Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Abstract Background: Understanding the association between psychological affective disturbances
and anthropometric parameters, including body mass index (BMI), is important. These issues
may have potential preventive effects on weight reduction in relation to different aspects
of women’s lifestyles and psychopathological states. The present study aimed to predict
BMI based on psychological factors including; depression, anxiety, dietary restraint, and
nutritional habits, in a sample of women with sedentary jobs in several Iranian governmental
organizations. Methods: Two hundred consecutive women aged over 25 years, working on
sedentary or low standing works such as banker, teachers, and employee in the social security
organizations in Isfahan, Iran, were entered the study. To assess the severity of depression
and anxiety symptoms, the Beck Depression Inventory II and the State‑Trait Anxiety Inventory
were used, respectively. To assess nutritional habits, a self‑administered questionnaire was
designed, and to evaluate dietary restraint status, the Ruderman questionnaire was used. To
find the co‑relationship between BMI and each of the psychological components, Pearson’s
correlation coefficient test was applied. Results: To assess the relationship between BMI
and each of the psychological components, a multivariate regression model was used. Only
two components of nutritional habits (b = −0.19, P < 0.001) and dietary restraint (b = 0.51,
P < 0.001) could effectively predict BMI in Iranian women; while depression and anxiety
components had low predictive values for predicting BMI. In total, these four variables could
predict 34% of the variance of the dependent indicator (BMI). Conclusion: Nutritional habits
and dietary restraint have high value for predicting BMI status in women aged more than
25 years working in sedentary jobs, while BMI status could not be predicted by assessing
depression or anxiety severity.

Abstract Background: This study aimed to find the influence of education level on the trends of changes
of these risk factors among a great sample of Iranian population. Materials and Methods: This
cross‑sectional study is a secondary analysis of Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP). Blood
samples were taken to determine the lipid levels including total cholesterol (TC), low‑density
lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C), low levels of high‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‑C),
and triglycerides. Education categorized based on training system in Iran as 1‑5, 6‑12,
and more than 12 years training. Results: The prevalence of diabetes was higher among
illiterate participants in both areas. Hypertension was more prevalent in illiterate subjects
(2001; 44.0% and 2007; 46.3%) in intervention area (P < 0.001). Dyslipidemia was more
prevalent among illiterate people (P < 0.001). In the intervention, illiterates have higher BMI in
both 2001 and 2007 (P < 0.001). The prevalence of current smoking was the highest in education
level range 6 to 12 years and was steadily decreased in higher education levels (P < 0.001).
Subjects with 6‑12 years of education have more unhealthy nutritional habits in both areas.
In 2001, subjects with 12 years of education or more had more physical activity than other
groups (P < 0.001), whereas, in 2007, subjects with 6‑12 years of education were more
active (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Although the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension obesity, and
dyslipidemia are more in illiterate subjects and prevalence of diabetes and hyperlipidemia was
sharply decreased with education level, it seems that well educated participants have higher
daily physically activity compared with those who have lower education without considering
the place or residency.