Background: Medication adherence (MA) is a crucial factor in effectively managing hypertension (HTN). Southeast Asia (SEA) is one of the regions with a significant burden of HTN. Understanding MA among patients with HTN is vital to identifying gaps and potential strategies to enhance its use and effectiveness for this region. However, little is known about MA among this population. This review study aimed to identify MA strategies implemented in previous studies on older people with HTN in SEA. Methods: This scoping review was conducted from 2013 to 2023 by searching the Global Medicus Index, PubMed, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, CINAHL, Wiley, Garuda, and Google Scholar and grey literature to identify the aims of this paper using keyword variations such as "elderly" OR "older people" AND "hypertension" OR "Hypertensive" OR high blood pressure" AND "medication adherence" OR "medication compliance" AND "southeast Asia". Three reviewers independently examined the results, and the extracted data were then organized, categorized, and summarized. Results: Out of 742 studies reviewed, 16 met the criteria and were included in this review. The evidence indicated that MA rates among older people with HTN in several countries in SEA were considered poor, with various reasons for non-adherence. Family support and level of knowledge were found to be the most common supportive factors for MA. Some studies demonstrated negative perceptions toward medication, with previous reviews reporting the use of herbal medicine as self-treatment due to fear of side effects of prescribed medications. Conclusion: The level of adherence to prescribed medication among older people is considered low in the reviewed studies. The main reasons for non-adherence are negative perceptions toward prescribed medication, which were also expressed in some studies. Moreover, various efforts were made by individuals to improve their adherence to medication use.

Background: Diabetes is a significant and costly health problem worldwide, requiring effective interventions to improve adherence. The aim of this study was to increase treatment adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes using constructs from the Health Belief Model (HBM). Methods: An educational intervention consisting of four sessions was conducted on 100 patients with type 2 diabetes referred to the Diabetes Clinic affiliated with the Social Security Organization in Mobarakeh, Isfahan province, Iran. The mean difference before and after the intervention in HBM constructs and self-efficacy activities was compared using independent t-tests. The association between self-care behaviors before and after the educational intervention in both groups and the expected value of a part of the HBM was examined using linear regression. The threshold for statistical significance was P<0.05. Results: After the intervention, the mean difference scores for all components of the HBM and self-efficacy increased significantly in the intervention group. In linear regression analysis, perceived vulnerability was the only variable that showed a direct and significant relationship with self-care in the intervention group. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that patient education improved all HBM constructs related to treatment adherence. This underscores the importance and effectiveness of self-care education in controlling blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of an educational program on the mammography screening stage of change among rural women with low health literacy. Methods: In general, 52 rural women participated in this experimental study. The samples were selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method and divided into two intervention (n=26) and control (n=26) groups. An educational program was implemented for the intervention group for one month. The data collection tool was a valid questionnaire based on constructs of the transtheoretical model (TTM) related to mammography screening, which was completed in the pre-test phase and after three and six months. The data were analyzed using SPSS 16 at the significant level of 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference between the control and intervention groups at the pre-test phase (P>0.05). The intervention group demonstrated considerable progress in the stage of change for mammography screening after three- and six-month follow-ups (P<0.001, odds ratio [OR]=2.54). The odds ratio of progress in the stages of change in the intervention group compared to the control group significantly increased after three (P<0.001, OR=4.29) and six (P<0.001, OR=5.45) months of follow-up. In addition, the findings indicated a significant increase in the mean scores of decisional balance, processes of change, and self-efficacy in the intervention group compared to the control group three and six months after the educational intervention (P<0.005). Conclusion: The educational program significantly advanced mammography screening stages among rural women with low health literacy. These results highlight the program’s effectiveness in enhancing screening behaviors in this underserved population.

Background: One of the most prevalent and lethal cancers worldwide is colorectal cancer. Considering its impact on people’s lives, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of educational intervention (EI) based on the health belief model (HBM) on encouraging men aged 50-70 years in Sangan to undergo colorectal cancer screening (CRCS). Methods: In this randomized educational trial, two health centers of Sangan were randomly assigned to the control and intervention groups. Then, 53 people from each health center were selected using simple random sampling method. A questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. Therefore, the intervention group received EI based on HBM in four 60-minute training sessions (TSs) in 3 groups of 15-20 people by different teaching methods. Additionally, the practical steps of doing the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) were taught in these sessions. One month after the EI, data were analyzed using SPSS version 18.0. Results: Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in the constructs of the HBM between the groups (P>0.05), except for the perceived barriers (P=0.009). However, one month after the EI, there were significant differences in the constructs between the groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: It seems that the EI based on HBM has positive impacts on encouraging people to do FIT for CRC prevention.

Background: School health is a key component of school reform, and it is essential to address health issues that are relevant to education and incorporate key actors such as the government and other relevant stakeholders. This review article aimed to examine the role of governments in fostering healthier school systems for learners. Methods: This paper examined existing literature, policies, and programs and identified effective approaches to promoting holistic well-being within educational settings. Scientific databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science, and the websites of international organizations including the WHO, UNESCO, and UNICEF were searched. Results: Through case studies and best practices from different regions including Nepal, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, and Kenya, this review illustrated the potential impact of government-led initiatives in promoting school health. In this regard, health impact assessment can help policymakers understand the health implications of their policies and identify ways to improve health while minimizing harm. The government’s role includes enactment and assessment of policies that improve school programs, establishing accountability and regulatory framework, facilitating decision-making, collaborations with other stakeholders, and coordination. Conclusion: This article provided insights and recommendations for policymakers seeking to prioritize the health and development of students in their jurisdictions. Implementing the school health program is essential for achieving both the nation’s goal of health for all and the sustainable development goals.

Background: This study compares traditional teaching methods with cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) technology to assess its effectiveness in teaching basic concepts to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: Thirty-two children with ASD were included in the study and randomly assigned to either the VR or the control group. For the VR group, a teaching material was developed as an easy-to-play VR game called Geometry Park to teach concepts of shapes and colors to children with ASD, by virtually traveling through a world filled with geometrical shapes in different colors and sizes. For the control group, similar teaching material was prepared using flashcards with shapes and colors similar to those in Geometry Park. Each subject underwent ten play-and-learn sessions. At the end of the sessions, the research assistant asked them to identify 23 shapes and colors using "test flash cards" and reported the scores for each item. Results: The result of the two-sample t-test did not show a statistically significant difference between the means of the two groups (P=0.45), which might be a false negative due to Type II error. However, a medium effect size was observed for the VR group compared to the control group (Cohen’s d=0.39). Conclusion: The results of this experiment did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the VR and the control groups. However, a medium effect size was found for the VR group, which is "clinically significant".

Background: Despite the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in China in 2016, the uptake rates of HPV vaccination were low. This study aimed to assess the status of HPV vaccination and identify associated factors influencing HPV vaccination among female medical college students in Hubei province. Methods: Using a multistage sampling method, this was a cross-sectional study conducted in six colleges in Hubei province in 2023. The data were collected by web-based online software. Multiple logistic regression was applied to explore factors associated with the uptake of the HPV vaccine. Results: Overall, 1148 female medical college students were enrolled in this study. Approximately 13.9% of participants reported receiving the HPV vaccine. About 85.5% of unvaccinated participants showed high levels of intention to receive an HPV vaccine in the future, and 89.1% of the participants had accessed information about the HPV vaccine from the Internet. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that knowledge pertaining to HPV and the HPV vaccine, factors aligned with the protection motivation theory (PMT), and socio-variables such as the mother’s educational background and the presence of vaccinated family members were associated with the uptake of the HPV vaccine. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the HPV vaccination was associated with the knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived response efficacy, and self-efficacy of HPV and the HPV vaccine among female college students. Therefore, increasing HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge within the framework of PMT may serve as an effective strategy to promote HPV vaccination rates among college students.

Background: A variety of factors can affect anxiety about having surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the level of health perception and preoperative anxiety levels of surgical patients and to investigate the relationship between them. Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted on 315 surgical patients in the preoperative period in the inner region of Turkey. The data were collected using the "Descriptive Information Form", "Health Perception Scale", and "State-Trait Anxiety Inventory". Multiple regression analyses and structural equation modelling were used to evaluate the data. Results: The mean scores of the Perception of Health Scale and the State Anxiety Inventory were 43.78±6.52 and 41.10±10.89, respectively. There was a positive relationship between health perception and anxiety. Anxiety explained 1.8% of the health perception score, while age, educational status, income status, health status, hospitalization, history of surgery, and state anxiety scores explained 15% of the health perception score, according to the model created in the study. Conclusion: Understanding factors affecting preoperative anxiety may help identify patients at high risk of anxiety. Factors that cause anxiety should be investigated, and factors that increase the level of anxiety should be known. The effect of more factors should be investigated to explain preoperative anxiety. Understanding perioperative anxiety in the patient will help provide quality nursing care.

Background: This study was conducted to determine how the theory of planned behavior (TPB) can be applied as a theoretical framework for managing iron deficiency anemia among student girls. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in descriptive and interventional phases on student girls residing in Fariman, Iran. In the descriptive phase, 200 students were selected by multi-stage random sampling. In the intervention phase, 80 students were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Data were collected using two questionnaires. One questionnaire included questions about demographic variables, and the other was a TPB construct questionnaire. The educational program was held based on the TPB model for the intervention group in four sessions. The intervention was evaluated immediately and three months after the training session. The data were analyzed by SPSS 20 using repeated measures, ANOVA, t-tests, and linear correlation. Results: In this study, the research sample consisted of 200 student girls with a mean age of 13.11±0.5. Before the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in the average preventive nutrition behavior score between the two groups (P>0.05). However, after the education in the intervention group, the subjective norm score and perceived behavioral control increased from 8.19±0.98 to 8.88±1.2 and from 18.1±3.6 to 19.8±3.3, respectively. In addition, intention and preventive behavior increased from 14.6±2 to 16.05±1.9 and from 24.8±4.5 to 26.9±4.1, respectively. These differences were found to be statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that educational interventions based on the TPB model can be effective in promoting preventive behaviors for anemia.

Background: Non-pharmacological interventions, such as healthy dietary approaches and physical activity, have always been a crucial part of hypertension (HTN) control in clinical practice. These non-pharmacological interventions, however, have never been reviewed in the literature of Arab countries. This review has quantified and evaluated non-pharmacological interventional studies conducted in Arab countries until 2023. Methods: Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Science Direct, Scopus, ERIC, ProQuest, Springer, Google Scholar, and CINAHL were explored from database inception until September 2023. Articles of relevance were screened based on their titles and abstracts for selection criteria. Eligible studies were reviewed, and information was retrieved. Jadad scores and the Downs and Black checklist were used to evaluate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies, respectively. Results: A total of 12 RCTs and 5 quasi-experimental studies met the selection criteria. The studied interventions were eHealth applications, educational programs, wet cupping, physical exercise, adherence therapy, green tea, lifestyle interventions, dietary approaches to stop HTN, motivational interviewing, and cold hibiscus beverages. The most commonly used outcome measure was blood pressure. Nine studies scored high quality. The low and neutral quality scores were mainly due to loss of blindness, poor reporting of participants’ characteristics, loss of follow-up, and failure to account for potential confounders. Conclusion: There is a scarcity of HTN non-pharmacological interventional studies, aside from the low or modest quality of nearly 50% of them. Hence, it is recommended that further high-quality interventional studies focus on the areas of dietary approaches (especially DASH), exercise, theory-based education, and behavioral counseling in Arab countries.