and teacherstudent relations could explain the variance in school belonging.The results supported the idea that family, peers, and teachers play significant roles in the school experiences of students.
Introduction: Substance-related disorders (SRDs) have become a problematic phenomenon in many countries, including Iran. Risky sexual behaviours are highly prevalent among people with SRDs. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer education program on preventive behaviours related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in women with SRDs. Material and methods: One hundred eligible female drug abusers from 10 drop-in centres located in Tehran were entered into the study using convenience sampling. The intervention included six training sessions. Sessions were held in small groups and conducted by peer educators. The primary topics discussed were problem-solving skills, and HIV/HBV disease-related information including testing, transmission, and prevention. All participants completed demographic and sexual function questionnaires prior to, one-, and three-months post-intervention.
Results:The results showed a significant decrease in the percentage of drug (96.00%, 75.55%, 73.52%, p = 0.001) and alcohol use (32.00%, 13.33%, 2.90%, p = 0.000) prior to sexual intercourse in the intervention group. Additionally, the number of sex acts under the influence of drugs and alcohol decreased significantly (p < 0.001). The number of sexual partners (p < 0.000) significantly declined, but total drug use indicated no change. We found increases in the percentage of women who reported having had a recent HIV test (p < 0.001) and in condom use (p < 0.001), but the control group showed no significant difference.
Conclusions:Based on current results, peer education programs can have a positive effect on high-risk sexual behaviours related to HIV and HBV in women with substance-related disorders. The potential influence of peers in health interventions should be given greater consideration.
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