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Article
Publication date: 24 September 2019

Mahsa Mohajeri, Shiva Hoojeghani, Farhad Pourfarzi, Mohammad Ghahremanzadeh and Ali Barzegar

Obesity is a multi-factorial problem that develops from an interaction between diet, genetics, physical activity, medication, and other factors. This paper aims to examine the…

Abstract

Purpose

Obesity is a multi-factorial problem that develops from an interaction between diet, genetics, physical activity, medication, and other factors. This paper aims to examine the association between dietary diversity score (DDS) and obesity among adults of Ardebil.

Design/methodology/approach

This case-control study was conducted on 204 cases (obese and overweight participants) and 204 controls (healthy weight individuals) matched by socioeconomic status (SES), age (older than 30 years) and sex. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24 h food recall questionnaire. Data on physical activity and socio-demographic variables were gathered. DDS was computed based on the scoring of the 14 food groups recommended by the Food and Agriculture organization guideline.

Findings

The DDS of the obese group was higher (5.02 ± 1.02) than that of the healthy weight group (4.23 ± 1.18) (p < 0.001). There was a significant association between DDS and body mass index (BMI) in both groups of study, but this association was more significant in the obese group (β = 0.501, p = 0.021) than that of healthy weight group (β = 0.413, p= 0.042). Vegetable food group score in both groups of the study was associated with obesity inversely (p < 0.05).

Originality/value

This study was conducted for the first time in Ardabil city and the results showed for the first time that there is a relationship between dietary diversity and obesity. People with a higher dietary diversity score are more likely to be obese. In fact, this study for the first time proved that people who are obese have a more varied diet but less vegetables and fruits.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 50 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2020

Fatemeh Pazooki and Fahimeh Saboori

One of the largest floods in Iran happened in Nowruz in 2019, during which torrents of rain, flooding of rivers, landslides and the destruction of dams caused floods and led to…

Abstract

Purpose

One of the largest floods in Iran happened in Nowruz in 2019, during which torrents of rain, flooding of rivers, landslides and the destruction of dams caused floods and led to financial losses and loss of life in 25 provinces of Iran. During and after the flood, 39 public libraries were closed, three libraries were evacuated and one was completely destroyed.

Design/methodology/approach

Despite the damage that occurred in the libraries, the preventive measures had been taken by many of them to reduce the whole damage. In addition, after the flood, responsible organizations including Iran Public Libraries Institution, the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults and the Cultural and Art Organization of Municipality and the Mosques and Cultural Center, as well as other relief and social teams, and even people performed activities to reduce the negative impacts caused by the flood.

Findings

This article reviews these activities and their effectiveness. In the end, “the development of a plan for public libraries in natural and social crises” is proposed and the reasons for its necessity are discussed.

Originality/value

This article reviews these activities and their effectiveness. In the end, “the development of a plan for public libraries in natural and social crises” is proposed and the reasons for its necessity are discussed.

Details

Library Management, vol. 42 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2021

Mahsa Mohajeri, Sajad Narimani, Fardin Shahbazzadeh, Saniyeh Bahrampanah and Vida Ghaderi

Regular breakfast with a variety of nutrients can lead to improving educational performance, learning ability, reducing behavioral problems in elementary students. This study aims…

Abstract

Purpose

Regular breakfast with a variety of nutrients can lead to improving educational performance, learning ability, reducing behavioral problems in elementary students. This study aims to use the Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) to assess the mediating effect of self-efficacy in regular breakfast consumption among children of Ardabil elementary schools.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was performed between 300 students from elementary schools of different regions of Ardabil city by cluster sampling method. The instrument used in this study was the TTM standard questionnaire. Data was analyzed with Spearman correlation and regression using SPSS v18 software to identify the mediating effects of self-efficacy.

Findings

The mean age (SD) OF children was 11.2 (1.26) and 50% of them were female. Self-efficacy was the strongest predictor in stage promotion (ß = 0.44, P = 0.001), as well as had a mediating effect on the impact of other constructs of the model such as experiential processes (ß = 0.35, P = 0.04) and pros (ß = 0.44, P = 0.03) with stages of change. Pros were a significant predictor of self-efficacy in the first equation (ß = 0.17, P = 0.001) and Pros were a significant predictor of stages of change in the second equation when mediated by self-efficacy (ß = 0.11, P = 0.03). In the third equation, both the mediator, myself-efficacy and the predictor, Pros of breakfast consumption, were significantly associated with stages of change. The mediating effects of self-efficacy on the association between experiential processes and stages of change were also confirmed. The increased standardized beta coefficients of experiential processes between equations 3(ß = 0.35) and 2(ß = 0.29).

Originality/value

Due to the importance of eating a healthy breakfast regularly in children, this study aimed to use TTM to assess mediating effects of self-efficacy in regular breakfast consumption in Ardabil elementary students.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 52 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 February 2010

Farokh Parsizadeh and Mohsen Ghafory‐Ashtiany

This paper seeks to provide a brief summary on the comprehensive earthquake education program for increasing the public awareness and preparedness for earthquake through an…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to provide a brief summary on the comprehensive earthquake education program for increasing the public awareness and preparedness for earthquake through an integrated educational program using all types of media, especially in the schools and amongst children.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper will provide an overview to the program on the disaster management education for the managers; general public; and especially children's earthquake safety education in schools. This priority could be better highlighted by looking at the wide coverage of schools as well as the young age structure of Iran.

Findings

There is still a is a long way to go to achieve a fully prepared and seismically safe community and for this stronger cooperation and participation of the whole of society are necessary for enhancing public safety.

Originality/value

Finally, the paper strongly believes that the Iran experience is successful, one that can be shared and from which one can learn.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 August 2023

Franca Cantoni, Silvia Platoni and Roberta Virtuani

Frequently the universities' Placement Service is based on the student's hard profile at the expense of soft traits. On the other side, the “person–organization fit” axiom…

Abstract

Purpose

Frequently the universities' Placement Service is based on the student's hard profile at the expense of soft traits. On the other side, the “person–organization fit” axiom suggests firms are looking for profiles with specific soft skills to face the increasing level of environmental turbulence. This research aims to understand if high-resilience students also have high academic achievements and how the three components of resilience (emotional intelligence, positive thinking, planfulness) can have different impact on individual performances.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was conducted on students enrolled on different courses of studies and years in an Economics and Law faculty. A questionnaire was administered during the first exam session (ante-Covid) and the second and third exam sessions (post-Covid). This questionnaire consists of 84 questions related to planfulness, emotional intelligence and positive thinking, whose combination can be considered a measure of resilience. In fact, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was carried to identify these three new variables (the components) based on the 84 initial ones. Finally, an ordered logit model was implemented to verify whether, and in what direction, planfulness, emotional intelligence, positive thinking and Covid 19 (the independent variables) affected the students' performance (the dependent one).

Findings

While planfulness positively affected academic performance, emotional intelligence affected it negatively. The impact of positive thinking and Covid was not significant, and thus what emerged from the preliminary analysis of the grades is not confirmed.

Research limitations/implications

This is a case study of a university experience that is paying great care in preparing students to satisfy the firms' work demands. To confirm and refine results the sample will be expanded to other faculties and other life/soft skills will be investigated.

Practical implications

This soft trait approach—that studies how various measures of soft skills are related to course grades—has a two-fold significance by crafting universities' placement activities and facilitating firms' onboarding.

Social implications

This is a case study of a university experience; a university that is paying great attention to preparing students ready to satisfy the firms' work demands but also citizens capable of supporting the growth of their nation and society in general.

Originality/value

The research can be considered a first step towards the inclusion of the formal evaluation of the students' life skills in their academic path, creating a link with their achievements.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 65 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 May 2023

Fatemeh Amini, Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi and Jamshid Yazdani Charati

This study aims to compare the social support among patients with schizophrenia or methamphetamine dependency with healthy individuals.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to compare the social support among patients with schizophrenia or methamphetamine dependency with healthy individuals.

Design/methodology/approach

Using convince sampling, the authors recruited 80 patients (schizophrenia, n = 40; methamphetamine dependency, n = 40) and their companions (healthy individuals, n = 40) who were referred to a psychiatric hospital in a cross-sectional study in Sari, Iran. In in-person interviews, the authors collected data on demographic characteristics and measured social support using a standardized questionnaire.

Findings

The three groups were similar regarding age and marital status, but different in gender distribution (p = 0.001). The average social support score was 58.0 in the schizophrenia group and 42.3 in the methamphetamine-dependent group, both significantly lower than 63.6 in the healthy group (p = 0.001). The social support scores in schizophrenia and methamphetamine-dependent groups were significantly lower than those in the healthy group across all subgroups of gender (p < 0.04), age (p < 0.05) and marital status (p < 0.001). The methamphetamine-dependent group had the lowest score overall and across all demographic groups and social support subdomains.

Research limitations/implications

This study had two main limitations. First, the study samples were from one city and one hospital in the north of Iran and so may not be generalizable to other population and settings. Second, the authors did not study the causes or predictors of low social support like social stigma which should be studied in future studies.

Originality/value

Despite the limitations, this study found low social support for people diagnosed with schizophrenia or methamphetamine dependency. Intervention to increase social support for them, especially for those with substance use, is required.

Details

Mental Health and Social Inclusion, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-8308

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 June 2016

Sepideh Solhi and Emadeddin Rahmanian Koshkaki

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of social and business context of developing counties (in this paper Iran) on developing, forming and exhibiting…

748

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of social and business context of developing counties (in this paper Iran) on developing, forming and exhibiting entrepreneurial innovative behaviour leading to entrepreneurship. The developed model illustrates the most important factors in forming such behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, networked grounded theory was used to develop a path model for entrepreneurial innovative behaviour antecedents based on Iranian entrepreneurial context.

Findings

This paper shows that in Iranian entrepreneurship context, innovation is sensitive to local conditions and levels of technological capabilities. Also, Iran’s situation brings another aspect of innovation in mind, innovative behaviour of individuals in forms of entrepreneurships to compensate the lack of technology in the firms.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the research approach and the quality of grounded theory, data gathering tool and sampling process, the generalizability of this paper is limited or may be context oriented; the results of this research must be interpreted within its limitation and scope.

Originality/value

This paper is the first study trying to develop a model on entrepreneurial innovative behaviour in Iran which develops a model based on the realities of Iran rather than model based on developed countries with different basis and context.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Maryam Hasanzadeh, Fereshteh Kalantari, Hadi Emamat, Hamid Ghalandari and Hadith Tangestani

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional anemia in the world and a pervasive health problem, especially in developing countries. Children under two years of age…

Abstract

Purpose

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional anemia in the world and a pervasive health problem, especially in developing countries. Children under two years of age are more prone to be affected by IDA. The best strategy to prevent and treat IDA is to use iron supplements. This study aims to examine the factors associated with noncompliance (such as non-utilization or inconsistent usage) of iron drop supplementation among infants between 6 and 24 months old.

Design/methodology/approach

Online databases (PubMed, Scopus and SID) were searched to retrieve relevant articles published from inception up to July 2023. Among the 2,177 articles detected, after removing duplicate and irrelevant titles, 21 cross-sectional studies that met the authors’ inclusion criteria were included. Screening for articles and data extraction were conducted separately by two researchers.

Findings

The findings suggest that some factors related to mothers, such as education, knowledge, attitude and performance; some factors associated with child such as child’s gastrointestinal and dental complications; taste and smell of iron drops; and birth order and gender are the main determinants of adherence to iron supplementation.

Originality/value

It can be proposed that the most significant factors affecting the feeding of iron drops to children under the age of two include: the level of mother’s awareness, socio-economic status of the household and the occurrence of digestive complications following the supplementation. Given these observations, adopting proper policies toward improving the nutritional awareness of mothers and producing iron supplements with minimal side effects seems crucial.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

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