Rural Health Care Centers Research Articles

Evaluating Knowledge Regarding Cervical Cancer and Its Screening among Woman in Rural India.

Context Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among rural women of India. However, awareness of cancer of the uterine cervix and its screening coverage among the general population of India remains insufficient. Aims The study aims to assess awareness of cervical cancer and its screening among women attending a rural health care center in northern India and determine factors associated with satisfactory knowledge. Settings and Design A cross-sectional observational study was done among women attending a rural secondary health care center from Uttar Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods A total of 1088 women aged ≥30 years were interviewed using a pretested schedule. Data were collected for biosocial, reproductive, sexual, and personal habits of participants and their partners. Scoring for knowledge related to cervical cancer and its screening was done. Statistical Analysis Used Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square test was applied to detect the significant difference in distribution of bio-socio-demographic variables with knowledge score. Statistically significant variables were subjected to multinomial logistic regression. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval were calculated as odds of having poor cervical cancer awareness. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Most participants knew about cervical cancer as a type of cancer in women. Very few knew about symptoms, risk factors, and screening of the disease. Illiteracy and multiple sexual contacts were significant predictors of awareness. Conclusions The study demonstrates a lack of awareness in women regarding cervical cancer and its prevention, especially among those women who belonged to weaker sections of the society, because of illiteracy and poor socioeconomic status. Lack of awareness is a potential limiting step for a woman to seek cervical cancer screening. Multipronged strategies are needed to improve the level of cervical cancer awareness among women.

Quality of Life in Diabetic Patients of Rural Health Centers in Northwest of Tabriz City

Background and Objectives: Diabetes is a major health problem worldwide, with a high prevalence, especially in developing countries. Diabetic patients face several challenges and one of the most important issues in the care of these patients is their quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life of diabetic patients in rural health centers in the Northwest of Tabriz city. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 200 diabetic patients in rural health care centers in the Northwest of Tabriz were selected through convenience sampling. The short form health survey questionnaire (SF36) was used to measure The Quality of life. The Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytic statistics (T test, correlation coefficient, and Kruskal -Wallis Non parametric test). Results: Total mean score of quality of life was 54.42 (±11.23) and located in acceptable range. The highest score 77.51 (±23.61) was related to Bodily Pain Scale and the lowest 32.78 (±18.39) was role limitations due to emotional problems. The results showed that independent variables such as age, age of disease onset, marital status, educational level, type of treatment and family size had a significant relationship (P˂0.05) with the quality of life. Conclusion: Changes in quality of life dimensions are affected by individual, cultural, social and economic factors, and measurement of QoL in chronic diseases can provide useful information for the planning and care of these patients.

CLINICAL PROFILE OF RECURRENT HEADACHES AMONG THE CHILDREN RESIDING IN RURAL HABITATS

Introduction: Recurrent headaches can progress to very frequent or even daily episodes of headaches and could have an enormous impact on the life of the children and adolescents. Objective: To study the clinical profile of recurrent headaches among the children residing in rural area. Methodology: A cross- sectional study was conducted at rural tertiary health care centre among the children in an age group 5 to 14 years in year 2019. A total of 160 children were enrolled, interviewed and examined as per structured proforma includes study parameters. The data were analyzed using statistical software and presented in tabular and graphical form. Results: The mean age of participants was 4.43 years with a male to female ratio as 1.1:1. The proportion of primary recurrent headache was 76.2% of which tension and migraine type was 52.4% and 41.8% respectively. Among the total migraine cases, migraine without aura was reported in 90.1% children. Somatization disorder, 63.1% was the most common cause of a secondary headache. As the age increases, frequency of recurrent headache also increases denoted by p - value, 0.004* with higher proportion participants, 62.5% age group 11 to 14 yrs. The average duration of headache illness was 1.8± 0.9 years with the mean duration of headache episodes was 3.57 hours respectively. Conclusion: Recurrent headache is a commonly encountered entity in the children from rural background which was attributed to various etiologies. Most of the children with recurrent headaches in rural regions approach late to health care setup which leads to a crippling effect on productivity in various fields like education and development.

Rural Healthcare Center Preparation and Readiness Response to Threat of COVID-19

Brown, Jennifer MD; Guru, Swadha MD; Williams, Karen PharmD, BSPharm, BCPS-AQ ID; Florentino, Reyna MBA, CPHRM; Miner, Jean MD, MHA, MMEL, FACS; Cagir, Burt MD, FACS* Author Information

Courses on Basic Occupational Safety and Health: A Train-the-Trainer Educational Program for Rural Areas of Latin America.

Integrating basic occupational health services into primary care is encouraged by the Pan American Health Organization. However, concrete initiatives are still scarce. We aimed to develop a training program focusing on prevention of occupational risks for primary healthcare professionals. This train-the-trainer program was piloted at four universities in Chile and Peru. Occupational health or primary healthcare lecturers formed a team with representative(s) of one rural primary healthcare center connected to their university (Nparticipants = 15). Training started with a workshop on participatory diagnosis of working conditions. Once teams had conducted the participatory diagnosis in the rural communities, they designed in a second course an active teaching intervention. The intervention was targeted at the main occupational health problem of the community. After implementation of the intervention, teams evaluated the program. Evaluation results were very positive with an overall score of 9.7 out of 10. Teams reported that the methodology enabled them to visualize hazardous working conditions. They also stated that the training improved their abilities for problem analysis and preventive actions. Aspects like time constraints and difficult geographical access were mentioned as challenges. In summary, addressing occupational health in primary care through targeted training modules is feasible, but long-term health outcomes need to be evaluated.

Satisfaction of patients and primary care professionals with a teleophthalmology-based screening programme for diabetic retinopathy in a rural area in Castilla y León, Spain.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults in most developed countries. Early diagnosis and early treatment for retinopathy can reduce the incidence of severe loss of vision in a high percentage of sight-threatening DR. However, sight-threatening DR is asymptomatic in a high percentage of patients and no more than 50% of the diabetic patients are reviewed periodically in ophthalmology, mainly in rural areas. Telemedicine facilitates the exchange of information among professionals, reducing unnecessary journeys for patients who live in rural or remote areas. The survey of satisfaction is a highly useful quantitative instrument to obtain information directly from the users of a screening program. One aim of this study has been to determine the prevalence of DR in a sample of diabetic patients from a rural area of Spain and to classify DR patients according to the type and severity of this complication of the disease. The other main target was to evaluate the degree of satisfaction in both diabetic patients and professionals with a teleophthalmology-based screening program of DR. A sample of 114 diabetic patients included in a new teleophthalmology program for the screening of DR in Castilla y Le&oacute;n, Spain, were asked to take part in an in-person survey designed to evaluate the degree of satisfaction. This sample was obtained through a consecutive non-probability sampling technique, out of a total of 752 diabetic patients who underwent a retinography screening program in a distant rural healthcare center. The survey assessed aspects related to the information about the program the patients received, the organization of the center, the way the test was conducted and the reception of the results. All the included participants consented to participate in this study. Additionally, an anonymous survey was conducted via email. The sample was made up of 10 professionals responsible for taking the retinal images from the patients included in the study. This survey assessed their degree of satisfaction with their training, the way the test was carried out, the support from their managers and how this activity influenced their relationship with their patients. A high percentage of patients with DR in the study sample had a form of sight-threatening retinopathy (29.4%), which in this program is a criterion of referral to be assessed by an ophthalmologist. Of the surveyed patients, 93.8% scored eight points or higher for their degree of general satisfaction with the activity. All of them claimed they would prefer to continue their exploration at the healthcare center instead of going to the hospital. As regards the professionals, 70% scored eight points or more in terms of their degree of general satisfaction with the activity, whereas 20% scored between five and seven. One professional did not respond to the question. Finally, 90% stated that they would continue performing the activity, while the remaining 10% answered no. According to the high percentage of patients diagnosed with vision-threatening DR in this study, an early diagnosis of this complication of diabetes seems to be important. Teleophthalmology enhances patient accessibility to the healthcare system, making early diagnosis of DR easier, with a high degree of satisfaction among patients and healthcare professionals.

Reliability evaluation of stand-alone hybrid photovoltaic energy system for rural healthcare centre

This paper presents two methods for evaluation of reliability indices of stand-alone hybrid photovoltaic (PV) energy system. Markov model and frequency-duration (F-D) reliability techniques have been used for evaluation of reliability indices. Hybrid energy system is design and evaluated reliability indices for its configurations (Diesel only, PV/Battery and PV/Diesel/Battery). The system reliability is based on the system failure rate, interruption duration, unavailability, loss of load probability (LOLP), expected energy not supplied (EENS) mean downtime (MDT) indices, which are computed and compared different energy generation system configurations. This paper also presented hybrid energy system reliability analysis is based on monthly solar radiation and load demand data. It is observed that hybrid energy system failure rate, interruption duration, system unavailability, EENS, MDT and LOLP are least as compared to other configuration. The results show that hybrid PV/Battery/Diesel system is more efficient and reliable system as compared to other configurations. This research work will be useful for policymakers and system designers to determine optimal system in remote areas before installation.

A study of intravenous infusion of Paracetamol versus intramuscular Tramadol for labour analgesia with respect to VAPS score at a rural tertiary health care centre

A study of intravenous infusion of Paracetamol versus intramuscular Tramadol for labour analgesia with respect to VAPS score at a rural tertiary health care centre

Schizophrenia with obsessive-compulsive symptoms - neuropsychiatric manifestation in the context of underlying brain pathology: A case report from rural tertiary health-care center from Maharashtra

Obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) occur frequently in schizophrenia. Comorbid OCS or OCD can influence the course of schizophrenia. Comorbid OCS or OCD is associated with an increased severity of schizophrenia and poorer prognosis. Lacunar infarcts though not always, but often considered benign as they do not usually cause clinically significant neuropsychiatric or neurological deficits. In the current case report, we highlight a rare case of a 23-year-old male who presented with schizophrenia with OCS in the background of lacunar infarct in the left corona radiata on computed tomography of the brain, which later followed by focal ischemic changes in the subcortical left temporal, peritrigonal, and periventricular regions on magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. In the current case report, index patient suffering from schizophrenia showed a temporal association between the worsening of findings on neuroimaging and worsening of OCS, depicting the growing importance of neuroimaging in the field of psychiatry.

Association between cognitive impairment and criteria for frailty syndrome among older adults.

The association between cognitive impairment and physical frailty has been studied in older adults. The criteria degree of frailty may be keys to associated cognitive impairment. To analyze the association between cognitive impairment and the criteria for frailty. We cross-sectionally examined data from 667 older adults (≥60 years of age) from a study entitled 'Variables associated to cognition in elderly caregivers' involving patients in an urban and rural primary healthcare center. We defined cognitive impairment based on different groups of scores on the Mini Mental State Examination, and defined frailty and prefrailty using the criteria by the Cardiovascular Health Study. We performed multinomial regression models to analyze the association between levels of frailty and cognitive impairment. Similar proportions of women (54.8%) and men (45.2%) participated in the study (mean age: 71 years old). We found cognitive impairment, prefrailty and frailty in 34, 54, and 24% of the participants, respectively. Concomitant cognitive impairment and frailty was found in 13% of them. The chances of cognitive impairment increased up to 330% (Odds Ratio [OR]: 4.3; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 2.4‒7.7; p<0.001) among frail individuals, and 70% (OR: 1.7; 95%CI 1.0‒2.8; p=0.033) among prefrail individuals compared to robust/non-frail individuals. After controlling for age, education, place of residence and functional dependence, slowness and fatigue criteria were significantly associated with cognitive impairment. Older adults with frailty have a greater likelihood of concomitant cognitive impairment than prefrail and robust older adults. The prevalence of cognitive impairment and frailty is consistent with data reported in literature. The present findings contribute to the investigation of cognitive frailty.

Incidence and Distribution of Jaw Pathologies among 0-15 Years Age Group at a Tertiary Rural Health-Care Center of Maharashtra: A Retrospective Study of 10 Years.

Objective:This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of intraosseous jaw lesions among pediatrics (0–15 years of age) in a rural health-care center of Maharashtra and to determine the most common types of lesions and their distribution according to gender and anatomical site involved.Study Design:Histopathological data were collected from a database of lesions classified as intraosseous jaw lesions dated between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2015, from the archives of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Rural Dental College, Maharashtra, India. All the cases of jaw cysts and tumors among children under 16 years of age group were segregated and scrutinized further under the headings of type of pathologies, anatomical locations where they are most commonly seen, and the age/gender most pertinent to these pathologies.Results:The present study revealed that 114/3896 jaw lesions were pediatric jaw pathologies, of which odontogenic cysts were 67/114 and jaw tumors were 47/114. Among the cysts, 70% were developmental cysts and 30% were inflammatory cysts. The majority (71.6%) of the jaw cysts were found in the mixed dentition phase (7–15 years). Among the jaw tumors, 55% of them were categorized under odontogenic tumors and 45% were under fibro-osseous lesions. Similar to intraosseous jaw cysts, tumors of jaws were more prevalent under the age of mixed dentition, which was found to be 87%. Male predominance was seen and the overall male:female ratio was calculated as 1:0.52 and 1:0.5 for cysts and tumors, respectively. Mandibular posterior segment was found to be the most commonly encountered anatomical site in both the groups of cases.Conclusion:A large number of cases were recorded, which led us to a path of interrogation through which the reason for increased incidence was extracted, and it was agreed that though the pathogenesis remains the same in every individual, routine health checkups and early diagnosis may reduce the incidence and aggressiveness of pathologies, respectively, which was lacking at the rural area.

Predictors of mothers’ performance in daily use of five servings of fruit and vegetables by rural preschoolers

Purpose Using the PRECEDE model, the purpose of this paper is to determine the predictors of mothers’ performance in daily consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) in rural preschoolers. Design/methodology/approach This study was carried out on 350 mothers of preschool children who had health records in the rural health-care centers of Iran. To collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire based on the PRECEDE model was used. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 19 software. Findings The results showed that 11.42 percent of the mothers observed the FV intake for their children recommended by WHO. The independent t-test showed a significant difference between the mean scores of predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors. Originality/value This study showed that the rate of FV intake by preschool children in rural areas was much lower than the recommended WHO rate. To promote behavior, attention to the predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors seems to be necessary.

Hepatitis B Virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infections among Health Care Workers in Some Health Care Centers in Benue State, Nigeria

Introduction: Benue State of Nigeria has a high morbidity and mortality among individuals from HIV/AIDS. HBV is common among people who are at risk of/or living with HIV since both are transmitted in the same ways and in the presence of co-infection, there is increased risk for serious life threatening liver and other health complications. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of HBV and HIV infections among Health Care Workers (HCWs) in some health care centers in the state. Materials and Methods: A total of 255 randomly collected blood specimen of consenting HCWs from some health care centers located in Benue State were screened by ELISA for Hepatitis B virus markers. Antibodies to HIV 1and 2 were detected in sera using Determine (Alero, Japan) and Stat Pak (USA) test strips. Other information was obtained through administration of structured questionnaire and data generated were analyzed using Chi square (χ2) test. Results: Of the 255 sampled individuals, 221 (86.7%) showed serological evidence of exposure to HBV markers, some through natural infection (21.6%) and others (23.9%) through vaccination; 10.6% of the exposed were currently infected, while 30.6% were indeterminate. HIV antibodies were in 43 (16.9%) while 6 (2.4%) had both HBV and HIV infections. HIV significantly (P = 0.027) increased with increasing years of professional service in the health sector, similar to needle stick injury (P = 0.000) in this study. Both HBV and HIV were significantly higher (P = 0.025, P = 0.000 respectively) in individuals with history of previous surgery. Conclusion: Therefore, HBV and HIV infections are common among HCWs in Benue State. Hence, there is need to scale up vaccination coverage for HBV and upgrade the medical facilities especially in rural health care centers as well as intensification of programmes targeting safety and prevention for precautions.

The paradox of acceptance: A content analysis of Iranian married female adolescent in confronting pregnancy.

Adolescent pregnancy is a major health problem significantly associated with adverse effects on the health of both adolescents and their newborns. However, there is a lack of clarity over adolescent pregnancy from adolescents' perspective, particularly in the low- and middle income countries including Iran. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Iranian married female adolescent in confronting pregnancy. This qualitative research was conducted using conventional content analysis approach. Unstructured interviews with 24 female adolescents (aged 14–18 years) were used for data collection, and data analysis was done simultaneously. In this study, the participants were recruited from urban and rural primary healthcare centers (PHCs). The PHCs were selected randomly from several towns and villages of Guilan Province, Iran. The participants were recruited through a purposive sampling method. After data analysis, four categories were extracted from 24 interviews, including "actively accepting pregnancy", "passively accepting pregnancy", "hope and satisfaction" and "frustration and regret". These categories formed the main theme of "paradox of acceptance" in confronting pregnancy. The concepts that have emerged based on the results of the study can potentially help develop comprehensive and age-tailored health promotion programs to confront pregnancy more successfully for female pregnant adolescents. Further research, particularly on the long-term effects of teenage motherhood is suggested.

Sustainability Evaluation of Rural Settlements in South Donbaleh Roud Dehestan of Izeh County Using V-Promethee Technique and Fuzzy Inference

Purpose- Due to the dewatering of Karun Dam, the village of Southern Donbaleh Roud of Izeh County has been surrounded by water since 2004 until now and has been deprived of services and amenities and communication. Moreover, their access to the cities of Dehdez and Izeh has been limited. Given the importance of the issue, the aim of this study is to assess and evaluate the sustainability of development in rural areas of Southern Donbaleh Roud District. Design/methodology/approach- This research is based on the applied purpose and has an analytical- descriptive nature. Required data were collected using library and field (questionnaire) method. The area under study includes 18 villages and 1460 households. The sample size was estimated based on Cochran formula of 300 family guardians and the questionnaires were distributed among them. To analyze the data from the questionnaire, the Prometheus model (in the visual Prometheus software environment) and the fuzzy inference system (in MATLAB software) were used. Finding- Based on the Prometheus model, the villages are ranked according to three positive (Phi+), negative (Phi-) and pure flows. The villages with the highest positive minimum negative flows are in the first place, and the villages with the least positive and the most negative flows are at the last place of development sustainability. The results obtained from the Fuzzy inference system also indicate that the sustainability of the studied rural area is between the medium and low levels. Originality/value - There have been a lot of changes in spatial organization of the studied villages due to water logging of the villages. These changes have created disruptions in the system and functioning of the settlements and have affected the quality of life and wellbeing of the inhabitants. Because the construction of dams has destroyed the communicative routes between villages and the city, agricultural lands and gardens, schools, rural healthcare centers, residential houses, provincial villages and… and the villages have been left behind the dam so far. Therefore, considering the special circumstances of these settlements, the problems of these villages have been scientifically examined and addressed to planners and officials. Because, through this, the authorities and development experts gain knowledge about the opportunities and capabilities, limitations and impasse of the villages.

Development of a Three-dimensional Printed Emergent Burr Hole and Craniotomy Simulator.

Patients with a traumatic head injury (THI) require immediate surgical intervention, as rapidly expanding intracranial hematomas can be imminently life-threatening, not permitting transfer time to neurosurgical care in a tertiary care center. In rural and remote areas, where neurosurgeons may not be readily available, surgical intervention by Community General Surgeons (CGS) may be required. Currently, the CGS in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) do not have access to, or have experience training with, an emergent burr hole/craniotomy (EBHC) simulator. One of the barriers is the availability of inexpensive and reliable simulators to practice these skills. Therefore, a low-cost, three-dimensional (3D) printed EBHC simulator was designed and 3D-printed by MUN Med 3D (St John's, NL).The aim of this technical report is to assess the need for such simulator in rural and remote healthcare centers and report on the iterative development of the EBHC simulator. The 3D-printed EBHC simulator developed by MUN Med 3D was utilized during a general surgery workshop at the 26th Annual Rural and Remote Medicine Conference in St. John’s, NL. A total of six 3D-printed EBHC simulators were provided for the hour and a half workshop. At the end of the workshop, 16 participants were asked to provide feedback on the need for this simulator in their rural or remote environment as well as feedback on the physical attributes. The feedback received from the participants was overall positive, informative, and supported the need for the 3D-printed EBHC simulator.

Psychological aspects of quality of life of breast cancer survivors

Background: Cancer is one of the most important health concerns and evaluating quality of life in cancer patients is an increasingly important issue. Objectives: To assess psychological facets of quality of life of patient suffering from breast cancer and to establish the relationship with socio- demographic determinants. Material and methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted at rural tertiary health care centre among a total of 78 breast cancer patients in the year 2017. Data were collected by utilizing questionnaire focused on the psychological aspects of quality of life of breast cancer patients. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to find out significant association between demographic variables and quality of life. Results: Among the total of 78 breast cancer patients max, 65.3 % were in age group 45-60 years, 83.3% and 41.6% participants were unemployed and followed economic class II however; illiteracy was reported in 34.6% cases. The low age at diagnosis of disease was 30 years with max, 43.5% and 61.5% patients experienced very difficult to cope up with disease and treatment. Anxiety and depression each was experienced by maximum, 71.6% participants respectively however; almost similar psychological attitude was experienced by breast cancer patients. Determinants like occupation, economic status and marital behavior (p&lt;0.05) were significantly associated with psychological aspects of quality of life of breast cancer patients. Conclusion: Family support, counseling, quality health care services and breast cancer supporting group could induces confidence and positive attitude towards breast cancer as well as further quality of life.

Off‐grid hybrid renewable energy system for rural healthcare centers: A case study in Nigeria

AbstractPresented in this study is an optimal hybrid renewable off‐grid energy system model that supplies a typical rural healthcare center across the six regions in Nigeria. A technical and economic evaluation was carried out to identify the optimal off‐grid hybrid energy system combination based on photovoltaic (PV), wind, diesel generator and battery. Due to governments’ fuel subsidy in many developing countries, the pump price of fuel is reduced and not a true reflection of what is obtainable in a deregulated market. In order to comprehensively capture the reality, the study considered the effect of subsidy removal by carrying out a sensitivity analysis on the fuel pump price. Therefore, the impact of a change in diesel fuel pump price and interest rates on the economic performance criteria of the optimal configuration is explored. Results show that across all the locations considered, PV/diesel/battery system is the most economically viable with a net present cost and renewable fraction (RF) ranging between $12 779 and $13 646 and 70%‐80% respectively. The cost of energy (COE) is also estimated to range between 0.507 and 0.542 $/kWh.

Clinical profile and outcome of respiratory distress in newborns admitted in rural tertiary health care centre of Maharashtra, India

Background: Respiratory distress is most common symptom complexes seen in newborn infants lead to high mortality. The objectives were to study various etiological factors, maternal and neonatal risk factors for development of respiratory distress along with need for CPAP, mechanical ventilation and surfactant to assess the immediate clinical outcome in newborns.Methods: The study was conducted at Krishna Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Karad in period of January to August 2018. A total of 100 neonates who were admitted in NICU within 72 hours of life were studied by clinical examination and relevant investigations. The severity of distress was assessed by Silverman-Anderson scoring, Downe’s scoring and APGAR scoring respectively for neonates.Results: It was observed that max, 90% of the distress cases were of respiratory in origin and high severity of distress was observed among 27% newborns. The proportion of respiratory distress was higher, 51% in males and low APGAR score was reported in 14% cases. Among respiratory etiology of respiratory distress, high proportion was of TTNB 35.55%. The maternal and new born factors like maternal age &gt;30 years (32%), gestational age 28-30 weeks (87.5%), gravid 2 and 3 mothers (35%), female gender (32.6%), low birth weight (70%) developed severe distress respectively. The recovery rate of respiratory distress due to respiratory etiology was of 88.8%.Conclusions: Transient tachypnoea of new-born is the most common cause among new-borns with respiratory distress. New-borns with low gestational age, low birth weight baby, low APGAR score is more prone to develop severe respiratory distress.

Social cognitive theory-based intervention to promote physical activity among prediabetic rural people: a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe present randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the effectiveness of a theory-based physical activity (PA) intervention for rural patients with prediabetes. It was hypothesized that a PA intervention program based on the social cognitive theory (SCT) will modify fasting blood sugar (FBS) among rural people with prediabetes, which in turn will result in a decrease in diabetes incidence in the rural area.MethodsA cluster RCT on prediabetic people was conducted in Ahar, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. A PA intervention in prediabetes was performed over 16 weeks of follow-ups in 12 villages (six per arm). Residents (n = 272; n = 136 per arm) were invited to participate in the study through rural health care centers during screening for eligibility. Participants in the intervention and control groups were informed of their prediabetic conditions and encouraged to make appropriate changes to their lifestyles to modify their prediabetes. The intervention was an educational program delivered over 16 weeks and involved behavioral change techniques. Through the education program, the intervention group received one session per week lasting about 90 min (a total of 16 sessions). The importance of risk control with PA, the duration of hill climbing, as well as exercise and safety tips were explained in a brochure that was given to the participants. Anthropometric measures, glycemic status, and PA were evaluated at the beginning of the program and after 16 weeks of follow-up.ResultsThe PA program showed a reduction in FBS mg/dl at 16 weeks (large-effect-size Cohen’s d = −0.63, p = 0.001) compared to the control condition. PA intervention led to a large effect size on diastolic blood pressure (BP, − 1.01) and a medium effect size for systolic BP (− 0.57), body mass index (BMI, − 0.33), and weight (− 0.35). Based on generalized linear mixed model analysis, significant reductions in FBS (mg/dl), BMI, weight, and diastolic BP were found in the intervention group compared to the control group.ConclusionOur results support the effectiveness of an SCT-based PA intervention to reduce the risk of prediabetes developing into diabetes among rural patients with prediabetes. Findings suggest that implementation of SCT-based PA intervention for a rural population at risk of diabetes has potential benefits.Trial registrationIranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT201607198132N4. Registered on 1 September 2017. Prospectively registered.