Journal of School of Public Health and

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We performed a cross sectional study with the aim of assessing levels of habitual physical activity and associated factors (barriers and motivators), finding the stage of change among high school girls, and exploring relationships between physical activity and the following set of factors: age, parent education, type of school attended, knowledge, and attitude. 457 girls in the 1SI to 3rd grade of high school with a mean age of 15.6 (%95.3 cases were 14th to below 17Ih years old) in Tehran&aposs second region of educational office district were selected via proportional-to-size and cluster sampling methods. These girls attended 4 different types of facilities (public and private high schools / public and private vocational schools). The data were gathered through self-administered questionnaires. Our results indicated that %58.6 of students were in pre-contemplation and contemplation stages, while 24.7% were in action and maintenance stages of change.
The mean level of physical activity at work (in school) was 2.22, which was significantly lower than 2.75- the minimum acceptable level of physical activity at work (p<0.00 ). The mean level of sport activity was 2.73, significantly (p<0.001) higher than 2.33 (minimum acceptable level of sport activity). The mean level of physical activity at leisure time was 2.50, which had no significant difference with the minimum acceptable level of 2.50. (Note: all max. acceptable level is 5).
The most important barriers identified were: time constraints, lack of companions, lack of suitably located facilities and a general state of lassitude.
The most important motivators were individual interest, desire to lose weight, company of friends, and support of parents. The level of exercise did not show a significant relationship with age, probably because of the limited range of age categories enrolled in this study. Levels of physical activity at work and sport activity (p=0.004 for ph.act.work and p=0.012 for sport) showed a significant positive relationship with the mother&aposs level of education. No significant relationships were found between any type of physical activity and the father&aposs education. The level of sport activity in private high schools was significantly (p=0.005) higher than in public high schools. On the other hand no significant differences were observed between levels of physical activity in private or public high schools compared to private or public vocational schools. Only sport activity had a significant positive relationship with higher knowledge (p=0.005) and attitude (pO.OOl).
The majority of our population (%58.6) was in pre-cont. and cont. level of stage of change. Therefore more emphasis should be placed on improving health education. We must also teach our teenagers to organize their leisure time so they can do some simple and inexpensive physical activities like brisk walking between home and school or while shopping.

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Background and Aim: One of the most important health problems in the modern society is reduced appropriate physical activity by people. The five-step counselling process, which is composed of five essential principles in health counselling, can help to improve health behaviors, such as physical activity, in different individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an educational intervention using the five-step counseling process based on the stage of change construct on physical activity promotion in female-employees working in Toos Industrial State factories, Mashad, Iran.

Materials and Methods: This was a controlled intervention study including 76 women working in the Mashad industrial estate factories, Iran, divided into an experimental (n=36) and a control (n=40) group. Data were collected using the standard Marcus Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), which measures physical activity at three levels of light, moderate and severe, and analyzed using the SPSS software; a P<0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.

Results: The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences before the consultation intervention between the two study groups as regards the stage of change and level of physical activity (p>0.05). Further analysis of the data revealed that the intervention had caused increases in both the physical activity and stage of change (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is concluded that the five-step counselling process is effective in promoting physical activity and can be used as an appropriate strategy by health professionals in the health-service delivery centers and organizations to promote the health behaviors of people.

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Background and Aim: The present study aimed to determine the stages of changes and cognitive and behavioral processes (Transtheorical model) in the use of nutrients in overweight middle-aged women.
Materials and Methods: The present study was a descriptive-analytic. The research sample consisted of 281 middle-aged women with overweight referring to comprehensive health centers in Isfahan. Personal characteristics, stage of change and behavior and cognitive behavioral processes, and FFQ questionnaire (168-item) were completed by Questioning, and then the information entered the N4 and SPSS 18 software, and information was analyzed using descriptive and analytical tests.
Results: 57.7% of the people were inactive (pre-thinking, thinking, preparation) and 42.3% of them were in active phase. There was a significant difference between the different stages of change and the use of behavior change processes (p=0.001) And Benfrown's test shows the increasing use of cognitive and behavioral processes during the stage of change in use of nutrients (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The difference in the mean of changes processes during the stage of change show the impact of these processes on the nutritional individual's behavior, which is recommended to use stage of change and behavioral change processes for education nutrition behavioral.