Shervin Assari
Abstract
Background and aims: The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) functional and morphometric features may influence children’s body mass index (BMI). Recent evidence, however, suggests that the function and structure of the NAcc may have different predictive abilities for the BMI for the sub-groups of children ...
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Background and aims: The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) functional and morphometric features may influence children’s body mass index (BMI). Recent evidence, however, suggests that the function and structure of the NAcc may have different predictive abilities for the BMI for the sub-groups of children from different racial and socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development data, this study investigated racial and SES differences in the association between NAcc microstructure (i.e., fractional anisotropy) and childhood BMI. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 9497 children aged 9 and 10. Data were collected from 21 sites across 15 states in the United States. Then, the mixed-effects regression model was applied for data analysis. The predictor variable of interest was NAcc fractional anisotropy measured using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). The main outcome of interest was children’s BMI values, which were treated as a continuous variable. Covariates included gender, age, and family structure. Race (White, Black, Asian, and Other/mixed) and family income ( < USD 50,000, USD 50,000-100,000, and USD100,000+) were the effect modifiers (moderators). Results: Higher average NAcc fractional anisotropy in dMRI was predictive of lower levels of the BMI, and net of covariates. However, this inverse association between the average intensity of the normalized T2-weighted image and the BMI was stronger in children from Hispanic, low income, and low-educated backgrounds compared to non-Hispanic, high-income, and high-educated backgrounds. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that although NAcc fractional anisotropy is linked to children’s BMI, this link is not invariant across racial and SES groups. The issue of whether or not obesogenic environments alter the implications of NAcc for childhood BMI needs further investigation. For diverse groups, NAcc microstructures may have different magnitudes of associations with childhood BMI.
Epidemiology
Shervin Assari
Abstract
Background and aims: Negative urgency reflects a specific facet of impulsivity and correlates with a wide range of health-related risk behaviors, including, but not limited to, problematic substance use. Negative urgency is also shaped by family socioeconomic position (SEP), such as parental educational ...
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Background and aims: Negative urgency reflects a specific facet of impulsivity and correlates with a wide range of health-related risk behaviors, including, but not limited to, problematic substance use. Negative urgency is also shaped by family socioeconomic position (SEP), such as parental educational attainment (PEA). This study aimed to explore sex differences regarding protective effects of PEA on children’s negative urgency in the US.Methods: This cross-sectional study used the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study data. Baseline ABCD data included 10,535 American children in the age range of 9-10 years old. The independent variable was PEA, treated as a 5-level categorical variable. The primary outcome was negative urgency measured by the Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Positive Urgency, Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-SS). Mixed-effects regression models were applied for data analysis.Results: In sex-stratified regression models, high PEA was predictive of lower levels of negative urgency in female but not male children. In the overall sample, sex showed a statistically significant interaction with PEA on children’s negative urgency, indicating a stronger protective effect of high PEA for female compared to male children.Conclusion: PEA was a more salient determinant of negative urgency in female children than male ones. Our results also showed that American boys tend to have high levels of negative urgency, which is a risk factor of drug use, at all parental education levels.
Epidemiology
Shervin Assari
Abstract
Background and aims: While increased parental education reduces children’s sleep problems, less is known about racial variation in such protection. According to Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) theory, economic resources such as parental education show weaker health effects for minority ...
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Background and aims: While increased parental education reduces children’s sleep problems, less is known about racial variation in such protection. According to Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) theory, economic resources such as parental education show weaker health effects for minority groups such as Blacks and Latinos than non-Latino Whites, which is due to racism and social stratification. In this study, we investigated the association between parental education and children’s sleep problems, as a proxy of sleep problems, by race. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 11718 American children aged 9-10. All participants were recruited to the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The independent variable was parental education, a five-level nominal variable. The dependent variable – sleep problems, was a continuous variable. Race/ethnicity was the effect modifier. Age, sex, and marital status were the covariates. Mixed-effects regression models were used for data analysis. Results: Parental education was associated with children’s sleep problems. However, there was a weaker inverse association seen in non-Latino Black and Latino families compared to non-Latino White families. This was documented by a significant statistical interaction between race and ethnicity and parental education on children’s sleep problems. Conclusion: Diminished protective effect of parental education on children’s sleep problems for non- Latino Black and Latino families compared to non-Latino White families is similar to the MDRs in other domains. Worse than expected sleep may contribute to higher-than-expected health risks of middle-class Black and Latino children.
Epidemiology
Kazem Hosseinzadeh; Raheleh Sadegh
Volume 4, Issue 1 , February 2017, , Pages 18-23
Abstract
Background and aims: In Iran, according to the available data on health statistics, injuries are the as the common cause of death in different age groups after chronic heart diseases. The aim of this study was to present detailed information on eight common injuries. Methods: This study is an analysis ...
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Background and aims: In Iran, according to the available data on health statistics, injuries are the as the common cause of death in different age groups after chronic heart diseases. The aim of this study was to present detailed information on eight common injuries. Methods: This study is an analysis on existing data (secondary study on recorded data) in Health Informatics System (HIS) available in Qazvin Health Management Office (QHMO), Iran. Permission to use these data was provided by researchers and the Health Research Ethics Board at the Qazvin University of Medical Sciences and also approved this analysis. Eight categories of injuries were derived from HIS and analyzed in SPSS software. Results: The total registered injuries in the whole population of Qazvin province was 22,821 (30% in females) from March 2014 to March 2015. From this, 1688 (7.3%) occurred in children under five years old. The rate of falling, violence, traffic and burns related injuries were in the top. About 69% of total injuries were in urban, and near 13% in villages. Conclusion: Children are the main victims of adults’ car crashes. Most of the children’s injuries take place at homes and roads. Some educational programs in order to increase children’s safety are in progress. There is not a good system to evaluate these interventions’ outcomes, and as such doing more study in this field is needed.
Epidemiology
Shahin Abdollahifakhim; Mehrnoosh Mousaviagdas; Mojtaba Sohrabpour
Volume 3, Issue 4 , November 2016, , Pages 336-344
Abstract
Background and aims: Nowadays, Orofacial clefts are known as the most common orofacial birth defects. Several factors are responsible for problem, such as environmental factors, genetic background, nutritional deficiencies such as Vitamins, zinc, iron, maternal diseases, exposure to teratogenicagents, ...
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Background and aims: Nowadays, Orofacial clefts are known as the most common orofacial birth defects. Several factors are responsible for problem, such as environmental factors, genetic background, nutritional deficiencies such as Vitamins, zinc, iron, maternal diseases, exposure to teratogenicagents, smoking, drugs, organic solvents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the of risk factors frequency of orofacial clefts in our rigion.Methods: This is an epidemiological study with retrospective database including parent’s age, family history, medical and drug history in pregnancy, toxin exposure, urbanistic habituation and parent’s job.Results: A total of 670 patients with orofacial cleft were studied. Parents were in 15-35 years old range. The frequency of cleft history in parents was 12.7%. Passive smoking (7%) and depression were the most common predisposing factor and most common maternal disease, respectively. Amoxicillin was the most common drug used in pregnancy period. Most of patients (92.5%) did not live in high risk areas. The most common job in fathers was agricultural.Conclusion: Orofacial clefts are the multifactorial disease. Due to its prevention, there is a need to focus on the local risk factors to be able to reach further information to reduce its occurance rate and also to find a better way to reduce the related costs on both patients and healthcare system.
Epidemiology
Mohammad Reza Mostafaee; Mostafa Shokati; Ramin Sarchami; Hossein Rafiei
Volume 3, Issue 1 , February 2016, , Pages 63-68
Abstract
Background and aims: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent disorder in children. Due to the importance of the disorder in children and its complications, this study aimed to assess the relation of the disorder with demographic factors in students of schools located in ...
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Background and aims: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent disorder in children. Due to the importance of the disorder in children and its complications, this study aimed to assess the relation of the disorder with demographic factors in students of schools located in the Hamadan city, west of Iran. Methods: In this study, 1000 students were selected through randomized cluster sampling from Hamadan elementary schools in 2014. Data were gathered using Conners questionnaire. Conners questionnaire completed by teachers and parents. Results were analyzed using SPSS statistical software through Chi-square, Pierson correlation coefficient, and T-test. Results: The overall ADHD prevalence rate in this sample was determined to be 11.3%. For boys, this prevalence rate of ADHD was 19.4% and had significant difference with girls (P<0.01). The prevalence of ADHD in families with 1-3 children was 8.7% while it was 15.8% in families with 4 children and more. The difference was statistically significant (P=0.003). There was also higher prevalence among children of parents with lower level of education. Conclusion: ADHD is prevalent in community of Iran. Results indicated that diagnosis must be based on exact and persistent psychological symptoms. It is necessary that schools authorities in region 1 and 2 of Hamadan city take steps to find the cases and manage them.
Nursing
Molouk Jaafarpour; ali khani; Javaher khajavikhan
Volume 2, Issue 3 , September 2015, , Pages 113-117
Abstract
Background and Aims: Laryngospasm and vomiting occurring after tracheal extubation in children is potentially dangerous. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of preoperative 0.5 mg/kg i.v. Dexamethasone on the incidence of postextubation laryngospasm, and vomiting in children after tonsillectomy. ...
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Background and Aims: Laryngospasm and vomiting occurring after tracheal extubation in children is potentially dangerous. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of preoperative 0.5 mg/kg i.v. Dexamethasone on the incidence of postextubation laryngospasm, and vomiting in children after tonsillectomy. Material and Methods : This study was performed at the Ilam Imam Khomeini hospital, IR, during the year 2009. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 66 pediatric patients 4-12 years (Dexamethasone group, n=33- placebo group , n=33) undergoing tonsillectomy received IV placebo (saline) or Dexamethasone , 0.5mg/kg IV after the induction of anesthesia before surgery. The incidence of postextubation laryngospasm and vomiting was recorded by the an investigator. All collected data were analyzed with using the statistical software (SPSS, Ver.16). Results : Mean age in Dexamethasone group 6.4±2.2, placebo group 6.1±2.8. Mean weight in Dexamethasone group 19.2±5.3, placebo group 20.3± 6.8 (p>0.05). Mean duration of anesthesia in Dexamethasone group 57.4 ±7.4 min, placebo group 55.6±4.6min. Mean duration of surgery in Dexamethasone group 40.7±6.7min , placebo group 42.3 ±8.4min (p>0.05). The incidence of postextubation laryngospasm in Dexamethasone group (6%) was lower than that in the placebo group (30%) (p