Effect of booklet and combined method on parents' awareness of children with β-thalassemia major disorder

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of booklet and combining methods (lecture, video, etc.) on parents' awareness of children with beta-thalassemia major disorder. METHODS: Two groups of parents (n=30 each) of children with thalassemia were selected randomly. Among educational programmes, in one group booklet and in the other group combined method were used. A questionnaire was designed to gather information about the disease from parents of the two groups. The data were analysed using student's t-test and Pearson's correlation, significance was considered at p < 0.05. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the mean age, gender, level of education, job, number of affected children, and age of the child. However, in both methods of education (lecture and combined), knowledge of parents about the disease significantly increased (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The education whether through booklet or combined method has a significant positive effect on increasing knowledge of the investigated groups. It is recommended that increased knowledge levels of parents can decrease the burden of beta-thalassemia

Vitamin D and population health; a nephrology viewpoint

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The effect of family training and support on the quality of life and cost of hospital readmissions in congestive heart failure patients in Iran

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of family training and support on quality of life and cost of hospital readmissions in congestive heart failure patients. Methods: In this single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial, the participants were heart failure patients hospitalized in an Iranian hospital. Data were collected from available hospitalized patients. The participants were enrolled through randomized sampling and were divided randomly into two groups, an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received extra training package for the disease. Training was provided at discharge and three months after. A standard questionnaire to assess the QoL was filled out by both groups at discharge and six months after. Results: Mean scores of QoL domains at the beginning of the study decreased in control group and increased in intervention in comparison with six months after (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Nursing care follow-up according to heart failure patients' needs promoted their QoL

The prevalence of kidney scarring due to urinary tract infection in Iranian children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract infection is one of the most common diseases in childhood, and can lead to severe complications such as renal scarring in case of lack of diagnosis and timely treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of kidney scarring caused by urinary tract infection in Iranian children by meta-analysis. STUDY DESIGN: English -language databases including Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Springer, and Persian -language sites including SID, Magiran, Iranmedex, and Medlib, and the Google Scholar search engine were searched by in March 2018 using MeSH keywords. The heterogeneity of studies was studied using the I2 index. Data were analyzed using STATA software, version 15.1. RESULTS: In 18 studies, the prevalence of kidney scarring from urinary tract infections in Iranian children was 31% (95% confidence intervalCI: 22%-39%), (which was 14% in girls and 23% in boys. Also, the prevalence of kidney scar in children with urinary reflux was 47% and in children without urinary reflux was 12%. The most common symptom of the renal scar was fever in 61%, followed by urinary reflux in 45% (unilateral in 42% and bilateral in 30%). Also, the prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe reflux, respectively, was 31%, 27%, and 13%. Meta-regression also showed that the prevalence of kidney scar due to urinary tract infections had no significant relationship with the number of samples and years of research (P > 0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: About one-third of Iranian children suffering from urinary tract infections had kidney scarring, so that the prevalence is lower in girls than in boys. Also, the prevalence of renal scarring in children with urinary reflux is about four times higher than that in children without urinary reflux

The effect of occupational therapy on some aspects of quality of life in schizophrenic patients

چکیده: زمینه و هدف: بیماری اسکیزوفرنیا شدیدترین و مزمن شونده ترین بیماری روانپزشکی است که با اختلال در تواناییهای اجتماعی و شغلی همراه است. کار درمانی باعث افزایش اعتماد به نفس، خودسازی و تقویت رفتارهای کاری در بیمار می شود. این پژوهش با هدف تعیین تاثیر کاردرمانی بر ابعاد مختلف کیفیت زندگی بیماران اسکیزوفرنیک مزمن بستری در بیمارستان سینا انجام شده است. روش بررسی: این پژوهش یک مطالعه کار آزمایی بالینی است که ابتدا بیماران اسکیزوفرن مزمن بستری در بیمارستان سینای فارسان در استان چهارمحال و بختیاری بصورت سرشماری انتخاب و کیفیت زندگی آنان بوسیله پرسشنامه کیفیت زندگی بررسی و سپس بیماران بصورت تصادفی به دو گروه مورد (32 نفر) و شاهد (30 نفر) تقسیم گردیدند. کاردرمانی به مدت 20 ساعت در هفته در طی 6 ماه برای گروه مورد اجرا شد. بعد از اجرای کاردرمانی مجدداً کیفیت زندگی بیماران بررسی و اطلاعات با استفاده از آمار توصیفی و استنباطی (t مستقل) تجزیه و تحلیل شد. یافته ها: نتایج نشان داد در بدو مطالعه، تفاوت معنی داری بین میانگین نمره کیفیت زندگی گروه مورد و شاهد، وجود نداشت، بعد از مطالعه این تفاوت در حیطه انگیزه و انرژی و نمره کل کیفیت زندگی بین گروه مورد و شاهد معنی دار بود (001/0

Frequency of celiac disease in children with type 1 diabetes

Background and aims: Occurrence of celiac and diabetes is accompanied by numerous complications in children and if diagnoses do not occur promptly, celiac disease complications including gastrointestinal disorders, loss of appetite and damage caused by hypoproteinemia, and most importantly, growth disorder occurs in diabetic children. This study was aimed to compare the frequency of celiac disease in children with diabetes aged under 15 years and the controls of the same age referring to the clinics affiliated with Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this case-control study, using convenience sampling, 42 patients with diabetes and 43 patients without diabetes admitted for gastrointestinal diseases were assigned as cases and controls, respectively. The description of all patients was provided, and physical examinations and serologic tests were conducted on them. If the serologic tests tTGA-IgA and tTGA-IgG were positive, the intestinal biopsy was taken. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test, chi-square, and Mann–Whitney test in SPSS. Results: The mean serum levels of tTGA-IgA and tTGA-IgG were significantly higher in the case group than the control group (P<0.05). There were significant differences in weight gain between the cases and the controls (P=0.017). The frequency of celiac disease was 15% (n: 6) in children with diabetes with a significant difference from the controls (P=0.02). Conclusion: In this study, the frequency of celiac disease was higher in children with diabetes than children without. Therefore, in the study area, routine screening for celiac disease is helpful in reducing possible disorders and complications in diabetic children

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic

Self-care concept analysis in cancer patients: An evolutionary concept analysis

Self-care is a frequently used concept in both the theory and the clinical practice of nursing and is considered an element of nursing theory by Orem. The aim of this paper is to identify the core attributes of the self-care concept in cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We used Rodgers' evolutionary method of concept analysis. The articles published in English language from 1980 to 2015 on nursing and non-nursing disciplines were analyzed. Finally, 85 articles, an MSc thesis, and a PhD thesis were selected, examined, and analyzed in-depth. Two experts checked the process of analysis and monitored and reviewed the articles. Results: The analysis showed that self-care concept is determined by four attributes of education, interaction, self-control, and self-reliance. Three types of antecedents in the present study were client-related (self-efficacy, self-esteem), system-related (adequate sources, social networks, and cultural factors), and healthcare professionals-related (participation). Conclusion: The self-care concept has considerably evolved among patients with chronic diseases, particularly cancer, over the past 35 years, and nurses have managed to enhance their knowledge about self-care remarkably for the clients so that the nurses in healthcare teams have become highly efficient and able to assume the responsibility for self-care teams

Nursing Instructor and Students' Perspectives on Clinical Education Apprenticeship Problems

Introduction: Different problems might lead to reduction in the efficiency of nursing students' apprenticeship education and solving those problems. Aim: This study was conducted to determine nursing internship problems from the perspective of trainers and students. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 20 trainers and 43 senior students of nursing were selected using census method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Total internal consistency (a) of the questionnaire was 0.88 and had proper convergent validity. SPSS was used to analyse data with applying descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: More than 50 considered their course relatively weak or weak in helping intern nurses to acquire comprehensive view of the nursing profession that takes a social perspective into account, skills required for the processes of nursing and instructing patients. Problems such as insufficient access to welfare and educational facilities, lack of co-operation among clinical team and scattering of internship sessions during a course were mentioned by nurses and their trainers. They believed that changes must take place in the way internship courses are carried out. Conclusion: Although the internship courses seem to achieve their aim of improving students' skills and independence in providing different nursing services to students and their trainers generally have a positive attitude towards such courses, there are still problems in effective exercise of the training

Prevalence of Hypertension in Renal Diseases in Iran: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Hypertension is a risk factor for renal disease. Therefore, this study was aimed at estimating the prevalence of hypertension in renal patients in Iran through meta-analysis. Methods: The search was carried out using authentic Persian and English keywords in national and international databases including IranMedex, SID, Magiran, IranDoc, Medlib, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, and Google Scholar search engine without any time limitation until 2017. Heterogeneity of studies was assessed using the I (2) index. Data were analyzed using STATA ver 11. Results: In 35 reviewed studies with a sample of 39,621 subjects, the prevalence of hypertension in renal patients was 35 (95 CI: 29-41) (25 in women and 18 in men). The prevalence of systolic hypertension in renal patients was 5, diastolic hypertension 26, and diabetes 23. The prevalence of hypertension in hemodialysis patients was 34, 27 in peritoneal dialysis, 43 in kidney transplantation, and 26 in chronic renal failure. In addition, meta-regression showed that the prevalence of hypertension in renal patients did not significantly decrease during the years 1988-2017. Conclusions: More than a third of kidney patients in Iran suffer from high blood pressure. The diastolic blood pressure of these patients is about five times higher than their systolic blood pressure. Moreover, the age group under 30 is a high-risk group. The prevalence of hypertension in women with kidney disease is higher than in men. In addition, patients who have kidney transplants are more likely to have high blood pressure than other kidney patients