Journal of School of Public Health and

Background and Aim: Access to reproductive health information and services is a basic right for the youth. Lack of suitable educational/counselling materials about reproductive health can decrease effectiveness of educational programs. This study aimed to determine the premarrital reproductive health educational needs of the youth.

Materials and Methods: In a descriptive-analytical study a total of 450 young males and females were selected by stratified random sampling to participate in pre-marital counseling in Tehran. Data about pre-marrital reproductive health educational needs were collected using a questionnaire developed by the investigator, with a 5 degree-Likert scale. SPSS-15 was used for data analysis, the statistical tests being t-test, one-tailed ANOVA and chi-square.  

Results: Based on the Likert scale (1-5), felt need for reproductive health education was 3, it being higher among females (p<0.05). Both the males and females thought that what they needed most was education/counseling on healthy sexual relationship. The educational needs did not seem to be influenced statistically significantly by socio-demographic variables in either gender.

Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it seems that the current educational materials are not sufficient for pre-marrital counseling. Comprehensive information on reproductive health, with particular emphasis on sexual relationship, should be included in the existing programs, so that the youth can begin a better, healthier married life.

Background and Aim: Educational programs for couples' mental health promotion in marital life are a necessity.  The first step in planning an educational program understands the needs of the target group. This paper reports the mental health educational needs in youth planning to marry.

Materials and Methods: In a descriptive-analytical cross sectional study, 450 individuals taking part in pre-marriage education courses in Tehran were selected by randomized stratified sampling. The data was collected using a questionnaire that measured the educational needs in the area of mental health by the 5-point Likert-type scale. Data analysis was done using the SPSS-15 software, the statistical tests being the independent T-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the chi-square test.

Results: On the whole, the subjects' felt need for mental health education was more than moderate (3 on the Likert scale) women expressed a higher need than men (p=0.001). The main concern of the participants - both men and women - was How to keep romance alive in married life. The extent of need expressed for mental education was not statistically different in different socio-demographic groups of women, while worker men expressed a higher need than self-employed men (P=0.018).                                                                        

Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, young people planning to marry have a felt need for education in the area of mental health. It is recommended to design and implement educational programs to promote their knowledge in this area with due consideration of priorities stated by them.

  Background and Aim: Women perceive menopause differently. Beside biological changes, women experience menopause based on the cultural scenarios. The qualitative research presented here is about how Iranian women perceive menopause within cultural scenarios.

  Materials and Methods : Data was collected during 4 focus group sessions and 6 individual in-depth interviews of women aged 40 years and older. Informants were selected from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The sessions were facilitated by using a semi-structured inventory focus group. Content analysis was adopted using combined free and analytical coding to reduce data, to extract meanings, to categorize domains and to obtain themes .

  Results: We categorized our findings into four main domains: gender role, the changes in socialization, social interactions and supporting resources. Descriptions of the later domain are going to be reported in subsequent manuscript.

  Conclusion: The women's understandings of menopause are shaped based on the specific cultural scenarios. Menopause recognized as a factor which changes women’s life line. Meanings as 'Loosing femininity' and 'changes in women's roles in the community' describe women's gender role, social interactions and changes in the socialization throughout the menopause years. The women’s misconceptions, accumulated myths, and ignorance about femininity were evidenced based on narratives. The majority of women raised ‘role change’ as an important determinant in social interactions. Gender role changes as well as women's socialization patterns have forced women to accept loosing femininity as a reality. Developing comprehensive and culturally sensitive health services to address women's needs in the climacteric years is suggested .