Student's preparedness for disasters in schools: a systematic review protocol

Introduction: Children are one of the most vulnerable groups in disasters. Improving students’ knowledge and skills to prepare for disasters can play a major role in children’s health. School as a place to teach children can make a significant contribution to provide the necessary skills. This study aims to identify the effects, strengths and weaknesses of interventions in schools to prepare children for disasters. Methods and analysis: We use Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to develop a protocol for this systematic review. The included studies will report on the results of interventions targeting ‘schoolchildren’ defined as individuals between 4 and under 18 years old studying in schools. Different electronic databases will be used for a comprehensive literature search, including MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE to identify the records that match the mentioned inclusion criteria published till December 2020. The main search terms are ‘disaster’, ‘preparedness’, ‘children’ and ‘school’. Four types of data will be extracted from the qualified studies including study characteristics (study design, year of publication and geographical region where the study was conducted), participant characteristics (sample size, age and gender), intervention characteristics (aim of intervention, intervention facilitators and barriers) and intervention outcomes. The quality appraisal of the selected papers will be conducted using Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias for quantitative studies and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for qualitative studies. We use a narrative synthesis for this systematic review. The narrative synthesis refers to an approach to systematic reviews which focuses mostly on applying words and texts to summarise and explain findings. Ethics and dissemination: This paper is a part of a Ph.D. thesis of Hamed Seddighi at University of Social welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences with ethics code IR.USWR.REC.1399.008 approved by the Ethics Committee of the above-mentioned university

Satisfaction and Related Factors among the Service Users of Private Rehabilitation Centers

Objectives: The aim of present study was determining the level of satisfaction and its relative factors among parents of mentally retarded children using the services of private rehabilitation centers. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted on parents of 150 mentally retarded children, who were selected by quota sampling from eight private rehabilitation centers in Tehran. Questionnaires were used to collect data, and correlation tests, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were utilized to analyze data. Results: Upon the results, overall 88% of participants expressed their satisfaction. The major related factors were the behavior of managers and employees, receiving training for follow-up rehabilitation and education programs for the child at home, and the child's progress. The factors related to dissatisfaction included nutrition services, physical condition of the center and lack of parental participation in decision- making on matters related to the child. A significant relationship was found between parental satisfaction and family size, father's job, and the number of other disabled people in the family. Discussion: According to the findings, it seems that patient satisfaction is also affected by the behavioral aspects of care, in addition to the technical aspects. Considering the humans’ need for respect and compassion and the sense of being valuable, this finding could be anticipated. The managers of private rehabilitation centers, for attracting and retain clients, need to pay attention to the factors which have impact on service users’ satisfaction

Lifetime alcohol‐use prevalence and correlated factors among street children in Iran

Abstract Background Several studies on street children in Iran reported a high prevalence of alcohol consumption among this group. This study assessed the prevalence of lifetime alcohol use and correlated factors among street children in Iran. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional survey among 856 street children from six provinces of Iran. Behavioral data were collected by trained interviewers using a structured questionnaire. Our target outcome was lifetime alcohol use. We examined associations between individual variables and lifetime alcohol use using the chi‐square. A multiple logistic regression model included variables with a p‐value < .2. Lastly, we reported the adjusted odds ratio (an OR) point estimate and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) as the effect measure. Results Mean age and standard deviation (SD) of alcohol drinkers were 14.94 ± 2.16. Overall, 16.6% (CI95%: 14.38%, 19.55%) of participants reported lifetime alcohol use, and almost 60% of children reported alcohol use over three past months. In the final model, factors that were independently associated with alcohol use included the 15–18 age range (AOR 2.35, 95% CI 1.48−3.73), Iranian nationality (AOR 3.36, 95% CI 2.07−5.45), working longer than 5 years in the streets (AOR 2.90, 95% CI 1.72−4.88), father's drug use (AOR 1.93, 95% CI 1.22−3.01), and illiteracy (AOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.03−2.66). Conclusions The results of the present study demonstrated that preventive plans for alcohol use among street children must be addressed using the services provided by governmental and nongovernmental organizations

Poverty Trends in Health and Nutrition Expenditures in Tehran Housholds during 1984 -2014: A Cohort Approach

Background: Health and nutrition are important aspects in the analysis of households&rsquo; multidimensional poverty. The present research investigated poverty in Tehran&rsquo;s households through a cohort approach. In this regard, households&rsquo; financial participation about health costs and food intake calories were analyzed. Methods: Households&rsquo; data of costs &ndash; income survey were then collected. Health and nutrition poverty trend was investigated through generational approach, index of poverty &quot;Foster, Greer, Turbak&quot;, and in the period of 1984-2014 by dividing Tehrany families into eight various age groups. Excell and Stata11 were applied to process and calculate the indices. Results: During the study years, the highest level of health poverty (29%) in 1999 was in age range of 21-26 and the highest level of nutrition poverty in 1984 (65%) was in age range of 42-46. There has been an ascending trend of health and nutrition poverty at the end of the Fourth Development Plan (2009) up to 2013 for all age groups. Conclusion: Generally, rate and severity of health and nutrition poverty had many fluctuations among different age groups of Tehrani households&rsquo; heads. This rate has raised during recent years which indicates lack of stable and coherent social policies to reduce households&rsquo; exposures with catastrophic health care costs and funding of the food aid needs. &nbsp

How did we protect children against COVID-19 in Iran? Prevalence of COVID-19 and vaccination in the socio-economic context of COVID-19 epidemic.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic posed significant risks to children worldwide. This study aimed to assess the COVID-19 protection status of children and explored the relationship between household socio-economic status and COVID-19 morbidity and preventive measures, including vaccination and mask-wearing, in two cities in Iran.MethodA population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2022 among 7 to 18-year-old children and their families in Tehran and Karaj. A total of 3,022 samples were selected using stratified multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected through interviews with children and adults, using questionnaires and was analyzed with Stata software version 14.ResultsThe analysis focused on 2,878 children with a median age of 12. Over half (54%) reported that the pandemic negatively affected their family's financial status, with 45% describing its impact on children's needs as negative or very negative. Just under 50% of respondents consistently wore masks during the study period, and around 54% had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Reasons for not getting vaccinated included concerns about side effects, ineligibility for the target age group, and overcrowding at vaccination sites. The odds of not getting vaccinated were significantly lower for children aged 15-18, with boys more likely to refuse vaccination than girls.ConclusionThe financial impact of the pandemic in Iran affected families' ability to meet their children's needs. Moreover, low vaccination acceptance rates increased children's vulnerability to health problems and contributed to COVID-19 infections. Efforts should be made to increase vaccination acceptance, particularly among immigrant populations

Stressful life events and Low birth Weight: according to social determinant of health approach

Background and aim:Stressful life events during pregnancy are associated with adverse consequences for mother and newborn. The purposeof this study was to understand the effects of stressful life events during pregnancy on low-birth-weight newbornaccording to social determinants of health.Materials and Methods:This study was the second part of a large research project. The main study was conducted using case-control design.Samples were recruited in four stages by selecting 750 mothers with newborns weighing less than 4000 gr using multistagesampling method. The data about women’s lifestyle during pregnancy was collected using a questionnaire whichwas developed using inductive and deductive approaches based on social determinants of health. This study assessedstressful life events during pregnancy using 18 itemsFindings:The average of stressful life events number and the total score of this domain were different between two groups(p&lt;0.001). The odds ratio for effect of a one-unit increase in stress score, increased the risk of low- birth-weight by 1.03times (p=0.001).Conclusion:The stressful life events can influence fetal growth independently. Although receiving health care during pregnancy (thebiological dimension), has an important influence, the role of stress, the related factors and the coping methods shouldbe considered.Keywords:Stressful Event; Social Determinant of Health; Newborn, Infant, Low Birth Weigh

Comparing the virtual and face-to-face speech therapy services for children and the access to these services during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

ObjectivesThere has been increased interest in using telepractice in clinical services during COVID-19. Using telepractice is little known in speech and language therapy. However, the parents and speech therapists were satisfied with this method. Therefore, this scoping review aims to compare tele speech therapy and face-to-face speech therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the efficacy of available telepractices in speech therapy.Materials &amp; MethodsThis scoping review was according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guideline. The authors systematically searched Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases with specific eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria were studies published from 1 January 2020 to 10 May 2023 from a peer-reviewed journal and written in English. In addition, the articles were about speech therapy in children during COVID-19.ResultsFifteen articles were included in this scoping review. Results showed that approximately all speech therapists used tele practice during the pandemic. Parents and students are satisfied with this method but have problems with it. On the other hand, some parents and SLPs preferred tele practice accompanied by face-to-face intervention. Furthermore, few studies determined the efficacy of tele practice with clear structural methods in specific populations. ConclusionAlthough tele speech therapy is acceptable for providing speech and language therapy services to children with swallowing and communication disorder, speech-language therapists should increase their information and technology to achieve successful resultsMoreover, parents must play an essential role in telepractice services to facilitate effective communication between clinicians and families

Positive Mental Health from the perspective of Iranian society: A qualitative study [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

Background: According to the World Health Organization, mental health relates, not only to the absence of mental disorder, but also to Positive Mental Health. Studies have shown that promoting positive mental health, not only reduces the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders, but also affects the process of treatment and reduces related burden. However, this concept has different interpretations in different cultures, and in many societies, mental health is still considered the absence of mental illness. Thus, the present study was conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of Iranian adults` perspective towards the concept of positive mental health. Materials and Methods: In the present qualitative study, eight focus group discussions (6 to 8 adults in each session) were held consisting of 30 to 60 year-old men and women from Tehran. Data were analyzed in "DeDoose" qualitative software using content analysis. Results: According to the data obtained, participants found no difference between positive mental health and mental health, mostly equating it to the absence of mental disorders and having positive energy, peace in and satisfaction with life. According to the results, positive mental health has four domains of emotional/psychological, spiritual, social, and life skills. Conclusion: Understanding an individual’s positive mental health concepts culturally and providing appropriate community based programs can significantly promote the mental health of the community