Volume 24, Issue 92 (5-2024)
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Ethics code: IR.ALZAHRA.REC.1401.049
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Kazemi F, Tavassoli A. (2024). The Impact of Using Social Networks on Women’s Awareness of Their Physical Health. refahj. 24(92), : 4 doi:10.32598/refahj.24.92.4302.1
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4176-en.html
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4176-en.html
Keywords: Physical health, women's awareness, social network, Instagram, maturity, malnutrition, obesity, pregnancy care, women's disease, women's cancer
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Extended Abstract
Introduction: Although studies in the topic of women's health in Iran have increased significantly in the last few decades; However, the high level of malnutrition, food poverty, and unhealthy nutrition among women and the problems caused by it, such as anemia due to iron deficiency, prevalence of obesity, osteoporosis, prevalence of menstrual problems during puberty, increase in common pregnancy problems such as unsafe childbirth, unwanted pregnancy, abortion and increase in diseases and cancers related to women such as breast cancer, and uterine cancer show that there is still a lack of serious attention to the issue of women's physical health in the country. The importance of paying attention to women’s physical health is due to the fact that other traits of health such as mental and social health are fulfilled if women have physical health first. In the meantime, apart from medical issues, what seems to have received less attention is effective media awareness to women in order to prevent the occurrence of physical problems and diseases or better management of these problems and diseases.
On the other hand, nowadays, the expansion of mobile-oriented social networks such as Instagram has caused these networks to be taken seriously by many health professionals and healthcare organizations, so that they have turned these networks into a suitable and cost-effective tool to reach a large number of users, health education and effective health communication with the aim of preventing diseases and improving the health of society, including women. Accordingly, the current research aims to examine the effect of using health social networks on women’s awareness of their physical health and test the following hypotheses:
The main hypothesis:
It seems that the use of health social networks has a positive and significant effect on women's awareness of their physical health.
The sub-hypotheses:
The use of health social networks has a significant efficacy on women's awareness about issues related to:
1. Physical health during puberty;
2. Malnutrition and obesity;
3. Care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care; and
4. Women’s diseases and cancers.
Method: In terms of orientation and purpose, this research was practical research and in terms of nature, it was descriptive-explanatory research which was conducted as an online survey on the Instagram social network. The statistical population for this study included all Iranian female users aged 20 to 60 from diverse parts of the world who were the members of the selected Instagram pages related to women's physical health. These pages had posts and contents very close to the categories of girls’ puberty, malnutrition and obesity in women, issues related to pregnancy, and women's diseases and cancers. Based on the Karjesi-Morgan’s table, a sample size of 384 (for a large statistical ppulation) was selected and participated in the research using available sampling method. In this study, in order to collect and measure the research variables, a 21-item researcher-made questionnaire was prepared. The nine items of this questionnaire were related to measuring the impact of health social networks through the sum of the three dimensions of the extent of use, the type of use, and the level of confidence in health social networks, and the other 12 items were related to measuring the women’s awareness of physical health which was based on four dimensions of the physical health during puberty, malnutrition and obesity, care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care, and women's diseases and cancers. The validity of the research questionnaire was checked and confirmed by the content validity method, and its reliability by the Cronach alpha method. To carry out the research, by messaging the admins of the selected pages and communicating with them, it was agreed that the link of the research questionnaire, which was made electronically with Pursline, would be placed in the stories of these pages and would be filled out by Iranian female users aged 20 to 60 who were members of these pages and were willing to participate in the research. The questionnaires were completed within three days and reached the desired quorum, and then the obtained data were analyzed by SPSS statistical analysis software with descriptive and inferential statistics methods.
Findings: According to the results of the study, the mean of the impact of health social networks (the mean of the extent of use, the type of use and the plane of trust in health social networks) in the studied sample is equal to 3.56 and its dimensions, the extent of use of health social networks with 3.60 of a mean the type of use of health social networks by a mean of 3.56 and the level of trust in health social networks with the average of 3.52 are in the first to third priority respectively. Also, the mean of the variable of women's awareness of physical health (the mean of physical health during puberty, malnutrition and obesity, care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care, women's diseases and cancers) in the studied sample is equal to 3.60, and its dimensions, the awareness about care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care with a mean of 3.69, the awareness about physical health during puberty with a mean of 3.60, the awareness about malnutrition and obesity with a mean of 3.52, and the awareness about women’s diseases and cancers through health social networks with a mean of 3.50 are in first to fourth priority respectively.
The results of research hypotheses through Pearson's correlation test showed that the use of health social networks affects women's awareness of their physical health and its dimensions, including physical health during puberty, issues related to malnutrition and obesity, care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care, and women's diseases and cancers were found to have a positive and significant effect (Table 1).
Discussion: The results of research hypotheses showed that utilizing health social networks have an affirmative significant impact on women's knowledge of their physical health (0.686) and all its dimensions, including puberty health (0.571), malnutrition and obesity (0.565), care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care (0.534), and women's diseases and cancers (0.584). These findings are in line with the research findings of Nastasi et al. (2018), Abbasi, Ahmadian, and Farrahi (2019a), Ferdousi and Dehghani (2019) as well as the findings of Biancovilli, Makszin, and Csongor's (2021) research study. Therefore, health social networks can be regarded as a suitable tool for women's awareness of their physical health and the consequences of this issue can increase the potential ability to make informed decisions during illness, reducing health-threatening risks, increasing disease prevention, increasing the quality of life, and increasing the quality of self-care in women.
Ethical considerations
Authors’ contributions: All authors contributed in the production of the research.
Funding: The present study did not have any sponsors.
Research ethics: In this article, all rights related to research ethics have been respected.
Full-Text: (200 Views)
Extended Abstract
Introduction: Although studies in the topic of women's health in Iran have increased significantly in the last few decades; However, the high level of malnutrition, food poverty, and unhealthy nutrition among women and the problems caused by it, such as anemia due to iron deficiency, prevalence of obesity, osteoporosis, prevalence of menstrual problems during puberty, increase in common pregnancy problems such as unsafe childbirth, unwanted pregnancy, abortion and increase in diseases and cancers related to women such as breast cancer, and uterine cancer show that there is still a lack of serious attention to the issue of women's physical health in the country. The importance of paying attention to women’s physical health is due to the fact that other traits of health such as mental and social health are fulfilled if women have physical health first. In the meantime, apart from medical issues, what seems to have received less attention is effective media awareness to women in order to prevent the occurrence of physical problems and diseases or better management of these problems and diseases.
On the other hand, nowadays, the expansion of mobile-oriented social networks such as Instagram has caused these networks to be taken seriously by many health professionals and healthcare organizations, so that they have turned these networks into a suitable and cost-effective tool to reach a large number of users, health education and effective health communication with the aim of preventing diseases and improving the health of society, including women. Accordingly, the current research aims to examine the effect of using health social networks on women’s awareness of their physical health and test the following hypotheses:
The main hypothesis:
It seems that the use of health social networks has a positive and significant effect on women's awareness of their physical health.
The sub-hypotheses:
The use of health social networks has a significant efficacy on women's awareness about issues related to:
1. Physical health during puberty;
2. Malnutrition and obesity;
3. Care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care; and
4. Women’s diseases and cancers.
Method: In terms of orientation and purpose, this research was practical research and in terms of nature, it was descriptive-explanatory research which was conducted as an online survey on the Instagram social network. The statistical population for this study included all Iranian female users aged 20 to 60 from diverse parts of the world who were the members of the selected Instagram pages related to women's physical health. These pages had posts and contents very close to the categories of girls’ puberty, malnutrition and obesity in women, issues related to pregnancy, and women's diseases and cancers. Based on the Karjesi-Morgan’s table, a sample size of 384 (for a large statistical ppulation) was selected and participated in the research using available sampling method. In this study, in order to collect and measure the research variables, a 21-item researcher-made questionnaire was prepared. The nine items of this questionnaire were related to measuring the impact of health social networks through the sum of the three dimensions of the extent of use, the type of use, and the level of confidence in health social networks, and the other 12 items were related to measuring the women’s awareness of physical health which was based on four dimensions of the physical health during puberty, malnutrition and obesity, care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care, and women's diseases and cancers. The validity of the research questionnaire was checked and confirmed by the content validity method, and its reliability by the Cronach alpha method. To carry out the research, by messaging the admins of the selected pages and communicating with them, it was agreed that the link of the research questionnaire, which was made electronically with Pursline, would be placed in the stories of these pages and would be filled out by Iranian female users aged 20 to 60 who were members of these pages and were willing to participate in the research. The questionnaires were completed within three days and reached the desired quorum, and then the obtained data were analyzed by SPSS statistical analysis software with descriptive and inferential statistics methods.
Findings: According to the results of the study, the mean of the impact of health social networks (the mean of the extent of use, the type of use and the plane of trust in health social networks) in the studied sample is equal to 3.56 and its dimensions, the extent of use of health social networks with 3.60 of a mean the type of use of health social networks by a mean of 3.56 and the level of trust in health social networks with the average of 3.52 are in the first to third priority respectively. Also, the mean of the variable of women's awareness of physical health (the mean of physical health during puberty, malnutrition and obesity, care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care, women's diseases and cancers) in the studied sample is equal to 3.60, and its dimensions, the awareness about care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care with a mean of 3.69, the awareness about physical health during puberty with a mean of 3.60, the awareness about malnutrition and obesity with a mean of 3.52, and the awareness about women’s diseases and cancers through health social networks with a mean of 3.50 are in first to fourth priority respectively.
The results of research hypotheses through Pearson's correlation test showed that the use of health social networks affects women's awareness of their physical health and its dimensions, including physical health during puberty, issues related to malnutrition and obesity, care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care, and women's diseases and cancers were found to have a positive and significant effect (Table 1).
Table 1- The results of investigating research hypotheses through the Pearson's correlation test (Independent Variable: health social networks)
| Result | P-value | N | Pearson Correlation (r) | Dependent Variables | hypotheses |
| Confirmed | 0.001 | 384 | 0.686 | Women's physical health | main hypothesis |
| Confirmed | 0.001 | 384 | 0.571 | Puberty health | sub-hypothesis 1 |
| Confirmed | 0.001 | 384 | 0.565 | Malnutrition and obesity | sub-hypothesis 2 |
| Confirmed | 0.001 | 384 | 0.534 | care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care | sub-hypothesis 3 |
| Confirmed | 0.001 | 384 | 0.584 | Women's diseases and cancers | sub-hypothesis 4 |
Discussion: The results of research hypotheses showed that utilizing health social networks have an affirmative significant impact on women's knowledge of their physical health (0.686) and all its dimensions, including puberty health (0.571), malnutrition and obesity (0.565), care during pregnancy and post-pregnancy care (0.534), and women's diseases and cancers (0.584). These findings are in line with the research findings of Nastasi et al. (2018), Abbasi, Ahmadian, and Farrahi (2019a), Ferdousi and Dehghani (2019) as well as the findings of Biancovilli, Makszin, and Csongor's (2021) research study. Therefore, health social networks can be regarded as a suitable tool for women's awareness of their physical health and the consequences of this issue can increase the potential ability to make informed decisions during illness, reducing health-threatening risks, increasing disease prevention, increasing the quality of life, and increasing the quality of self-care in women.
Ethical considerations
Authors’ contributions: All authors contributed in the production of the research.
Funding: The present study did not have any sponsors.
Research ethics: In this article, all rights related to research ethics have been respected.
Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2023/02/16 | Accepted: 2024/01/24 | Published: 2024/05/3
Received: 2023/02/16 | Accepted: 2024/01/24 | Published: 2024/05/3
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