title: Health-promoting behaviors and social support in Iranian women of reproductive age: a sequential explanatory mixed methods study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine health-promoting behaviors and their determinants including social support and sociodemographic characteristics as well as to explore women's experience of health-promoting behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This sequential explanatory mixed methods study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was a cross-sectional study conducted on 1,359 women. Questionnaires, including items on sociodemographic characteristics, the HPLP-II and the PRQ85-Part2, were completed by interview. In the second phase, 15 women who were identified as extreme cases participated in individual in-depth interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the quantitative phase showed that women obtained the highest scores on interpersonal relations and the lowest scores on physical activity. Scores on the HPLP-II and all its subscales correlated significantly with the level of social support. In the qualitative phase, factors affecting health-promoting behaviors were explored and grouped into four main categories that included personal and socio-environmental barriers as well as personal and socio-environmental facilitators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from this study confirm the importance of social support and modifiable variables (sociodemographic) that play a role in the health-promoting behaviours of women. These results will be useful in designing suitable interventions and strategies for the promotion of women's health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baheiraei
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirghafourvand
authors.forename: Sakineh Mohammad-Alizadeh
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Charandabi
authors.forename: Eesa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.forename: Saharnaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nedjat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008019:Life Style; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control; D016387:Women's Health
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