Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Challenges to volunteers’ participation toward primary health‑care system and providing managerial solutions

. Mostafa Alimehr; . Asgar Aghaei Hashjin

Volume 11, Issue 7 , August 2021, , Pages 1-8

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The role of citizens’ participation in the process of social, economic, and culturaldevelopment is necessary. Institutionalizing this role is inevitable to identify ... Read More BACKGROUND: The role of citizens’ participation in the process of social, economic, and culturaldevelopment is necessary. Institutionalizing this role is inevitable to identify priorities and also planning,implementing, and evaluating health services. This study aimed to identify challenges ahead ofvolunteers’ participation toward primary health‑care (PHC) system and providing managerial solutions.MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study employed a qualitative research design. The data werecollected via semi‑structured interviews with key experts in the Ministry of Health, university educationand health promotion officials, education experts, health center staff, and health volunteers. Then,a focused group discussion method was employed to provide solutions. The participants wereselected via the purposive sampling method. The qualitative data were analyzed using a thematicanalysis method.RESULTS: The analyzed data were categorized into 6 main themes and 24 subthemes. The mostimportant challenges were categorized into six temporal, management, education, quality of services,motivation, and infrastructural themes. Allocating special funds for the health volunteer program,paying attention to the problems of the health workers, providing motivational programs, holdingregular retraining courses and providing educational software for health volunteers, holding regulartraining courses for health trainers and volunteers, and supporting the health volunteer program areamong the solutions.CONCLUSION: The present study showed that the health volunteer program in the PHC systemfaces several challenges, most of which are organizational and managerial ones. Therefore, amultifaceted approach should be used to improve the participation of health volunteers. In addition tomotivational factors, factors such as allocating proper resources, empowering trainers, and mobilizingthe community should be also considered. It seems that interaction among health system, people,and health volunteers should be improved.

Comparing the effect of two health education methods, self‑directed and support group learning on the quality of life and self‑care in Iranian postmenopausal woman

. Fatemeh Ahmadi Dastgerdi; . Zahra Zandiyeh; . Shahnaz Kohan

Volume 10, Issue 3 , March 2020, , Pages 1-5

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Women during menopause stages experience many symptoms, for which theylack enough knowledge to manage them. This study aimed to compare the effect of self‑directed andsupport ... Read More BACKGROUND: Women during menopause stages experience many symptoms, for which theylack enough knowledge to manage them. This study aimed to compare the effect of self‑directed andsupport group health education on the quality of life (QOL (and self‑care of postmenopausal women.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This field trial study was carried out with three groups. One hundredand eight menopause women were selected through convenient sampling method based on theinclusion criteria from three comprehensive health centers. Health centers were randomly assigned tosupport (n = 36), self‑directed (n = 36), and control groups (n = 36). In the self‑directed group, educationwas provided through educational package, and the control group received routine care from thehealth center. The support group received education through four group sessions by trained healthyvolunteers. Data were collected by menopause‑specific QOL and self‑care standard questionnaire.RESULTS: Immediately after the intervention, the mean scores of QOL in the self‑directedgroup, support group, and control group were 41.82 ± 7.61, 40.31 ± 4.80, and 48.17 ± 8.45,respectively (P < 0.05). In addition, the mean scores of self‑care were significantly differentbetween the self‑directed (40.67 ± 7.36) and support (36.50 ± 3.36) groups compared to the controlgroup (47.83 ± 8.47) (P < 0.05). After 1 month from intervention, QOL scores in the self‑directedgroup (40.67 ± 7.36), support group (36.50 ± 3.36), and control group (47.83 ± 8.47) were significantlydifferent (P < 0.05). In addition, the mean scores of self‑care were 64 ± 6.79 and 65 ± 8.32 in theself‑directed and support groups, respectively, compared to the control group (49.09 ± 9.43). Post hoctest (least significant difference) revealed higher effectiveness of the support group (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated QOL and self‑care in menopause women in self‑directed andsupport groups improved. However, the support group provided higher effectiveness. Therefore,we recommended paying more attention to the capabilities of healthy volunteers for the promotionof QOL in menopause women.

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Keywords = Health volunteer

Challenges to volunteers’ participation toward primary health‑care system and providing managerial solutions

Abstract

Comparing the effect of two health education methods, self‑directed and support group learning on the quality of life and self‑care in Iranian postmenopausal woman

Abstract