Background The present research explored the effect of an educational program based on the health belief model (HBM) on prisoners’ HIV preventive behaviors in the south of Iran. Methods The present quasi-experimental research was conducted in 2019–20 on 280 prisoners, 140 in the control group (CG) and 140 in the intervention group (IG). The sampling was simple randomized. The data were collected using a questionnaire in two parts, one exploring the demographic information and the other the HBM constructs. The final follow-up was completed 3 months after the educational intervention (8 sessions long) in November 2020. Results After the intervention, statistically significant between-group differences were found in the healthy behavior score and all HBM constructs except for the perceived barriers (p < 0.001). Perceived severity and susceptibility were found to be the strongest predictors of HIV preventive behaviors. Conclusion The educational intervention showed to positively affect the adoption of preventive behaviors mediated by the HBM constructs. To remove barriers to HIV preventive behaviors or any other healthy behavior, researchers are suggested to develop multi-level interventions (beyond the personal level) to gain better findings.
Background: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic. The aim of the present study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Rudan county so that regional managers can make timely and effective decisions. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study performed on all registered patients with confirmed COVID-19 in Rudan county by July 10, 2020. Patient information was extracted from COVID-19 patient information registration system. The collected data included gender, age, mortality, underlying disease, time of infection, occupation, contact history, and hospitalizations. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: In this study, 614 (56%) of the patients were male and 477 (43%) were female. The mean age of patients was 43 ± 17 years. A total of 136 patients (12.5%) had at least one underlying disease. The majority of patients with underlying diseases (75%) had a history of contact with a patient with confirmed COVID-19. There was no statistically significant relationship between mortality and gender. The mean age of inpatients and outpatients was 56 ± 19 and 40 ± 15 years, respectively. Most deaths occurred among the elderly and housewives, and the highest infection rate also occurred among the latter group. Conclusion: In a situation where the COVID-19 pandemic is a global threat, health systems must demonstrate appropriate and timely responses based on the development and implementation of preventive policies and the care of vulnerable and high-risk patients.
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