Features of a Health-Oriented Education Program during Daily Commutes: A Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION: Today, despite scientific advances, many people spend more time and distance between home and their workplaces because of various economic and population reasons. The aim of this study was to identify features of an appropriate health education program during commutes for factory staff at Ardakan county (Yazd province, Iran). METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted via the phenomenological method in 2014. The population of this study was members of the staff of Ardakan Steel Company. Nineteen specialists and 11 members of the factory’s staff were invited to participate in the study, and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The interviews took 20 to 40 minutes, and their content was analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Extraction of codes and themes and their placement in this study showed that an educational program during commutes should have nine features to have the desired effectiveness, i.e., the program must be audience-oriented, repeatable, participatory, technology-based, combinational, supportive, and motivational and interesting. Also, the program should have environmental and organizational support, and it must be evaluated for its effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Considering appropriate features of a health education program in educational situations, especially interventions related to daily commutes, is very important because the effectiveness of such health-oriented educational programs must be ensured.