Jorjani Biomedicine Journal

Background and objectives: Osteoporosis, a current silent epidemic, is of high importance due to its high prevalence and complications among women. It is a preventable disease whose high-risk population includes young girls. This study investigated the impacts of a health belief model-based education program about osteoporosis prevention on physical activity of junior high school students in in Kalaleh (Iran) during 2012.

Method: The present experimental study was conducted on 140 female students of the second-grade of junior high school in Kalaleh. The subjects were selected and allocated to the case and control groups (n = 70 each) using multistage random sampling. Data were collected through standard questionnaires on the application of health belief model in osteoporosis and physical activity. The collected data were analyzed with independent and paired t-tests in SPSS 16 version.

Results: There were no significant differences between the case and control groups in terms of household size and parents’ demographic characteristics. Before the intervention, the two groups had no significant differences in the mean scores of awareness and the health belief model constructs. However, the intervention could significantly increase the case group’s scores (P < 0.001). In addition, two months after the intervention, the mean scores of physical activity significantly increased in the case group (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The health belief model-based education program was efficient in increasing the students’ awareness which in turn created a favorable attitude toward physical activity among the participants.

  Abstract

  Background and objectives: Depression is the most common cause of disability caused by diseases in the world. Having physical activity is a solution for reducing depression. This study was conducted to determine the causes of depression and its related factors.

  Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 266 female students participated in the study selected by random stratified sampling. The data were collected with demographic questionnaires, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the body composition was measured with the body analyzer machine and entered into the SPSS software. To examine the effect of physical activity on depression, a logistic regression model was used with adjusting the effect of the likely confounding variables.

  Results: The mean age of the participants was 22.15 ± 2.4. According to the Beck Depression Inventory, 24.8% (66 individuals) suffered from depression and 69.5% (185 individuals) were healthy and 5.6% (15 persons) were missing from study. The results did not show a significant difference between depression and being local or nonlocal, BMI and the income level. But there was a significant difference between the healthy and the depressed group with regard to physical activity ( P=0.03). Physical activity at recommended levels showed an inverse relationship with depression of students so that students who have the recommended levels of physical activity get the 44% lower chance to be in the depressed group against students who have been low level of physical activity (OR=0.56, 95% CI:0.31-0.99, P=0.046).

  Conclusion: Due to the effect of physical activity on reducing depression, providing sport facilities, recommending people to increase their physical activity and culture making in the society can serve as constructive solutions to improving the psychological health and preventing depression in the society.

Background & Objective: Obesity is a public health problem in modern societies which is more prevalent among women compared to men. This study was conducted to aim the prevalence of obesity and the related factors in women of Kermanshah.

Materials and Methods: In the present cross-sectional study, 687 women aging 25-65 years were enrolled using multi staged cluster sampling method from 6 regions of Kermanshah city. Data collection tools were a demographic questionnaire, Food Frequency (FFQ) and physical activity questionnaires. General Obesity was defined as BMI≥30 kg/m2 and abdominal obesity was defined as waste hip ratio (WHR) over 0.85cm. All data were analyzed using correlation coefficient, Logistic regression-test and x² by SPSS software.

Results: Overweight and obesity was observed in 39.4% and 21.9 % of women respectively. 57.5% of studied subjects suffered from abdominal obesity. The odds ratios for obesity among illiterate (OR=1.882, P=0.05), low socioeconomic status (OR=1.867, P=0.002), and having more than four pregnancies (OR=1.875, P=0.01) were higher than other women. Odds ratio of fatty liver (OR: 3.818) and diabetes (OR: 3.077) was higher among obese subjects than normal individuals. (P=0.02).There was a positive correlation between obesity and marital status, number of pregnancies, family population size and unhealthy dietary habits (P<0.001). Moreover, there was a negative relationship between obesity and education level, employment and high socioeconomic status (P<0.001).

Conclusions: Regarding the side effects of obesity and overweight, lifestyle modification and increasing nutritional knowledge among women using appropriate methods is highly recommended.