Background & Aim: Diabetes is the most common disease due to metabolism disorder with long term complications. Self-care is a basic factor in control of the disease. If diabetic patients perceive the benefits of self-care behaviors, then the perceived barriers will decrease(net benefit)  and the likelihood of engaging in self-care behaviors will increase. This study was carried out with the aim of determining perceived benefits/barriers to self-care behaviors and it&aposs relation with practicing self-care behaviors among diabetic patients referred to Yazd diabetes research center.

Methods & Materials: This is a cross-sectional study. Study subjects (n=120) were selected among patients referred to Yazd diabetes research center. Data were collected using a two-section questionnaire. The first section was to assess demographic characteristics of the subjects and the second section was to assess perceived benefits and barriers and self care behaviors constructs.

Results: Perceived benefits score among the patients was 88 per cent and perceived barriers score was 27.75 per cent. Self-care behavior was done by 62.79 per cent of the patients. There was a significant relationship between perceived benefits and diabetes duration. Perceived benefits was also positively correlated with self care behaviors (P=0.01). There was also a negative correlation between perceived barriers and self-care behaviors (P=0.01). Net benefit also had a direct correlation with self-care behavior with P=0.01. Perceived benefits and perceived barriers also had a negative correlation with each other with P=0.01. Perceived benefits and barriers accounted for 28.2 percent variance of self-care behaviors.

Conclusion: Perceiving benefits of self-care behaviors by diabetic patients will cause an increase on practicing self-care behaviors and this will be more possible if the barriers to self-care behaviors be minimized. Therefore, for promotion of diabetic patients&apos quality of life, attention to these important factors is recommended.

Background & Aim: Self-care activity is a key factor in managing Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in order to reduce disability caused by the disease. Predisposing factors including knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy are introduced as determinants of self-care behaviors in the forth phase of PRECEDE model, i.e., ecological and educational assessment. This study aimed to assess the relationship between the predisposing factors and self-care behaviors in patients with RA in Yazd, Iran.

Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sampling was used to recruit 181 outpatients with RA referred to a rheumatology clinic in Yazd, Iran. Data were collected by conducting interviews with the participants using a survey questionnaire included knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy, as predisposing factors and self-care behaviors items. Reliability and validity of the instruments were examined and approved. The statistical tests included bivariate correlations, Mann-Whitney U test, and linear regression.

Results: Knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy scores were 71.7%, 66.9%, and 47.5%, respectively. The total predisposing factors score was 62.3%. There was a significant positive correlation between the self-care behaviors with attitude and self-efficacy. However, there was no significant correlation between the patients&apos knowledge and self-care behaviors. Totally, the measures explained 39.3% of total self-care behaviors variance within which the self-efficacy was the strongest predictor (β=0.41).

Conclusion: Regarding the high power of predisposing factors, especially self-efficacy, in predicting self-care behaviors and the low scores of self-efficacy, health promotion planners should pay more attention to predisposing factors of self-care behaviors especially the self-efficacy in designing health promotion programs.

  Background & Aim: Cervical cancer is the fourth common cancer worldwide. Pap smear is a usual t est to screen cervical cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine factors associated with Pap smear screening among married women aged 15-49 years in Lamerd health centers based on the Protection Motivation Theory .

  Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 220 married women aged 15-49 years were selected. Data were gathered using a questionnaire designed based on the Protection Motivation Theory. The questionnaires were completed via individual interviews with the participants. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were approved. Data were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis, U-Man Whitney test and c ² in the SPSS-16.

  Results: Most of the participants ( 40%) had a high school diploma and 70% of them were housewives. Most of the participants (65.6%) had used the test once at least. There were statistically significant relationships between the use of Pap smear with the protection motivation against cervical cancer (P<0.001 ), perceived self-efficacy ( P =0.002 ), perceived response efficacy ( P =0.007 ) and perceived costs ( P <0.001 ) .

  Conclusion: Regarding the statistically significant relationships between the constructs of the Protection Motivation Theory and the use of Pap smear screening test among women , it is recommended to design educational programs based on the Protection Motivation Theory to encourage married women for using Pap smear screening test.