Domestic violence challenge and COVID-19 pandemic

By the emergence of the COVID-19 transfers and relocation of people to prevent the spread of infection have been restricted. Long term staying at home during an epidemic increases the probability of interpersonal friction and conflict. During this time, the family members get close together and interactions between family members may be increased. Restricting people's movements during an epidemic can lead to psychological consequences such as stress, anxiety, and domestic violence consequently. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasis that with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety, and stress have increased worldwide notably

Parameters of lower extremities alignment view in Iranian adult population

Normal axial alignment restoration in lower extremities is crucial for surgeons performing reconstructive surgeries. Since reference normal values of axial alignment are affected by age, sex, and ethical issues, we tried to scrutinize these parameters in Iranian adults and compare them with normal values in literatures. Through a cross-sectional design, standing axial alignment views of lower extremities were surveyed from 100 volunteers (50 males and 50 females) aged between 15-32 years. The lower extremities alignment variables were evaluated during two separate measurements. Total average values were used for comparison among genders. Tibiofemoral mechanical angle depicted mean varus of 1.5 degrees in an Iranian population that was significantly higher in male participants. The Mean angle between anatomical and mechanical axes of the femur was 5.7 ± 1.2º. The Knee joint was shown to be medially inclined 3.6 ± 1.7º in men comparing 2 ± 2º of women with a significant difference. Joint line congruence angle was medially inclined in all of the study participants with a mean of 1 ± 1.6º. To compare with anthropometric studies of western populations, Iranian participants had more varus lower limb alignment. It seemed mainly because of larger medially inclined knee joint (knee-joint obliquity). This finding along with more compensatory ankle valgus is similar to results of other Asian studies. Such racial variation should be considered in designing appropriate systems in reconstructive surgery. © 2015 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Parameters of lower extremities alignment view in Iranian adult population

Normal axial alignment restoration in lower extremities is crucial for surgeons performing reconstructive surgeries. Since reference normal values of axial alignment are affected by age, sex, and ethical issues, we tried to scrutinize these parameters in Iranian adults and compare them with normal values in literatures. Through a cross-sectional design, standing axial alignment views of lower extremities were surveyed from 100 volunteers (50 males and 50 females) aged between 15-32 years. The lower extremities alignment variables were evaluated during two separate measurements. Total average values were used for comparison among genders. Tibiofemoral mechanical angle depicted mean varus of 1.5 degrees in an Iranian population that was significantly higher in male participants. The Mean angle between anatomical and mechanical axes of the femur was 5.7 ± 1.2º. The Knee joint was shown to be medially inclined 3.6 ± 1.7º in men comparing 2 ± 2º of women with a significant difference. Joint line congruence angle was medially inclined in all of the study participants with a mean of 1 ± 1.6º. To compare with anthropometric studies of western populations, Iranian participants had more varus lower limb alignment. It seemed mainly because of larger medially inclined knee joint (knee-joint obliquity). This finding along with more compensatory ankle valgus is similar to results of other Asian studies. Such racial variation should be considered in designing appropriate systems in reconstructive surgery

Prevalence of physical violence against pregnant women and effects on maternal and birth outcomes

Violence and the threat of violence against pregnant women are main barriers to women's empowerment and equal participation in society. When stress and violence increase in developing societies, women's safety in the home, workplace and community is often seriously affected. To determine the prevalence of physical abuse in pregnant women and to assess association between physical violence during pregnancy and maternal complications and birth outcomes, we used clinic-based data from a sample of 403 women who delivered live born infants during the summer of 2002 in our hospital. Data of physical violence against women's during pregnancy and 3 months before that were based on questionnaire and interview. Outcomes data including antenatal hospitalization, labor and delivery complications were obtained from the records. Prevalence of physical violence during pregnancy was reported as 10.7. Prevalence of experience of physical abuse 3 months before pregnancy was 11.9. Women who experienced physical violence compared with those not reporting abuse were more likely to be smoker and hospitalized before delivery for maternal complications such as preterm labor, kidney infections, premature rupture of membranes and vaginal bleeding with pain. There was a significant association between physical violence and low birth weight and mother's education. Physical violence during pregnancy is common and is associated with maternal complications and adverse birth outcomes. We suggest including methods to determine frequency of violence during pregnancy and assessment of violence in pregnancy by a screening program integrated in prenatal care. ©2006 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Quality of life, Work ability and other important indicators of women's occupational health

Objectives: Work ability may be considered as an important aspect of well-being and health status. One of the most important factors in association with work ability is health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study has been to determine the association between work ability, individual characteristics and HRQoL of female workers. Material and Methods: The design of this study has been cross-sectional. The work ability index (WAI) and Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaires were used to collect data. Three hundred and twenty female workers were selected from food supplier factories in Karaj. One-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analysis, independent sample t-test and multiple linear regression methods were used to analyze data. Results: Mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) of the WAI stood at 35.02 and 5.57, respectively. The categories of the WAI for women being as follows: 8.8 poor, 62 moderate, 25.4 good and 3.7 excellent. Mean±SD for the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of quality of life was 58.84±11.12 and 57.45±9.94, respectively. There was a positive significant association between the PCS and MCS with the WAI (p = 0.0001). Workers with higher education had a better work ability (p = 0.002) and shift-work workers had a worse work ability (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Work ability of majority of women was moderate. Considering mean age of studied women (27.6 years old), this work ability is not satisfactory. Physical and mental components of the HRQoL were the important factors associated with work ability

Validation of the persian version of spiritual well-being questionnaires

Spiritual well-being is an important issue in health sciences, hence the need for validated instruments to assess this aspect of health in the Iranian population. The aim of the current study was to determine the validity of the Persian versions of 2 most common measures of spiritual health (Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire [SWBQ] or Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure [SHALOM] and Spiritual Well-Being Scale [SWBS]). This was a cross-sectional study via a convenience sampling method in Iran University of Medical Sciences with 170 participants aged above 18 years comprising students, teachers, and administrative staff and managers. The study was conducted from September 7, 2014 to September 20, 2015 in Tehran. Four questionnaires, namely the SWBQ, SWBS, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), were used. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 18 and LISREL (version 8.2). Cronbach's alpha, intra-class correlation coefficient, Pearson correlation, and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha for the SWBQ and the SWBS was greater than 0.85. The repeatability of both questionnaires was between 0.88 and 0.98. The Pearson correlation for the SWBQ and the SWBS ranged from 0.33 to 0.53 and all the correlations were significant. The respondents who indicated a higher spiritual well-being also reported better general health and happiness. The Persian versions of the SWBS and the SWBQ have good reliability, repeatability, and validity to assess spiritual health in the Iranian population

Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Attempt in Iran: A Case-Crossover Study

Alcohol use and its disorders are associated with increased risk of suicidal behaviors Research has shown that 6-8 of those who use alcohol have a history of suicide attempt. Given the prohibition of alcohol use legally, the increased alcohol consumption, and the lack of strong evidence in favor of its use associated with suicide in Iran, this study was conducted to determine the link between suicide attempt and alcohol abuse. The case-crossover method was used in this research. Out of 305 referrals to the emergency room due to a suicide attempt, 100 reported drinking alcohol up to six hours before their attempt. Paired Matching and Usual Frequency were employed to analyze the data with STATA 12.0. The probability of attempting suicide up to six hours after drinking alcohol appeared increased by 27 times (95 CI: 8.1-60.4). Separate analysis for each of these hours from the first to the sixth hour after alcohol use was also performed. Fifty percent of attempted suicides happened one hour after alcohol use. Relative risk for the first and second hour was 10 and 5 respectively. Alcohol use is a strong proximal risk factor for attempted suicide among Iranian subjects. Prevention of alcohol use should be considered in setting up of the national Suicide attempt prevention program

Suicide Prevention and Follow-Up Services: A Narrative Review

Previous suicide attempt is the most important predictor of death by suicide. Thus preventive interventions after attempting to suicide is essential to prevent reattempts. This paper attempts to determine whether phone preventive interventions or other vehicles (postal cards, email and case management) are effective in reattempt prevention and health promotion after discharge by providing an overview of studies on suicide reattempts. The research investigated in this review conducted from 1995 to 2014. A total of 26 cases related to the aim of this research were derived from 36 English articles with the aforementioned keywords Research shows that providing comprehensive aids, social support, and follow-up after discharge can significantly prevent suicide reattempts. Several studies showed that follow-up support (phone calls, crisis cards, mails, postal cards.) after discharge can significantly decrease the risk of suicide. More randomized controlled trials (RCT) are required to determine what factors of follow-up are more effective than other methods

Health system responsiveness for outpatient care in people with diabetes Mellitus in Tehran

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the people who have collaborated in this study: Mr. K. Ahmadi, Iran's permanent representative at the UN Office in Geneva, Naidoo Nirmala Devi at the WHO, Dr Seyyed Mohammad Sajjad, Dr Sarah Shakerian the Department of Social Medicine.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Risk factors of HBs Ag positive in blood donors of Hamedan, Iran

Background: Viral hepatitis B is a common community acquired infection. It damages the liver tissue and can be a risk factor for cirrhosis and liver cancer. In the present study, we investigated the major risk factors for being HBs Ag positive among blood donors of Hamedan, Iran.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Hamedan city. All of the blood donors in Blood Transfusion Organization Center of the city were asked to fill out a questionnaire between September 2011 and February 2012. Logistic regression was used to calculate Odds Ratios (OR) for risk factors of being HBs Ag positive using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0.Results: Among 571 participants 119 (20.8%) were HBs Ag positive. Of all patients, 158 (27.6%) were female, 506 (88.6%) were living in urban areas. Also, 375 (65.7%) were married. Among the potential risk factors of HBs Ag positivity studied, “History of Surgery” ranked first (OR=3.11 P=0.003) and “Familial History of Liver Disease” was the second significant risk factor (OR=2.90 P=0.013). Human bite, dental filling, and needle stick had odds ratios less than one. However, they were not found to be statistically significant (P>0.05).Conclusion: Of all risk factors investigated in the present study, “History of Surgery” suggests a risk of infection transmission through surgical team. More studies on different populations are needed due to regional characteristics of hepatitis transmission