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This study examined effects of a social marketing intervention to encourage people to donate blood in a southwest city of Iran. To design the intervention, the constructs of theory of planned behavior in 170 consistent blood donors were measured. Persuasive messages were developed, and some printed materials were prepared to transfer the message to the target segment. The trend of the percentage of consistent blood donors was measured during the first four months after the intervention. The percentage of consistent blood donors was increased significantly. The findings showed the effectiveness of the social marketing interventions for blood donation.

A reliable and valid tool to assess hearing health literacy in Iranian young people is lacking.This study aimed to develop a tool to assess the hearing health literacy of young people in the Islamic Republic of Iran and to use the tool to determine the hearing health literacy of a sample of Iranians aged 12-25 years.A questionnaire was designed with three skill sections: obtaining health information, evaluating this information and applying it to benefit health. The validity and reliability of the tool were determined. Cluster sampling was used to select 50 urban clusters across the country from which 5000 Iranians aged between 12-25 years old were selected to complete the questionnaire.The final questionnaire had 22 items with scores ranging from 22 to 44. The Cronbach alpha was 0.65, and content validity ratio and index were 0.92 and 0.82, respectively. Of the 5000 questionnaires completed, 4890 were included in the analysis. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) age of the participants was 17 (SD 3) years and 45.9% were males. The mean score on the tool was 30.81 (SD 3.75), indicating inadequate health literacy (score 22-36). Only 137 (2.8%) participants had adequate health literacy (score 37-44). Statistically significant differences in mean hearing health literacy were seen for sex, age, years of education, occupation, marital status and income (P0.05).Given the low level of hearing health literacy in Iranian young people, programmes to improve the ear and hearing health literacy are urgently needed.إعداد واستخدام أداة لقياس مدى الوعي بصحة السمْع في صفوف الشباب بجمهورية إيران الإسلامية.سعيد محموديان، سعيد فرهدي، علي رضا هضاوه، مصطفى مالكي، صديقة شريعتنيا، محسن شمس.لا تتوافر أداة موثوقة وصالحة لتقييم الوعي بصحة السمع في صفوف الشباب الإيراني.هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى إعداد أداة لتقييم مستوى الوعي بصحة السمع لدى فئة الشباب في جمهورية إيران الإسلامية، واستخدام هذه الأداة لتحديد مستوى الوعي بصحة السمع لدى عينة من الإيرانيين الذين تتراوح أعمارهم بين 12 و 25 عاماً.صُمِّم استبيان يتألف من ثلاثة أقسام للمهارات، هي: الحصول على المعلومات الصحية، وتقييم تلك المعلومات، وتطبيقها بما يعود بالنفع على الصحة. وحُددت صلاحية الأداة وموثوقيتها. واستُخدمت عينة عنقودية لاختيار 50 مجموعة حضرية من جميع أنحاء البلاد، واختير من تلك العينة 5000 إيراني تتراوح أعمارهم بين 12 و 25 عاماً لاستكمال الاستبيان.اشتمل الاستبيان الأخير على 22 بنداً تراوحت درجاتها بين 22 و44. وبلغت قيمة ألفا كرونباخ 0.65، وكان معدل صلاحية المحتوى ومؤشره 0.92 و0.82 على التوالي. ومن بين 5000 استبيان مُسْتَكمل، أُدرِجَ 4890 استبياناً في التحليل. وبلغ متوسط عمر المشاركين 17 عاماً (بانحراف معياري يساوي 3) وكان 45.9٪ منهم من الذكور. وكان متوسط الدرجة المحرزة باستخدام الأداة 30.81 (بانحراف معياري يساوي 3.75)، مما يشير إلى عدم كفاية المعلومات الصحية (القياسات 22 – 36) واتضح أن 137 مشاركاً وحسب (2.8٪) لديهم وعي صحي كافٍ (القياسات 37 – 44). وشوهدت فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في متوسط الوعي بصحة السمع وفقاً للجنس، والسن، وسنوات التعليم، والمهنة، والحالة الاجتماعية، والدخل (0.05P).بالنظر إلى انخفاض مستوى الوعي بصحة السمع في صفوف الشباب الإيراني، فهناك حاجة ماسة إلى وضع برامج لتحسين الوعي بصحة الأذن والسمع.Mise au point et application d’un outil destiné à mesurer les connaissances en santé auditive des jeunes en République islamique d’Iran.Il n’existe pas d’outil fiable et valable pour évaluer les connaissances en matière de santé auditive des jeunes Iraniens.La présente étude avait pour objectif de mettre au point un outil permettant d’évaluer les connaissances en matière de santé auditive des jeunes en République islamique d’Iran et d’utiliser cet outil pour déterminer ces connaissances dans un échantillon d’Iraniens âgés de 12 à 25 ans.Un questionnaire a été conçu avec trois sections de compétences : obtenir des informations sur la santé, évaluer ces informations et les appliquer pour améliorer la santé. La validité et la fiabilité de l’outil ont été déterminées. Un échantillonnage en grappes a été utilisé pour sélectionner 50 grappes urbaines à travers le pays parmi lesquelles 500 Iraniens âgés de 12 à 25 ans ont été choisis pour remplir le questionnaire.Le questionnaire final comportait 22 items avec des scores compris entre 22 et 44. L’alpha de Cronbach était de 0,65 ; le ratio et l’indice de validité du contenu étaient respectivement de 0,92 et 0,82. Sur les 5000 questionnaires remplis, 4890 ont été inclus dans l’analyse. L’âge moyen (écart type (ET)) des participants était de 17 ans (ET 3) et 45,9 % étaient des hommes. Le score moyen pour l’outil était de 30,81 (ET 3,75), signe d’une littératie en santé insuffisante (score 22 à 36). Seuls 137 (2,8 %) des participants possédaient une littératie en santé adéquate (score 37-44). Des différences statistiquement significatives dans les connaissances moyennes en matière de santé auditive ont été observées eu égard au sexe, à l’âge, aux années d’études, à la profession, au statut marital et aux revenus (p0,05).Étant donné le faible niveau de connaissances en santé auditive des jeunes Iraniens, des programmes visant à améliorer ce domaine sont nécessaires de toute urgence.

Skin cancer is one of the most preventable diseases. The purpose of this study is to describe a social marketing-based intervention design protocol to promote sun-protective behaviors among adolescent boys living in urban areas in Yasuj, south west of Iran.This study will be conducted based on six specific steps including a qualitative study, a systematic review, development of appropriate tools, a cross-sectional study, intervention designing, and a feasibility study. The main objective of the qualitative study is to elicit the views and opinions of adolescent boys, their parents, and teachers about sun-protective behaviors. In the second step, factors affecting sun-protective behaviors will be reviewed systematically. Based on the findings of the first and second steps, an appropriate model/theory of behavior change will be selected, and a standardized questionnaire will then be developed. In the fourth step, a cross-sectional survey will be conducted using the developed questionnaire to assess current sun-protective behavior practices.Findings of the first to fourth stages will provide a comprehensive picture of the issue and the affecting factors. During the fifth step, the structure and the content of the intervention package, as well as educational and promotional materials, will be developed and pre-tested. Finally, in the sixth step, a feasibility study will be conducted.This study will provide practical information on the achieving of content and construct of a community-based social marketing intervention. This protocol reports on how to achieve audience-oriented insights for designing a tailored intervention aimed at promoting sun-protective behaviors among adolescent boys using social marketing.

PURPOSE This study aims to compare the effectiveness of uphill walking and physical therapy versus physical therapy alone on knee pain, excursion ranges, stride length, and walking speed in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS In this randomized clinical trial, 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis participated. Both control and intervention groups received 10-session physical therapy. Moreover, the intervention group received an 8-degree treadmill walking at a speed of 1.1 m/s for 30 min in each session. Outcome measures, including pain, excursion ranges, stride length, and walking speed, were measured at baseline, post-treatment, and a 20-day follow-up. RESULTS Significant improvements in stride length and walking speed were observed just in the intervention group from baseline to post-treatment (p ≤ 0.001) and from baseline to follow-up (p ≤ 0.001). Furthermore, significant improvement in excursion ranges was observed just in the intervention group from baseline to follow-up (p

Background Iran has a low incidence but higher rate of death from cervical cancer (CC). The country is in the process of implementing an organized screening program including HPV testing and cytology. Studies show high dropout in continued testing among eligible women. This qualitative study aimed to explore women’s awareness regarding CC and CC testing and the role of knowledge, perceived risk, and cues to action in this process. Method Through a qualitative study based on the Framework Method, we recruited 81 women aged 25–65 who participated in 15 focus group discussions (FGDs) and two in-depth interviews in Tehran. The interviewees were selected purposefully during January to May 2015 from households belonging to different socioeconomic classes until data saturation. The data were acquired through 11 open-ended questions and 32 related probe questions. All interviews were transcribed and independently analyzed by two researchers (Kappa and agreement testing respectively: 0.77, 97.11%). Results The coded texts were categorized under three themes and 13 subthemes. The three thematic areas referred to knowledge, cues to action, and perceived risks regarding CC and screening. The results showed that women had limited and unspecified knowledge about CC and screening, compounded by misconceptions regarding infection and cancer prevention measures. Social and cultural barriers hindered proper communication between health system/providers and clients and within communities on subjects related to CC and screening. The perceived risk of getting CC was low because of overestimating the role of hereditary factors for CC, difficulty in differentiating between cancer and sexually transmitted infections (STI), and the absence of visible symptoms. Conclusion The results indicate a strong need to invest more efforts to improve health education and communication in the current national health program to promote awareness of the need to screen for CC through, for example, establishing correct knowledge and risk perceptions among women. In addition, this intervention should address women’s social environment in order to prevent misconceptions being communicated to women.

Introduction. In Iran, the rate of cesarean section is three times more than the acceptable rate considered by the World Health Organization. This study aimed at reducing the selection of cesarean section by primigravida through an intervention based on social marketing in Boyer-Ahmad County, Iran, 2015. Methods. In this field trial, 39 of primigravida women were identified and selected as a target group. Formative research (a quantitative survey and a qualitative study) was done to achieve the social marketing mix. The tailored intervention was developed based on the findings of formative research. The intervention was implemented for one month for pregnant women who had cesarean section intention. Their intention for the cesarean section was studied again one month after the implementation of the intervention. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated by the proportion test. Results. The average age of the women was 25.82. All of the women 38.5 percent had a diploma degree and lower than and 61.5 percent had a university degree. Before the intervention, 39 women intended to do Cesarean. The intention of 30 pregnant women was changed significantly one month after the intervention. Conclusion. The study showed the effectiveness of an intervention based on consumer-oriented social marketing theory and could be used to reduce Cesarean intention. More studies about related factors of vaginal delivery selection especially from behavioral intention up to behavior are suggested.

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To determine the effect of an educational program based on the PRECEDE model to improve sexual function among women with hysterectomy.The present randomized trial, conducted in Iran during 2014, included 48 women with hysterectomy who were selected through convenience sampling and randomly divided into two equal groups. Women in the experimental group received an educational program based on constructs of the PRECEDE model. The control group received only routine interventions. Before the interventions, the women completed two questionnaires: one that measured the PRECEDE model constructs and the Rosen Female Sexual Function Index. The questionnaires were repeated 4 weeks after the intervention and the results were compared within and between groups.In each group, a significant improvement in sexual function was demonstrated after the intervention (P0.001). The mean sexual function score increased to a greater extent in the experimental group (difference 16.95±6.33) than in the control group (difference 4.35±1.94; P0.001).The findings confirm the effectiveness of an educational program based on the PRECEDE model in terms of improving sexual function among women with hysterectomy. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT2014122220401N1.

To study the effects of an intervention based on social marketing to persuade workers to use personal protective equipment (PPE) in constructing subway stations in Isfahan, Iran. This was a quasi-experimental study. Two stations were selected as intervention and control groups. Intervention was designed based on results of a formative research. A free package containing a safety helmet with a tailored message affixed to it, mask and gloves and an educational pamphlet was delivered to the intervention group. After 6 weeks, behaviours in the intervention and control stations were measured using an observational checklist. After the intervention, the percentage of workers who used PPE at the intervention station increased significantly. OR for helmet and mask usage was 7.009 and 2.235, respectively, in the intervention group. Social marketing can be used to persuade workers to use PPE in the workplace.

Background Despite recommendations, many middle-age adults neglect to check their blood cholesterol levels. Short message service (SMS, also known as texting) has been seldom studied for preventive education. We estimated how SMS can be a cost-effective method in encouraging people to check their blood cholesterol levels. Methods In a field trial, 3600 cell phone users (age > 30) were randomly assigned to the intervention (N: 1200) and the control groups (N: 2400). An SMS was sent to the intervention group for five rounds every two weeks, which targeted the cognitive and affective learning and finally advised the blood cholesterol level to be checked, if not checked during the past twelve months. Two weeks after the last round, both groups were asked for the time/level of their latest blood cholesterol, family history of early cardiac death and having a family member with coronary heart disease (CHD), and to report their attitude about whether annual blood sampling is worth the cost and time to prevent CHD. Moreover, the intervention group was asked if they remembered the SMS content. The cost-effectiveness was evaluated by estimating the “number needed to treat” (NNT) and calculating the cost of sending SMS to that number of people. Results In the intervention group, 629 individuals (72.0%) recalled the SMS content. The factors associated with cholesterol screening during the past two years were older age, diabetes, family history of coronary disease, higher education, female gender and being non-smoker. In both groups, women were significantly more aware of their blood cholesterol level (68.7% vs. 53.6%). The relative frequency of respondents who believed it was not worth checking their cholesterol annually was significantly lower in the intervention group (P

Background Given that mothers play a role in the sexual education of their daughters, it is important to understand their views of sexual health and related programs. This study was aimed at exploring mothers’ perspectives regarding sexual health education for their adolescent daughters in Mahshahr, Iran. Methods In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews with ten key informants and five focus group discussions involving 28 mothers with daughters aged 12–18 were conducted. All the discussions were audio-recorded and later transcribed. The data were classified, after which the main themes and sub-themes were manually extracted and analyzed. Results The five main themes determined were: the necessity of sexual health education for adolescent girls, the sources of information that mothers use, barriers to sexual health education, the need to empower mothers to provide sexual education to their daughters, and recommendations for developing special training programs for mothers. Most participants believed in limiting sexual health education for adolescent girls; nevertheless, they stated that trained mothers were best equipped to educate their daughters. The major barriers identified by the mothers were their own insufficient knowledge about sexual issues, embarrassment surrounding discussions of this issue with their daughters, fear of the arrogance and curiosity of girls, and a lack of skills for effective communication. Conclusion The results showed that empowering mothers to provide sexual health education is important. Tailored educational programs, based on mothers’ views, should be developed and implemented.

Cervical cancer is the fourth common cancer among women worldwide. Pap smear screening has resulted in deceasing incidence of cervical cancer in developed countries but low uptake of Pap smear screening among women in developing countries is still a public health challenge. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between self-efficacy and timely uptake of Pap smear among Iranian women. A total of 580 married women referred to primary health care centers covered administratively by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran were administered a questionnaire by trained staff. Data were analyzed with SPSS (version 16) software, using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The mean age for participants was 33.1±8.8 years. There was a significant association between self-efficacy and Pap smear screening (P

The use of the social marketing approach for public health issues is increasing. This approach uses marketing concepts borrowed from the principles of commercial marketing to promote beneficial health behaviors. In this qualitative study, four focus groups involving 42 participants were used in consumer research to explore taxi drivers' views on the driving situation and the determinants of risky driving behaviors in Tehran, as well as to gather their ideas for developing a social marketing program to reduce risky driving behaviors among taxi drivers in Tehran, Iran. Participants were asked to respond to questions that would guide the development of a marketing mix, or four Ps (product, price, place and promotion). The discussions determined that the program product should involve avoiding risky driving behaviors through increased attention to driving. They pointed out that developing and communicating with a well-designed persuasive message meant to draw their attention to driving could affect their driving behaviors. In addition, participants identified price, place and promotion strategies. They offered suggestions for marketing nonrisky driving to the target audience. The focus group discussions generated important insights into the values and the motivations that affect consumers' decisions to adopt the product. The focus group guided the development of a social marketing program to reduce risky driving behaviors in taxi drivers in Tehran, Iran.