Comparison of the Efficiency of Two Taping Techniques in Reducing Thoracic Kyphosis among Girls Aged 18-30 Years

Background: Kyphosis means an abnormal increase in the curvature of the thoracic region of the vertebral column and refers to a situation where the thoracic kyphosis range is more than forty five degrees. Vertebral column taping seems to be one of the most effective ways of treating kyphosis. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effect of two taping techniques in reducing the degree of kyphosis in girls aged 18-30 years. Methods: Thirty-two volunteers were randomly assigned into two groups (n=19 per group) of V–shaped tape and I-shaped tape. Taping techniques were performed as follows by applying 50% tensile force: V–shaped tape: The tape started on both sides of the anterior of acromioclavicular joint and extended to the spinous process of T6 vertebra. I–shaped tape: The patient’s body was kept in a standing and straight state and then a longitudinal tape was applied from T1 to the deepest lumbar lordosis region. The measurements were carried out before, immediately, 24, and 48 hours after taping by a flexible ruler in a similar manner. Data analysis was performed using Friedman Test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Mann Whitney Test. Results: The results of this study showed a significant reduction in the degree of kyphosis in the case of the V-shaped tape 48 hours after taping. However, the degree of kyphosis decreased after 24 h (P=0.001) and 48 hours (P< 0001) in the I-shaped tape group. In addition, there was no significant difference between the two interventions in terms of decreasing the degree of kyphosis at any time interval except for 24 hours (P=0.043). Conclusion: Taping reduces the degree of kyphosis by creating mechanical support, creating proprioceptive feedback, affecting the proprioception, improving the function of spinal erectors, and improving the mental image of the body with kyphosis. It appears that the I-shaped tape positioning on the alignment of spinal erectors spine makes it more effective

Association of Pulmonary Function Tests and Serum Vitamin D Levels in Asthmatics With Vitamin D Deficiency

Objective: The effects of serum vitamin D levels on the evolution or severity of asthma have been widely researched; however, conflicting results have been achieved. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and pulmonary function tests in asthmatic and non-asthmatic people with vitamin D deficiency.Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study on healthy adults and asthmatic patients. Standard spirometry and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D test were performed for all participants.Results: Forty asthmatic patients and 40 healthy controls were tested. The mean age of participants was 42.86 ± 1.6. High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was found in both the asthmatic and control groups. No significant correlation was found between serum vitamin D levels and spirometry parameters in either of the groups (P = 0.83). Conclusion: Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were not correlated with the severity of asthma as evaluated by pulmonary function tests in asthmatics

Validation of a Persian Version of Motorcycle Rider Behavior Questionnaire

In Iran, road traffic injuries are the first cause of burden of disease and motorcyclists are the most vulnerable road users. Elliot and colleagues developed the “Motorcycle Rider Behavior Questionnaire” (MRBQ), on the basis of Reason’s “Driver Behavior Questionnaire” (DBQ) in 2007. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of a Persian version of MRBQ. The 43-item MRBQ was adapted to Persian according to translation-back translation method. The questionnaire was significantly revised after assessment of content validity. In the revised version, 10 items of original MRBQ were deleted and 15 new items were added. The revised MRBQ was used in a survey of 518 motorcyclists. To assess the construct validity of MRBQ, we used Buss-Perry Aggression questionnaire concurrently on all of the subjects. After three weeks, we carried out the retest study on 119 out of 518 subjects. The mean age of the subjects was 32.5 years (SD=8.8). All of the participants were male with mean of 9.3 years of motorcycle riding experience (SD=7.3). Principal Components Analysis (PCA) showed six subscales: “Speed Violations”, “Traffic Errors”, “Safety Violations”, “Traffic Violations”, “Stunts” and “Control Errors”, which accounted for 36.44% of total variance together. For each of these subscales, Cronbach’s Alpha was between 0.79 to 0.91. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient for six subscales and total questionnaire were from 0.73 to 0.91. There were significant correlations between MRBQ subscales and subscales of Buss-Perry aggression questionnaire. The results indicated that the 48-item Persian version of MRBQ is a suitable measure for studying motorcyclists’ behavior