Exploring the factors affecting the motivation for learning from the perspective of public health students: A qualitative study

Objective. Despite the significant role of motivation in achieving success among public health students, students often do not demonstrate adequate motivation for learning and education. This study was performed to determine factors affecting the motivation for learning from the perspective of public health students via content analysis approach. Methods. This qualitative study was conducted at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in Sanandaj, Iran in 2017. 15 students were included in the study by using purposive sampling. Data were collected through personal interviews, group discussions, and field notes, and they were analyzed through conventional content analysis. Several parameters were taken into account to support the accuracy and the strength of the data: acceptability, confirmability, and transferability. Results. Five categories were derived from the data analysis, including “University Policy”, “Health Status”, “Teacher’s Role”, “Student-Related Factors” and “University Facilities”. Attention to the health status and its priority in the opinion of people, authorities, and educational system were the most important factors involved in the students’ motivation for learning. Conclusions. To increase motivation for learning, students have diverse needs that should be met. Attention to the components of motivation for learning not only enhances academic achievement but also promotes the formation of health behaviors in the society

Comparison of the quality of life in pregnant women with and without restless legs syndrome

Comparison of quality of life in pregnant women with and without restless legs syndrome Abstract Background & Objective: restless legs syndrome is a movement disorder that characterized by an intensive desire to shake legs at rest. Restless legs syndrome is highly prevalent among pregnant women and may reduce quality of life. This study was conducted to compare quality of life in women with restless legs syndrome with pregnant women without restless legs syndrome. Materials & Methods: in this cross-sectional-comparative study, 150 pregnant women (75 with restless legs syndrome and 75 healthy women) was selected with conceived sampling in Saqqez. Data were collected using Restless Legs Syndrome screening questionnaire and quality of life SF-36 questionnaire. The data was analyzed by PASW software and descriptive statistics, independent t test and Chi square. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant Results: the results showed that the women with restless legs syndrome in the field of role physical (p=0.001), body pain (p=0.0001), general health (p=0.0001), social function (p=0.04), mental health (p=0.006), vitality (p=0.03), and emotional role (p=0.01) were significantly lower than women without restless legs syndrome. Conclusion: Quality of life in women with restless legs syndrome was lower than in healthy pregnant women

Knowledge of Type II Diabetic Patients About Their Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Knowledge is the critical component to counter the harmful side-effects of chronic diseases. Diabetic patients can manage their disease based on their diabetes knowledge and following good self-care behavior. Various studies about patients' knowledge of diabetes show different results. The purpose of this study is to estimate the overall knowledge score of Iranian patients about diabetes. Methods: In the current study, ten papers published by September 2018 were identified without time limitation. A literature search for the papers was conducted using the keywords: Iran, diabetes, knowledge, and their combinations. The necessary data were extracted and analyzed through meta-analysis using the random-effects model. The I2 statistic was used to measure the heterogeneity among the studies. The data were analyzed using Stata software (Version 11). Results: The pooled estimate of the knowledge score of type II diabetes patients about their diabetes was 64% (95% CI: 52%-76%). According to the meta-regression results, there was no relationship between the knowledge score with age (P = 0.487), duration of disease (P = 0.406), and the sample size (P = 0.146). The patients' knowledge score had experienced an uptrend between 2004 and 2017, the years at which the oldest and the most recent articles were published (P = 0.06). Conclusions: Iranian patients' knowledge about their diabetes was at an average level. Education, along with medication, can significantly reduce short and long-term complications of diabetes

Prevalence of post-stroke depression in Iranian patients : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common and important neuropsychiatric outcome of stroke, which can result in longer hospital stay, compromise the effectiveness of rehabilitation, and reduce the patients’ quality of life. However, Iranian studies have reported different and conflicting prevalence rates for PSD. Objective: The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the overall prevalence of PSD in Iranian patients. Patients and methods: A systematic search was conducted in 2018 for Persian or English articles on PSD, published in the Scientific Information Database (SID), MagIran, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, using the following keywords: Depression, Depressive Disorder, Stroke, Cerebrovascular Disorder, and Iran and all of their possible combinations. Heterogeneity across the studies was evaluated using the Cochran's Q test. According to the heterogeneity results, a random effects model was used to estimate the overall prevalence of PSD. The data were analyzed using the Stata 12 software. Results: In overall, 6 articles with a total sample size of 641 patients were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of PSD in Iran was 46.9% (95%, CI: 30.1-63.7). In addition, the prevalence of PSD was higher in women (50.4%, 95% CI: 17.9-82.9) than in men (29.5%, 95% CI: 17.2-41.8). According to the results of univariate meta-regression, there was a significant relationship between PSD prevalence and sample size (p = .010). Conclusion: Around half of the stroke patients in Iran suffer from PSD. Given the overlap between neurological symptoms of stroke and depression, efforts should be made to quickly and accurately diagnose depression so that it can be effectively managed with minimum complications

Domestic violence among Iranian women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Context: Violence against women, or domestic violence, is both a physical and mental health issue that is rampant in many societies. It undermines the personal health of those involved by inflicting physical, sexual, and psychological damage. The purpose of the present systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the prevalence of domestic violence in Iranian society

Health-related quality of life in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes : an updated meta-analysis

Diabetes is the most common metabolic causes of increased mortality rate due to multiple complications of this disease. Diabetes, thus, influences patients' quality of life due to its resultant physical disabilities and mental health problems. This study aimed to investigate health-related quality of life among Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes. In this meta-analysis study, a search was conducted with the keywords Quality of Life, Health-Related Quality of Life, QoL, HRQoL, Shortform questionnaire 36, SF-36, Diabetes and Iran in the national and international databases such as SID, MagIran, ISI/Web of Science, PubMed [including Medline], and Scopus between 2011 and 2018. Based on the heterogeneity of data, the random effects model was used. Data was analyzed using the Stata software version 14. Overall, 17 studies were eligible, with a total sample size of 5472 patients, showed that the mean score of the physical dimension in patients with type 2 diabetes (53.5, 95% CI: 43.1-63.9) was less than the mean of mental dimension score (54.5, 95% CI: 47-61.9). By increasing the age of samples, the mean of the HRQoL score of the Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes was significantly decreased (p = 0.015). The highest and lowest scores for the quality of life subscales were social function and general health, respectively. Patients with type 2 diabetes have a moderate quality of life. Providing solutions to improve the quality of life of this group of patients especially in the physical aspect is required

Frequency and determinants of domestic violence against Iranian women during the COVID-19 pandemic : a national cross-sectional survey

Abstract Introduction: Domestic violence (social, legal, and health violence) is the most common type of violence against women. Due to factors such as the current quarantine, this type of violence has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for domestic violence against Iranian women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This online cross-sectional study was conducted on 203 Iranian women during May-June 2020. Data were collected using a domestic violence questionnaire, which measured three forms of violence, including physical, emotional, and sexual violence. A link of the questionnaire was distributed among anonymous subjects through social networking apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. The subjects were asked to complete the questionnaire based on their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and a regression model. Results: The descriptive results showed that the mean domestic violence against women in all the participants was 34.9 (SD: 17.28). In addition, 26.6% (n=84), 26.1% (n=53), and 21.2% of the subjects (n=43) experienced high levels of physical, emotional, and sexual violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The regression model also indicated that lower age, illiteracy/primary education, previous marriage(s), and unwanted/unwise marriage were the significant risk factors for domestic violence against women. Conclusion: According to the results, domestic violence against women is common among Iranian women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, strategies are urgently needed to prevent and minimize such domestic violence, and such strategies could be adopted through providing educational opportunities, raising awareness, promoting wanted/wise marriage, and providing social support and rehabilitation opportunities to vulnerable social groups, especially vulnerable women

A systematic review and meta-analysis of health literacy in the Iranian population : findings and implications

Context: Health literacy includes social and cognitive skills determining individuals’ motivation to obtain and understand health information, thus empowers them to promote healthy behaviors. The exact level of health literacy in the Iranian population is unknown, as different Iranian studies have reported different health literacy rates in the Iranian population. Objectives: Therefore, this study aimed to investigate health literacy in the Iranian population by systematically combining and analyzing findings from the previous studies. Data Sources: A total of 26 articles in Persian and in English, published up to December 2017 were reviewed. Searching for articles with the keywords prevalence, abundance, health literacy, and Iran was conducted in the following national and international databases: Scientific Information Database (SID), Medline, Magiran,Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. The data were analyzed using the meta-analysis method and a random effects model. The heterogeneity among the studies was examined using the I2 statistic. All the analyses were performed using the STATA 12 software. Results: The highest levels of health literacy were for the region 1 of Iran, including the following provinces: Alborz, Tehran, Qazvin, Mazandaran, Semnan, Golestan, and Gom (46.7% with 95% CI: 25.7 - 67.7). Moreover, pregnant women (37.4% with 95% CI: 27 - 53.3) had the highest level of health literacy. In contrast, older people (60.2% with 95% CI: 43.7 - 76.8) and patients with diabetes (55.4% with 95% CI: 35.6 - 75.2) had the lowest health literacy levels. Conclusions: The lowest health literacy level was in older people and patients with diabetes. Therefore, it seems necessary to provide education for communitiesandgroups with inadequate health literacy levels, especially older peopleandpatients with chronic diseases to improve their health

The effect of corrective exercises on musculoskeletal disorders of Khoramabad workers

زمینه و هدف: با توجه به لزوم شناخت اختلالات اسکلتی- عضلانی در کارگران به منظور ارتقاء سلامت آنان به عنوان بخش عظیمی از سرمایه کاری کشور و کمبود مطالعه در زمینه ارائه راهکار برای بهبود این اختلالات، مطالعه حاضر با هدف ارزیابی تأثیر تمرینات ورزشی اصلاحی بر اختلالات اسکلتی عضلانی کارگران در شهر خرم‌آباد در سال 1391، انجام شد. روش بررسی: مطالعه حاضر پژوهشی نیمه تجربی است، جامعه آماری مورد مطالعه کارگران مرد مرکز صنعتی شماره 1 و 2 شهر خرم‌ آباد بود. 320 نفر در ارزیابی اولیه مورد بررسی قرار گرفتند که 196 نفر با توجه به معیارهای ورود به مطالعه، شرایط مطالعه را داشته و به پرسشنامه پاسخ دادند. ابزار پژوهش پرسشنامه استاندارد بررسی اختلالات اسکلتی- عضلانی نوردیک بود. برنامه اصلاح اختلالات با توجه به موارد شناسایی شده (113 مورد) توسط کارشناس تربیت بدنی اجرا شد. تمرینات اصلاحی به صورت کششی و تقویتی در 24 جلسه به مدت 8 هفته انجام شد. یافته‌ها: 113 نفر سابقه درد و ناراحتی در اندام و اعضاء اسکلتی عضلانی خود داشتند و هیچ‌گونه سابقه قبلی بیماری نداشتند. 58 کارگران حداقل در یکی از نواحی نه‌ گانه مورد بررسی بدن دچار اختلالات اسکلتی- عضلانی بودند که بیشترین شیوع در ناحیه کمر (6/31)، گردن (8/19) شانه (5/29) و زانو (8/17) بود. پس از مداخله کاهش معنی ‌داری (05/0˂P) در مشکلات تمامی نواحی نه ‌گانه دیده شد. نتیجه‌گیری: تمرینات اصلاحی باعث کاهش درد و مشکلات اسکلتی- عضلانی کارگران می‌شود

Evaluation of Adherence to Treatment Regimen in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Background and Objective: Performing preventive activities with active participation of patients and adhering to treatment regimen are the most important behaviors relating to diabetes that ensure the health of the patients and reduce the severity of their complications. This study  aimed to evaluate the adherence to treatment regimen in patients with type 2 diabetes referred to Sanandaj diabetes clinic, 2018, Iran. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 181 patients with diabetes were referred to the Sanandaj Diabetes Clinic in Kurdistan, Iran. Following the inclusion criteria, they were selected using a convenience sampling method. Data was collected using a demographic checklist and a standard treatment adherence questionnaire in chronic patients. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16). The collected data was analyzed by descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential tests. Results: The level of treatment adherence to the studied units was moderate. The mean overall score and score of different dimensions of treatment adherence in patients with abnormal glycosylated hemoglobin was significantly higher than in patients with normal glycosylated hemoglobin (P<0.001). In addition, the mean score of treatment adherence in the ability dimension was higher in insulin users than in pill users (P=0.042). In the  commitment dimension, pill users were more than insulin users (P=0.023). Conclusion: Considering the moderate level of treatment adherence, it seems necessary to provide solutions to improve the level of treatment adherence, especially in integrating treatment with life and enhancing the patients’ desire to participate in treatments