Volume 34, Issue 1

Background and aim The marriage readiness is a new concept that helps adolescents learn how to choose the right choices and have a better marital life. The present study aims to assess needs of the training priorities of marriage readiness using Bourich model and quadrant analysis. Methods The present study was a descriptive study. The research sample consisted of 400 students who participated in this study by random and convenience sampling from the three selected universities in the province of Alborz and 28 specialist and counselors in the sphere of marriage. The questionnaire of marriage readiness with 68 items has been provided in three areas including individual, interpersonal and contextual skills. Results The average age of student was 21.05 years. In the individual field, 20 training needs had priority scores more than 4 and the highest priority for youth in this area was “Lack of sexual inappropriate behaviors and habits and lack of disabling diseases.” In the area of interpersonal skills, the highest priority is related to “participation in pre-marital training, the ability to regulate the cost of living and the parenting ability “. In the field of contextual skills, 10 issues of training scored the priority scores of more than 4, and the highest priority was given to “having a vehicle, having sufficient income and financial independence.” Conclusions Based on the quadrant analysis model, the views of students and marriage counselors are not aligned and experts do not have the right viewpoints about the youth needs.

Background Parents’ awareness of childhood mental disorders can help in early detection and management. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of parents about childhood mental disorders and their attitudes toward children with mental disorders. Subjects and methods Parents of children attending two public primary schools in Beni-Suef city in southern Egypt were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study during the first semester of the academic year 2017/2018. Knowledge and attitude of parents toward childhood mental disorders in addition to their socio-demographic characteristics were evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire. Results A total of 468 parents (41.5% fathers and 58.5% mothers) participated in this study. Only 21.6% of parents had optimal knowledge of risk factors, 33.3% of manifestations/screening, 58.8% of types and 47.6% of treatment, while 42.7% of parents held a positive attitude toward impressions, 43.4% toward social distance, 63.7% toward spiritual treatment, and 59.4% toward chemotherapy and psychotherapy of childhood mental disorders. The multivariable-adjusted regression analyses showed that optimal knowledge associated with urban residence [odds ratio (OR) 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–2.30)] and knowing someone with a mental disorder (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.08–2.41). The positive attitude was associated with urban residence (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.18–2.74) and higher education (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.32–3.48). Knowledge of parents correlated positively with their attitude toward childhood mental disorders (r = 0.258, p < 0.001). Conclusion A significant portion of parents in southern Egypt have suboptimal knowledge of childhood mental disorders and hold a negative attitude toward children with mental disorders. Future studies should focus on the possibility of including parents in screening for childhood mental disorders.

Objectives Identifying the factors associated with HRQoL in adolescents is a prerequisite of interventions aimed at improving the overall quality of life and health status among them. Studies have identified many factors associated with HRQoL in different populations; however, very little is known about the role of resilience on HRQoL in adolescent students. Subjects This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1500 high school students (750 boys and 750 girls) in Tehran. The subjects were selected through the cluster and multistage sampling methods. Methods The data collection tool included three questionnaires; a demographic information questionnaire, the Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (KIDSCREEN-27), and the Children and Youth Resilience Measurement (CYRM-28). Data were analyzed with SPSS 23 software. Regression analysis was performed to determine the association of resilience with HRQoL. Results The mean score of overall health-related quality of life and overall resilience were 57.51 ± 15.03 and 98.35 ± 16.48, respectively. Individual sub-scale (β = 0.402, p < 0.001), caregiver sub-scale (β = 0.279, p < 0.001) and context sub-scale (β = 0.122, p < 0.001) of resilience were, respectively, the positive and significant predictors of HRQoL in students. The resilience sub-scales explained 49% of the total variance of HRQoL, and the individual sub-scale was the strongest predictive factor for HRQoL in students. Conclusion It is recommended to incorporate resilience training programs into the regular school education in order to improve the quality of life and health of students in all high schools and educational centers of the country.

Introduction Antiretroviral therapy (ART) helps reduce the amount of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that enters the body in order to avoid acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and prevents the occurrence of opportunistic infections and complications. This study aims to describe the correlation between self-esteem and motivation with adherence of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in ART. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 91 PLWHA who joined a non-government organization (NGO) support group, determined through a purposive sampling technique. The demography, and questionnaires about self-esteem, motivation and adherence to ART were employed to collect the raw data. The data were then analyzed using Spearman’s rho test with the degree of significance at p < 0.05. Results The result showed that self-esteem (p = 0.000, r = 0.445) and motivation (p = 0.019, r = 0.246) had correlation with adherence of PLWHA with ART. Conclusion PLWHA can increase self-esteem and motivation so that they can improve ART adherence. Further research is expected to use an instrument more objectively as a measurement tool for ART adherence in addition to a questionnaire so as to obtain more accurate and specific results.

Purpose This study aimed to present the level and patterns of premarital first births in Indonesia, and its association with early childbearing. Methods This study used three rounds of the Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey, including a total of 29,483 women in 2002; 32,895 in 2007 and 45,607 in 2012. Those women who had their first child before reaching 19 years of age were defined as early child bearers, otherwise, the women were known as later child bearers. All conceptions that occurred 9 months after the first marriage were defined as timely births within marriage, thus, premarital first birth is a first birth that occurred less than 7 months after the first marriage. Findings About 7–11% of Indonesian women conceived their first child before marriage. Both early and later child bearers experienced their first birth less than 7 months after their first marriage, however, women who experienced conception before marriage were twice as likely to become early child bearers compared to women who had their first birth occurred timely. Conclusion The results of the present analysis show that some Indonesian women had their first child before marriage. Although the unavailability of marriage and birth registrations is the most plausible explanation for the decline in premarital first births among the youngest cohort, regional differences suggest there is also an influence of socio-cultural diversity in the premarital sexual practices of Indonesian women.

Background The World Health Organization estimates that around 6 million people need palliative care in India but not even 1% of the patients have access to it. Objective To find the prevalence of knowledge on palliative care and compare the effectiveness of different methods of health education on attitude regarding palliative care among urban college students in southern India. Subjects A pre-post intervention study was conducted in three different arts, science and commerce colleges in urban Pondicherry in August 2017. Methods Data regarding attitude change towards palliative care by three different modes of intervention in the three colleges: health talk (Group A), health talk with video (Group B) and health talk and interaction with a patient’s caregiver (Group C) – before and after intervention – were collected using a predesigned pretested structured questionnaire. Results Among the 65, 75 and 67 participants in Groups A, B and C, respectively – the majority belonged to urban nuclear families; the mean age was 19.5 (0.9) years and Group C had only female students. The prevalence of knowledge about palliative care was found to be 9.2%. There was a difference in attitude scores among the three groups (p = 0.02) with Group C having the highest change of a score with a median of 2 (−1,5). Conclusion Awareness about palliative care is very low among non-medical undergraduate college students of urban Pondicherry. The best method of health education in changing the attitude towards palliative care was interaction with patient’s caregiver.

Introduction Violence against adolescents is prevalent in the world, yet this issue is neglected especially in developing countries. Bullying among adolescents negatively affects the victims in relation to emotional, physical, social and overall health status. This study was conducted to understand bullying and its associated factors in school-going adolescents in Indonesia. Methods This study was a correlational design with a cross-sectional approach. Data were obtained from the 2015 Indonesia Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS). As many as 9969 adolescents in schools were selected by probability proportional to size method and systematic sampling. Variables analyzed on this study were age, sex, smoking behavior, alcohol consumption, close friends and feeling of loneliness. The research instrument used the GSHS 2015 questionnaire. Chi-square (χ 2 ) analysis and multiple logistic regression tests were conducted to determine the significance of each variable. Results A total of 19.9% of adolescents in Indonesian schools were victims of being bullied. Being bullied was associated with ≤14 years old [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–1.45], being male (AOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.28–1.59), being a smoker (AOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.23–1.73), consuming alcohol (AOR 2.07, 95% CI 1.64–2.62), having no close friends (AOR 1.27, 95% CI 0.95–1.70) and feeling lonely (AOR 2.29, 95% CI 2.05–2.55). Conclusion Indonesian in-school adolescents report a relatively high prevalence of having been bullied. Being bullied is related to various factors depending on personal and environmental factors. School communities and health professionals’ attention to adolescents should be sensitized and this issue discussed, developing strategies and minimizing the negative effect on the adolescents. Policy makers need to consider developing a social platform among adolescents to facilitate students’ interaction.

Introduction Tonsillectomy is one of the most common pediatric surgeries in the world and pain control following tonsillectomy is very important. Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of acupressure on the amount of pain following tonsillectomy in children. Method One hundred and forty-four children aged 5–12 years old were assigned into one of three groups: interventions, control and placebo. In the intervention group, acupressure was applied at three acupoints and in the placebo group, sham acupressure was applied. In the control group routine care only was applied. Results There was a significant difference between an average of changes in pain score before and after the intervention during the 3 time periods after the tonsillectomy operation in the acupressure group (p = 0.002). Conclusion The results showed that acupressure had a positive effect on pain reduction after tonsillectomy in children in the intervention group.

Background Coping strategies are highly mediated by the environment, in particular when the person deals with the obstacles and impediments to fulfill their goals. This study aimed to investigate the Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies among Undergraduate Dental Students of Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences Hyderabad, India. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among 267 undergraduate dental students. The survey tool comprised of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Brief COPE Scale along with demographic variables. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20.0. Results Based on gender, females had high PSS mean scores (23.8±7.3) than males and to overwhelm these stress levels most of the students followed adaptive coping strategies (40.4±7.8) with no significant difference. But, significant difference noted for maladaptive coping dimension “denial” (p=0.004). On comparison between year of study, higher perceived stress was noted among second year students (26.7± 5.8), and least among first years (21.6±7). In order to defeat the stressors most of the second year undergraduate students used adaptive coping strategies. However, highest mean adaptive coping scores were noted among first years (41.6±7.5) and least scores observed among fourth years (38.6±9.2). However, total PSS score showed significant positive correlation (p<0.001) with maladaptive coping strategies. Conclusion Females and second year students perceived more stress levels, to overtake those stressors most of them followed adaptive coping strategies. Hence, institutional authorities should take measures to decrease the stress levels and encourage the students to adopt healthy life style such as meditation and exercise to beat their stressors.

Background Neck and Back Pain in Students is closely related to the school bags that they carry. There is a dearth of literature in terms of postural changes due to school bags in adolescents, especially those discussing postural changes in static and dynamic loading conditions. Objective To assess the effects of weight, position, and time of school bag carriage in static and dynamic conditions on cervical and shoulder posture in adolescent students. Subjects Seventy adolescents (35 Females, 35 Males) between 10 and 15 years of age. Methods: Craniohorizontal Angle, Craniovertebral Angle, Sagittal Shoulder Posture, Anterior Head Alignment were assessed in 7 different conditions using Photographic Method and MB Ruler. Results and Conclusion Significant changes in Sagittal Shoulder Posture and Craniohorizontal Angle were found with unilateral school bag carriage as compared to minimal significant postural changes with bilateral carriage. Maximal significant postural changes, in terms of all outcome measures were noted during loaded dynamic activity. Craniovertebral Angle kept significantly reducing with time. Immediate assessments taken with a school bag weighing 13.5% of the body weight showed a significant decrement in the Craniohorizontal Angle. Even a bag weighing less than 10% of the body weight proved to bring about biomechanical changes, when assessments were taken during the activities that a child has to perform with a school bag (Post Standing, Post Walking, and During Walking).

Background Facebook is by far the most popular social network. Thus, it is important to use a valid measuring tool. This study aimed to validate an Arabic version of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS). Methods It was a cross-sectional study conducted among public secondary schools, within the city of Sousse, Eastern Tunisia over 2 months. Students completed self-administrated questionnaires. The revised test-retest version of the scale was given to a sample of ten pilot students in order to check the readability of the translation. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in order to assess the extent to which the BFAS items were interrelated. Results A total of 1399 participants took part in the study (60.5% females). Among 1353 students who are using Facebook, 71.8% had non-problematic use. The median score of addiction was 13 ranging from 6 to 30. The median time spent each day on Facebook was 3 h. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.87. Students with higher Facebook addiction scores were significantly more addicted to video games (p = 0.001), and more depressed (p < 0.0001). Conclusion The Arabic-BFAS is consistent as a screening test for Facebook addiction among secondary school students due to having good reliability and validity.

Background Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a significant risk behaviour that leads to the development of several chronic diseases. The present study aimed to predict the SSB consumption behaviour among Indian university students by utilising a multi theory model (MTM) of health behaviour change. Methods In a cross-sectional design, a validated 37-item self-report questionnaire was administered to 267 participants from a mid-size university in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India. Stepwise multiple regressions were used to determine predictors of change in initiation and sustenance of SSB consumption behaviour. For stepwise multiple regression, the a priori criteria of probability of F to enter the predictor in the model was set as less than or equal to 0.05 and for removing the predictor as greater than or equal to 0.10. Results The model was able to predict 16.7% variance in behavioural initiation through the constructs of participatory dialogue and behavioural confidence, and 30.2% variance in sustenance through emotional transformation and change in social environment. Participatory dialogue and behavioural confidence were predictors of behaviour initiation; and emotional transformation, and change in social environment were predictors of behaviour sustenance for SSB consumption behaviour change. Conclusion The study provided a pathway for design of interventions for SSB intake reduction in Indian university students. Interventions should be designed using participatory dialogue and behavioural confidence initiation, and emotional transformation and change in social environment for sustenance of change in SSB consumption in this population.

Background Menstrual disorders are highly prevalent among girls and may interrupt school attendance. This study aimed to investigate the association between menstrual disorders and school absenteeism among schoolgirls in South Egypt. Subjects and methods A multi-stage random sampling method was adopted to select 930 schoolgirls. A self-administered questionnaire composed of 3 sections (socio-demographic characteristics, menstrual disorders, and school absenteeism) was used to assess the relationship between different menstrual disorders and school absenteeism during the previous 6 months. Results The mean age of the participating schoolgirls was 15.5 ± 0.8 years, age of menarche 13.2 ± 1.2 years, menstrual cycle duration 28.8 ± 7.3 days with average flow days 5 ± 1.3. During the previous 6 months, 43.9% of schoolgirls reported school absenteeism. Dysmenorrhea (89.1%) and premenstrual symptoms, especially abdominal spasm (62.2%), fatigue (32%), and headache (22.7%) were heavily reported during the same period. Menstrual flow >4 days [odds ratio (OR) 1.37, 1.04–1.80], premenstrual abdominal spasm (OR 1.60, 1.22–2.11), fatigue (OR 1.69, 1.27–2.24), breast tenderness (OR 1.67, 1.17–2.38), insomnia (OR 1.92, 1.31–2.80), abdominal bloating (OR 2.29, 1.34–3.91), dysmenorrhea (OR 4.44, 2.58–7.62), dysmenorrhea for more than 1 day (OR 1.38, 1.03–1.84), menstrual acne flare (OR 2.23, 1.68–2.97), dysuria (OR 1.96, 1.31–2.93), and facial hair (OR 2.59, 1.26–5.31) were significantly associated with school absenteeism. Conclusion Premenstrual and menstrual disorders are associated with school absenteeism among schoolgirls in South Egypt. Future research should focus on the effect of school counseling on reducing the absenteeism rate attributed to menstrual disorders.

Objective Different studies have reported contradictory results regarding the relationship between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and febrile seizure (FS). The present study was conducted to determine the effect of IDA on FS in children. Patients and methods This case-control study was conducted among 52 children with FS (the case group) and 18 children with afebrile seizures and 51 children with fever without seizures in the age range of 6 months to 5 years admitted to the pediatric ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam from March 2016 to January 2017. Patients were selected using the convenience sampling method. Red blood cell (RBC) count as well as measurement of hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) levels were performed in all patients. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS16 software. Results A total of 34.6% in the FS group, 66.7% in the afebrile seizure group and 41.2% in the fever without seizure group suffered from IDA, which was not statistically significant between the three groups. Hb, Hct and RBC levels were higher in the case group and MCV, MCH, MCHC levels in the case group were lower than those in the control group. The odds ratio (OR) for FS compared to the febrile group was 0.756 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.34–1.68; p = 0.493] and that for FS compared to seizure was 0.265 (95% CI = 0.085–0.823; p = 0.022). Conclusions This study showed that IDA may have protective effects on the onset of FS, and based on the results, IDA is more common in children with afebrile seizures. Further and more comprehensive studies are recommended.

Bullying in schools and colleges/universities has significant negative impacts on individuals and learning environments. Much of the evidence comes from school studies. This study, the first of its kind in Bhutan, explores the experience of bullying among college students. The study employed a self-administered survey to a representative sample of 2471 (male = 1242 and female = 1191) college students with mean age 21.5 years, from eight of the 11 college campuses across Bhutan. The findings indicate that bullying is not an uncommon experience amongst the college students; both as victims and victimizers. Implications for relevant stakeholders in Bhutan, and elsewhere, and recommendations to address the issues are presented, especially as they relate to teacher formation (teacher training programs). Although teacher formation is largely dependent on a pre-service teacher’s beliefs and prior learning experiences, teacher preparation programs play a vital role. Recommendations for further research are also provided.

Background It is well known that the socio-economic status (SES) has a great impact on adult and childhood well-being. Comparatively little research has been conducted on the relationship of adolescents’ subjective well-being to SES. Recent studies though, display a tendency for a strong relationship between adolescences’ subjective physical, mental and social well-being to SES. We therefore wanted to find out whether an association exists between SES and subjective physical, mental and social well-being among adolescents as well as between SES and individual school marks. Methods The cross-sectional data of 450 German adolescent students (average age 11 years old) were analysed. The data included socio-demographic variables, school marks and selected subscales of three well-established questionnaires [KIDSCREEN, Kid-Kindl ® and the German version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-deu)]. The Hamburg Social School Index (HSSI) was used as an indicator of SES. Results Significant differences between SES and physical (T = −2.04; p < 0.05) as well as social well-being (‘Social Support and Peers’ with T = −2.04; p < 0.05) of adolescents were found. Generally, no relations between SES and mental well-being were found. School marks also differed between low and high school SES [German (T = 3.13; p < 0.05), English (T = 5.38; p < 0.01), Mathematics (T = 3.16; p < 0.05) and Sports (T = 2.10; p < 0.05)]. Conclusion As health in adolescence is a predictor for health in adulthood, health promotion and prevention need to start early (primary school) to improve physical and social well-being in low SES families and schools.

Background Mental health is a significant part of one’s health and it is very important to pay attention to mental health. Objectives The aim of the study was to examine the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on the mental health of adolescents with an emotional breakdown (EB). Methods This was a semi-experimental study, in which the students with an EB were divided into two groups: the experimental and control groups. Twenty people were selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to the ACT and control groups (each with 10 people). After obtaining consent to participate in the study, they were asked to fill the questionnaires as a pre-test. Then, the experimental group was treated for nine individual sessions (weekly one session). As this was a repeated measurement method, in sessions 3, 6 and 9, the questionnaires were completed again and the follow-up period was 1 month after the end of the interventions. Results Before the intervention, there was no difference between the score of the impact of love and rumination among the students in the experimental and control groups (p > 0.05); but after the intervention, the score of the impact of love and rumination in the experimental group decreased (p < 0.05). Conclusions It is suggested that ACT should be used at counseling centers of universities and educational institutions.

Objectives The present study aimed: (i) to investigate the sleep quality and cortical arousal (ERP P300) in adolescents with and without sleep disturbances, and (ii) to examine whether P300 vary as a function of quality of the previous night’s sleep in sleep disturbed adolescents and to compare the findings with healthy controls. Methods Fifteen sleep disturbed adolescents and 15 age-matched controls were recruited. Participants filled 10 days of sleep logs to identify their good (GN) and bad nights (BN). GN and BN were scored as a measure of sleep efficiency (SE), with nights having greater SE defined as GN and nights with lower SE scores labelled as BN. Afterwards, subjects were summoned to the lab for recording ERP P300 once after a night of good sleep (GN) and once after a night of bad sleep (BN). Results The findings demonstrate that sleep disturbed adolescents exhibited poorer quality of sleep than controls. The ERP P300 also revealed significant difference in participants with and without sleep disturbance. Moreover, the P300 amplitude was higher and the latency was shorter after a GN in sleep disturbed as well as in controls, however, the values were better for adolescents without disturbed sleep. Similarly, amplitude and latency of P300 was lower and longer, respectively, after a BN in both the groups, however, participants with sleep disturbance demonstrated very penurious scores for amplitude and latency than the controls. Conclusion Adolescents with sleep disturbance have poorer sleep quality and ERP characteristics than their healthy counterparts. Moreover, the quality of the previous night sleep determines cortical arousal in both sleep disturbed and healthy controls.

Background Adolescence and youth are important periods in the growth and excellence of an individual. Objectives Given the importance of the study, its purpose was to determine the effect of rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on anxiety and resilience in students. Methods Students admitted to the counseling centers of Ilam University were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Using convenient sampling method, 30 subjects were selected and randomly assigned to either REBT tests or a control group (10 subjects in each). The 26 codes of ethics were observed in the study and the data were analyzed using SPSS17. Results Before the intervention, the anxiety score was 26.75 (4.43) and after the intervention it was 18 (4.403) (p < 0.05), but in the control group it was 31.34 (6.04) before the intervention and after the intervention it was 32.35 (5.17) (p > 0.05). Before the intervention, the anxiety score was 52.77 (13.37) and after the intervention it was 60.00 (14.31) (p < 0.05), but in the control group it was 47.00 (8.73) before the intervention and after the intervention it was 49.76 (9.10) (p > 0.05). Conclusions REBT was effective in students as it reduced anxiety and increased resilience. Thus, it is suggested for use in students’ care.

Background Mid-adolescents dominate the number of gadget users in Indonesia. The use of gadgets to a high intensity can cause various problems such as poor sleep quality and decreased social interaction. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between the intensity of the use of gadgets and the quality of sleep and social interaction in adolescents. Method The research design used was a correlational research study with a cross-sectional approach. Through the calculation of the sample, the respondents were 250 adolescents who met the inclusion criteria, namely (1) adolescents aged 15–18 years and (2) teens who owned and used gadgets. The sampling method used simple random sampling by conducting a lottery system in each class. The independent variable was the intensity of using the gadget, while the dependent variable was the quality of sleep and social interaction. Data collection focused on the intensity of gadget use using questionnaires and it was analyzed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). The data was analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation with α = 0.05. Results The results showed that the intensity of gadget use was positively related to poor sleep quality in adolescents (p = <0.001; r = 0.555). The intensity of the use of gadgets was also related to social interaction with a negative direction. The higher the intensity of the use of gadgets, the lower the social interaction in adolescents (p = 0.001; r = –293). Conclusion The use of gadgets in the mid-adolescent years is related to sleep disorders as regards the latency and duration of sleep. Adolescents are more likely to engage in social interaction and communication through gadgets than face to face.

Background Adolescence is a time of evolving from the immaturity of childhood into the maturity of adulthood. This is a stage which requires extra care and protection. Physiologically and physically, adolescents go through a series of transformations as they grow and develop. Method A descriptive study design was adopted with 70 teachers selected using a convenience sampling technique from five different government schools of the Ambala District, Haryana. Knowledge and attitude were assessed using a structured knowledge questionnaire and a 5-point Likert scale, respectively. The reliability coefficient of the structured knowledge questionnaire was found to be 0.67 by the Kuder-Richardson method and for the attitude scale, it was found to be 0.7 by Cronbach’s α. Results More than one third (37.1%) of the teachers were between 31 and 35 years of age. Out of 70 the majority (75.7%) of the teachers were female. More than half (62.9%) of the teachers had an average level of knowledge and the majority (71.4%) of the teachers had moderately favorable attitudes regarding reproduction and sexual health. Furthermore, teachers had more knowledge about the reproductive organs and the concept of puberty followed by the concept of reproductive and sexual health and had the least knowledge in the area of contraception. Conclusion This study highlights the need for special training and awareness programs regarding reproduction and sexual health among school teachers.

Background The increasing burden of cancer is a cause of concern worldwide including in India. Cervical cancer is amongst the most common cancers among women associated with high morbidity and mortality. Younger women are at risk of acquiring human papilloma virus (HPV) infection that can lead to cervical cancer later in life. The present study is an attempt to assess awareness about cervical cancer, its prevention and HPV among young women so that future policies can be designed accordingly. Methodology This was a cross-sectional study conducted among college-going women students of Delhi. Data was collected using a pre-designed, pretested semi-structured tool followed by descriptive statistical analysis. Results Although 83% women students had heard of cervical cancer, the signs and symptoms were known to less than half (41.9%) of the students. HPV vaccine availability was known to 56.0% of the students, but very few students were vaccinated (15.0%). Similar disparity was also found in screening knowledge and practices. Conclusion With poor knowledge about risk factors, and preventive strategies among young women, this study highlights the need for health education programmes related to cervical cancer targeting young women. As most of the risk factors of cervical cancer are modifiable, awareness generation at a young age could bring about a paradigm shift in incidence and the mortality associated with it.

Background More remains to be known about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among overweight/obese adolescents across different ethnicities especially in regards to mental illness as an associated comorbidity. Objective To determine the prevalence of PCOS among overweight and obese adolescents and to evaluate known risk factors for PCOS in a diverse population. Methods Charts of patients at an Adolescent Clinic between April 1, 2016 and July 30, 2018 were filtered using: obese, overweight and body mass index (BMI) >85%. Charts were reviewed to identify the presence of PCOS using National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria, race/ethnicity and known risk factors for PCOS [lipid, BMI, glycated hemoglobin (HA 1c ), blood pressure (BP)] and mental health conditions associated with PCOS (anxiety/depression and self-harm/suicidal ideation). Results Patients with PCOS were more likely to have elevated lipids (19.6% vs. 9.9%, p = 0.05), be obese (67.4% vs. 50.9%, p = 0.03), and have acanthosis nigricans (68.9% vs. 28.2%, p =< 0.001). PCOS was more common among non-Hispanic patients (77.9%) vs. Hispanic patients (57.8%). There was no difference in the prevalence of depression/anxiety (37% vs. 33%, respectively, p = 0.590) or self – harm/suicidal ideation (17% vs. 17%, p = 0.96) in patients with and without PCOS. In a logistic regression model, after adjusting for all demographics and clinical features, ethnicity, acanthosis nigricans and BMI were significant risk factors for PCOS. Conclusion Patients with PCOS are more likely to be obese, hyperlipidemic, have acanthosis nigricans and be of non-Hispanic ethnicity. However, there was no difference in the prevalence of depression/anxiety and self-harm/suicidal ideation among adolescents with or without PCOS.

Objectives The purpose of this research was to compare the effect of self-care education in disasters with two student-centered and family-centered approaches to self-care in students of the Red Crescent Societies in the city of Lenjan in 2017. Methods One hundred and fifty individuals were selected by random sampling from 270 people. The research instrument was a questionnaire. The questionnaire was approved by the opinion of supervisors and other experts. The present research is a quasi-experimental study. The covariance analysis was used to determine the difference between the two groups in the experimental and control groups and the effect of educational intervention. All of the above steps were performed using the SPSS 23 statistical program. Results The results indicate that there is a significant difference between the two groups in self-care through the student-centered approach. The mean of the self-care group with a family-centered approach (21.72) was more than the mean of the control group in this variable (16.61). Moreover, the mean of the self-care group’s education with family-centered approaches (42.61) was more than the mean of self-care education h in a disaster with a student-centered approach (31.23). Conclusion According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that there is a significant difference between self-care education with two student-centered and family-based approaches to self-care in students, and a family-centered approach has better outcomes.

Background Puberty is a sensitive period of life for developing specific skills and knowledge and acquiring abilities and attributes that are essential for managing emotions and assuming adult roles. Thus, this has implications for health educational programs to responses to the experimentation and exploration that takes place during puberty. Objectives This study aimed to examine the effect of life skills training using health literacy strategies on self-esteem and self-efficacy in adolescent female students. Methods This was a semi-experimental study with intervention-control groups performed on 96 female students (7th grade of high school) in Mashhad, Iran from January 2017 to Jun 2017. The sampling method was a multi-stage random sampling. The samples were divided into two groups: an intervention group and a control group (each one having 50 subjects) through the simple randomized approach. Data collection tools used were the Coopersmith Self-esteem Questionnaire and Sherer’s Self-efficacy Questionnaire. Life skills training for the intervention group consisted of five sessions of theoretical training and workshops with role play and were designed based on health literacy strategies. The pretest, posttest and follow-up (3 months after the intervention) was conducted for both groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 19 software (t-test, Mann-Whitney, chi-square (χ 2 ) and repeated data analysis). Results Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of self-esteem score (p = 0.70) and self-efficacy (p = 0.10), but immediately after training, as well as 3 months later, a significant difference was found between the two groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion Based on the findings, life skills educational interventions based on health literacy strategies could promote the self-esteem and self-efficacy abilities among female students during puberty.