Evidence Based Health Policy,

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Background: Diabetes is currently one of the most prominent causes of mortality and among the intensifying concerns of public health in the world. Education and enhancement of people’s knowledge about this disease can play an effective role in diabetes prevention and control. The present study was aimed at assessment of the effects of the Health week’s programs about diabetes on the citizens of Fars Province.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical research, carried out interventionally, 501 people participated in the study both before and after the Health week. To define the sample’s volume, we used multi-stage cluster sampling. The study was conducted by using a made questionnaire which consisted of two parts, one part for demographic information and the other part for information about the people’s knowledge level of the Health Week and diabetes. The obtained data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Mc Nemar test, Paired t test, and independent sample t test in SPSS₁₉.
Results: The results indicated that holding up the Health Week had significant effect on enhancement of the participants’ knowledge about the disease and the ways of its diagnosis as well as the prevention methods (P-value < .001). In addition, there was a significant change in the frequency of health informational resources in mass media such as TV, radio, social media and internet, pamphlets and poster (P-value < .001), while no significant difference was observed through billboards, Healthcare centers’ staff, etc. before and after the week.
Conclusion: Informing people about the Health week and its programs through mass media can play an effective role in enhancement of people’s health knowledge and lead to prevention of  the disease and proper behavior to fight it.
 

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 Background: Life skills training is one of the ways to deal with stressful situations and risk-taking behaviors. Given the importance of life skills to deal with risk-taking behaviors such as smoking, the objective of this study was to examine the association between awareness, attitude and life skills and smoking status among boy students in Ilam, Iran.

Methods: This was a descriptive  study that was performed on 553 students in high school boy students in Ilam in 2018. Sampling was conducted in two steps: first, schools were selected by a random sampling method; second, one class was selected randomly from each school and each grade, and all of the students of the selected class were included using the census method. Data were collected through a valid and reliable three-part questionnaire, including demographic characteristics, life skills, and smoking status, and then analyzed by using descriptive and analytical tests at  SPSS₂₂ software.

Results: The mean age of students, age of smoking initiation as well as the mean of individuals Grade Point Average (GPA) was 13.58, 11.27, and 17.95, respectively. The mean score of awareness toward the harmful effects of smoking, attitude toward smoking, and normative expectations were estimated at 82.18, 32.6, and 68.04, respectively. The total score of life skills was 57.3, which was higher than average. The highest and lowest life skills score was related to problem-solving skills (56.75) and compatibility  skills (52.21). Besides, having friends and family members who smoke, attitude toward smoking as well as normative expectations were significantly associated with cigarette smoking status (P-value < 0.05).

Conclusion: Given the results of the study, the life skills score was moderate and far from the ideal status. Therefore, considering the smoking experience at an early age and focusing on life skills training is essential in elementary schools.