مجله آموزش و سلامت جامعه
سال دهم شماره 4 (Dec 2023)

Informal Thai workers experience disparities in accessing health services. Improper oral healthcare behavior is the main cause of oral diseases. Promoting oral health literacy (OHL) is an essential strategy for achieving positive oral health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate OHL, oral hygiene behavior (OHB), and associated factors of OHB among informal Thai workers in a rural context.

A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted among 274 informal Thai workers aged 20–59 years. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews with questionnaires. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the OHL scale was 0.86. Data were analyzed using simple and multiple logistic regression with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

The findings revealed that 138 of the participants (50.4%) had proper OHB, and 46.4% had proficiency in overall OHL. Seven factors were significantly associated with OHB, namely, educational attainment, the job sector, the sufficiency of family income, and three OHL dimensions, including understand, appraise, and apply. However, three predictors of proper OHB were those who attained secondary school and higher education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.31–3.85) and OHL proficiency in the understand and appraise components (AOR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.25–4.00 and AOR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.11–3.52, respectively).

Therefore, public health dental care units should organize activities to improve workers’ capacity and ability to exhibit OHB. The OHL promotion program should be developed with an emphasis on providing the public with a detailed understanding of oral hygiene. Dental health education is enhanced by inquiring, verifying, and looking at skills to help them gain the skills and confidence to provide consistent oral care.

The female population above the age of 50 exhibits a higher inclination toward sedentary lifestyles compared to their counterparts. Moreover, physiological factors, such as breastfeeding, pregnancy, and menopause, render women more susceptible to ailments and disabilities. This study was conducted in an attempt to discern various elements contributing to women’s physical activity levels in Ilam town.

A targeted sampling approach was employed for this qualitative investigation. The data collection involved conducting individual interviews with 16 females who fell within the middle-aged bracket of 30–59 years in the year 2019 in Ilam town, Iran. These interviews followed a semi-structured format wherein open-ended questions were asked that aimed at gaining clear and comprehensive insights without any biasing influence. To derive patterns from these interviews, the content analysis method was utilized by identifying differences and similarities among codes, along with repetitions of semantic units. For this purpose, MAXQDA software (version 10) facilitated effective analysis.

Upon analyzing the obtained information from participants aged around 40, primarily homemakers; several categories emerged pertaining to advantages associated with regular physical activity, as cited by the respondents themselves. The overall outcome thus encompassed four distinct categories, disclosing beneficence related to consistent exercise engagement among them. The findings of the study were divided into three primary classifications, including comprehending the advantages of physical activity, explanatory factors, and persuasive factors. Additionally, there were barriers to regular physical activity that fell into seven major categories, including family, social, customary, economic, environmental, and cultural spheres. Each barrier encompassed both tangible and intangible aspects.

The participants provided accounts of various individual, socioeconomic, political, and environmental elements that fostered consistent engagement in physical activity. Moreover, the study subjects reported encountering a range of barriers and facilitators with respect to cultural and economic influences on their physical activity levels. Therefore, strategies devised to encourage women’s involvement in physical activity should primarily focus on bolstering social support knowledge and self-efficacy while concurrently minimizing or eliminating cultural and economic hindrances. These socio-cultural factors should also be considered when formulating future initiatives by communities, organizations, and policymakers so as to develop interventions that more effectively align with the needs and perspectives of women.

Organ transplantation is one of the options to increase the life expectancy and quality of life (QOL) of patients waiting on the organ transplant list. The lack of body parts for transplants remains a worldwide concern. This study was designed and implemented to assess organ donation intention among the staff of government and non-government offices in Qom based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Using stratified random sampling, this cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted on 440 employees in Qom, Iran, in 2022. The data collection instrument was a researcher-designed questionnaire, including demographic characteristics, possession of an organ donation card or blood donation history, and constructs of the TPB. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling.

The mean ± standard deviation age of participants was 38.21 ± 3.6. The results showed that 29.2% of participants (n = 116) had a signed blood donation card, and 107 participants (27%) had a blood donation history. The structural model fits the data well [χ2/df = 2.84, P < 0.001), CFI = 0.916, GFI = 0.902, RMSEA = 0.053]. The TPB constructs could predict 75% of the variance of the behavioral intention (P < 0.001). Finally, no statistically significant relationship was found between knowledge and intention to donate organs (β = 0.003, P = 0.93).

The result of the regression analysis of the relationship between TPB variables and organ donation intention indicated that perceived behavioral control (PBC) had a great influence on the organ donation intention of government and non-government employees.

Well-being is related to various social, psychological, and physical factors. This study investigated these factors and their relationship with the well-being of the elderly.

This cross-sectional study was conducted based on the data of Ardakan Cohort Study on Aging (ACSA) in 2020, including 5190 people aged 50 and above. The World Health Organization (WHO)-5 questionnaire was used to measure wellbeing. Using a logistic regression model and adjusting the variables, the relationship between well-being and related factors was measured.

Among the participants, 2586 people (49.8%) were women. Well-being was good in 3014 people (58.2%). According to the findings, the poor well-being of the elderly has an inverse and significant relationship with medium to high economic status (OR = 0.63, P ˂ 0.001), physical activity (OR = 0.99, P ˂ 0.001), and social support (OR = 0.90, P ˂ 0.001). The elderly with high school education (OR = 1.43, P = 0.005) and extremely bad health status (OR = 1.32, P = 0.008) had poor well-being. Furthermore, the odds of depression (OR = 1.21, P = 0.035) and anxiety (OR = 1.05, P ˂ 0.001) were higher in the elderly who had poor well-being. The mental and physical quality of life were also higher in the group with good well-being (P < 0.05).

To promote the elderly’s well-being, they should be involved in regular physical activity, which should be planned to increase their quality of life (physical and mental) and improve their economic status as well as social support.

One of the factors influencing the modification of menopausal symptoms is healthpromoting behaviors (HPBs). Nevertheless, women do not have sufficient knowledge about HPBs and do not earn the required information and training in this field. The current study was thus performed to study the relationship between HPBs and menopausal symptoms (MSs) among Iranian postmenopausal women (PMW).

Using stratified random sampling, this current cross-sectional study was carried out on 300 PMW covered by Neyshabur healthcare centers in 2022. Data gathering was conducted using three questionnaires: demographic characteristics, health-promoting lifestyle profile-II (HPLP- II), and menopause rating scale (MRS). Pearson correlation test and stepwise regression analysis were used for analyzing data by SPSS v. 22, and the significance level was less than 0.05.

The mean age and menopausal age of participants were 56.4 (4.1) and 49.4 (3.3), respectively. There was a significant negative statistical relationship between the total score of HPBs and its subscales and MSs (P < .05). Physical activity, spiritual growth, and having chronic diseases were found to be independent predictors of MSs.

Based on the findings, there was an adverse correlation between HPBs and MSs in the women who participated in the study. Executing educational programs focusing on maintaining and promoting a healthy lifestyle can reduce MSs; as a result, increasing overall women’s quality of life.

Ensuring individuals’ health and well-being has always been important in all societies, and its promotion is considered one of the essential factors in the development of any country. Hence, this study examined the association between happiness and spiritual well-being (SWB) in students.

The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 376 students who were selected by stratified simple random sampling from Hamadan universities in Iran in June 2020. A threepart questionnaire, including a socio-demographic questionnaire, Oxford Happiness Inventory, and SWB questionnaires was used to collect the data. The SPSS software (version 23) was then employed to analyze the data, and the significance level was considered at P < 0.001.

Based on the results, the mean (± standard deviation) scores of happiness and SWB were 36.73 ± 17.63 and 90.87 ± 16.96, respectively. In addition, there was a significant correlation between SWB and the total and happiness dimensions (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the simple linear regression analysis results revealed that the students’ SWB (β = 0.203, P < 0.001) is a predictor of happiness.

In general, students’ happiness and SWB were at a moderate level. Therefore, designing and implementing spirituality-based educational interventions to improve the students’ happiness could be helpful.

The internet of things (IoT) has become a heterogeneous and exceedingly disseminated structure that can react to the everyday needs of individuals and distinctive organizations. The present study aimed to investigate the application of the IoT in healthcare systems, with a focus on its strengths and challenges.

Electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, SID, and Magiran, were searched for this review study. In addition, a review of the gray literature was undertaken to identify relevant studies in English on the current subject. The titles, abstracts, and full texts were independently screened based on PRISMA guidelines for the scoping literature. General information containing the author(s) name, year of publication, the aim of the study, and specific information, including technologies used in IoT, the medical field, the application of IoT in health, limitations, and strengths, were extracted and analyzed.

Forty-four papers were qualified and contained in the process to 2023. Different studies have mentioned the opportunities for different forms of IoT applications, such as remote consultation, health monitoring and care, medication management, quick diagnosis, and effective treatment. In addition, studies have addressed the challenges in different forms, such as remembering everyday events, fitness, remote rehabilitation, management of chronic diseases, E-Visit, and better management of daily activities.

The challenges and the benefits were classified into nine and ten main groups, respectively. Each of these challenges and benefits, which include smaller and more current elements, can help health policymakers apply the IoT and use its benefits.

Diabetes mellitus in indigenous people has increased globally. This disease develops very quickly and has a higher prevalence among indigenous people. When caring for diabetes, indigenous people face many obstacles that worsen their condition. However, only a few studies have comprehensively reviewed such a condition and investigated various tribal backgrounds of indigenous people. This study aimed to identify diverse challenges and opportunities in caring for diabetes in indigenous people.

This scoping review was conducted from March to August 2022 by searching for manuscripts on PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Wiley, Directory of Open Access Journals, ProQuest, GARUDA, and Grey Literature databases to identify challenges and opportunities in caring for diabetes mellitus in indigenous people. Three reviewers independently screened the results, and the extracted data were then mapped, categorized, and summarized.

This study identified eight categories of challenges and three opportunities. Trust, language, health literacy, access to health services, and costs are challenges for indigenous people in caring for diabetes. In addition, three aspects were considered opportunities to care for diabetes in indigenous people: support from health workers who are from the indigenous communities to solve trust issues, intervention modification based on culture, language, and technology, and support from health authorities.

Challenges to the indigenous people’s religious and cultural factors should be addressed seriously to care for diabetes. However, this action requires different approaches and cannot be generalized to all indigenous communities.