Yazd City Research Articles

Self-Care Behaviors in Preventing COVID-19: A Health Belief Model-Based among Families in Yazd City

Self-Care Behaviors in Preventing COVID-19: A Health Belief Model-Based among Families in Yazd City

Capturing public voices: The role of social media in heritage management

Social media platforms have been increasingly used by locals and tourists to express their opinions about buildings, cities, and built heritage in particular. Most recently, scholars have been using social media to conduct innovative research on built heritage and heritage management. Still, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) methods to analyze social media data for heritage management is seldom explored. This paper investigates the potentials of short texts (sentences and hashtags) shared through social media as a data source and artificial intelligence methods for data analysis for revealing the cultural significance (values and attributes) of built heritage. The city of Yazd, Iran was taken as a case study, with the particular focus on windcatchers, key attributes conveying outstanding universal values, as inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This paper has three subsequent phases: 1) state of the art on the intersection of public participation in heritage management and social media research; 2) methodology of data collection and data analysis related to coding people's voices from Instagram and Twitter into values of windcatchers over the last ten-years; 3) preliminary findings on the comparison between opinions of locals and tourists, sentiment analysis, and its association with the values and attributes of windcatchers. Results indicate that the age value is recognized as the most important value by all interest groups, while the political value is the least acknowledged. Besides, the negative sentiments are scarcely reflected (e.g., critiques) in social media. Results confirm the potential of social media for heritage management in terms of (de)coding and measuring the cultural significance of built heritage for windcatchers and also other attributes in Yazd and other case studies and scales.

From dreams to possibilities: the role of gender and family income in aspirations among youth in the city of Yazd

From dreams to possibilities: the role of gender and family income in aspirations among youth in the city of Yazd

Construction management using ranking effective factors on the construction cost overrun via fuzzy DANP and delphi technique

The primary objective of this paper is to examine the impact of several effective factors on the construction cost overrun projects which are experienced explicitly by developing countries. In this regard, a hierarchical analysis technique is employed for conducting descriptive and survey research to comprehensively evaluate the effective factors of the construction cost overrun in Yazd city in Iran. The statistical population consists of 150 members from the managers, officials, and contractors involved professionally in construction projects. The results show that the managerial factors have the highest score amongst the investigated effective criteria and the administrative factors and environmental factors come respectively at the second and third priority. Since management is the key element in construction projects, the cost overrun can be reduced by establishing new managerial approaches and redirecting the managerial criteria to a higher performance level.

Attitude and Factors Affecting Intention of Childbearing in COVID 19 Pandemic in Married Women of Reproductive Age Referred to Comprehensive Health Centers in Yazd City in Year 2022

Introduction: One of the serious challenges that societies all over the world are facing is the tendency of couples to have fewer children and to delay it. It is possible thatcovid-19 pandemic, in addition to the previous reasons, attitudes and factors affecting childbearing, may make couples physically and psychologically hesitant to accept the role of parents. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the attitude and intention to childbearing age during Covid-19 pandemic in married women of reproductive age in Yazd City in year 2022.
 Methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2022 to June 2022 on 225 married women aged 15-40 covered by comprehensive health centers in Yazd-Iran.
 The data were collected by completing the demographic information questionnaire, the Persian Version of Attitudes toward Fertility and Childbearing Scale that was approved in 2014 by Baezt et al.; obtaining a higher score indicated a more favorable attitude By answering to the open-ended questions, by self-reporting and electronically, the information related to the factors affecting the intention to have children was collected. The data were analyzed with SPSS16 software.
 Results: The results showed that the attitude towards having children in the research community was not favorable (66.96 ± 10.55). Economic problems (n=184, 81.1%), Covid 19 pandemic (n=129, 56.4%) and the importance to comfort and convenience of parents (n=70, 30.8%) was considered as one of the most important factors affecting couples intention to childbearing.
 Conclusion: Although the spread of communicable diseases and epidemics can affect the desire of couples to childbearing, but the economic problems and the economic consequences of the pandemic, had undeniable and greater effects on the desire of families childbearing.

Ecological Study of Noise Annoyance and Its Relationship with Sleep Quality of Residents adjacent to High- and Low-Traffic Roads in Yazd in 1399

Introduction: Traffic noise annoyance is one of the consequences of urban life which can have adverse effects on human health including sleep quality. The present study intends to investigate the extent of noise annoyance and its relationship with sleep quality of residents adjacent to high- and low-traffic roads in Yazd city in 1399.
 Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 1399 in Yazd. Data were collected using two standard questionnaires of assessing noise annoyance and Pittsburgh sleep quality. Responses were collected from residents around 10 high- and low-traffic roads, and a total of 200 samples were obtained randomly.
 Results: The mean score of sleep quality for all participants was 11.5 ± 35.25, and the mean score of noise annoyance was 3.73± 1.9. There was a significant difference between the average quality of sleep and the score of noise annoyance in terms the type of road (P/00.001). In general, there was also a significant and direct correlation between noise annoyance and sleep quality (r = 0.569, P = 0.001). But, the correlation between these two variables was not significant with the separation of the types of roads.
 Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, the quality of sleep of residents around high traffic roads is moderate, which suggests that noise annoyance caused by traffic affects the quality of sleep. In other words, the noise annoyance caused by traffic has reduced the quality of sleep in people living adjacent to high-traffic roads.

Evaluation of the Prevalence of Radix Entomolaris in First and Second Mandibular Molars in Yazd Population Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Introduction: The third root of mandibular molar teeth is the most important normal anatomical variation in these teeth. Failure to recognize the presence of this root is one of the most common reasons for treatment failure in these teeth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Radix Entomolaris in the mandibular first and second molars in the population of Yazd City using CBCT imaging.
 Methods: In this study, 217 CBCT images prepared in an oral and maxillofacial radiology clinic were examined. The presence of the third root in the first and second molar teeth of the mandible was investigated according to the gender of the patients and the side of the tooth placement. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software and Chi-Square statistical test. 
 Results: The prevalence of Radix Entomolaris in the present study in first molar and second molar teeth was recorded 5.1% and 1.8%, respectively. It was reported that its bilateral prevalence was 1.4%. In unilateral cases it was observed more on the right side. The occurrence of Radix Entomolaris had no statistically significant relationship with gender (P>0.05).
 Conclusion: The overall frequency of Radix Entomolaris in the population of Yazd City is 6.9%. Its frequency is more likely to be unilateral, mostly in the first molar and without the influence of gender.

Investigation and Evaluation of the Most Important Factors Affecting Non-Native Medical Tourists' Reception of the Historical City of Yazd Using Delphi Technique

Background: Medical tourism in Yazd city has been greatly developed as one of the treatment poles of the country and can be said that this industry has become one of the development axes of Yazd city. The purpose of this research is to identify the most important factors influencing the attraction of non-native medical tourists to the historical city of Yazd.
 Methods: The current research was of a qualitative type conducted in the fall of 1401. Desk research and Delphi method were used to collect data. The statistical sample of this study included 41 experts in the fields of treatment, tourism, and urban planning, and these experts were selected based on their related specialties using a snowball method. After studying the theoretical foundations of the research, 41 effective factors in attracting medical tourists were specified from related research texts, and during studying, categorization and editing, 23 indicators were provided to the experts in the form of a questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale, and at the end of the questionnaire, an open question was provided. After analyzing the answers, the results were recorded and a new questionnaire was created for the next stage, which was repeated 3 times. According to the results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test at a significance level of 0.05, the correlation between the factors was analyzed using the W. Kendall non-parametric correlation test and the SPSS 18 software, and the Delphi technique was used to achieve the research objectives.
 Results: In the course of data analysis, indicators with an average difference of less than 0.1 were confirmed, indicators with an average of less than 4 were removed, and other indicators were moved to the next stage. After completing 3 stages of the test, 12 factors were identified as the most important factors affecting medical tourism in Yazd city, and these factors were placed in 5 categories: characteristics of the treatment staff, characteristics of the hospital, economic factors, giving information and communication, and other related factors. According to W. Kendall's correlation coefficients obtained during the 3 Delphi steps, the convergence and agreement of experts' opinions were confirmed.
 Conclusion: Considering that infrastructure indicators, personnel skills and economic factors are among the most important indicators of attracting medical tourists to the historical city of Yazd, it is suggested that to develop medical tourism in Yazd city, these items should be taken into consideration in managing the current situation of medical centers; Furthermore, investment should focus on the development of medical infrastructure.

The Effects of Mindfulness Exercises on the Psychological Health of Active and Inactive Girl Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: In the face of stressful situations, people can be helped with purposive exercises that enhance cognitive functions but don’t reduce social performances. The present study seeks to examine the effects of mindfulness exercises on the psychological health indices of active and inactive girl students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on three major indicators of psychological health including attention, concentration, and stress.
 Methods: To this end, 80 girl students ranging from 15 to 18 years of age were selected from some schools in the city of Yazd, Iran. The selection was based on the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). In the pre-test phase, the students filled out a questionnaire about concentration and a stress questionnaire (DASS-21). They were then randomly classified into experimental active, experimental inactive, active control, and inactive control groups. The test groups attended 45-minute mindfulness training sesseions once a week for four weeks, while the control groups did their life routines. At the end of the last training session, the students took a post-test, and the results were recorded. The data were analyzed through repeated measures multivariate ANOVA in the SPSS software version 26.
 Results: The mindfulness exercises could significantly affect the active and inactive students’ attention, concentration, and stress (p < 0.05). Also, a comparison of the groups showed that the attendants in the test groups outperformed those in the control groups (p < 0.05).
 Conclusion: Based on the findings, mindfulness trainings seem to be useful to improve girl students’ psychological health indices.

Role of Positive Adolescent Development and Self-compassion in the Aggression Tendency of Female High School Students in Yazd City

Introduction: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the role of positive adolescent development and self-compassion in the aggression tendency of female students of high schools in Yazd City.
 Methods: The research design in this study was descriptive and correlational. The participants in this research were 362 female students in the second grade of high school in Yazd City in the academic year of 2020-2021, who were selected based on random cluster sampling In order to collect data, Goldhoff et al.'s Positive Development Questionnaire (2014), Self-Compassion Questionnaire (2003) and Bass and Perry's Aggression Questionnaire (1992) were used. Data analysis and correlation method based on the approach Structural equation modeling was done using AMOS software, version 21.
 Results: The results showed that the positive transformation of adolescence has a direct, positive and significant effect on self-compassion (β = 0.66 and P < 0.01) and a direct, negative and significant effect on aggression (β = -0.33 and P < 0.01) and self-compassion have a direct, negative and significant effect on aggression (β = -0.29 and P < 0.01) in the female students of the second grade of high school in Yazd City.
 Conclusion: self-compassion plays a mediating role in the relationship between the positive development of adolescence and aggression of female students in the second grade of high school in Yazd City and by increasing the positive development of adolescence and self-compassion in adolescents, their tendency to aggression can be reduced.

Relationship of Religiosity and Commitment with Tendency to Save Water Among Women in Yazd in 2022

Background: Water is one of the most valuable environmental factors that play a significant role in human life and health. Domestic fresh water is a basic need for human well-being and economic activities. Objectives: The present study investigated the relationship between religiosity and commitment to the tendency to save water among women in Yazd in 2022. Methods: This descriptive-analytical research was carried out in 2022. The research population included all housewives and working women who visited health centers in Yazd City. Three hundred fifty people were randomly selected. The data were collected using 3 questionnaires on the tendency to save water, religiosity, and commitment, which had been used in a similar study. The data were analyzed using SPSS24 software using Pearson correlation coefficient tests, descriptive statistics, chi-square, and t-test. Results: The mean age of the studied women was 33.05 ± 3.62. The mean scores of the tendency to save water, religiosity, and commitment were 42.18 ± 5.14, 41.67 ± 6.35, and 35.11 ± 6.84, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the tendency to save water score and economic status. The correlation matrix showed a significant positive correlation between the tendency to save water, religiosity, and commitment. Conclusions: Cultural factors such as religiosity and commitment or sense of responsibility, as two different elements that form people's attitudes, affect water consumption behavior. These results are much more important for married women in Yazd City because they have an educational role and are influenced by both religious and citizenship cultures.

Identity Integration of Afghan Immigrants in Iran: A Grounded Theory Study

Introduction: Iran has hosted foreign immigrants, mostly Afghans and Iraqis, for the past four decades. The number of Afghan refugees registered by the UN Refugee Agency in 2021, shows that among different countries, Iran is the second destination of Afghan refugees after Pakistan. One of the key aspects of immigrants' lives that changes in the context of life and residence in the host community is identity. Identity is an important element in the process of immigrant integration, reflecting the sense of belonging or alienation from the culture of host society by the migrant. This paper aims to explore the identity integration among the first- and second-generation Afghan immigrants in Iran. Method: The research has been conducted within the framework of a constructivist approach and a Grounded Theory research method. The sampling method was purposeful and snowball. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 participants in the cities of Yazd and Tehran. The theoretical coding method was used to analyze the research date. Findings: Findings indicate eight main categories including fear of identity expression, Iranian identification, identity concealment, identity crisis, comparison with Iranian peers, sense of belonging to ethnic identity, and comparison with Afghan peers were extracted. By summarizing the main categories, "identity purgatory" was obtained as the final core category. Discussion: According to the results of our field study, it can be concluded that the process of identity integration is not an intergenerational process for Afghan migrants, but it depends mainly on how migrants form their interpersonal interactions at the micro, intermediate and macro levels. Another challenge for immigrants is that they are unable to develop their different social identities in a way that allows them to affirm both their own ethnic as well as destination national identities.

Understanding the Elderly's Needs and Services regarding Services in Public Spaces in Yazd

Introduction: Active aging is among the important concepts of health influenced by effective public services; understanding adults' needs and services are of great importance. This study aims to explain understanding older adults' needs for services in public places in Yazd city. Methods: This qualitative study was done as conventional content analysis. Participants were 20 elderly people from Yazd selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was done in three levels of open coding and formation of sub categories and main categories. The study was evaluated and approved by four criteria of creditability, tranformability, reliability, and confirmability. Results: In total, 564 open codes were extracted. Then, primary codes were compared based on similarity, compatibility, and appropriateness, and 66 subclasses were obtained. 14 main categories were obtained by compressing the subcategories. The 8 main categories regarding different services included: healthcare, recreational, government agencies, transportation, communication and interaction, educational and research, religious and pilgrimage. In addition, regarding the older adults' needs, the 6 main categories included: improving the safety of places; providing effective education, mental, spiritual and social health development programs; improving services quality, reorganizing municipal services and provision of amenities. Conclusion: Paying attention to the needs of the elderly is necessary in planning for public spaces in cities. Regarding the need for comprehensiveness of services, it is suggested that the findings of this study be used in designing, implementing, and evaluating services in public places to their service needs and solve their problems.

The Effectiveness of Traplay on Depressive Symptoms and Grief of Bereaved Children in COVID-19 Epidemic

Introduction: The consequences of COVID-19 pandemic disease are undeniable and as an important health care event, it has led to the spread of anxiety, depression, fear, and chronic worrying among children. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Traplay on depressive symptoms and grief of bereaved children in COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: The present research was a quasi-experimental study. The statistical population of this study included all children aged 7 to 11 years without a father in 2021 in Yazd city. The study sample consisted of 30 children-parents who were selected by purposive sampling method and were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received 12 45-min sessions per week and the control group did not receive any intervention. In the pre-test and post-test stages, the groups responded to the Spuij et al. Prolonged Grief for Children Scale (2013), and the Kovacs Children's Depression Inventory (1977). The obtained data were analyzed by univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Based on the results, the main effect of the treatment variable on the post-test scores of depression and bereavement symptoms was significant. The results also showed that the mean adjusted scores of depression post-test and grief symptoms in the experimental group was lower than the control group. Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that Traplay treatment is effective in reducing the symptoms of depression and grief of bereaved children in COVID-19 pandemic. The educational method used has provided a suitable model to deal with these children.

The Role of Awareness, Attitude and Performance of Students of Yazd City in Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in 1400

Introduction: Preventive behaviors are among the most important strategies to fight against COVID-19. The level of awareness, attitude and performance of people towards COVID-19 is of great importance in accepting or doubting to receive the vaccine. The purpose of the current research is to investigate the role of awareness, attitude and performance of COVID-19 regarding the acceptance of the vaccine among university students in Yazd.
 Methods: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study based on the web. The studied population included university students in Yazd city. 392 students were selected by available sampling method. The questionnaires were completed online. To collect data, a standard questionnaire of awareness, attitude, performance, and acceptance of the vaccine was used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis through SPSS 20 software.
 Results: The results showed that the level of awareness, attitude and performance of female students was significantly higher than male students (p<0/05). The vaccine's acceptance level had no significant relationship with demographic characteristics. Also, the average score of awareness, attitude and performance of students who accepted the vaccine was higher than the students who did not believe in the vaccine; but, this result was not statistically significant (p<0/05).
 Conclusion: Considering the important role of people's awareness, attitude and performance towards COVID-19 in disease prevention, it seems that other factors such as the benefits and risks of the vaccine and the level of people's trust in the government and their country had an effect on the acceptance of the vaccine.

Assessment of the Knowledge and Management Method of Dentists in Yazd City about Ocular Complications after Injection of Local Anesthesia in Year 2021

Introduction: Local anesthesia is a routine part of all dental procedures that can cause complications. One of the most important side effects of intraoral anesthesia is ocular disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and proper management of dentists in Yazd City regarding ocular complications following local anesthesia injection.
 Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 193 dentists working in Yazd City were included in the study based on census sampling and they completed a questionnaire, which was consisted of two parts: demographic information and questions referring the knowledge and practice; data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software and ANOVA and T-test and Pearson correlation coefficient.
 Results: Mean knowledge score of the participantswas 1.21 ± 0. 6 with a variation range of 0 to 2. The mean awareness score of women was higher than of men, and a statistically significant difference was observed (P-value≤0.05). There was no significant relationship between awareness score and level of education, work experience and age (P-value≥0.05). Only 13.1% of general dentists and 25% of specialists had experienced ocular complications after intraoral anesthesia injection.
 Conclusion: Dentists of Yazd City had an average knowledge about ocular complications following local anesthesia injection and due to the great importance of prevention and management of ocular complications following local anesthetic injection, it seems necessary to hold retraining courses on this topic and how to manage it.

Evaluation of the Knowledge of Dental Students about Radiographic Changes of Maxillary Sinus in Panoramic Radiographs

Introduction: Given the high prevalence of maxillary sinus lesions, the significance of their early diagnosis, and the role of radiography in the diagnosis, the purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of senior dental students in Yazd City, Iran in 2021 regarding radiographic changes of the maxillary sinus in panoramic radiographs.
 Methods: In this analytic study, 53 senior dentistry students in Yazd City in year 2021were selected in the form of a census and their knowledge were assessed using a questionnaire containing 20 knowledge questions. Data were analyzed through SPSS ver.17 software and using t-test, ANOVA, Chi-square and fisher-exact.
 Results: In this analytic study, 53 senior dentistry students with an average age of 25.6 ± 2.3 participated in this study. Their average knowledge score was 7.13 ± 2.12 out of 20. There was no significant difference in the average score of knowledge according to age, sex, type of entry and GPA of students (P<0.05).
 Conclusion: According to this fact that senior dentistry students in Yazd City have insufficient knowledge about radiographic changes of maxillary sinus; It seems necessary to revise the educational methods according to the educational curriculum.

Awareness and Function of General Dentists about Tooth Wear in Yazd in Year 2022

Introduction: Definitive diagnosis of restoring worn surfaces and simultaneous control of the causes of these wears is considered a viable therapeutic option. This study was designed to evaluate awareness and function of general dentists about tooth wear in Yazd, 2022.
 Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 153 dentists working in Yazd City, Iran were randomly selected and their knowledge and practice were assessed using a valid and reliable reasearcher-made questionnaire containing 13 knowledge questions and 13 practice questions. Data were entered into SPSS 16 software and analyzed using t-test, chi-square, exact fissure tests.
 Results: 153 dentists with a mean age of 28.07 ± 3.69 were included in this study. The mean knowledge score was 8.5 ± 1.6. The mean practice score was 8.45 ± 1.6. Knowledge and practice score was not significantly associated with age, gender and work place (P> 0.05), but knowledge and practice was significantly higher in dentists with less than five years of work experience (P˂ 0.05).
 Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, the level of knowledge and practice of dentists in Yazd City was moderate. Therefore, it is necessary to develop educational programs to raise the level of knowledge and practice of dentists.

The Optimized Location of Hospitals Using an Integrated Approach GIS and Analytic Hierarchy Process: A Case Study in Iran

Background and Purpose: Adopting a proper location for a hospital will result in allocating optimal resources, improving access to health care, improving the quality of hospital services, reducing the waste of time, reducing energy consumption, decreasing costs, and reducing traffic. Accordingly, this study was conducted to adopt the optimal location for hospitals in Yazd City, Iran. Materials and Methods: This research is descriptive in terms of type and applied in terms of objectives. The used criteria for this study covered data related to military, residential, sports, industrial, green space, education, population density, communication roads, and available hospitals. All effective criteria were distinguished, and a map of each criterion was provided to locate the hospitals optimally. The weight of each criterion was determined by the analytic hierarchy process method and applied to the maps in the GIS software environment. The final land valuation map was prepared by combining the maps to construct the hospital. Results: The highest weight was calculated for the population density layer (0.24) and the lowest for the sports layer (0.025). The classified map to construct a hospital in Yazd City, Iran was classified into 5 categories, from very appropriate to very inappropriate. The map revealed that about 34% of the studied area is appropriate for building a hospital. Conclusion: Due to the importance of proper geographical access to hospital treatment facilities, it is recommended that new hospitals in Yazd be constructed on very appropriate land plots, and the priority in building a hospital to be very appropriate land plots located in the fourth district.

Effectiveness of the Positive Youth Development (PYD) Program on reducing aggression among high school female students

BackgroundThe positive youth development program highlights the abilities of adolescents and young people. This concept emphasizes that teenagers are capable of making positive changes (such as: flexibility, Responsibility, Identify abilities). This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Positive Youth Development (PYD) program on reducing aggression among high school female students in Yazd city. Iran.MethodsThis was a quasi-experimental study, using pretest-posttest design with a control group. In the 2019–2020 academic year, the statistical population comprised all female students in high school first and second years in the city of Yazd, Iran. Using purposive sampling and based on include and exclude criteria (high risk of aggression due to their scores on a screening test and Parental consent to participate in the class) 30 female students were selected. Randomly, they were assigned to an experimental(n = 15) and control groups(n-15). The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire was conducted on students. The experimental group had 8 intervention sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. The data were subsequently examined using Analysis of Covariance(ANCOVA).ResultsThe dependent t-test revealed a significant difference between the pretest-posttest aggression scores in the experimental group, but there was no significant difference in the control group. There was no significant difference in the mean scores of physical aggression, anger, and hostility in the experimental and control groups, but a significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups in the mean verbal aggression scores.Conclusiontraining of positive youth development did not affect on aggression and its three dimensions (physical aggression, anger, and hostility) and only affected adolescent verbal aggression.