Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Abstract BACKGROUND: Obesity has been identified as a serious global health concern whose prevalence
doubles almost every 10 years. Health education regarding physical activity and healthy diet imparted
to adolescents could prove to be fruitful in reducing obesity‑risk. Objectives of this study were to
evaluate the effect of health education intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP)
regarding obesity‑risk reduction and to estimate the postinterventional change in body mass
index (BMI) and total body fat (%) among adolescent school children in South India.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stratified cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out among
398 students recruited at baseline including 206 and 192 participants in intervention and control
group respectively selected through simple random sampling from eligible government aided and
private schools to assess KAP regarding physical activity and diet using pretested and validated
questionnaire by making three school visits 6 months apart. Anthropometric measurements were
recorded in first and third visit only, while health education intervention was given in first visit to
intervention and third visit to control group after taking their responses on the questionnaire. Data
were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 15.
RESULTS: Overall dropout rate was 13.5% with dropout in intervention and control group being
12.6% and 14.5% respectively, making 180 participants in intervention and 164 in control group
available for analysis. Mean physical activity KAP score improved significantly from 16.19 ± 4.61
to 19.46 ± 10.07 in intervention group. Mean dietary KAP score also improved significantly from
21.38 ± 4.07 to 23.43 ± 4.53 in intervention group (p < 0.001). Mean BMI decreased significantly
within intervention group (p < 0.001) as compared to control group (p = 0.908). Based on cut‑off level
for total body fat (%) to categorize obesity‑risk among participants, statistically significant decline in
proportions from 26.1% to 13.3% was observed in intervention group (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: Results depicted better KAP in intervention group than control group in all the three
visits while it improved significantly within both groups. Hence, the health education was found to
be effective in improving the overall KAP regarding modifiable risk factors of obesity among the
study participants. Further studies to screen the adolescents for obesity‑risk and successive health
education sessions must be carried within schools in order to bring about change in knowledge,
attitude, and practices regarding obesity‑risk.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Many measures have been taken so far to minimize the outbreak of COVID‑19, but 
it is still unclear to what extent people have understood the risk. Public participation plays a vital role 
in better and effective control of the coronavirus, and the importance of risk perception is effective 
in their preventive behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the pandemic risk perception 
of coronavirus disease after began of pandemic in Iranian society.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross‑sectional study was conducted in Iran in spring 2020. The 
data collection tool was a researcher‑made questionnaire. The questions were extracted through 
interviews with experts and summarizing the opinions of public interviews, etc., The questionnaire 
was made available to the public through social media. The information was collected within 
3 months. Quantitative data were reported as mean ± standard deviation and the qualitative data 
were reported as number and percent. Multiple linear regression and cross were also used to examine 
the demographic factors associated with risk perception. Data Analysis was performed using the 
SPSS version 21 statistical software.
RESULTS: In this study, 402 individuals from 28 provinces (Azarbaijan Gharbi, Azarbaijan Sharghi, 
Alborz, Ardabil, Bushehr, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Ghazvin, Gilan, Golestan, 
Hamedan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan Razavi, Khorasan Shomali, Khuzestan, 
Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Mazandaran, Semnan, Sistan and Baluchestan, 
Tehran, Yazd, and Zanjan) of Iran participated. The risk perception score obtained from the sum 
of the scores of the questions was classified into quartiles. Accordingly, the risk perception score 
of (22.9) 92 people was very low, (26.6) 107 people low, (26.9) 108 people moderate, and (23.6) 95 
people high. The results of multiple linear regression showed that the variables of gender (P = 0.008) 
and occupation (P = 0.013) had a significant relationship with risk perception. There was no 
significant relationship between risk perception and variables of age, marital status, and level of 
education (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSION: The study showed that the risk perception of the people is more in categories 
of moderate to high. Assessing the risk perception of a pandemic can be helpful for preventive 
measurements and planning, and also, according to the results of the research, can be done 
appropriate educational interventions. Given that 47.5% of respondents were employees, of course, 
it should be noted that in sending a questionnaire virtually, there is usually a lot of loss and this is 
a limitation of the research. The results of this study can be useful in making prevention decisions 
and maintaining safety and health in the workplace.

Abstract Background: In all areas of life including health, choices have widely increased and
concerns over getting hold of further choices have made trust a necessary element. This
study, taking into consideration the interconnection of three concepts of trust, risk, and
body, aims at describing and interpreting different types of trust experienced in a risky
medical operation (cosmetic surgery). Materials and Methods: To achieve the given
purpose, within interpretative paradigm and employing qualitative method, in‑depth
phenomenological interviews were conducted with 26 people who volunteered to have
a cosmetic surgery. Participants, who have been selected through purposive sampling
techniques, were fully aware of their participation in the study and were insured that the
data would be confidential and would be used only for the purpose of the study. Data
were gathered within a one‑year period of the study, from February 20, 2012 to February
20, 2013. Results of three‑phase interviews were validated against participatory feedback
and researchers’ triangulation and were further analyzed by means of seven‑stage
Colaizzi method. Findings: Consequently, five main themes, namely, vicarious trust, trust
within the reach, institutionalized trust, criterion trust, and wrapped trust were extracted.
Conclusion: Apart from existing differences among these five themes (e.g. degree of the
subjectivity and objectivity in the patient), they can be regarded comparable in terms of
being single‑sided (from the patient’s side).In other words, in all experiences, participants,
having considered “the necessity of gaining trust” as a presupposition, have made a
unilateral effort in creating the aforementioned phenomenon.