The effectiveness of an intervention designed based on health action process approach on diet and medication adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial

Background Diabetes is a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality. Diet and medication non-adherence are common among individuals with diabetes, making glycemic control difficult to attain. This study aimed to evaluate an intervention designed based on Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) to improve adherence to diet and medication among patients with type 2 diabetes in Tehran, Iran. Methods The study was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 248 patients with type 2 diabetes who had low diet and medication adherence were randomly allocated into two intervention (n = 124) and control (n = 124) groups. Intervention group received educational intervention during three months. HAPA constructs, diet and medication adherence, and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were assessed at baseline, one month and six months after the intervention. Mixed Model Analysis was used to compare between and within group changes in the outcomes. Results There was a statistically significant improvement in HbA1c levels after six months (7.77 ± 1.36% vs. 8.07 ± 1.52%, 95% CI, p < 0.001). Diet and medication adherence, intention, task self-efficacy, coping self-efficacy, recovery self-efficacy, action and coping planning, barriers, benefits and perceived social support were significantly improved one month and six months after the intervention (p < 0.001). Conclusion Our intervention designed based on health action process approach led to improvements in diet and medication adherence, and HbA1c among the patients within one and six months. Trial registration: IRCT, IRCT20151208025431N4. Registered 10 March 2018, https://fa.irct.ir

Higher Education Efficiency and Quality

The efficiency and the quality of higher education institution was assessed with the use of process approach. The efficiency of the higher education institution was determined on the basis of a combination of typical financial measures, taking into account costs incurred in the process of didactics and research, and expenditures (measured by current liquidity, stock turnover, receivables and liabilities ratios) necessary for schools to maintain financial liquidity. As measures of quality, related to statutory tasks of the university, the factors determining graduates’ situation on the labour market as well as patents obtained as a result of research conducted by university were adopted. Applying measures of quality enabled the researcher to obtain a more comprehensive dimension of the universities’ efficiency, while proving the fact that financial measures alone may distort the actual picture of efficiency or even lead to erroneous conclusions. It can be hypothesized that in the case of a higher education institution that pursues its statutory goals of providing knowledge to the public by conducting didactics and research, the concept of efficiency should combine financial and qualitative dimensions. The results obtained in the study using the DEA method allow the researcher to determine the situation of the university for the period covered by the study.

Applying the process approach in setting up the system of internal control in economic entities

Subject. The article addresses the organization and implementation of process approach when setting up a system of internal control of an economic entity, which ensures the management of effectiveness of divisions’ activities. Objectives. We aim at investigating the organization of the internal control system of an economic entity, based on its activities, accounting policies, classification of business processes, and risk identification. Methods. The study rests on methods of theoretical generalization, structural grouping, logical analysis, as well as the analysis of scientific and practical literature and accounting and control practice. Results. The analysis of practices revealed a number of problems in the implementation of the process approach in the accounting and control activities of economic entities, in particular, insufficient understanding and unpreparedness of management to implement the process approach, the lack of a system for regulating business processes, the lack of interconnection between the system of control indicators and the created business processes. It is advisable to divide the process of organizing the internal control system into a number of stages, i.e. the definition of activities, typology of business processes, risk identification, testing the internal control system’s quality. Conclusions. The introduction of the process approach in organizing an internal control system involves the systematization of information, depending on the nature of the business process, requiring permanent updating. The emergence of non-standard situations makes it necessary to adjust the boundaries of business processes. The resources of accounting business processes are personnel, software, equipment, and other infrastructure elements.

ACADEMIC WRITING CHALLENGES OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN PAKISTAN

This descriptive qualitative research sought to explore as what would be the best writing approach adopted to teach academic writing skill to the undergraduate university students to identify and minimize the identified problems. The aim of the study was to strengthen the academic writing skill of university students. For this purpose, thirty undergraduate students were selected and involved in focus group discussions to highlight the problematic area in the field of academic writing. Thematic analysis helped to understand the problems faced by the students and suggestions were made on the basis of the study’s findings. The study revealed the students’ inability to use appropriate vocabulary. These students lacked the skill to express themselves in their own words, and often their written work would look patchy. English being the foreign language to the students hampered their ability to think in the target language. The present study contributed to understand the problems and suggested process approach of writing to be adopted by the faculty to overcome the academic writing related problems. Key Words: Process Approach, Product Approach, Genre Approach, Academic Writing