Background:Family-centered empowerment of drug and stimulant users is an effective program for a better response to treatment, prevention of treatment adverse effects, and promotion quality of life (QoL) and lifestyle in the process of discontinuing drug abuse.Objectives:This study aimed to determine the effects of educational intervention, based on family-centered empowerment and Pender's health promotion models, on health-promoting lifestyle and health-related QoL among methamphetamine users and their families.Patients and Methods:In a randomized clinical trial, methamphetamine users, who were admitted to Tehran University of Medical Sciences Substance Abuse Treatment Centers, were randomly allocated to three groups: a group for training of methamphetamine users who were in recovery phase (intervention group 1;95 subjects);a group for training of a family member of methamphetamine users who were in recovery phase (intervention group 2; 95 subjects); and a control group (95 subjects). A demographic checklist and a standard questionnaire covering health-promoting lifestyle, health-related QoL, self-efficacy, perceived affect, perceived social support, and perceived barriers dimensions were used to gather required data. Independent-samples t test, paired-samples t-test, and ANCOVA were used to analyze the data.Results:Analysis of covariance showed that after adjusting for effects of pretest scores, the difference between mean post-test scores of health-promoting lifestyle scale, health-related QoL scale, and all constructs of Pender's health promotion model (self-efficacy, perceived affect, perceived social support, and perceived barriers) in the intervention group 1 and control group were significant (P< 0.0001). In addition, changes in mean scores of lifestyle scale (42.4 ± 13.6), QoL scale (29.1 ± 14.2), self-efficacy (16.1 ± 2.6), perceived affect (16.1 ± 8), social support (35.4 ± 12.4), and barriers (17.2 ± 15.8) before and after intervention were significant in the intervention group 2 (P < 0.0001).Conclusions:Application of family-centered empowerment model among methamphetamine users and their families is practically feasible and can result in enhancement and improvement of their QoL, lifestyle, and health promotion model constructs.

Background:Aging is a universal phenomenon that will present itself as a dominant social and welfare challenge.Aim:This study was to examine life satisfaction among people residing in Gorgan and its correlation with certain demographic factors in 2013.Methods:A total of 250 elder people were selected for the study through the convenience sampling during 4 months. Data collected through life satisfaction index-A (LSIA). This instrument consists of 5 subscales, including, zest for life, resolution and fortitude, congruence between desired and achieved goals, positive self-concept and mood tone. The Multiple Linear Regression analysis was used in order to determine factors influencing the overall LSIA.Results:The overall LSIA score was 22.1 ± 7.5 with the maximum and minimum mean scores pertaining to the resolution and fortitude (6.1 ± 2.5) and the positive self-concept (3.1 ± 1.2) subscales, respectively. Level of education, type of living and gender were variables influencing the overall LSIA (P<0.05).Conclusion:Given the overall LSIA, it appears that future plans for this age group should be seriously revised along with cultural plans for promoting reverence for old age in the general public.

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Extensive damages of natural disasters have made resilience a focus of disaster management plans in order to limit damages. The aim of this study was a comparative evaluation of social and economic resilience in Bam and Rudbar. This applied research attempted to quantify and compare different dimensions of social and economic resilience in Bam and Rudbar with a descriptive-analytical method. Cochran’s formula determined the sample size as 330 households from both cities (a total of 660 households). The indicators of social and economic resilience were identified from the literature, and then data were collected through a field study using questionnaires. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression and feed-forward multilayer perceptron artificial neural network. Results denoted that several resilient-related socio-economic features were significantly different for Bam and Rudbar cities, such as the number of earthquakes experienced, length of stay in current neighbourhood and mean individual and household income. Mean social and economic resilience scores were significantly higher for Rudbar (216.3 ± 33.4 and 30.6 ± 7.3) compared to Bam (193 ± 26.5 and 29.4 ± 7.07) (p < 0.05). In addition, linear regression indicated that an increase in education level of the household head, length of stay in current neighbourhood and household income could result in an increase in social and economic resilience of the households under study. Neural network analysis revealed that social capital and employment recovery are the most and least effective factors, respectively, in both cities. In the population under study, social component, namely, social capital, was the most important determinant of resilience.

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