Mojtaba Khazaei; Fatemeh Ghasemi; Mehrdokht Mazdeh; Elham Khanlarzadeh; Masoud Ghiasian
Abstract
Background and aims: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has several types, some of which damage myelin and some others cause axonal damage. Detecting the type of GBS is important in determining the type of treatment and its prognosis. This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiological characteristics ...
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Background and aims: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has several types, some of which damage myelin and some others cause axonal damage. Detecting the type of GBS is important in determining the type of treatment and its prognosis. This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of GBS and its variants in patients referred to Sina hospital in Hamadan, Iran, in 2018. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 51 patients who were admitted to Sina hospital and diagnosed with GBS in 2018 were examined. Demographic data, GBS type, disease outcomes, and pre-clinical and clinical findings of patients were collected. Data were then analyzed using the Stata software version 12, and P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 51 investigated patients, 34 (66.66%) were male. The most common variant type was acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) with 27.45% of cases followed by acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) with 19.61% of cases. Further, the highest average hospitalization days (11.1 ± 11.7 days) were for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) patients, while the lowest (6.85 ± 1.91 days) was for AIDP patients (P < 0.001). All CIDP cases occurred in spring, and 71.43% of AIDP cases occurred in summer. Moreover, all 7 cases with acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) syndrome and the only case with the miller-fisher syndrome (MFS) occurred in fall (P < 0.001). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, most variants of GBS in Hamadan province were AIDP in demyelinating form and AMAN variant in the axonal deterioration form. However, studies with a larger sample size are recommended in the west of Iran to better understand the epidemiology and to ensure common types of GBS.
Kamran Bagheri-Lankarani; Mohammad-Hadi Imanieh; Amir-Hossein Hassani; Hossein Molavi Vardanjani
Abstract
Background and aims: Public health policies and programs should be adapted to the level of public trust in the healthcare system, as an indicator of the public support level. Accordingly, the data about public trust level in the healthcare system is considered as a critical requirement for managing public ...
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Background and aims: Public health policies and programs should be adapted to the level of public trust in the healthcare system, as an indicator of the public support level. Accordingly, the data about public trust level in the healthcare system is considered as a critical requirement for managing public health crises. This study aimed to rapidly assess the public trust in the healthcare system during the COVID-19 epidemic in Iran, as well as to evaluate the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on this trust.Methods: This cross-sectional and web-based study which was conducted in Iran during the COVID-19 epidemic included adults aged 18-60 years. A probability proportional to size multistage random sampling was applied and performed in 15 provinces of the country. Data on the main sources of information about COVID-19, trust in healthcare system, fear level of COVID-19, and demographics were collected via an electronic questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was applied, and adjusted regression coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated.Results: A total of 5250 adults (response rate: 76%) were included in the study. The mean of reported trust scores was 50.3 ± 22.8, and that of fear scores was 72.0 ± 17.8. The highest (65%) and lowest (28%) levels of trust were observed among participants from the lowest and highest SES, respectively. Gender (male) (P = 0.006), higher levels of education (P < 0.001), higher socio-economic status (P < 0.001), and higher fear scores (P < 0.001) were independently correlated with the lower level of ⦰ trust in healthcare system.Conclusion: It was found that the public trust in Iran’s healthcare system was not high enough at the time of the COVID-19 epidemic in the country, especially among higher social class population.
Farideh Gharekhanloo; Seyyed Hamid Hashemi; Fariba Keramat; Farzaneh Esna-Ashari; Mojgan Mamani; Mohammad Mahdi Majzoubi; Saeed Bashirian; Mahsa Gharekhanloo; Salman Khazaei
Abstract
Background and aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread widely throughout the world and become a pandemic disease. In this study, we decided to investigate the chest computed tomography (CT) findings in COVID-19 patients in Hamadan, west of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was ...
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Background and aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread widely throughout the world and become a pandemic disease. In this study, we decided to investigate the chest computed tomography (CT) findings in COVID-19 patients in Hamadan, west of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection from February to March 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and chest CT findings of identified COVID-19 patients were assessed. Results: The mean age of the patients was 55.21 ± 14.08 years, and 54 (53.47%) of them were male. With regard to clinical manifestations, 82.18%, 72.28% and 54.46% of COVID-19 patients had dry cough, dyspnea, and fever, respectively. The right lower lobe was the most commonly and severely involved lope (69%), followed by left lower lobe, right middle lobe, and lingual segment; however, the anterior segment of upper lobes showed the least involvement with abnormality in the late course of the disease. The most common pattern was ground glass opacity (GGO), but atypical patterns such as round pneumonia, moderate to severe pleural effusion, and segmental lobar consolidation were seen without evidence of mediastinal adenopathy, cavitation, or nodular lesion. Chest X-ray (CXR) was not a sensitive method as the first-line imaging method because 34.65% of them were normal. Conclusion: CXR is not a sensitive method as the first-line imaging method (34.65% normal first CXR), but chest CT is a very sensitive and nonspecific modality for diagnosis of COVID-19. The lower lobe and posterior basal segments of the lungs are the most involved sites in most cases. About 12% showed atypical chest CT findings.
Mohammad Mahdi Majzoobi; Amir Hossein Maghsood; Mohammad Matini; Khosrow Sardarian; Sayed Ali Alavi; Mohammad Fallah
Abstract
Background and aims: Previous studies have shown that the intestinal parasites have the high prevalence in Hamadan province. However, this problem has not been addressed properly yet and, therefore, there is not up-to-date information about it. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal ...
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Background and aims: Previous studies have shown that the intestinal parasites have the high prevalence in Hamadan province. However, this problem has not been addressed properly yet and, therefore, there is not up-to-date information about it. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in different residential areas of Hamadan Province (urban and rural areas) and compare the obtained findings with the results from previous studies on these parasites in this region and other parts of Iran.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 2948 fecal samples were collected from all rural and urban inhabitants of the province (including 12 cities) by cluster random sampling method. Fecal samples were examined using the direct smear and formalin ether concentration techniques. A questionnaire was used to collect relevant epidemiologic information about the study population.Results: Overall, 52.2% of the samples were from rural areas, and the rest were from urban areas. As for the gender of study population, 50.6% were male and 49.4% were female (Mean age 29±12.3). The infection rate was 4.9% for both pathogenic and non-pathogenic parasites. Only 4 specimens were positive for ova (Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana, and pinworm). A total of 69 specimens (2.3%) were positive for pathogenic parasites, and 73 specimens (2.5%) were positive for non-pathogenic (E. coli). The most important intestinal parasite in this region was found to be Giardia lamblia. It was also discovered that totally 2.3% of the studied population was infected with this parasite.Conclusion: According to the results from this study, this area was not faced with a problem caused by the intestinal parasites at the time. In addition, only G. lamblia was found to have been a moderate parasitic problem in the province.
Mohsen Cheshmpanam; Kourosh Manouchehri Naeini; Soleiman Kheiri; Rahman Abdizadeh
Abstract
Background and aims: Acanthamoeba spp. as opportunistic microorganisms are widespread in a wide range of environmental sources in the world and may cause severe diseases in immune-deficient patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and genotypes of Acanthamoeba spp. in hemodialysis ...
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Background and aims: Acanthamoeba spp. as opportunistic microorganisms are widespread in a wide range of environmental sources in the world and may cause severe diseases in immune-deficient patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and genotypes of Acanthamoeba spp. in hemodialysis patients in Shahrekord county of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 79 oral swabs were collected from the mouth of patients with chronic renal disorder undergoing hemodialysis from June to October 2018. The samples were then cultured on non-nutrient agar and examined by Giemsa staining, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing, and tolerance testing methods.Results: Morphological investigations indicated that 30.4% (24/79) of the subjects were infected with some free-living amoebae (FLA), and the PCR showed that only 3 samples contained Acanthamoeba spp. The sequencing of the latter samples demonstrated that these isolates belonged to T2 and T4 genotypes. After performing the assay tolerance test, 2 of these 3 isolates were related to T4 genotypes representing a high pathogenic potance.Conclusion: The infection of hemodialysis patients with some of Acanthamoeba spp. particularly, the T4 genotype should be considered important for these patients. Therefore, it is recommended that dialysis machines and dialysis units in hospitals be checked and disinfected periodically.
Hamid Mohammadi; Nima Mehdizadegan; Mohammad Reza Edraki; Saeed Karimi; Negar Yazdani; Reza Bahrami; Mohammad Bahrami
Abstract
Background and aims: Since ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common congenital heart disease, this study aimed to investigate its prevalence, characteristics, and associated diseases in a referral children’s heart clinic in south of Iran.Methods: In this cross-sectional study that was ...
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Background and aims: Since ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common congenital heart disease, this study aimed to investigate its prevalence, characteristics, and associated diseases in a referral children’s heart clinic in south of Iran.Methods: In this cross-sectional study that was conducted based on the databases of children with heart diseases, patients under 18 years of age referring to Imam Reza clinic were examined. All patients with at least one record of VSD in echocardiography during 2016-2017 were included. Demographic and echocardiographic characteristics including size of VSD, shunt gradient, pulmonary hypertension (PH), aortic regurgitation, and associated cyanotic and acyanotic defects were analyzed.Results: The prevalence of VSD found in 7458 echocardiography records was 12%, the median age of patients was 9.3, and the male/female ratio was 1.08. The perimembranous VSDs were determined to be the most common types of VSD. The most common associated complication with VSD was detected to be PH followed by aortic regurgitation. Sub-pulmonic showed the highest association with aortic failure. Atrial septal defect and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) were the most common acyanotic and cyanotic heart defects, respectively. Only 0.5% of the patients had Eisenmenger syndrome.Conclusion: Fortunately, the prevalence of the complication of VSD was not high in south of Iran, and the number of Eisenmenger syndrome was low. The types of VSD and the number of its complications identified in study population were similar to those in other populations.
Epidemiology
Sajad Bagherian; Majid Mardaniyan Ghahfarrokhi; Ebrahim Banitalebi
Abstract
Background and aims: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), immediate self-quarantine is assumed as the best course of action for highly contagious diseases. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many individuals have become overweight and are also suffering from physical ...
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Background and aims: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), immediate self-quarantine is assumed as the best course of action for highly contagious diseases. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many individuals have become overweight and are also suffering from physical problems. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on interest in home-based exercise. Methods: This digital epidemiological study used data sources outside the health system. This descriptive study with a comprehensive electronic systematic search in the Google Trends database using the keyword of “home-based exercise” retrieved the relevant data about the Internet search activity of Iranian community members. The data were accordingly obtained within two time intervals, i.e., from February 18, 2020 to October 18, 2020 and eight months prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 (June 18, 2019 to February 18, 2020). To analyze the data, the Wilcoxon test and the Spearman’s correlation coefficient were used. Results: The results showed significant increase in “home-based exercise” Google search in the eight-month time interval during COVID-19 compared with the same period before the pandemic (P < 0.001). Moreover, there was a significant correlation between “home-based exercise” Google search and positive COVID-19 cases in the time intervals of February 18, 2020 to April 18, 2020 (r = 0.756, P = 0.0001), April 18, 2020 to June 18, 2020 (r = -461, P = 0.0001), but not June 18, 2020 to August 18, 2020 (r = 0.044, P = 0.737), August 18, 2020 to October 18, 2020 (r = 0.246, P = 0.056), and over time (r = -0.083, P = 0.0195). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of the COVID-19 pandemic and social constraints including self-quarantine seem to have raised people’s interest in doing exercises, especially home-based exercises.
Social Epidemiology
Fatemeh Rashidi; Maryam Mansouri Baghbaderani; Forutan Salehinezhad; Maryam Dastoorpoor
Abstract
Background and aims: Suicide is one of the most important complications of the industrialized world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of suicide attempt and suicide deaths in the population covered by Dezful University of Medical Sciences (DUMS).Methods: In this cross-sectional ...
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Background and aims: Suicide is one of the most important complications of the industrialized world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of suicide attempt and suicide deaths in the population covered by Dezful University of Medical Sciences (DUMS).Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the registered data of 3958 suicide attempts and 205 suicide deaths in Dezful from 2012 to 2018 were used. Gender, suicide method, residence, marital status, age, and education were used as the explanatory variables. The chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between qualitative variables in SPSS 22.0. A simple time series chart for suicide cases was drawn using the simple time series plot.Results: A total of 3958 suicide attempts and 205 suicide deaths were recorded in the study population. The suicide trend during 2012-2018 years was declining. Most of the suicides cases were female (60.1%), used drugs (65.3%), lived in cities (51.8%), were in the age group of 15-24 years (49.6%), and were middle school educated (26.8%). Drug abuse was reported more frequently than other methods (p ≥0.001).Conclusion: In this study, most of the suicide cases were females, married persons, adolescents, middle school educated persons, and drug users. It is suggested that the cultural, social, and economic problems of the families, especially women, be considered important and the families and the vulnerable groups receive the appropriate training.
Epidemiology
Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan; Nasrin Shokrpour; Hamed Delam
Abstract
Background and aims: Leishmaniasis is one of the most overlooked diseases in tropical areas, which can lead to many deaths and illnesses. The present study was designed to determine the trend of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the south of Fars Province (south of Iran) during 2007-2016.Methods: ...
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Background and aims: Leishmaniasis is one of the most overlooked diseases in tropical areas, which can lead to many deaths and illnesses. The present study was designed to determine the trend of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the south of Fars Province (south of Iran) during 2007-2016.Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of all people with cutaneous leishmaniasis referring to the Center for Infectious Diseases in Larestan, Gerash, Evaz, and Khonj in the south of Fars Province during 2007-2016. The incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis was analyzed using the Cochrane-Armitage trend test, and the significance level was considered 5%.Results: In general, 4602 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported from 2007 to 2016. The highest and lowest incidence rates (659.1 versus 88. 3 per 100 000 people) were observed in 2008 and 2012, respectively. In addition, the incidence of the disease significantly reduced (P Trend = 0.003). Finally, the 0-4 age group had the highest incidence of the disease (69.64 per 100 000 people), and the hands were the most common organ affected by cutaneous leishmaniasis (37%).Conclusion: According to the research findings, the incidence rate of cutaneous leishmaniasis is declining although leishmaniasis is still one of the endemic diseases in the region. Therefore, preventive and controlling interventional programs can be effective in reducing new cases of the disease, including the education of individuals, especially children, environmental cleanup, and extermination and control of stray dogs and rodents in the suburbs.
Virology
Mazaher Khodabandehloo; Pezhman Sharifi
Abstract
Background and aims: Maternal primary and recurrent infection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy and may have complications such as death or growth, along with the development retardation of the fetus and infant. The aim of this study was to determine ...
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Background and aims: Maternal primary and recurrent infection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy and may have complications such as death or growth, along with the development retardation of the fetus and infant. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies against CMV in young women, Sanandaj, Iran.Methods: To this end, 90 women (15-40 years old) referring to a clinical laboratory were randomly selected and announced their informed consent to participate in this cross-sectional study. Demographic information and women’s data were collected, including pregnancy, history of abortion, and history of blood transfusion. Then, women’s sera were measured for CMV IgG and IgM antibodies using the electrochemiluminescence technique. Finally, the data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software.Results: The prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies against CMV in women was 92.2% (95% CI = 86.5-97.8) and 0%, respectively. In addition, the average CMV IgG antibody level was about 137.52 ± 85.215 SD IU/mL. The results revealed a significant statistical association between IgG antibody and pregnancy (P value = 0.012) while there was no association between CMV IgG antibody and other demographic data.Conclusions: In general, high percentages of women had CMV IgG antibody whereas 7.8% of them were susceptible. They are expected to acquire CMV primary infection, and therefore, the screening of antibodies to CMV is suggested for prenatal care.
Giti Shirvani; Rahman Abdizadeh; Koroush Manouchehri Naeini; Seifollah Mortezaei; Mina Khaksar
Abstract
Background and aims: Toxocariasis caused by the larvae of Toxocara spp. is a zoonotic infectionwith global distribution that is considered an important health problem in the humans. The soil isregarded as the main source of the transmission of Toxocara infection to susceptible hosts. This studyinvestigated ...
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Background and aims: Toxocariasis caused by the larvae of Toxocara spp. is a zoonotic infectionwith global distribution that is considered an important health problem in the humans. The soil isregarded as the main source of the transmission of Toxocara infection to susceptible hosts. This studyinvestigated the existence of Toxocara spp. ova in rural and urban public areas of Chaharmahal andBakhtiari province.Methods: A total of 180 soil samples were randomly collected from 74 public places from urban andrural areas of nine counties of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province during May to September, 2017.The samples were examined for Toxocara spp. eggs by the modified sucrose flotation method.Results: The contamination rate of the soil samples with Toxocara spp. ova varied within 0%-18.1% indifferent counties. Overall, 9 (5%) out of 180 examined soil samples were found positive for Toxocaraspp. ova. Of nine investigated districts, Toxocara spp. ova were observed in four counties and thehighest rate of soil contamination was found in Farsan county with 18.1%. Finally, the prevalence ofToxocara spp. eggs was more in the rural areas (6.7%) compared to the urban ones (3.3%).Conclusion: This study was the first investigation regarding the contamination of Toxocara spp. eggs inthe soil of public places in rural and urban areas of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Accordingto the results, the rate of soil contamination in this region was lower compared with the other parts ofIran. Therefore, a further study is required to determine factors that may be involved in the distributionof Toxocara spp. in different areas of this province.
Fatemeh Salehi; Ali Ahmadi
Abstract
Background and aims: The purpose of this study was to revalidate the Persian version of the WHOquality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument to determine the quality of life status in the ShahrekordCohort Study (SCS) in the southwest of Iran. This study was designed to serve as one of the sources ofthe Prospective ...
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Background and aims: The purpose of this study was to revalidate the Persian version of the WHOquality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument to determine the quality of life status in the ShahrekordCohort Study (SCS) in the southwest of Iran. This study was designed to serve as one of the sources ofthe Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 2000 people were randomly selected from thestudy population of the SCS. The reliability and internal consistency of the WHOQOL-BREF weremeasured using Cronbach alpha coefficient and Pearson’s correlation. construct validity and factorsmeasured using Pearson’s correlation matrices with each of its domains. To measure the face, content,and construct validities, the views of the panel of experts and exploratory factor analysis were used. Inaddition, the validity of the questionnaire was evaluated using linear regression.Results: All domains of the questionnaire met the minimum reliability standards (Cronbach alphaand intra-class correlation >0.7), except for social relationships. The results of comparison analysisindicated that the questionnaire discriminated well between subgroups of the study samples differingin their health status. Regarding validity, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was 0.94 and the valueof Bartlett’s test was 1699.01 (P≤0.001).Conclusion: The findings suggested that WHOQOL-BREF is a reliable and valid measure of healthrelatedquality of life among SCS population.
Epidemiology
Mansour Bahardoust; Marjan Mokhtare; Arash Sarveazad; Shahdieh Karimi; Atefeh Talebi; Arezoo Chaharmahali; Shahram Agah
Abstract
Background and aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the important public health diseases in Iran.Therefore, to control the prevalence of the disease, knowledge is required regarding the risk factor ofHBV. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of HB transmission.Methods: ...
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Background and aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the important public health diseases in Iran.Therefore, to control the prevalence of the disease, knowledge is required regarding the risk factor ofHBV. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of HB transmission.Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted on the possible risk factors of HBVtransmission. To this end, a total of 171 patients with HBV infection and 171 controls from Rasoul-e-Akram hospital were investigated during 2015-2018. All subjects were directly evaluated using a faceto-face questionnaire about demographic aspects. Finally, HBV infection and its risk factors among thesubjects were detected using hepatitis B surface antigen test.Results: Overall, 171 HBV patients including 77 (42%) males and 93 (58%) females were evaluated.The mean age of the participants was 40 ± 13 years. Univariate logistic analysis showed that HBVinfection in these cases was associated with addiction injection (odds ratio [OR] = 4.08, CI:1.3-9.57), family history (OR = 4.52, CI: 1.27-10.7), and having a history of blood transfusion (OR =3.16, CI: 1.52-5.37). There were no significant relationships between the liver function tests, alcoholconsumption, the history of dental visits, and HBV participants. In addition, the logistic-regressionmodel proved that patients with a history of HBV-infected parents (At least one of them) and addictioninjection were severely subject to HB infection. In other words, there was a significant associationbetween a history of HBV-infected parents and addiction injection and HB infection.Conclusion: In general, HBV infection was strongly related to having a family member infected withhepatitis B, suffering from addiction injection, and having blood injection.
Molecular Epidemiology
َAli Fattahi Bafghi; Gilda Eslami; Oghol Niazjorjani; Farzaneh Mirzaei; Javad Namrodi
Abstract
Background and aims: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a major health issue in many parts of Iran. Diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a non-endemic area is not as simple as that in endemic foci. The management and treatment of this disease are global dilemmas. The purpose of this study was to identify ...
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Background and aims: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a major health issue in many parts of Iran. Diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a non-endemic area is not as simple as that in endemic foci. The management and treatment of this disease are global dilemmas. The purpose of this study was to identify Leishmania species isolated from human cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions in patients referred to health centers of Golestan province, Iran. Methods: Cutaneous leishmaniasis patients with suspected lesions were clinically examined. History of journey to the endemic areas of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis and/or anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis and the characteristics of their lesion(s) were recorded. Diagnosis of the lesion was done by using direct smear microscopy and conventional polymerase chain reaction. Results: Out of 360 patients, 202 (57.4 %) were male and 158 (42.8 %) were female. A total of 360 samples were selected from different cities. The number of infected samples in the cities is as follows: Azad Shahr [3 (1.5%)], Aq Qala [11 (5.7%)], Ali Abad [4 (2.1%)], Bandar Turkmen [3 (1.5%)], Bandar Gaz [2 (1%)], Ramian [3 (1.5%)], Kalaleh [23 (12.1%)], Kord koy [1 (0.5%)], Galikesh [7 (3.7 %)], Gomishan [12 (3.6 %)], Gorgan [13 (6.8 %)], Gonbad Qabus [99 (52.1 %)], Marave Tappe [7 (3.6%)] and Minoodasht [2 (1%)]. In the molecular investigations, 186 (96.8%) samples were observed to acquire rural cutaneous leishmaniasis, 4 (2.1%) to acquire urban cutaneous leishmaniasis and 170 (47.2%) to be uninfected. Conclusion: Although history of visiting endemic areas is an important factor to be considered in diagnosis, parasitological confirmation is necessary for the initiation of treatment.
Babak Moeini; Masomeh Rostami-Moez; Fereshteh Besharati; Javad Faradmal; Saeed Bashirian
Abstract
Background and aims: Health literacy (HL) can affect individual health, health communication and error in taking medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the level of HL and associated factors among Iranian adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 240 participants over 18 years of ...
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Background and aims: Health literacy (HL) can affect individual health, health communication and error in taking medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the level of HL and associated factors among Iranian adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 240 participants over 18 years of age referring to health centers in Hamadan, west of Iran in 2015 were selected by multistage random sampling. HL was assessed by the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA). The questionnaire was completed by a trained interviewer. The independent variables were structural and intermediate social factors based on the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS version 22. Results: Average age of the participants was 30.88 ±7.38 years and 75.4% of the them were female. The total score of HL was 64.58 ±16.71 (range: 23.82-98.98). Overall, 31.7% (n = 76) of the participants had adequate HL level, 32.5% (n = 78) had borderline HL level and 35.8% (n = 86) had inadequate HL level. Additionally, participants with higher educational levels had higher HL scores than those with lower educational levels (P < 0.001). HL score was significantly higher in males than in females (P = 0.017). Conclusion: HL level seems to be inadequate among Iranian adults in the west of Iran. Moreover, enhancing social determinants such as educational level seems to increase HL. The results highlighted the necessity for change and improvement in adults’ HL.
Epidemiology
Jahanshah Mohammadzadeh; Shahram Mami; Khadijeh Omidi
Abstract
Background and aims: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder, and students are more predisposed to depression than other populations. This meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the mean depression score in Iranian students based on DASS-21.Methods: The search was carried out using keywords ...
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Background and aims: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder, and students are more predisposed to depression than other populations. This meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the mean depression score in Iranian students based on DASS-21.Methods: The search was carried out using keywords Depression, Student, DASS-21 and Iran in domestic databases, including SID, Medlib, IranMedex, Irandoc, and Magiran. Data were analyzed using a meta-analysis (random effects model). The heterogeneity of studies was studied using the I2 index. Data were analyzed using the Stata software version 11. DASS-21 had been used in all reviewed studies. Results: The sample size was 3229 people included in 17 studies. The mean depression score in Iranian students based on DASS-21 was 9.30 (95% CI: 12.57-6.03), 8.90 in female students (95% CI: 4.50-13.29) and 8.45 in male students (95% CI: 4.03-12.86). The mean scores of anxiety and stress in students were 8.58 (95% CI: 5.95-12.86) and 9.91 (95% CI: 11.28-8.54), respectively. Conclusion: The mean depression score is higher in female students than in male students, and the mean score of stress is slightly higher than those of anxiety and depression.
Nursing
Babak Moeini; Hamid Abasi; Maryam Afshari; Morteza Haji Hosseini; Ali Ghaleiha
Volume 5, Issue 3 , September 2018, , Pages 73-79
Abstract
Background and aims: Students are exposed to multiple mental disorders. One of the most important things that students face to is homesickness and depression that causes reduction happiness in them. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between homesickness with depression and happiness ...
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Background and aims: Students are exposed to multiple mental disorders. One of the most important things that students face to is homesickness and depression that causes reduction happiness in them. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between homesickness with depression and happiness in dormitory students in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at on 387 dormitory students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences from January to April 2016. The sampling was stratified random with proportional allocation. Data collection was completed through self-reporting, and the use of four informational demographic questionnaires, homesickness Benfleet questionnaire, student's depression questionnaire (USDI), and oxford happiness questionnaire. Analysis was performed using SPSS23 software Results: Results showed that depression had inverse (-0.6) relationship with happiness, so that with increasing depression scores happiness decreases. Depression had significant direct relationship with homesickness (0.3), therefore with increasing homesickness scores, depression scores also increases. As well as homesickness has a significant inverse relationship (-0.2) with happiness score, and with increasing homesickness, happiness decreases.
Zahra Omrani; Elnaz Talebi
Abstract
Background and aims: A high number of healthcare team members are nurses. Nurses’ quality of lifelevel is an important issue because it affects their level of care delivered to their patients. Knowledgeabout nurses’ level of quality of life is useful for planning. The present study was conducted ...
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Background and aims: A high number of healthcare team members are nurses. Nurses’ quality of lifelevel is an important issue because it affects their level of care delivered to their patients. Knowledgeabout nurses’ level of quality of life is useful for planning. The present study was conducted to examinethe quality of life of nurses and related factors.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed during 2015-2016. Samples wererecruited from single nurses who worked in teaching hospitals in Tehran. To this end, 200 nurses wereselected by using simple random sampling method. Data collection was performed by researchersusing a researcher’s self-designed checklist for demographic characteristics and a 36-Item Short FormSurvey (SF-36). After data collection, data analysis was performed using SPSS 19.0 software.Results: Of 200 nurses, 118 (59%) were female, and 82 (41%) were male. Of 200 nurses, 192 (96%)were registered nurses and the rest had Master of Science degree in nursing. The mean score of qualityof life was 71.44 ± 10.12. Among subscales of quality of life, higher and lower scores were relatedto the subscale ‘social role functioning’ and ‘physical functioning’, respectively. Nurses’ sex was asignificant factor that affected their quality of life (P < 0.05).Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, nurses’ quality of life was at moderatelevel totally; however in some subscales they had some problems. Nurses’ quality of life needs moreattention. Further study in this regard is recommended.
Habib-allah Shahriyari; Masoud Amiri; Zahra Shahryari
Abstract
Poverty is a multi-dimensional problem; thus, various researchers, based on their field, have investigated different aspects of poverty. Moreover, poverty, as a global problem, could be an interesting subject for both developed and developing countries. In recent decades, both international organizations ...
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Poverty is a multi-dimensional problem; thus, various researchers, based on their field, have investigated different aspects of poverty. Moreover, poverty, as a global problem, could be an interesting subject for both developed and developing countries. In recent decades, both international organizations and different countries have had some programs for reducing poverty. The evaluatinon of power and capacity of national economy for coping with poverty is the first essential step. In addition, in long-term period, poverty would depend on economy development, but in short-term, considering the proper concept of poverty with potential available financial resources is necessary. Then, calculation of poverty line and percentage of poor people using the appropriate methods is the next step. In recent decades, Iran's economy has had different economic problems such as inflation increasing, unemployment, deficit of payment balance in macroeconomic and its effect on poverty and in equal income distribution in microeconomics. Effects of the price balancing on poverty is also an important topic that its evaluation is possible with the data acquired after the policy of subsides’ law. Another aspect is the picture of poverty in rural and urban communities in the last year and near to implementation of this policy. This article presenta an overall picture of poverty in urban and rural communities of Iran as well as world-based defined indices in poverty literature.
Habib-allah Shahriyari; Masoud Amiri; Zahra Shahriyari; Fatemeh Farzin
Abstract
A regular activity in all human societies is the evaluation and control of important socioeconomicindices. Unemployment rate is one of these indices, which is very important in evaluating andapplying policies for control or preparation of desired changes in economy; in fact, it is a challengefor policy ...
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A regular activity in all human societies is the evaluation and control of important socioeconomicindices. Unemployment rate is one of these indices, which is very important in evaluating andapplying policies for control or preparation of desired changes in economy; in fact, it is a challengefor policy makers. Employment and unemployment are 2 words that have different definitions amongpeople and professional centers of statistics. Since the statistics and methods applied for calculatingIranian employed and unemployed people have been provided by Statistical Center of Iran (SCI), thecomparison of these definitions with recommended ones defined by International labor organization(ILO) may project 2 different items. In accordance with the definition of unemployment by ILO andSCI, each person who works at least 1 to 2 hours a week, even without receiving money, is consideredas an employed person, otherwise is named as unemployed. Considering this definition, a newquestion may arise: in Iran, with consideration of location, subsistence, and labor market conditions,could people be satisfied with their living situation? Perhaps in some countries, this definition may beoperational but not for Iranian worker community; in fact, no one in Iran and many other countrieswould be satisfied with one-hour work per week as an employed person.
Payam Khomand; Sajjad Abdolmalaki; Ebrahim Ghaderi; Sahar Khoshravesh
Abstract
Background and aims: The most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis of all ages is Guillain-Barresyndrome (GBS). Further understanding of this disease is important because of its life-threateningnature in life. The aim of this study was to conduct a 10-year survey on epidemiological and clinicalfeatures ...
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Background and aims: The most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis of all ages is Guillain-Barresyndrome (GBS). Further understanding of this disease is important because of its life-threateningnature in life. The aim of this study was to conduct a 10-year survey on epidemiological and clinicalfeatures of GBS in Tohid and Besat hospitals, Sanandaj, Iran, from 2005 to 2014.Methods: This study was a retrospective study, based on medical records, in which 98 hospitalizedcases in Tohid and Besat hospitals (tertiary referral hospitals), Sanandaj, Iran, between 2005 and 2014were investigated. The epidemiological and clinical information was obtained from eligible cases.Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. Chi-square and t test were used for analyses. Thesignificant level was considered at P < 0.05.Results: The mean age of cases with GBS was 22.16 years. Among final 69 patients who were studied,36 cases (52.2%) were male and 33 cases (47.8%) were female. Most cases of disease occurred inthe spring. Thirty-nine patients (56.52%) had risk factors like history of gastrointestinal infections,respiratory infections, and surgery 2-4 weeks before the disease onset. Four cases (10.25%) neededmechanical ventilation. The most common protocol of treatment was IVIg (n = 47, 68%). More thanhalf of the patients (52.2%) achieved relative recovery. In 6 patients, (8.7%) relapse was occurred.Conclusion: Our study showed that there was a significant relationship between sensory- motorinvolvement, gender and age. Moreover, the relationship between gender and prognosis was indicated(P < 0.05).
Mohammad Ali Soleimani; Saeed Pahlevan Sharif; Ameneh Yaghoobzadeh; Kelly-Ann Allen; Hamid Sharif Nia
Abstract
Background and aims: Despite a substantial body of work examining the role of death anxiety (DA)in an individual’s quality of life, there is a lack of valid and standardized instruments that couldmeasure this construct for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The objective of this study ...
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Background and aims: Despite a substantial body of work examining the role of death anxiety (DA)in an individual’s quality of life, there is a lack of valid and standardized instruments that couldmeasure this construct for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The objective of this study wasto examine the psychometric characteristics and factor structure of the Templer Death Anxiety Scale(TDAS) within a sample of Iranian patients who had experienced acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods: In this study, 584 patients with CHD completed the TDAS. A principal components analysisevaluated dimensionality of the measuring instrument. Reliability and validity were assessed.Results: Factor analysis found 3 distinct factors (fear of death due to illness, fear of facing death, anddistress due to short time of life). Convergent and discriminant validity for the constructs of the TDASwere fulfilled. The internal consistency for the measure was < 0.70.Conclusion: Findings revealed that the Persian version of the TDAS is a valid and reliable instrumentthat can be used for the assessment and evaluation of DA in Iranian patients with CHD.
Health Promotion
Morteza Arab-zozani; Reza Majdzadeh; Parvin Sarbakhsh; Roshanak Naseri Sis
Abstract
Background and aims: Positive attitudes toward future career lead to job motivation and consequently to career success. Health technology assessment (HTA) students are worried about their future career due to lack of defined vacancies. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of HTA ...
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Background and aims: Positive attitudes toward future career lead to job motivation and consequently to career success. Health technology assessment (HTA) students are worried about their future career due to lack of defined vacancies. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of HTA students toward the field of study and future career. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015. The samples (n = 40) were selected by census and the questionnaire was sent by email to each participant. The data collection period was 6 months. The questionnaire reliability was evaluated using Cronbach alpha (α = 0.85). Questions were measured by 5-point Likert scale (absolutely agree to absolutely disagree). The data were analyzed by relevant statistical tests using SPSS version 20.0. At the beginning of the study, informed consent forms along with questionnaire were sent to participants and the participants were enrolled if they were volunteered. Results: Response rate was 95%. The mean score of students’ attitudes toward the field of study and future career was 62.48 (11.15) and 62.63 (8.61) respectively. Participants’ attitudes were generally positive. There was a significant positive correlation between the 2 main areas of attitude (r = 0.43, P = 0.006). Conclusion: In general, the results of this study showed that the attitudes of HTA students toward the field of study and future career are positive. Proper planning in the admission process, addressing the needs of students, professor’s paying attention to motivate the students and responding to student questions, and anticipated job categories in the relevant organizations, can lead to job satisfaction and optimism about the future career.
Epidemiology
Rouhullah Dehghani; Masoud Amiri
Volume 4, Issue 2 , April 2017, , Pages 91-93
Abstract
Zika virus is an Arbovirus identified first time in 1947 in Uganda. Zika epidemic is a threat far greater than the Ebola outbreak. The World Health Organization has urged Asian countries to be vigilant about the risk of spreading Zika virus and preventive measures to control it. In Iran, 64 species of ...
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Zika virus is an Arbovirus identified first time in 1947 in Uganda. Zika epidemic is a threat far greater than the Ebola outbreak. The World Health Organization has urged Asian countries to be vigilant about the risk of spreading Zika virus and preventive measures to control it. In Iran, 64 species of mosquitoes from Culicidea family have been reported three of which belong to the Aedes genus, and one of which is Aedes albopictus. Iran also has suitable climate for endemic transmission of Zika virus. Immigrants from neighboring countries for economic reasons, could increase the risk of disease transmission in Iran. The destination countries of Iranian passengers, especially in East Asia, are at risk or have been reported to have cases of Zika. So, traveling to areas where active Zika virus exists and its transmission is common, could potentially increase the risk of transmission of Zika. Close supervision alongside the borders is necessary when foreign people arrive in the country.
HIV/AIDS
Abbas Rezaianzadeh; Hedayat Abbastabar; Abdolreza Rajaeefard; Haleh Hgaem; Maliheh Abdollahi
Volume 4, Issue 2 , April 2017, , Pages 145-155
Abstract
Background and aims: The pandemic of AIDS is a global emergency and one of the biggest challenges in social and individual life. This study aimed to evaluate the survival time of HIV patients and its effective factors.Methods: This historical cohort study was conducted on the individuals infected with ...
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Background and aims: The pandemic of AIDS is a global emergency and one of the biggest challenges in social and individual life. This study aimed to evaluate the survival time of HIV patients and its effective factors.Methods: This historical cohort study was conducted on the individuals infected with HIV in Fars province, south of Iran, during 2006 to 2013. The study data were obtained from information documented in the patients’ records. For statistical analysis, at first, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used as univariate method and then, time varying Cox regression model was applied as multiple analyses.Results: The findings of the present study implied that some variables could play the role of risk factors in HIV patients, and shorten the patients’ life span e.g. older age, female gender, unemployment, delay in HIV diagnosis, drug injection, and higher Hemoglobin (HGB) levels.Conclusion: Many factors affect HIV patients’ survival time. Some of these factors, such as gender and genetic factors, are irreversible. However, some others, including drug injection, are preventable. This implies that in order to slow down the speed of HIV conversion to AIDS and delay the occurrence of death, special attention must be paid to these factors and changing the patients’ conditions accordingly.