Journal of Education and Health Promotion

The use of medicinal plants in the prevention of COVID‑19 using the Health Belief Model: A survey based on the Iranian population

. Masoomeh Latifi; . Fatemeh Maraki; . Mohammad‑Javad Parvaresh; . Mohammadreza Zarei; . Leili Allabakhshian

Volume 13, Issue 2 , February 2023, , Pages 1-9

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Because of the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), the preventivemeasures have increased, such as focusing on the use of medicinal plants in most communities,including ... Read More BACKGROUND: Because of the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), the preventivemeasures have increased, such as focusing on the use of medicinal plants in most communities,including Iran. The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge, attitude, and performance ofindividuals toward the use of medicinal plants and to identify the predictors of the use of medicinalplants in the prevention of COVID‑19.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive‑analytical study (February–April 2021) was performedon 3840 Iranian men and women aged 20–70 years selected as a multi‑stage cluster study. At thefirst stage, all provinces were divided into five regions: North, South, East, West, and Center. In thesecond stage, a provincial center and a city were randomly selected from each region (North: Sari,Babol; South: Bushehr, Bandar Genaveh; East: Mashhad, Sabzevar; West: Hamedan, Toisarkan;Center: Yazd, Ardakan). Data were collected by a researcher‑made scale based on the HealthBelief Model (HBM). Data analysis was performed applying Pearson correlation coefficient, logisticregression, and linear regression.RESULTS: The results showed that people have relatively high knowledge and positive attitude towardthe use of medicinal plants in prevention of COVID‑19. The most important reason for positive attitudewas the perceived benefits with the mean of 75.06%. Also, half of the people had poor performance.Correlation coefficient showed that the use of medicinal plants with perceived sensitivity (p = 0.000,r = 0.3), perceived benefits (p = 0.012, r = 0.126), perceived barriers (p = 0.000, r = 0.179), andperceived self‑efficacy (p = 0.000, r = 0.305) had a significant correlation. The strongest correlationbetween perceived self‑efficacy was observed with the use of herbs in prevention of COVID‑19. TheHBM constructs can predict 26% of the variance for the use of medicinal plants in the preventionof COVID‑19, among which perceived self‑efficacy (β = 0.230) was the most powerful predictor.CONCLUSION: Based on the results, the predictive role of self‑efficacy constructs for the use ofmedicinal plants in prevention of COVID‑19 has been confirmed according to the HBM. Therefore,methods of increasing self‑efficacy such as training programs and providing appropriate interventionmodels can be used not only as promoters of using medicinal plants in prevention of COVID‑19 butalso for improving people’s performance in the proper use of medicinal plants.

Using education based on the health belief model to modifications in performance of behaviors related to sexually transmitted infections in vulnerable women

. Parastoo Golshiri; . Negar Mohaghegh; . Somayeh Shamsaee; . Zahra Boroumandfar

Volume 13, Issue 2 , February 2023, , Pages 1-7

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have always been considered as a healthproblem in the world. Also, vulnerable women (addicts, jail breakers, and prostitutes) are ... Read More

Developing the breast cancer risk prediction system using hybrid machine learning algorithms

. Mohammad R. Afrash; . Azadeh Bayani; . Mostafa Shanbehzadeh; . Mohammadkarim Bahadori; . Hadi Kazemi‑Arpanahi

Volume 12, Issue 7 , August 2022, , Pages 1-12

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cause of cancer‑related deaths in womenglobally. Currently, many machine learning (ML)‑based predictive models have been established ... Read More BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cause of cancer‑related deaths in womenglobally. Currently, many machine learning (ML)‑based predictive models have been established toassist clinicians in decision making for the prediction of BC. However, preventing risk factor formationeven with having healthy lifestyle behaviors or preventing disease at early stages can significantlylead to optimal population‑wide BC health. Thus, we aimed to develop a prediction model by using agenetic algorithm (GA) incorporating several ML algorithms for the prediction and early warning of BC.MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of 3168 healthy individuals and 1742 patient case recordsin the BC Registry Database in Ayatollah Taleghani hospital, Abadan, Iran were analyzed. First, amodified hybrid GA was used to perform feature selection and optimization of selected features.Then, with the use of selected features, several ML algorithms were trained to predict BC. Afterward,the performance of each model was measured in terms of accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity,and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve metrics. Finally, a clinical decision support systembased on the best model was developed.RESULTS: After performing feature selection, age, consumption of dairy products, BC family history,breast biopsy, chest X‑ray, hormone therapy, alcohol consumption, being overweight, having children,and education statuses were selected as the most important features for prediction of BC. Theexperimental results showed that the decision tree yielded a superior performance than other MLmodels, with values of 99.3%, 99.5%, 98.26% for accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity, respectively.CONCLUSION: The developed predictive system can accurately identify persons who are at elevatedrisk for BC and can be used as an essential clinical screening tool for the early prevention of BC andserve as an important tool for developing preventive health strategies.

Preventive practice, vaccine acceptance, and knowledge toward coronavirus disease‑19: An online cross‑sectional questionnaire‑based report in Iranian dentists

. Morteza Oshagh; . Hooman Zarif Najafi; . Hamid Jafarzadeh; . Faegheh Gholinia; . Kazem Dalaie; . Habib Jahanbazi

Volume 12, Issue 4 , April 2022, , Pages 1-9

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID) is predicted to cause serious mental health problems among healthcare providers (HCPs) especially dentists. Also understanding the influencing factors ... Read More BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID) is predicted to cause serious mental health problems among healthcare providers (HCPs) especially dentists. Also understanding the influencing factors of the acceptance of COVID‑19 vaccination among HCPs are important aspects in the design of effective strategies to improve the vaccine coverage rate. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, vaccination acceptance, fear, and obsession, as well as the preventive practice behaviors of Iranian dentists and dental students in late 2020 toward COVID‑19.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, web‑based cross‑sectional survey was conducted among Iranian dental students and dentists (general practitioners and specialists). All Iranian dentists and dental students living in the Islamic Republic of Iran regardless of their city and workplace were invited to participate in the study. The total number of dentists in Iran was estimated to be 54,927. The sample size was calculated 380. The questionnaires used in this study were adapted from previously published studies based on the authors’ permission. The questionnaire consisted of four sections that sought to collect information on the respondents’ vaccination acceptance, knowledge, preventive practice, fear, and obsession toward COVID‑19. The relationship between the study variables was assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and also multiple linear regression tests.RESULTS: Overall, 394 dentists were filled the questionnaire (65 dental students, 151 general dentists and 178 specialists). There were no differences in terms of vaccination acceptance, knowledge and also fear score in different designation groups. Dentists had significantly higher obsession and also preventive practice scores than other designation groups (P < 0.05). The majority of respondents had good knowledge (more than 9), acceptable preventive practice (more than 19), low fear‑obsession (<2.7), and high acceptance of COVID‑19 vaccination (more than 8.8).CONCLUSIONS: Although obsession and fear scores were low in all designation groups, dentists had higher obsession and also preventive practice scores than other designation groups. More than half of respondents preferred imported COVID‑19 vaccines. Finally, organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Public Health in Iran should increase vaccine convenience and accessibility in terms of vaccine importing, distribution, supply, and immunization service.

The effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior aimed at mothers on osteoporosis prevention behaviors in lower secondary school female students

. Suneerat Yangyuen; . Manop Kanato; . Thidarat Somdee; . Fatemeh Shahmohamadi; . Meimanat Hoseini; . Mahsa Matbouei; . Malihe Nasiri

Volume 12, Issue 1 , January 2022, , Pages 1-8

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is mainly characterized by a low bone mineral density and a sharparchitectural and biomechanical deterioration in bone tissue required to maintain bone homeostasis.The ... Read More BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is mainly characterized by a low bone mineral density and a sharparchitectural and biomechanical deterioration in bone tissue required to maintain bone homeostasis.The theory of planned behavior (TPB) can be considered as one of the leading theories when designingan evidence‑based intervention. This study was carried out based on the TPB to determine the effectof an educational intervention aimed at mothers on the prevention of osteoporosis in female students.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of seventy mothers of lower secondary school studentsin Tehran, Iran, participated in this experimental study which was conducted in 2019–2020. Theparticipants were randomly assigned to two groups, namely experimental and control groups. Basedon the TPB, a demographic and a researcher‑made questionnaire consisting of five sections wereused in order to collect data. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires were confirmed beforedata collection. Four 45–60 min training programs were delivered to the subjects using the TPB.Data were collected before, immediately after, and 1 month following the training program. Finally,IBM SPSS Statistics 21 was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in terms of attitude, subjective norms, perceivedbehavioral control, behavioral intention, and osteoporosis prevention‑related behavior between theexperimental and control groups before proceeding with the intervention (P > 0.05). However, themean scores of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, andbehavior were significantly higher in the experimental group compared to those of the control groupfollowing the educational intervention (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that such interventions based on the TPB can, in fact, produce asignificant effect on osteoporosis prevention‑related behaviors. Thus, it can serve as a useful modelfor planning educational interventions.

Perception and factors affecting practice of preventive measures of coronavirus disease among nurses in tertiary health institutions in Anambra state, southeast Nigeria

. Linda C. Odikpo; . Vera I. Onyekaonwu; . Anulika J. Afonne

Volume 11, Issue 11 , December 2021, , Pages 1-8

Abstract

BACKGROUND: COVID‑19 is a contagious disease without any treatment, vaccine, or immunity,which the only way out is the practice of preventive measures. This article assessed the perceptionand ... Read More BACKGROUND: COVID‑19 is a contagious disease without any treatment, vaccine, or immunity,which the only way out is the practice of preventive measures. This article assessed the perceptionand factors influencing the practice of preventive measures to COVID‑19 among nurses in AnambraState, Nigeria. The study objectives include to determine the perception of nurses toward COVID‑19and to determine factors that influence the practice of preventive measures to COVID‑19 amongnurses in tertiary hospitals in Anambra State.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The design for the study was descriptive cross‑sectional surveyconducted among 344 nurses in the two tertiary institutions.RESULTS: Three hundred and three (88.1%) nurses had no formal training on COVID‑19 protocol.They have a good perception of the disease as, among others, they (165 [48.0%]) see it to be highlycontagious, 207 (60.2%) can recognize symptoms easily, 168 (48.8%) believed that COVID‑19 couldbe handled professionally based on their experience, 155 (45.1%) responded that there is no vaccineyet for the disease, and 200 (58.1%) responded that patients should not hide their symptoms and travelhistory to avoid infecting other people. The result on the false benefits has 323 (93.9%) who respondedthat COVID‑19 preventive measures will predispose one to the disease, 319 (92.7%) who respondedthat the preventive measures will not slow the spread of the disease, 288 (83.7) who respondedthat it is independent of normalcy returning to areas affected, and 327 (95.1%) who responded thatCOVID‑19 preventive measures are among the effective ways to mitigate the disease and enhancelife sustainability. Some work‑related/institutional and disease‑specific factors influence their practiceof preventive measures to COVID‑19. Such factors include the time to use personal protectiveequipment (PPE) in an emergency (170 [49.4%]), remembering to use PPE (158 [45.9%]), insufficientnursing staff during a shift (158 [43.0%]), and too many responsibilities during a shift (178 [51.7%]).CONCLUSION: With the increasing death as a result of COVID‑19, of which health workers are notimmune to, it is essential to annihilate all negative factors that may impede the accurate practicesof the preventive measures and also support the nurses with the necessary tools and knowledge tomitigate their exposure to the disease.

Assessing the status and recognizing the performance of various nongovernmental organizations in providing health‑oriented services as opportunities in promoting community health

. Maryam Saber; . Ali Akbar Haghdoost; . Hassan Eftekhar; . Hadise Safinejad

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

Abstract

BACKGROUND: nongovernmental organizations (NGOs( are the hidden system of promoting publichealth and the symbol and mediator of people’s participation. The aim of the present ... Read More

Application of health belief model to predict COVID‑19‑preventive behaviors among a sample of Iranian adult population

. Amin Mirzaei; . Farogh Kazembeigi; . Hojatollah Kakaei; . Mohsen Jalilian; . Sajad Mazloomi; . Heshmatollah Nourmoradi

Volume 11, Issue 2 , February 2021, , Pages 1-7

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus (COVID‑19) has infected nearly 9.5 million people in 216countries, areas, or territories in the world. The fight against the COVID‑19 has become ... Read More BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus (COVID‑19) has infected nearly 9.5 million people in 216countries, areas, or territories in the world. The fight against the COVID‑19 has become a very seriousinternational challenge. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of COVID‑19‑preventivebehaviors using the health belief model (HBM).MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross‑sectional study was conducted with the participation of558 samples from the adult population of Iran. The online convenience sampling was conductedin this research. The online 68‑item questionnaire link was published all over Iran through socialnetworks including Telegram and WhatsApp, which are common in Iran. The data were analyzedusing SPSS software version 19. Descriptive statistics, bivariate Pearson’s correlation test, andmultiple linear regression were used to analyze the data.RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 33.3 ± 10.01 years. The participants were oftenfemale (61.3%), married (57.9%), and resident of the city (81.0%) with university educationallevel (78.8%). The results showed that the HBM structures predicted 29.3% of the preventivebehaviors of COVID‑19 in the subjects. The perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self‑efficacysignificantly predicted the preventive behaviors, but the perceived susceptibility and perceivedseverity were not significant in the regression model. The internet and virtual social networks (49.8%),broadcast (33.5%), and healthcare providers (15.8%) were the most important sources of informationrelated with COVID‑19. In response to COVID‑19‑related internal cues to action, 36.6% did notpay attention and 34.7% tried to self‑medicate. Only 28.5% of the subjects referred to the hospital,healthcare center, or physician.CONCLUSION: Self‑efficacy, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits were the key determinantsof COVID‑19‑preventive behaviors in the subjects. It can be concluded that the HBM is a good toolto predict COVID‑19‑preventive behaviors in Iranian population.

Health communication in low‑income countries: A 60‑year bibliometric and thematic analysis

. Nour Mheidly; . Jawad Fares

Volume 10, Issue 7 , July 2020, , Pages 1-8

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Health communication is a field that uses social and behavioral models to improvehealth outcomes and raise awareness on major health risks that threaten human well‑being.Low‑income ... Read More

A high school‑based education concerning drug abuse prevention

. Atoosa Bonyani; . Leila Safaeian; . Mojtaba Chehrazi; . Alireza Etedali; . Mahsa Zaghian; . Farnaz Mashhadian

Volume 8, Issue 7 , July 2018, , Pages 1-6

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: There is increasing evidence for declining the onset age of drug abuse worldwide. Thisstudy was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of four educational methods including ... Read More

Assessment of Iranian orthodontists’ practice with regard to the prevention and treatment of white spot lesions

. Faezeh Eslamipour; . Majid Shahmoradi; . Vashnad Farhadi

Volume 7, Issue 2 , May and June 2017, , Pages 1-5

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: White spot lesions (WSLs) are common adverse effect of orthodontic treatment,which can be prevented and treated by orthodontists. This study was conducted to assess Iranianorthodontists’ ... Read More

Journal of Education and Health Promotion

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Volume 13 (2023)

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Volume 11 (2021)

Volume 10 (2020)

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Volume 8 (2018)

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Keywords = prevention

The use of medicinal plants in the prevention of COVID‑19 using the Health Belief Model: A survey based on the Iranian population

Abstract

Using education based on the health belief model to modifications in performance of behaviors related to sexually transmitted infections in vulnerable women

Abstract

Developing the breast cancer risk prediction system using hybrid machine learning algorithms

Abstract

Preventive practice, vaccine acceptance, and knowledge toward coronavirus disease‑19: An online cross‑sectional questionnaire‑based report in Iranian dentists

Abstract

The effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior aimed at mothers on osteoporosis prevention behaviors in lower secondary school female students

Abstract

Perception and factors affecting practice of preventive measures of coronavirus disease among nurses in tertiary health institutions in Anambra state, southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Assessing the status and recognizing the performance of various nongovernmental organizations in providing health‑oriented services as opportunities in promoting community health

Abstract

Application of health belief model to predict COVID‑19‑preventive behaviors among a sample of Iranian adult population

Abstract

Health communication in low‑income countries: A 60‑year bibliometric and thematic analysis

Abstract

A high school‑based education concerning drug abuse prevention

Abstract

Assessment of Iranian orthodontists’ practice with regard to the prevention and treatment of white spot lesions

Abstract