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: This study aimed to assess relationship between perceived benefits/barriers and decisional balance with stages of change for physical activity among high school students in Bandar Abbas, Iran.

Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted in high schools of Bandar Abbas, in the south of Iran. A total of 422 high school students were selected. Twenty two participants did not fill out questionnaires completely. A total of 400 questionnaires were analyzed (response rate=94.8%). The perceived benefits/ barriers to exercise and decisional balance were assessed using the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale and stages of change were assessed using the Physical Activity staging. Data were analyzed in the SPSS v.16.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 15.9 (SD=1.1) ranging from 14 to 18 years. More than half of the participants (51.8%) were male and 48.2% were female. About half of the participants (49.2%) were engaged in regular physical activities. Fifteen per cent of the participants in the precontemplation stage, 15.8% in the contemplation stage, 20% in preparation stage, 15.8% in action stage, and 33.4% in maintenance stage for physical activity. From precontemplation stage to maintenance stage, the perceived benefits and decisional balance were increased and the perceived barriers was decreased.

Conclusion: The results of this study are in line with the Transtheoretical model. This model can be used as a framework to design interventions for improving physical activity in population.