A survey on utilization of Nahjul-Balagha in scientific output of medical sciences

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objectives: Nahjul-Balagha, after Quran, is an important reference for humanity and a book of guidance that carries useful messages about health. The present study aimed at measuring the utilization rate of this book in the scientific output of medical sciences.Materials & Methods: The current cross-sectional study has been conducted on a portion of medical science’s scientific outputs (medical and dental dissertations as well as journals and articles in the field of medical sciences) and a 16-year interval of conferences on environmental health. Data was collected with citation analysis technique and using a researcher-made checklist. Descriptive and inferential statistical indicators were used for data analysis. In this study, all relevant ethical issues were considered.Results: A survey on 20,776 references from 511 dissertations has shown that Nahjul-Balagha was not used in any of them. In addition, findings of 19,069 references used in 876 published scientific articles in Persian journal of Babol University of Medical Sciences have showed that, the utilization rate of Nahjul-Balagha was 2 times over a 22-year interval. The abstract of only 1 article had been attached to Nahjul-Balagha issue in a 16-year interval of survey on 2928 articles presented in environmental health conferences.Conclusion:Though the important role of religious recommendations and especially useful written advice in Nahjul-Balagha on health, the utilization rate of this valuable book among articles of medical sciences, is rare.Keywords:Citation analysis, Medical sciences, Nahjul-Balagha Identity, ScientometryFor downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Please cite this article as: Tirgar A, Aghalari  Z. A survey on utilization of Nahjul-Balagha in scientific output of medical sciences. J Res Relig Health.2017;3(1): 30- 41

Qualitative evaluation of research activities using the same keywords

Background and aim: Various scientometric indicators have been developed for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of scientific output. Each of these indicators has its own weaknesses and strengths. The study aimed at using the keywords as a qualitative evaluation instrument in research of many scholars of Medical Sciences University.  Material and methods: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional study within a 6-year period (2005-2010). The research population included all papers published by faculty members of Medical Science University of Babol who were as the first/corresponding authors with at least 2 papers and these indexed articles in periodicals published in WOS during this period. The data were collected by means of a tailor-made data collection sheet. The repeated or synonym keywords were collected from different papers of an author and were analyzed in terms of repetition for qualitative evaluation of the research of every scholar. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistical indexes and statistical software spss version16.  Findings: During this period, 127 articles have been indexed in WoS database from researchers of this University. in 11 articles of 300 words, 21 repeated words or synonyms were used by 25 researchers who had two or more than two papers. By considering these findings, the overall ratio of articles with repetitive keywords was 16 and the proportion of repeated keywords to whole words was 7. Statistical processing of the data using linear regression indicates an inverse relationship between the number of articles of each author and repeated keywords or synonyms in his/her articles. So, by increasing the number of articles for every author from 2 to 5, the repeated words in per article were decreased to 0/83, 0/77, 0/25 and finally zero, respectively.  Conclusion: low rate of the same keywords and synonyms in the articles of one researcher may be a sign of dispersion and lack of coordination in research activities. Therefore, regarding the coordination and concentration of the subject in scientific activities is very important in assessing the quality of research and researchers

Evaluation of the use of verses and Hadith during theoretical training in medical education

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objectives: Since the beginning of the descent up to now, Quran was the endless source of Islamic sciences and the core of religious education.In addition, statements and deeds of the Prophet and the great Imams of Muslims are the other sources of life pattern. The aim of this study was to determine how to use the verses and Hadith during theoretical training in medical education.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among all theoretical classes in a paramedical faculty. The data were collected by means of a tailor-made data collection sheet. The data in all classes were gathered through trained students for instructors. Having one third of classes during a semester was one of the inclusion criteria for each instructor.Results: The results of 900 sessions of 92 classrooms of the 7 major and 58 instructors of the Faculty of Paramedical Sciences showed that verses and Hadith were used at least once in 81 and 99 sessions, respectively. They were also used more than once in 17 and 22 classes.Totally, according to the results, the frequency distribution of the use of verses and Hadith was similar for male and female instructors.Conclusion: Despite using the verses and Hadith via considerable number of instructors during theoretical sessions, but more than half of instructors have never used such valuable messages. Therefore, the use of verses and hadiths according to the training subject is recommended.Keywords:  Research in Education, Quran, Verses, Hadith, Medical educationFor downloading the full-text of this article please click here

Using the Quran and Nahjul-Balagha in English Scientific Articles Published by Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences -2014

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: The Quran Al-Karim is not a book in the field of medicine and public health; however, it contains many verses in relation to health and hygiene. It also explores the root of events relevant to health and disease. Nahjul-Balagha also contains brilliant clues of health and hygiene. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the degree to which these two guidebooks have been utilized in writing medical articles.Method: The current applied, cross-sectional investigation was conducted by citation analysis; that is, frequency counts were obtained of original English language scientific articles which were published by Iranian universities of medical sciences in 2014. Data was collected using a researcher-made check-list through the survey of all scientific articles and their references. Descriptive statistical indicators were used for data analysis. In this study, The ethical issues were all considered and the authors declared no conflict of interest.Results: Of 201,071 studied references from 6,907 published articles and in 696 English language scientific journals belonging to 31 Iranian universities of medical sciences, Quran Al-Karim had been cited 218 times (less than 1%). Also, none of the articles had used Nahjul-Balagha as a reference. The most frequently cited Surahs of the holy Quran in published articles were Al-Baqarah, An-Nisa, Al-Anaam, and Al-Isra, in that order.Conclusion: Although the findings have shown that the Quran was cited as a reference among published articles in the field of medical sciences, its utilization rate seems to be inadequate.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here

Psychometric Properties of Persian Version of the Short-Form Workplace Social Capital Questionnaire for Female Health Workers

Background: The workplace social capital is one of the important features of clinical work environment that improves the productivity and quality of services and safety through trust and social participation. Evaluation of workplace social capital requires a valid and reliable scale. The short-form workplace social capital questionnaire developed by Kouvonen has long been used to evaluate the workplace social capital. Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the questionnaire among a group of female Iranian health care workers. Methods: The Persian version of the short-form questionnaire of workplace social capital was finalized after translation and back-translation. 500 female health care workers completed the questionnaire. Then, the content validity and the construct validity of the questionnaire were assessed. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by Cronbach's a, theta, and McDonald's Omega. The construct reliability and ICC were also evaluated. Results: Based on the maximum likelihood exploratory factor analysis (n=250) and confirmatory factor analysis (n=250), two factors were identified. The factors could explain 65% of the total variance observed. The model had an acceptable fit: GFI=0.953, CFI=0.973, IFI=0.974, NFI=0.953, PNFI=0.522, RAMSEA=0.090, CMIN/DF=2.751, RMR=0.042. Convergent and divergent validity as well as internal consistency and construct reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed. Conclusion: The Persian version of Kouvonen workplace social capital has acceptable validity and reliability. The questionnaire can thus be used in future studies to assess the workplace social capital in Iranian health care workers.Peer reviewe

A cross-sectional study on serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level and shift work among reproductive age women

Background: Among the inflammatory factors, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum hs-CRP level with shift work among reproductive age women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2017 to May 2018 in three cities in Mazandaran Province, North of Iran. Through purposive sampling, 350 women (172 shift workers and 178 day workers) were recruited. The guideline recommended by the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was used to interpret the result of hs-CRP measurement as the following: less than 1 µg/ml: low CVD risk; 1–3 µg/ml: moderate CVD risk; and more than 3 µg/ml: high CVD risk. The data were analyzed using the independent-sample t and the chi-square tests as well as the logistic regression analysis. Results: 11.1 of participants had a serum hs-CRP level of more than 3 µg/ml. This rate among shift workers was significantly greater than day workers (15.6 vs. 7.0; p=0.012). After adjusting the effects of potential confounders shift work significantly increased the odds of serum hs-CRP level of more than 3 µg/ml by 2.45 times (OR=2.45, 95 CI: 1.01–5.93, p=0.047). Conclusion: Shift work is a significant predictor of high serum hs-CRP level probably due to its association with sleep problems and occupational stress. Improving the knowledge of female shift workers about the importance of quality sleep can reduce their CVD risk and improve their health

Relationship of social capital with overweight and obesity among female health care workers

Background: The epidemic of obesity has turned into a major global health challenge. Environmental and social factors such as social capital, can significantly affect obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of social capital with overweight and obesity among female health-care workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on 680 female health-care workers who were randomly selected from healthcare settings affiliated to Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Workplace Social Capital (WSC) questionnaire. The SPSS Version 21 was employed to analyze the data through conducting the independent-sample t and the chi-square tests as well as the linear and the logistic regression analyses at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: Linear regression analysis revealed that age, marital status, satisfaction with economic status, and structural social capital were significant predictors of body mass index (P<0.05). Moreover, logistic regression analysis indicated that weak social capital increased the odds of overweight/ obesity by 1.3 times (OR=1.345; 95 CI: 0.643–2.812) and weak structural social capital significantly increased the odds of overweight /obesity by almost four times (OR=3.757; 95 CI: 1.628–8.671; P=0.002). Conclusion: Social capital, particularly structural social capital, is a significant predictor of body mass index and a protective factor against obesity among female health-care workers. Further studies are needed to determine the paths through which social capital affects obesity- and overweight-related behaviors.

The Evaluation of Social Medicine Training Programs from Point of View of General Practitioners

Background & Objective: Community oriented medical education has been considered by many universities. The aim of this study was to determine the general practitioners (GPs) point of view regarding social medicine training programs (SMTP). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on GPs, graduated from different Iranian medical Universities after 1985, in Babol, Iran, in 2010. Subjects were selected by simple randomized sampling method. Data were gathered using a questionnaire consisting of three parts and analyzed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests by SPSS. Results: In this study 130 GPs, who had graduated 10.4 ± 5.7 years ago, were evaluated. Data showed some topics of SMTP, like occupational health, disease management, executing a research project, and presence in rural/urban health centers, were more common in GPs graduated after 2001 in comparisons with counterpart group. Moreover, GPs who worked in rural health centers indicated to have more attention on mental health, dental health, elderly care, disease management, and social health assessment methods in curriculum of SMTP. Conclusion: According to our findings, mental and occupational health along with elderly care should be considered in social medicine curriculum of medical students. Moreover, appropriate revisions on SMTP and continuous education programs on these topics for GPs are recommended. Keywords Education Medical students Social medicine training progra

تولیدهای علمی علوم پزشکی از نظر بهره گیری از نهج البلاغه

Background and Objectives: Nahjul-Balagha, after Quran, is an important reference for humanity and a book of guidance that carries useful messages about health. The present study aimed at measuring the utilization rate of this book in the scientific output of medical sciences. Materials & Methods: The current cross-sectional study has been conducted on a portion of medical science’s scientific outputs (medical and dental dissertations as well as journals and articles in the field of medical sciences) and a 16-year interval of conferences on environmental health. Data was collected with citation analysis technique and using a researcher-made checklist. Descriptive and inferential statistical indicators were used for data analysis. In this study, all relevant ethical issues were considered. Results: A survey on 20,776 references from 511 dissertations has shown that Nahjul-Balagha was not used in any of them. In addition, findings of 19,069 references used in 876 published scientific articles in Persian journal of Babol University of Medical Sciences have showed that, the utilization rate of Nahjul-Balagha was 2 times over a 22-year interval. The abstract of only 1 article had been attached to Nahjul-Balagha issue in a 16-year interval of survey on 2928 articles presented in environmental health conferences. Conclusion:Though the important role of religious recommendations and especially useful written advice in Nahjul-Balagha on health, the utilization rate of this valuable book among articles of medical sciences, is rare.   Please cite this article as: Tirgar A, Aghalari  Z. A survey on utilization of Nahjul-Balagha in scientific output of medical sciences. J Res Relig Health.2017;3(1): 30- 41.سابقه و اهداف: نهج­البلاغه پس از قرآن­کریم، یکی از کتاب­های بسیار مهم برای هدایت و انسان­سازی؛ و سرشار از توصیه­های مربوط به سلامت است. هدف این پژوهش، تعیین میزان بهره­گیری از این کتاب ارزشمند در تولیدهای علمی علوم پزشکی است. مواد و روش‌ها: پژوهش حاضر به­صورت مقطعی، روی بخشی از بروندادهای علوم پزشکی (پایان­نامه­های پزشکی و دندانپزشکی، مجله­ها و مقاله­های علوم پزشکی) و همچنین یک دوره­ی 16 ساله از سلسله همایش­های بهداشت محیط، انجام شده است. داده­ها به­روش تحلیل استنادی و به­کمک چک­لیست محقّق­ساخته جمع­آوری؛ و برای پردازش داده­ها از شاخص­های آماری توصیفی و استنباطی استفاده شده است. این پژوهش تمام موارد اخلاقی مرتبط را رعایت نموده است. یافته‌ها: بررسی 20776 منبع استفاده­شده در 511 پایان­نامه، نشان داده که در هیچ موردی، از نهج­البلاغه استفاده نشده است. همچنین یافته­های حاصل از استخراج 19069 منبعِ استفاده شده در 876 مقاله­ی منتشرشده طی 22 سال، در مجله­ی فارسی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی بابل، گویای این است که فقط در دو مقاله از این کتاب استفاده­ شده است. بررسی 2928 خلاصه­ی مقاله­ی عرضه شده در دوره­ی 16 ساله­ی همایش بهداشت محیط، نیز نشان داده که فقط یک خلاصه­ی مقاله با موضوعی مرتبط با نهج­البلاغه منتشر شده است. نتیجه‌گیری: با وجود نقش اثرگذار توصیه­ های مذهبی بر سلامت، به­ویژه آنچه در کتاب نهج­البلاغه بر آن تأکید یا به آن اشاره شده، سهم بهره­گیری از این کتاب ارزشمند در مقاله­های علوم پزشکی بسیار اندک است. استناد مقاله به این صورت است: Tirgar A, Aghalari  Z. A survey on utilization of  Nahjul-Balagha in scientific output of medical sciences. J Res Relig Health.2017;3(1): 30- 41. &nbsp