Maryam Saber; Hassan Eftekhar; Mohammad Hossein Taghdisi; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Tayebeh Fasihi Harandi; Davood Shojayzadeh
Volume 20, Issue 2 , 2018, Pages 1-8
Abstract
Background: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are one of the essential measures of modern governments’ management to improve social, political, and developmental activities. They play an important role in the process of development in most countries. Objectives: The present study was conducted ...
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Background: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are one of the essential measures of modern governments’ management to improve social, political, and developmental activities. They play an important role in the process of development in most countries. Objectives: The present study was conducted to design and validate the checklist of NGOs’ practice in Kerman (Iran) where the scope of their activities is increasingly more diverse and complex. The availability and access to a valid and reliable instrument is essential for intervention and promotion of non-governmental organizations. Methods: The checklist was designed and validated from the literature review, existing reports, and current statutes of NGOs. Con- tent and structure validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis), and internal consistency were used to measure the psy- chometric components of the checklist. Our sample consisted of all 150 licensed NGOs in Kerman, and sampling was conducted from April 2014 to September 2015. Results: While the checklist showed acceptable content validity, exploratory factor analysis revealed 3 factors: (a) social influence,(b) social structure, and (c) participatory experience. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that fit indices were acceptable as χ2 =1.65, CFI = 0.79, AGFI = 0.74, GFI = 0.82, and RMSEA = 0.1. The Cronbach‘s alpha was 0.7. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the checklist psychometric properties were acceptable. This checklist can be a start point for developing standard tools in the field of non-governmental organizations’ activity. In addition, this tool can be a guide for theevaluation and enhancement of NGOs’ activity
Maryam Saber; Hassan Eftekhar; Mohammad Hossein Taghdisi; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Tayebeh Fasihi Harandi; Davood Shojayzadeh
Volume 20, Issue 1 , 2018, Pages 1-8
Abstract
Background: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are one of the essential measures of modern governments’ management to improve social, political, and developmental activities. They play an important role in the process of development in most countries. Objectives: The present study was conducted ...
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Background: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are one of the essential measures of modern governments’ management to improve social, political, and developmental activities. They play an important role in the process of development in most countries. Objectives: The present study was conducted to design and validate the checklist of NGOs’ practice in Kerman (Iran) where the scope of their activities is increasingly more diverse and complex. The availability and access to a valid and reliable instrument is essential for intervention and promotion of non-governmental organizations. Methods: The checklist was designed and validated from the literature review, existing reports, and current statutes of NGOs. Con- tent and structure validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis), and internal consistency were used to measure the psy- chometric components of the checklist. Our sample consisted of all 150 licensed NGOs in Kerman, and sampling was conducted from April 2014 to September 2015. Results: While the checklist showed acceptable content validity, exploratory factor analysis revealed 3 factors: (a) social influence,(b) social structure, and (c) participatory experience. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that fit indices were acceptable as χ2 =1.65, CFI = 0.79, AGFI = 0.74, GFI = 0.82, and RMSEA = 0.1. The Cronbach‘s alpha was 0.7.Conclusions: Our results revealed that the checklist psychometric properties were acceptable. This checklist can be a start point for developing standard tools in the field of non-governmental organizations’ activity. In addition, this tool can be a guide for the evaluation and enhancement of NGOs’ activity.
Seyed Vahid Ahmadi Tabatabaei; Hassan Eftekhar Ardabili; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Maryam Dastoorpoor; Nouzar Nakhaee; Mohsen Shams
Volume 19, Issue 10 , October 2017, , Pages 1-8
Abstract
Background: Theory of planned behavior (TPB) has not been adequately addressed in the field of physical activity among Iranian women.Objectives: This study aimed to determine factors affecting physical activity behavior among women based on the theory of planned behavior.Methods: This cross-sectional ...
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Background: Theory of planned behavior (TPB) has not been adequately addressed in the field of physical activity among Iranian women.Objectives: This study aimed to determine factors affecting physical activity behavior among women based on the theory of planned behavior.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 398 women in Kerman, Iran. The women were selected through the multistage random sampling method. Data were collected using the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) and a researchermade questionnaire based on the constructs of the theory of planned behavior and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).Results: The mean age (SD) of participants was 36.9 (9.9). Perceived behavioral control (β = 0. 16, P = 0. 013) and behavioral intention (β = 0.16, P = 0.005) had a significant positive direct effect on physical activity behavior. Moreover, instrumental attitude (β = 0.04, P = 0.003), subjective norms (β = 0.04, P = 0.003) and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.03, P = 0.002) had a significant positive indirect effect on physical activity behavior. Behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control constructs predicted 6% of variance of physical activity behavior.Conclusions: Given that the constructs of behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control could predict physical activity behavior, health promotion interventions should be designed with an emphasis on these factors in order to promote physical activity in women.
Khodadad Sheikhzadeh; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Abbas Bahrampour; Ahmad Raeisi; Farzaneh Zolala; Farshad Farzadfar; Amir Kasaeian; Mahboubeh Parsaeian
Volume 19, Issue 4 , April 2017, , Pages 1-8
Abstract
Background: Over the past years, the malaria elimination program has considerably decreased the malaria indigenous cases and confined their incidence to the southeastern areas of Iran encompassing 28 less developed counties with favorable transmission conditions.Objectives: The aim of the study was to ...
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Background: Over the past years, the malaria elimination program has considerably decreased the malaria indigenous cases and confined their incidence to the southeastern areas of Iran encompassing 28 less developed counties with favorable transmission conditions.Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of climatic and socioeconomic indicators on malaria transmission and to predict malaria transmission risk until 2025 for all the southeastern endemic counties in Iran.Methods: The aggregated data from indigenousmalaria cases, as well as, climatic and socioeconomic indicators of malaria endemic areas were collected on the monthly basis from each county between 2005 and 2015. The collected variables were, then, estimated until 2025 using time series analysis. Considering the nature of these data, two different multilevel models were implemented for vivax andfalciparum based on the socioeconomic variable that was used. Finally, applying two differentmodels, two sets of estimates were obtained for malaria transmission risk in each county.Results: The annual decline of malaria transmission was estimated to be 17% based on model 1, and 25% based on the model 2 for vivax (P < 0.001). These estimates were 13% and 21% for falciparum (P < 0.001), respectively. For every increased unit in the wealth index, malaria transmission for vivax and falciparum decreased by 33% (P = 0.001) and 12% (P = 0.54), respectively. Also, for every increase in the mean years of schooling, the transmission decreased by 65% (P < 0.001) and 57% (P = 0.001) for vivax and falciparum. Conclusions: The results of this study, using climatic variables along with socioeconomic variables, indicated the obvious influence of socioeconomic status improvement on decreasing malaria transmission. According to the results, malaria transmission risk will considerably diminish in the next few years. The pattern of malaria transmission decline was consistent with the declining trend of malaria incidence which will move from the west to the east and from the north to the south in the years to come. The transmission risk for falciparum was considerably lower than that of vivax and the endemic areas of falciparum move towards 0 faster than vivax.
Sana Eybpoosh; Abbas Bahrampour; Kayhan Azadmanesh; Ehsan Mostafavi; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Farzaneh Zolala
Volume 19, Issue 2 , February 2017, , Pages 1-13
Abstract
Background: The origins and spatio-temporal dynamics of the HIV-1 subtype B and CRF01_AE clades are largely unknown in Iran.Objectives: This study investigates the origins and spatio-temporal dynamics of HIV-1 subtype B and CRF01_AE clades in Iran using the most recent phylogeographic methods.Methods: ...
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Background: The origins and spatio-temporal dynamics of the HIV-1 subtype B and CRF01_AE clades are largely unknown in Iran.Objectives: This study investigates the origins and spatio-temporal dynamics of HIV-1 subtype B and CRF01_AE clades in Iran using the most recent phylogeographic methods.Methods: This Bayesian phylogeographic study examined HIV-1 sequence data available in the Los Alamos HIV databases. For the purposes of this study, we retrieved all the eligible time-stamped and geo-referenced HIV-1 subtype B (pol p66 and p51 RT) and CRF01_- AE (gp160) sequences from Iran. The majority of these data were obtained from studies using convenience and snowball sampling. Evolutionary and phylogeographic parameters were jointly estimated for each clade using BEAST software v.1.8.1. A Bayesian stochastic search variable selection method, with a threshold of 3.0 for the Bayes factors test, was used to obtain significant migration rates of the virus.Results: Our results suggest that the subtype B epidemic was introduced to Iran from Southern China, Germany and the USA. Although the migration rate from the USA to Iran was found to be statistically insignificant, the results suggested that the USA was the earliest exporter of the subtype B to Iran (i.e. since 1974, 95% Highest Posterior Density (HPD): 1966-1974). Moreover, based on our findings, the CRF01_AE clade was first introduced to Iran from Thailand (1988, 95% HPD: 1986 - 1990). Among the factors contributing to the transmission of subtype B to Iran from Germany is the transit of goods and long-distance truck driving. However, the factors behind the transmission of this clade from the USA and Southern China remain unknown. Similar to many countries, the introduction of CRF01_AE from Thailand might be attributed to sex tourism.Conclusions: There is evidence to suggest that subtype B and CRF01_AE were introduced to Iran through multiple pathways and origins, including Germany, Southern China, the USA, and Thailand. Factors such as international trade, the transit of goods, and tourism are among themost likelymethods for transmission of these clades. However, the existing preventive strategies in Iran have been mostly focused on other risk groups, including sex workers and intravenous drug users. The findings of our study highlight the need for the further development of targeted preventive strategies, such as educational interventions, aimed at tourists, truck drivers, and people involved in international trade and transactions in order to prevent the onward transmission of disease.
