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Background: While evidence of efficacy, safety, and technical feasibility is crucial when introducing a vaccine, it is equally important to consider the psychological, social, and political factors influencing vaccine acceptance. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in Tehran, Iran. Methods: The study employed a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional design carried out from 2021 to 2022. It involved 260 eligible individuals residing in the catchment areas of Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universities of Medical Sciences who declined to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, selected through systematic sampling. Data collection was accomplished through a researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 26 software. The analysis utilized descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests including Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Multiple Linear Regression, to examine the relationships between variables. Results: The average scores (SD) across dimensions were as follows: the individual's health status and perceived risk, 15.53 (1.70); contextual and social effects, 17.68 (2.53); awareness, 14.81 (2.34); and beliefs and concerns. 14.91 (2.64), indicating a concerning situation regarding contextual and social impacts and a moderate status as to other areas. The primary reasons for vaccine refusal included fear, lack of belief in the vaccine, concerns about its reliability, illness, and lack of access or time. Acceptance of the vaccine was associated with education, occupation, marital status, number of children at home, and income reduction due to COVID-19. Conclusion: The findings indicate that fear, lack of belief in the vaccine, concerns regarding its reliability, illness, and lack of access or time were the most important factors influencing reluctance to receive the vaccine. Health organizations should consider these factors when encouraging the population to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the relationship between psychological acceptance, self-compassion and hope in infertile women. Infertility distress can make women more vulnerable than men. Acceptance, self-compassion and hope can help infertile women to alleviate their distresses and to peruse the medical treatments. This study was performed using a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design; A total of 346 women with primary infertility referred to infertility centres of Yazd, Isfahan and Kerman provinces, Iran, participated in the study by completing the self-compassion scale, hope scale and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II). Data were analysed using structural equation analysis. The results of structural equation analysis showed that the path coefficient of self-compassion on acceptance (r =.69, p <.01) and hope (r =.29, p <.05) in infertile women was direct and significant. Acceptance also had a direct effect on hope in infertile women (r =.31, p <.05) and played a significant mediating role in the relationship between self-compassion and hope in infertile women. The findings suggest that self-compassion is likely to be an important strategic intervention alongside medical treatments for infertile women, because it leads to problem acceptance and then increases hope in them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Considering the importance of knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) in communities toward COVID-19 and the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in the control of this disease, this study aims to evaluate and compare the KAP level toward COVID-19 and the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination between the Afghan immigrant population and Iranians Design/methodology/approach: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2021 on Afghan immigrants, Afghan-neighboring Iranians and Afghan nonneighboring Iranians. Of the 885 people who participated in the survey, 295 from each group were randomly selected. Data collection tools were the following questionnaires: KAP toward COVID-19 and acceptance and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination. Findings: A total of 837 participants were included for data analysis. According to the findings, the KAP score on COVID-19 in Afghan immigrants was lower than the group of Iranians. Compared with Iranians, the score of nonneighboring Iranians was higher than the neighboring Iranians with Afghan immigrants. This difference in the mean scores suggests a statistically significant difference in the three groups (p < 0.0001). Among demographic data, the relationship between gender, education, type of job, income level and age with KAP indicated a significant difference in the total population studied. In the group of Afghan immigrants, the most likely reason for accepting the vaccination was the employer's recommendation (55.63%). In comparison, the neighboring and nonneighboring Iranian groups with Afghan immigrants stated that they would receive the vaccine as soon as possible (49.22% and 63.22%, respectively). Originality/value: Considering the low KAP score in the immigrant population in this study, these people are more vulnerable to the health and socioeconomic effects of COVID-19; therefore, the host countries have more challenges and responsibilities to protect these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccination is one of the best ways to stop the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this regard, uunderstanding the features related to the intention of different populations to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is essential for an effective vaccination program. This study aimed to investigate the vaccination intention predictors in the general adult population of Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted on social networks, including Telegram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to investigate predictors associated with the intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines, including sociodemographic characteristics, trust, worry, sources of information, and conspiracy beliefs. The main outcomes included unwillingness, undecidedness, and intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: Out of 780 respondents, 481 (61.6%) reported an intention to be vaccinated, 214 (27.4%) expressed their undecided status, and 85 (10.9%) reported unwillingness to receive any type of COVID-19 vaccine. A higher age (OR undecided = 0.97, 95% CI (0.96–0.99)), (OR unwilling = 0.97, 95% CI (0.95–0.99)); exposure with COVID-19 (OR unwilling = 0.82, 95% CI (0.76–0.89)), (OR undecided = 0.87, 95% CI (0.83–0.93)) were positively associated with vaccination intentions. No/low trust in vaccines, institutions, concerns about the future of the pandemic, and conspiracy beliefs were strongly and negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccination intentions. Conclusion: Most Iranians intended to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Higher vaccine acceptance needs to consider demographic features, exposure history, confidence in vaccines, trust in institutions, concerns, and conspiracy beliefs of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still a global leading public health issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Vaccine hesitancy can decelerate the effect of mass vaccination programs. This study aimed to assess the determinants of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and its relationship with the perceived risk of COVID-19 among the Iranian population at the beginning of the vaccination program. Methods. In this cross-sectional survey conducted in June 2021 in Tabriz, Iran, 500 subjects aged 18-64 years were investigated. The collected data included the demographic variables, participants' previous COVID-19 infection, history of the COVID-19 infection and mortality in the participant's family members, perceived risk of COVID-19, and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 16. Independent t-test and logistic regression were also performed. Results. The acceptance, doubt, and rejection of COVID-19 vaccine were reported by 232 (46.4%), 129 (25.8%), and 139 (27.8%) cases, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the age, education level, profession, and perceived risk of COVID-19 were significantly associated with the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion. The acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine was not optimal among the studied population at the beginning of vaccination program, and about half of the participants reported the vaccine acceptance. People with low education, low perceived risk level for COVID-19, and younger people may have been considered a high-risk group for doubt or rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Examining prisoners' mental health status and providing mental health services to this high-risk group is one of the concerns of psychiatry and health experts in different countries. Also, there are still issues and problems related to criminals and prisoners, especially psychiatric problems as one of the most challenging research areas. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Existential Therapy (ET) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in increasing hope and diminishing irrational beliefs of male prisoners. Materials and Methods: In the present quasi-experimental study, the statistical population consisted of all married male prisoners aged between 25 to 45 years in Mashhad Central Prison in the first half of 2018. Among them, 36 prisoners were selected and then randomly placed in three research groups. Then, the two experimental groups underwent eight separate sessions of ET and ACT. At the beginning and end of the study, all three groups were assessed for hope and irrational beliefs. Results: Analysis results showed that, in comparison with the control group, changes in the two groups of ET and ACT were significant regarding hope and irrational beliefs of male prisoners. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of ET in increasing hope was higher than that of ACT. Conclusions: The effectiveness of ET and ACT seems to be almost the same for irrational beliefs (but not for hope) of male prisoners. However, we suggest further investigations to provide a better vision of the effectiveness of these therapeutic approaches for prisoners with special needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety can reduce the couples’ self-confidence and damage their mental health. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on anxiety, cognitive avoidance, and empathy among couples visiting counseling centers in Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2020. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test design, followup, and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all couples with low marital adjustment who were referred to the psychological centers of Ahvaz in 2019. Using a convenience sampling method, 30 participants were selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n=15 per group). The research instruments included the symptom checklist-90- revised, the cognitive avoidance questionnaire, and the basic empathy scale. The experimental group underwent eight 90-min sessions (one session per week) of ACT, and the control group did not receive any intervention. The follow-up was performed after 45 days. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data in SPSS. Results: ACT effectively decreased anxiety and cognitive avoidance and increased empathy among couples in the experimental group (P<0.001). The Mean±SD pre-test and post-test scores of anxiety in the experimental group were 23.33±2.89 and 18.93±3.36, respectively, which decreased compared to the post-test mean score (24.27±2.96) of the control group. Conclusion: ACT decreased anxiety and cognitive avoidance and significantly increased empathy in married individuals. ACT can improve empathy in couples involved in marital conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neuropathic pain is a common complication of diabetic patients. In these people, the pain reduces the work and social adjustment. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on chronic pain acceptance and the work and social adjustment in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. Method: This study was a quasi-experimental study in which patients were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Participants were all patients with a diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy referred to the neurology department of Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah in 2019. Instruments included Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS). The results of three phases of pre-test, post-test and follow-up were evaluated. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the repeated measures ANOVA, and chisquare tests using SPSS version 22. Results: The results demonstrate that in the post-test and follow-up phases, acceptance and commitment therapy could improve pain acceptance and the work and social adjustment in the intervention group as compared to controls. In the acceptance variable, the test results within the group showed that the effect of time (P=0.003, F=6.48) and the interactive effect of time and group (P=0.001, F=12.49) were significant. Also in the variables of work and social adjustment, the effect of time (P=0.046, F=3.21) and the interactive effect of time and group (P=0.028, F=3.74) were reported (p>0.001). Conclusion: Acceptance and commitment therapy can be used as a psychological intervention along with drug therapy to improve the work and social adjustment and acceptance symptoms in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The relationship between psychological factors and treatment outcomes with assisted reproductive technology has sparked considerable debate. This study aims to investigate the emotional risk factors in couples seeking infertility treatment using assisted reproductive technology in Sari, Iran, from 2020 to 2022., Materials and Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study and emotional risk factors and other related factors were examined using the Persian version of the SCREENIVF demographic, social, and clinical status questionnaire, social, and clinical status questionnaire before using Assisted reproductive technology in 460 infertile couples selected from infertility treatment centers in Sari City, Iran. The samples were randomly selected using a table of random numbers. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22 software., Results: The mean age of the male and female participants were 31.70 ± 5.71 and 35.22 ± 5.48, respectively. The results regarding emotional risk factors and other related factors revealed that the variables of remarriage (P = 0.048) and exposure of spouse to emotional risk factors (P = 0.001), history of depression disorder (P = 0.007), and history of anxiety disorder (P = 0.009) were significantly correlated with the exposure of women to emotional risk factors. Furthermore, men's exposure to emotional risk factors was significantly correlated with primary education (P = 0.026) and diploma (P = 0.043) levels, age (P = 0.006), and wife's exposure to emotional risk factors (P = 0.001)., Conclusion: By identifying infertile couples who are at risk of emotional risk factors, healthcare professionals can provide appropriate support and interventions to mitigate the emotional challenges associated with infertility. This proactive approach can significantly enhance couples undergoing infertility treatment's well-being and mental health., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study focused on the perspectives of higher education stakeholders on teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in online courses in Iran, as well as preservice teachers’ learning achievements in online courses. Three cohorts of participants were included in the study: preservice teachers of TEFL (n = 104), TEFL university instructors (n = 23), and heads of TEFL departments (n = 10). Data was collected using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The Kruskal Wallis test was used to detect differences among participants’ perspectives. Preservice teachers’ mid-term and final scores in the online courses were also compared. Results show significant differences among the perspectives of the three participant groups regarding online courses. The preservice teachers appeared to have relatively positive attitudes about online learning, while the university instructors and department heads showed lower levels of satisfaction with this medium. Participants identified several challenges in online learning, including lack of rigor in online courses, lack of credibility of course certificates, lack of technological infrastructures, technical problems, lack of practical content in the lessons, lack of human interaction, students’ low knowledge of the content, and employers’ lack of interest in employing graduates of online courses. Participants also noted the need for pedagogical and technological training for both university instructors and preservice teachers of TEFL. The comparison of preservice teachers’ mid-term and final scores in the online courses showed a significant difference and improvement in students’ learning achievements with medium to large effect sizes. In the interviews, participants confirmed that online courses could improve student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Love failure can cause intense emotional damage in a person. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and strengthen the factors that improve the experience of an individual with love failure. With this background in mind, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of spiritual-religious psychotherapy on love trauma syndrome and acceptance of the problem in female students with love failure. Methods: This experimental pretest-posttest study was performed on 30 female undergraduate students with an experience of love failure in Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2019, using a control group design. The study population was selected through snowball sampling method, and then assigned randomly into two groups of intervention and control. The participants of the intervention group received spiritual-religious psychotherapy, and the final analysis was performed on 27 subjects. Data collection tools entailed Love Trauma Inventory, in addition to Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. All data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance using SPSS software (version 22). Results: The findings showed that spiritual-religious psychotherapy had a significant effect on love trauma syndrome (F=102.75, P<0.05) and love failure acceptance (F=161.79, P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, spiritual-religious psychotherapy can be suggested as an effective approach in improving love trauma syndrome and love failure acceptance in girls. The findings of this study might have various practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Emotional disturbances are caused by various factors that include two general biological and cognitive components. Understanding the factors affecting emotional disturbances is important in improving the quality of life of individuals. Aims: This study was aimed to determine the mediation role of acceptance and mindfulness in relation between behavioral inhibition/activation system sensitivity and emotional distress of Islamic Azad University, Tabriz branch. Settings and Design: The research method of the study was descriptive form type of correlational. Subjects and Methods: The statistical population of the study included all students of the Islamic Azad University, Tabriz branch. Among them, 380 participants (190 females and 190 males) were selected through cluster random sampling. To collect the data, Carver and White's (1994) behavioral inhibition and behavioral activation scales, Bond et al. 's (2007) second version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, and Bauer et al.'s (2006) five-facet mindfulness questionnaire and depression, anxiety, and stress scale, were used. Statistical Analysis Used: To analyze the data, the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression were used. Results: The findings indicated that behavioral inhibition/activation systems, acceptance, and mindfulness could significantly predict about 45% of depression variance, 53% of anxiety variance, and 41% of stress variance of emotional distress. Conclusions: According to the findings, it could be concluded that stress, anxiety, and depression as emotional distress are the result of the behavioral inhibition/activation systems that they are the result of the acceptance and mindfulness effect. In fact, the acceptance and mindfulness have the mediation role in relation between behavioral inhibition/activation system sensitivity and emotional distress. In order to regulate emotions, it should be pay attention to behavioral inhibition/activation systems, acceptance, and mindfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the effects of counseling based on mindfulness and acceptance on the marital conflict of intercultural married women in Iran. The population of this study was all intercultural married women in Isfahan city, Iran. After interviewing for finding suitable participants, a total number of 30 participants were recruited and assigned to two matched groups of control and experiment. Participants in both groups were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and revised marital conflict questionnaire. Experimental group then completed the 8 weekly, 90 min counseling based on Gehart’ treatment plan (Mindfulness and acceptance in couple and family therapy, Springer, New York, 2012), the control group did not receive any intervention. After the completion of the counseling, participants in both groups were asked to complete the questionnaires as post-test. Results indicate that this program affected marital conflict in participants and significantly decrease it. Due to numerous Challenge in the life of intercultural couples, designing and implementing effective intervention plans seems necessary and constructive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop insurance is an important risk coping mechanism in agriculture, but its role in the sense of security has not been yet institutionalized in small farmers’ culture. Farmers’ preferences and factors affecting the adoption of silkworm insurance were explored in Guilan Province of northern Iran. Over half of the farmers (59.5%) mentioned the low indemnity rate paid by insurance companies as the main problem of insurance services. In addition, the long period of indemnity payment was reported as another major problem of insurance services. A sizeable proportion of the farmers (35.6%) were willing to pay for insurance only at indemnity reception. Most farmers (79.4%) had a risk-taking propensity. Informing silk farmers about damage assessment schedules and about indemnity payment in a timely manner were the most important factors rated by the farmers for insurance adoption. High income and small distance of insurance affiliates from the silk farms was associated positively with insurance adoption. By contrast, income from sources other than silk farming was associated negatively with insurance adoption. The study provides baseline data on farmers’ stated preferences and willingness to pay for silkworm insurance, filling a knowledge gap in farmers’ behaviour towards insurance adoption. It also answers the question of what drives farmers to adopt insurance schemes for protection of silkworm raising in the area of northern Iran. The information provides useful policy insights on the development of silkworm insurance as a financial facet of a risk mitigation strategy in northern Iran or in other areas where silkworm raising exists and offers insights on what is desirable for silk farmers as far as provision of silkworm insurance is concerned. To improve insurance adoption by silk farmers, it is important to have a fair premium proportional to farmers’ income and to pay indemnity to the damaged insured farmers in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with a diminished quality of life and co morbidity with other anxiety and mood disorders. Acceptance-based behavior therapy (ABBT) is a new treatment that introduced for treatment of GAD. The current study compared ABBT to Applied Relaxation (AR) -the most utilized psychological therapy for GAD. Materials and Methods: Thirty two women with GAD who were referred from psychiatrics offices in Isfahan city were recruited to participate in the study. They were then administered the SCID/CV. Twenty four subjects who met the criteria for GAD were assigned to two groups (ABBT and AR) randomly. The groups received similar medication. The ABBT and AR participated in 12 weekly therapy sessions. The instruments used in the study at pre and post test included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item scale (GAD-7) and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). The data were analyzed using the multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results: No significant differences were found between ABBT and AR groups in anxiety symptoms and worry (P>0.05). Conclusion: Overall, based on the findings of this study, one can conclude that the acceptance-based behavior therapy does not seem to be different from the applied relaxation therapy for treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the role of acceptance in adjustment to persisting pain has been facilitated by the development of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ). However, the CPAQ has not yet been validated amongst Iranian patients with chronic pain. To examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the CPAQ (P-CPAQ), 245 Persian-speaking chronic pain patients completed a battery of questionnaires, including: the P-CPAQ, a Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, a slightly modified Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire, the Catastrophizing Scale of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, the Depression and Anxiety Scales of the Depression Anxiety And Stress Scale-21 and the Pain-Related Interference and Pain Intensity Scales of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory. Furthermore, to evaluate the reliability of the P-CPAQ, the measure was completed by 24 chronic pain patients, on two occasions that are 2 weeks apart. The results of the principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution. Furthermore, the reliability and construct validity of the P-CPAQ were confirmed. In general, consistent with studies in other countries, the results of the present study indicate that pain acceptance plays an important role in adjustment to chronic pain regardless of cultural and language differences between countries. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message Findings obtained with P-CPAQ provide support for the psychometric properties of the P-CPAQ in an Iranian chronic pain population., The P-CPAQ's psychometric strengths provide support for its use in both clinical and research settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acceptance of diabetes is a psychological adaptation to the potential limitations of the disease. Poor acceptance of diabetes impairs effective self-management of diabetes, leading to worsening metabolic control. This study aimed at determining the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Diabetes Acceptance Scale., Methods: This cross-sectional methodological study was performed on diabetic patients in Iran in 2021. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: demographic characteristics and Diabetes Acceptance Scale. The questionnaire was translated into Persian through the forward-backward translation method. The face validity and content validity were performed qualitatively and quantitatively. Exploratory (n = 200) and confirmatory (n = 200) factor analysis were performed to evaluate the validity of the structure. Internal consistency and temporal stability were estimated to determine reliability., Results: Exploratory factor analysis on the polychoric correlation matrix obtained three factors: Rational dealing, Resentment and Avoidance, which explained 68.8% of the total DAS variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the 3-fractor model had a good fit to a second independent data set. Finally, Ordinal Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.96, 0.94 and 0.93, respectively for the Rational dealing, Resentment, and Avoidance factor. Also, using intraclass correlation coefficient, the stability of the instrument was 0.97., Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, the Persian version of DAS has sufficient validity and reliability to measure the admission of Iranian diabetic patients., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This research aims at investigating electronic journals' acceptance among Payam-e-Noor University faculty members as well as studying the influential factors in that. Of all faculty members approached in this study, 169 ones returned the questioners. Findings show that E-journals' acceptance among faculty members is at average level on the basis of which it seems both printed and electronic journals have got equal positions among such a group. Findings also reveal that computer and Internet problems with the coefficient determination of β=0/31 are the strongest factors in making E-journals not acceptable. In addition, faculty members' computer and Internet skills with β=0/175 and their knowledge of online full text databases with β=0/12 make positive effects on E-journals acceptance, while access to E-journals' causes weak effect (β=0/05). Results indicate that the more age and experience, the slighter tendency to E-journals' use. Therefore, there is no significant correlation among gender, major, educational level and E- journals' acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rangelands cover about 54 percent of total land in Iran. In spite of their very high importance, rangelands are degrading each year. The national plan of balancing livestock with grazing capacity (BLGC) is intended to aid in rangeland preservation and promotion. There are three main activities in the plan: (1) preparation and implementation of rangeland projects, (2) exercise of management in the grazing of rangelands, and (3) conversion of low-yield rain-fed lands to fodder crop fields. Two important objectives are followed in the process: (1)decreasing the number of rangeland users and (2) preventing an excess of livestock over rangeland capacity. Diffusion of innovation theory has been employed in this study to describe how rangeland users would go about accepting the projects in the plan BLGC. The purpose of this study is to find out the role of BLGC plan attributes, individual user characteristics, and extension methods in acceptance of the plan. The collaborating population in the study comes from 15 provinces in Iran. The statistical population consisted of 119 rangeland users. Spearman Test indicated a positive and meaningful correlation between BLGC attributes, extension methods, and the rate of BLGC plan adoption. Among BLGC plan-related attributes, relative advantage exhibits the most effect as indicated by results obtained from regression analysis. From among individual characteristics, education, and from among extension methods, symbolic ceremonies as well as contact with change agents and experts have been observed to be the most influential in the rate of BLGC plan adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The successful implementation of mobile learning is mainly impacted by learners' attitudes to accepting and applying mobile learning systems. Objective: In current study an m-learning application was developed and implemented for university students and their attitude toward adoption and application of m-learning was investigated. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2020. The participants were 114 university students in Abadan school of medical sciences. Data were collected by means of a valid questionnaire containing 42 questions in 13 subscales in addition to an open-ended question about positive and negative aspects of the m-learning application. The validity and the reliability (α=0.914) of the questionnaire have been confirmed in a previous study. Results: There was a significant relationship between acceptance and major (p-value= 0.001), mobile usage (p-value= 0.035), and familiarity with m-learning (pvalue< 0.001). The total mean of m-learning application acceptance was 3.95 ± 0.32 which is a good level. Self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, user interface, and behavioral intention to use were respectively the most influencing factors on acceptance of the m-learning application. Mobile device limitation and governmental support were the least influencing factors. According to the students "direct communication with the teacher/instructor" and "Internet disconnection during video teaching" were amongst the positive and negative aspects of applying the m-learning application respectively. Conclusion: The m-learning application was well adopted among the students. Mobile devices limitations are a reason for the students concerns. "Usability features" can be a point for covering mobile device limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]