Survey of social health and its challenges from the perspective of rural women (Case Study: Ghalaeshahin district in the province of Kermanshah)

Social health is essential in the social development of rural folks, especially rural women, in the welfare and promotion of their social and human capital. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of social health and its challenges from the perspective of rural women in the Kermanshah province. The research method used is descriptive-survey based on documentary and field method (using a questionnaire tool). The statistical population consisted of rural women in the Ghalaeshahin district in the province of Kermanshah (5561 people). 209 such women were selected according to Bartlett et al. Chart by two-stage cluster sampling. The results showed that most of the subjects studied had a moderate level of social health, communication skills and social support. Among the variables studied in the research, watching TV, active recreation, communication skills and social support with social health of rural women had a significant relationship. Finally, 49 percent of the variance was for the variables of active recreation, watching television and communication skills. In order to identify social health challenges, exploratory factor analysis was used and finally the five challenges namely economic, cultural, individual, institutional and management were determined. The most important challenge was the economic challenge that covered 13.43 percent of the total variance. Since communication skills and social health of rural women is moderate, we recommend that social health centers of welfare organization, national youth organizations and or rural extension agents as a social worker, with the participation of rural women to develop the educational content of communication skills and social health promotion.