Journal of School of Public Health and

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Background and Aim: Social capital composed of networks, norms and values, which facilitates cooperation within and between groups to achieve mutual benefits and common goals. Social capital increases the benefits of investing in physical and human capital. In a society that favors more social capital, collaboration is easier. This study investigates the validity and reliability of a social capital tool, which had been administered through a large population-based survey using factor analysis.
Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART-1) survey in Tehran. Factor analysis is a method of discovering structural position of variables to reduce them into a limited number of components which are more fundamental. The reliability of the questionnaire and main components of the tool were investigated through factor analysis.
Results: According to factor analysis, three main components of social capital including, individual trust, cohesion/ social support and social trust/associative relations, were recognized. These three components explained 66.14% of total variance of the social capital tool. Also, overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.88 which indicates high reliability of the questionnaire.
Conclusion: Social capital tool, which was administered in Urban HEART project, covers the main components of social capital framework with high reliability and validity, which is suitable to be used in other population-based surveys.

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Background and Aim: The human mental health is a multidimensional and complex issue affected by a wide range of biological, psychological, sociological, economic and cultural factors. Considering the social nature of human life, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between some social variables, e.g., social support, social bond, social trust and social status, and teachers’ mental health.
Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional quantitative survey using a questionnaire to collect. The sample included 373 primary school teachers (first and second grades) in Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran selected in 2020 by multi-stage random sampling.  Data were analyzed using the structural equation modelling technic, with the SPSS-25 and Amos-23 software.
Results: The confirmatory factor analysis of the items showed that they could explain 63.25% of the variance of the teachers' mental health variable, the social support, social status and social trust variables affecting it (0.65, 0.45 and 0.18, respectively), with a confidence interval of 99% and p<0.001. On the whole, the independent variables could explain 76% of the variance of the teachers’ mental health. In addition, moderation analysis showed that in general gender moderates the effects of social variables on the teachers’ mental health, the female gender having stronger effects in these relationships.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that primary school teachers' mental health, which is an individual/private phenomenon, is greatly affected by their quality of social life, some factors such as social support, social status and social trust potentially influencing it. Moreover, this effect is much more pronounced among women than men.        

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Background and Aim: Fertility declining to a level too low for replacement and preventing its negative consequences have led to changes in the country's population policies. Understanding the causes of declining fertility and proper policymaking to increase it requires prompt action on the part of researchers and policymakers in different social and health fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different components of perceived social support  ̶  instrumental support, material support and emotional support  ̶  on women's fertility intention. 
Materials and Methods: This was a survey conducted in the suburban areas of Bushehr Province, Iran. Using multi-stage cluster sampling a total of 600 eligible women aged 18-44 years old were selected. The questions used to measure fertility intention and social support dimensions of the women were extracted from the standard questionnaire used in international research.
Results: The data showed thaBackground and Aim: Fertility declining to a level too low for replacement and preventing its negative consequences have led to changes in the country's population policies. Understanding the causes of declining fertility and proper policymaking to increase it requires prompt action on the part of researchers and policymakers in different social and health fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different components of perceived social support  ̶  instrumental support, material support and emotional support  ̶  on women's fertility intention. 
Materials and Methods: This was a survey conducted in the suburban areas of Bushehr Province, Iran. Using multi-stage cluster sampling a total of 600 eligible women aged 18-44 years old were selected. The questions used to measure fertility intention and social support dimensions of the women were extracted from the standard questionnaire used in international research.
Results: The data showed that about 89% of those women who had had one child declared their intention to have a second child, while only 38% of those with 2 children had the intention to have a third child. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression indicated that increased instrumental support will, through controlling the number of currently living children, their education and employment status, increase the likelihood of women's fertility intentions to 1.445.
Conclusion: The instrumental support and the relevant support that can be obtained from social network members can facilitate the transition to higher fertility sequences.
t about 89% of those women who had had one child declared their intention to have a second child, while only 38% of those with 2 children had the intention to have a third child. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression indicated that increased instrumental support will, through controlling the number of currently living children, their education and employment status, increase the likelihood of women's fertility intentions to 1.445.
Conclusion: The instrumental support and the relevant support that can be obtained from social network members can facilitate the transition to higher fertility sequences.
 

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Background and Aim: Considering the decrease in fertility in Iran, which has reached below replacement levels, policymakers seek to increase the fertility rate through incentive policies. Therefore, research on economic and social factors affecting fertility and the intention to have children can help formulate more appropriate demographic policies.
Materials and Methods: In this quantitative study, the survey technique was employed, utilizing a standard questionnaire for data collection. The statistical population comprised married women aged 15 to 49 residing in Shiraz. A total of 384 women were surveyed in 2023, and data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27 software
Results: The findings indicated that, among the contextual variables, the duration of marriage, income, class belonging, housing status, and employment status had a significant effect on the probability of women's fertility intention (p< 0.05). Additionally, perceived social support and marital satisfaction significantly increased the probability of women's fertility intention (p<0.05)
Conclusion: As the structure of families has shifted from extended to nuclear, it is possible that women may not receive as much informal social support from their neighbors as in the past. Therefore, official government support can fill this void. Additionally, identifying couples experiencing marital conflicts and attempting to strengthen marital satisfaction while resolving conflicts through counseling programs can have a positive impact on fertility levels