Understanding risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders in Iranian housewives: Development of a comprehensive health promotion behavior model

Background: Chronic musculoskeletal problems are a major source of disability, reduced productivity and poor quality of life. Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among Iranian housewives is particularly high. Understanding how housework causes the injuries, mobility restrictions and pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders is vital to developing health promotion behavior models to support intervention. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of housewives with musculoskeletal disorders and, according to the risk factors identified, to develop a comprehensive behavior change framework to facilitate implementing a musculoskeletal health-promoting training intervention for women. Methods: Twenty-four in-depth interviews were conducted with Iranian housewives aged 20-65 years experiencing musculoskeletal pain over a 13-month period from September 2020 to October 2021. The conventional content analysis approach was used to interrogate the data. The transcript of each interview was considered a unit of analysis, and data analysis was performed using MAXQDA2018 software. Results: The analysis of the interview data provided 1432 meaning units. From these codes, a conceptual framework was developed. This comprehensive model is comprised of 24 subcategories, eight categories and three themes: Individual and social predictors of MSDs and their control, Risk factors for MSDs, and Prevention and treatment of MSDs. Altogether the developed conceptual framework specified the multiple risk factors for MSDs in housewives. The findings were aligned to various health promotion models, and it was seen that ecological models, especially the Theory of Triadic Influence, can be very helpful as a supportive roadmap to implementing multilateral interventions to improve the quality of life of housewives. Conclusions: This study developed an evidence based comprehensive model that identifies the individual, psychosocial, and cultural factors that influence the status of MSDs in women’s domestic work to support the development and implementation of effective ergonomic interventions to manage potentials for MSDs

Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial to improve the quality of life of housewives with musculoskeletal disorders – a health promotion intervention based on a participatory ergonomic approach: the Housewives Ergonomic Intervention (HEI) trial

Background: A variety of household chores expose women to a variety of biomechanical and psychosocial risk factors. A result of this is many housewives with musculoskeletal disorders. Given the interactive effects of these risk factors, it is necessary to consider multiple strategies to mitigate their effects. Accordingly, the present study will investigate the impact of a health promotion training program based on a participatory ergonomic approach towards a reduction in the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and an improvement the quality of life of housewives. Methods: Iranian housewives aged 20-65 years currently attending a specialist health clinic due to a painful musculoskeletal complaint will be invited to join the study. Recruitment will continue until a sample of 160 women provide informed consent to participate. The study will be conducted using a mixed-methods protocol in two phases. In the first phase, psychosocial and biomechanical risk factors will be identified using a qualitative approach. In the next phase, the results from the qualitative approach will be used to develop a conceptual framework based on health promotion theories, and an intervention program based on a participatory ergonomic approach designed. Participants will be randomly allocated into one of four groups: (1) biomechanical intervention group, (2) psychosocial intervention group, (3) multidisciplinary intervention group (both biomechanical and psychosocial intervention), and (4) a control group. Data will be collected using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Work Ability Score (WAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the 36-item Short-Form health survey (SF-36) at baseline, and in 3-months and 6-months follow-up assessments. The impact of the three interventions on musculoskeletal disorders, work ability, stress, and quality of life will then be evaluated Discussion: The study will provide a practical approach to reducing stress, reducing musculoskeletal disorders, enhancing the ability to work, and improving the quality of life of women with musculoskeletal disorders associated with housework. If the designed interventions in the present study are effective, they will have great practical potential for generalization to all housewives

Climate-informed environmental inflows to revive a drying lake facing meteorological and anthropogenic droughts

The rapid shrinkage of Lake Urmia, one of the world\u27s largest saline lakes located in northwestern Iran, is a tragic wake-up call to revisit the principles of water resources management based on the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The overarching goal of this paper is to set a framework for deriving dynamic, climate-informed environmental inflows for drying lakes considering both meteorological/climatic and anthropogenic conditions. We report on the compounding effects of meteorological drought and unsustainable water resource management that contributed to Lake Urmia\u27s contemporary environmental catastrophe. Using rich datasets of hydrologic attributes, water demands and withdrawals, as well as water management infrastructure (i.e. reservoir capacity and operating policies), we provide a quantitative assessment of the basin\u27s water resources, demonstrating that Lake Urmia reached a tipping point in the early 2000s. The lake level failed to rebound to its designated ecological threshold (1274 m above sea level) during a relatively normal hydro-period immediately after the drought of record (1998–2002). The collapse was caused by a marked overshoot of the basin\u27s hydrologic capacity due to growing anthropogenic drought in the face of extreme climatological stressors. We offer a dynamic environmental inflow plan for different climate conditions (dry, wet and near normal), combined with three representative water withdrawal scenarios. Assuming effective implementation of the proposed 40% reduction in the current water withdrawals, the required environmental inflows range from 2900 million cubic meters per year (mcm yr−1) during dry conditions to 5400 mcm yr−1 during wet periods with the average being 4100 mcm yr−1. Finally, for different environmental inflow scenarios, we estimate the expected recovery time for re-establishing the ecological level of Lake Urmia

COSORE: A community database for continuous soil respiration and other soil‐atmosphere greenhouse gas flux data

Globally, soils store two to three times as much carbon as currently resides in the atmosphere, and it is critical to understand how soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and uptake will respond to ongoing climate change. In particular, the soil‐to‐atmosphere CO2 flux, commonly though imprecisely termed soil respiration (RS), is one of the largest carbon fluxes in the Earth system. An increasing number of high‐frequency RS measurements (typically, from an automated system with hourly sampling) have been made over the last two decades; an increasing number of methane measurements are being made with such systems as well. Such high frequency data are an invaluable resource for understanding GHG fluxes, but lack a central database or repository. Here we describe the lightweight, open‐source COSORE (COntinuous SOil REspiration) database and software, that focuses on automated, continuous and long‐term GHG flux datasets, and is intended to serve as a community resource for earth sciences, climate change syntheses and model evaluation. Contributed datasets are mapped to a single, consistent standard, with metadata on contributors, geographic location, measurement conditions and ancillary data. The design emphasizes the importance of reproducibility, scientific transparency and open access to data. While being oriented towards continuously measured RS, the database design accommodates other soil‐atmosphere measurements (e.g. ecosystem respiration, chamber‐measured net ecosystem exchange, methane fluxes) as well as experimental treatments (heterotrophic only, etc.). We give brief examples of the types of analyses possible using this new community resource and describe its accompanying R software package

The Impact of ICT-enabled solutions on elderly with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia

Background: Previous studies have shown that ICT applications could affect elderly people who suffer from mild dementia (MD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) positively. These applications might help patients with MD or MCI, improving their cognitive performance, independency and, their quality of life. Elderly may also be able to live alone at their own home with the help of these ICT applications. Therefore, the burden of caregivers and family members can be reduced. An IT-enabled solution was proposed to create new knowledge and experience among MCI and MD patients and their caregivers. The project was funded by European union and four countries i.e. Sweden, Spain, Italy and Israel were involved in it. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to apply a technology-enabled integrated care model. Two aspects of the study were to measure the quality of life of the elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia (MD) after using the model and to understand the professional caregivers’ perspectives of the model. Method: A mixed-method approach was applied in this research which was a combination of using standard and internally developed questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Conclusion: The result of the study showed that DECI could have positive effect as a complementary tool for the care process of the elderly who suffered from dementia. The general perception in all sites was positive and professionals confirmed the willingness to use DECI in the future.

A Survey of the Methods Used by Howza Ilmya Qom Students for Referring to Web 2 Technology

Purpose: This study aims to determine Howza Ilmya Qom's students' familiarity with and use of Web 2 technology. Methodology/ Approach: This has been an applied research that used a survey method and descriptive approach. The statistical population included 180 individuals from the Howza. The tool was researcher designed questionnaire based on the research basic questions and a review of related literature. Findings: The findings show that the students' knowledge of Web 2 technology was less than average (43%) and their use of that technology was also less than average (38%). From the students' perspective the necessity of using that technology for teaching and learning was low (29.1%). Moreover, their view on the use of Web 2 technologies for upgrading access to information and promoting the educational and research content was high. Practical implications: The use of Web2 technology in Howza Ilmya depends on the students' knowledge of its tools and facilities. Therefore, holding workshops and offering training courses and lectures, giving seminars, including Web 2 technology program in the curriculum, inviting experts in the field and encouraging students to learn and use the technology, are among the issues that need to be addressed

Extreme heat events heighten soil respiration.

In the wake of climate change, extreme events such as heatwaves are considered to be key players in the terrestrial biosphere. In the past decades, the frequency and severity of heatwaves have risen substantially, and they are projected to continue to intensify in the future. One key question is therefore: how do changes in extreme heatwaves affect the carbon cycle? Although soil respiration (Rs) is the second largest contributor to the carbon cycle, the impacts of heatwaves on Rs have not been fully understood. Using a unique set of continuous high frequency in-situ measurements from our field site, we characterize the relationship between Rs and heatwaves. We further compare the Rs response to heatwaves across ten additional sites spanning the contiguous United States (CONUS). Applying a probabilistic framework, we conclude that during heatwaves Rs rates increase significantly, on average, by ~ 26% relative to that of non-heatwave conditions over the CONUS. Since previous in-situ observations have not measured the Rs response to heatwaves (e.g., rate, amount) at the high frequency that we present here, the terrestrial feedback to the carbon cycle may be underestimated without capturing these high frequency extreme heatwave events

Mediating role of resilience in a relationship between social support and CD4 count of patients living with HIV in Behavioral Diseases Counseling Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infectious virus that can have devastating effects on physical and mental conditions of patients. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between social support and CD4 count of patients living with HIV in Beha­vioral Diseases Counseling Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Material and methods The present research was a descriptive-analytical study, and included 200 HIV-positive patients from Behavioral Diseases Counseling Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital using available sampling method. Participants responded to social support and resilience scale, and CD4 count was extracted from their files. Structural equation modeling and PLS modeling were applied to analyze data. Results The results showed that social support confirmed 47% of the variance of resilience. Furthermore, social support variables predicted 47.1% of CD4 count changes by calculating this dependent variable, and the rest of explanation related to other factors. Conclusions Based on this study findings, it can be concluded that the structure of resilience can strengthen the effect of social support on CD4 of HIV-positive patients in Behavioral Diseases Counseling Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital, as a mediating variable