Assessing the risk perception of COVID-19 among non-infected people attending emergency departments of selected hospitals in western Iran

Objective: It is important to know people’s perceptions of the risks related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for controlling the pandemic. This study aims to assess the risk perception of COVID-19 among non-infected people referred to emergency departments (ED) of hospitals in Khorramabad, Iran during the pandemic and its related demographic factors. Methods: This is descriptive/analytical study with a cross-sectional design. Participants were 380 adults referred to the ED of four hospitals (Shohadaye Ashayer, Shahid Rahimi, Asali, and Shahid Madani) in Khorramabad city in 2021 who were not infected by COVID-19. For data collection, the risk perception of COVID-19 questionnaire was used. Data were described using mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage. Chi-squared test was used in SPSS v.22 software to find the related demographic factors. Results: It was found that 5 people (1.3%) had a moderate perception, 206 (54.2%) had good perception, and 169 (44.5%) had high perception. No one had poor risk perception. According to them, “own knowledge and experience” was the most effective factor in preventing COVID-19 followed by “the advice of experts in the media” and “the advice of friends and family”. Chi-squared test results showed a significant difference in risk perception among people in terms of age (P=0.002) and marital status (P=0.001); the age group <25 years and single people had lower risk perceptions. Conclusion: The risk perception of COVID-19 in people referred to the EDs in western Iran is at good level but is not high. It is necessary to improve their risk perception by education and increasing awareness on social media

Evaluating Infant Complementary Feeding Pattern and Some Related Factors in Health Care Centers in Khorramabad, 2017 Year

Objective: Inappropriate starting of complementary feeding is an important factor leading to infant growth delay and malnutrition. This study was aimed to determine the complementary feeding pattern and some related factors in health care centers in Khorramabad.  Methods: This cross-sectional study, included 300 one year old infants who had referred to nine health care centers in Khorramabad by multistage sampling. In present study, we used a questionnaire included individual information about mothers and infants and a checklist for evaluating breastfeeding and complementary feeding. Chi-square test and one way ANOVA were used to analyze the data.  Results: In present study, 50.7% of infants were girls and 60.3% of cases were the first infant in their family. 59.3% of infants were delivered by cesarean. Average age of starting complementary feeding was 0.5 8.5. 75.7% of infants had exclusive breastfeeding up to first six months of their life. Among most cases, the first complementary food was rice flour porridge (29.3%) and almond porridge (15.7%). Most mothers had acquired necessary information about complementary feeding by using booklets (20.7%) and physician guidance (16.7%). There was a statistically significant relationship between age of starting complementary feeding and mother’s education (P=0.043) level and employment status (P=0.001).  Conclusion: Related authorities should begin comprehensive and effective education by using novel training strategies to raise mothers' knowledge about age of starting complementary feeding and how to do it at health care centers

Investigation of breast cancer screening among the women of Khorramabad (west of Iran): A cross-sectional study

Abstract. Breast cancer is the most common women's cancer that more than 90% of the patients can be treated or even cured through early diagnosis. So we intend to investigate the status of breast cancer screening in Khorramabad, a city in the west of Iran. In the present cross-sectional study, the study population included 457 number of 20 to 65 year old women referring to the health centers of Khorramabad during the second half of 2015 to receive health care services. The sampling method was multistage random-cluster. A multi-part questionnaire were used. Fisher exact test, chi-square and independent t tests were used to analyze the data.  The regular self-breast exam (SBE) had been carried out by 12.3% of the women, visiting doctors for regular clinical breast exam (CBE) had been done by 6% of the respondents and regular mammography every one to two years had been performed by 2.4% of the women. A statistically significant relationship was seen between occupation (P = 0.001), regular consumption of contraceptive pills (P = 0.032), history of breastfeeding, history of breast cancer in the first degree relatives (P = 0.001), and a history of cancer in the second degree (P = 0.005) relatives, and the regular SBE. Planning to enhance the women's awareness about breast cancer and the methods of early diagnosis and designing educational programs can be an important step to reduce deaths and disabilities caused by this disease among the women in such deprived cities

Comparative evaluation of the various antioxidant properties of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Achillea biebersteinii Afan

Background: Antioxidants derived from plants play an important role in reducing the risks of chronic and oxidative stress due to free radicals. The present study aimed to measure and compare the various antioxidative activities of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Achillea biebersteinii Afan from Aligudarz, Lorestan Province. Materials and Methods: After obtaining ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Achillea biebersteinii Afan, the radical scavenging activity of the samples was assessed using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The total antioxidant capacity of the samples was assessed by the Phosphomolybdenum method. The amount of total phenol and flavonoid in the samples was assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu and Zhishen methods. Results: It was found that the total antioxidant capacity, and the phenol and flavonoid content of the ethanolic and methanolic extracts were similar. The IC50 values (the concentration required to scavenge 50% of radicals) of the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Achillea biebersteinii Afan, with Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as a reference was 67.43&plusmn;4.16, 67.96&plusmn;5.93, and 3.88&plusmn;1&mu;g/ml, respectively, P<0.05. Conclusion: The results showed that there was no difference between the antioxidant properties of the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Achillea biebersteinii Afan. The solvent type used in the extraction process did not affect the antioxidant properties of this plant. This suggests Achillea biebersteinii Afan is a suitable and easily accessible source of natural antioxidants, which could be included in foods and pharmaceutical applications

Can parents' educational level and occupation affect perceived parental support and metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes?

BACKGROUND/AIM: Parents have an important role to play in supporting adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Their education and occupation are important factors for the management of this disease. This study aimed to investigate the parental support that Iranian adolescents with T1DM experience and to examine the effect of parents' education and occupation on adolescents' perceived the parental support and metabolic control. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey. The participants were 98 adolescents (aged 11–18 years) with T1DM referred to Endocrinology Clinics of Shahid Rahimi and Shahid Madani hospitals in Khorramabad, Iran, in 2016. For evaluating the adolescents' perceptions of parental support, the family version of Diabetes Social Support Questionnaire was employed. It measures in five diabetic care areas (insulin administration, blood testing, meal planning, exercise, and emotional support). Data were analyzed in SPSS version 22 software using descriptive statistics and inferential tests including Pearson correlation test, ANOVA, and independent t-test. RESULTS: The parents' educational level had a significant relationship with adolescents' perceived parental support and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level (P < 0.05). Occupation of father had no significant influence on his supportive behavior and HbA1c level in adolescents, but mother's occupation significantly influenced them (P < 0.05). In adolescents with higher perceived parental support, the mean HbA1c was lower. CONCLUSIONS: Parents with higher educational level can improve the metabolic control and provide better meal planning in adolescents with T1DM

The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in diabetic Patients of Khorramabad diabetes center in 2015

Background: Neuropathy is an important complication and contributes to the morbidity of diabetes mellitus. Evidence indicates early detection of neuropathy results in fewer foot ulcers and amputations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patients. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted on diabetics selected randomly from those who referred to diabetes center of Khorramabad in 2015. The data collecting sheet included demographic information, body mass index and Michigan questionnaire which consisted of two parts. The first part assessed neuropathic symptoms and the second part encluded a brief physical examination. The descriptive and analytic statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The prevalence of diabetic neuropathy in patients was 28 percent. duration of disease was signifcantly associated with DPN ((P value <0.05 ).We observed no association between neuropathy and other variabls. Conclusion: The results of this study emphasize the importance of screening for early detection of neuropathy in diabetic patients . Michigan questionnaire would appear to be an appropriate ,cheap applicability and easy to use tool for identifying patients at risk of having neuropathy

Adverse Events Following Immunizations in Infants Under 1 Year of Age in Lorestan Province, Western Iran

Objectives Vaccination is an important intervention for preventing disease and reducing disease severity. Universal vaccination programs have significantly reduced the incidence of many dangerous diseases among children worldwide. This study investigated the side effects after immunization in infants under 1 year of age in Lorestan Province, western Iran. Methods This descriptive analytical study included data from all children <1 year old in Lorestan Province, Iran who were vaccinated according to the national schedule in 2020 and had an adverse event following immunization (AEFI). Data were extracted from 1084 forms on age, sex, birth weight, type of birth, AEFI type, vaccine type, and time of vaccination. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) were calculated, and the chi-square test and Fisher exact test were used to assess differences in AEFIs according to the above-listed variables. Results The most frequent AEFIs were high fever (n=386, 35.6%), mild local reaction (n=341, 31.5%), and swelling and pain (n=121, 11.2%). The least common AEFIs were encephalitis (n=1, 0.1%), convulsion (n=2, 0.2%), and nodules (n=3, 0.3%). Girls and boys only showed significant differences in mild local reactions (p=0.044) and skin allergies (p=0.002). The incidence of lymphadenitis (p<0.001), severe local reaction (p<0.001), mild local reaction (p=0.007), fainting (p=0.032), swelling and pain (p=0.006), high fever (p=0.005), and nodules (p<0.001) showed significant differences based on age at vaccination. Conclusions Immunization is a fundamental public health policy for controlling vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. Although vaccines such as the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine, oral poliovirus vaccine, and pentavalent vaccine are well-researched and reliable, AEFIs are inevitable