The effect of social determinants of health on quality of life among Afghan refugees in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic:a path analysis

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges in 2020 in the world and Iran. To help vulnerable groups such as refugees during the response and recovery phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying the quality of life (QOL) and its associated factors is helpful. Considering that research in this field is limited, this study evaluated the effect of social determinants of health on the quality of life among Afghan refugees in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 300 Afghan refugees and migrants in Alborz province, Iran, from February to May 2022 using Convenience sampling. Data were completed using the socioeconomic status scale (SES), World Health Organization's quality of life -BREF (WHOQOL), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale—21 Items (DASS-21), and COVID-19 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (COVID-PTSD). In addition, path analysis was applied to evaluate the relationships among the research variables with quality of life. RESULTS: 64.3% of the study participants were male, with a mean of 29.29 ± 9.64 years. The path analysis showed that SES had the most positive relationship (B = .266), and the number of COVID-19 cases had the most negative relationship (B = -.169) with the quality of life from both paths. The self-rated health had the most positive relationship (B = .25), and the DASS score had the most negative relationship (B = -.2) with the quality of life through only one path. Access to medical services was the only variable that indirectly had a positive causal relationship with QOL (B = .044). CONCLUSION: We provided an empirical model that illustrates the relationships between quality of life and social determinants of health among Afghan refugees and migrants during the Covid19 pandemic. The negative emotional states of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DAS) as a mediator play an essential role in the quality of life and other variables

EVALUATING ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 14 YEARS OLD VISITING IMAM-ALI HOSPITAL, 2016

After respiratory and digestive infection, urinary tract infection is the most common disease in children and it counts for 2% of cases visiting pediatricians. Due to the excessive consumption of antibiotics with different dosages and insufficient time, the resistance and strength of different strains change so constantly that it is necessary to review the process of these changes every 3 to 5 years. The main objective of the present study is evaluating antibiotic resistance in urinary tract infection in children younger than 14 years old visiting Imam Ali Hospital in 2016. The present cross-sectional study reviewed clinical records of patients hospitalized in Imam Ali hospital of Zahedan due to urinary tract infection in 2016. Required data was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed through SPSS18 and chi square test; P<0.05 was considered significance level. Out of 100 patients, 68 subjects (68%) were female and 32 cases (32%) were male; 4 main germs causing urinary tract infection were studied, out of which E.coli was the most (65%) and Staphylococcus the least common (42%) causes of infection. The highest resistance rate against infection generating factors turned out to be 89% in girls and 91% in boys in case of ampicillin and 73% for girls and 67% for boys in case of cotrimoxazole; the lowest resistance rate turned out to be 7% in girls and 16% in boys and was related to amikacin. The results of the present study confirm increasing drug resistance in different pathogens. In fact, urine culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing are necessary before the onset of treatment and appropriate antibiotic selection. It is recommended for further studies to investigate antibiotic resistance in urinary tract infections in children around the world. Key Words: Antibiotic Resistance, Urinary tract Infection, Children

The Relationship between Psychological Status (Depression and Anxiety) and Social Support and Sexual Function

AbstractIntroduction: Given that large numbers of marital problems arise from lack of proper satisfaction with sexual desire (libido) as well as lack of awareness towards the complicated dimensions of this fundamental motive, the purpose of the present study was to determine correlations between psychological state (depression and anxiety), social support, and sexual function among females of the reproductive age.Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytic research on 400 females referred to clinics affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in the city of Tehran, during year 2015. The study sample was recruited by cluster and multi-stage random sampling method. The Sexual Function Questionnaire, Demographic Questionnaire, Scale of Perceived Social Support, Spielberger’s Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory were also used to collect the data. The obtained data was analyzed through the SPSS software via descriptive statistics, t test, one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), as well as chi-square test.Results: The findings revealed that 4.5% of females had poor level of sexual functioning. In addition, 24.5% of females benefited from low social support and also 75% and 9% of the given individuals had chronic depression and severe anxiety, respectively. According to the results of this study, sexual functioning was correlated with female’s age, husband’s age, age of first pregnancy, length of marriage, duration of having private rooms, and history of infertility (P ˂ 0.05). Furthermore, there were relationships between sexual functioning and depression as well as anxiety and social support (P ˂ 0.05).Conclusions: It was concluded that sexual functioning was correlated with psychological state (depression and anxiety) and social support. Thus, it was recommended to conduct screening tests in terms of the variables examined

INVESTIGATING CRITICAL BLOOD PRESSURE RISK FACTORS IN ZABOL, AMIR-AL-MOMENIN HOSPITAL PATIENTS IN 2015-2016

Due to high prevalence and its relation to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension has emerged as one of the most serious health problems in industrialized and developing countries. The present’s cross-sectional study was conducted in order to investigate critical blood pressure risk factors in patients referring to Amir-Al-Momenin Hospital of Zabol in 2015-2016. Common symptoms of all examined patients who referred to Amir-Al-Momenin Hospital of Zabol included headache, nasal bleeding, fainting, restlessness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and higher than 180 mmHg systolic blood pressure. Risk factors of the subjects were assessed a standard questionnaire and the collected data was analyzed using SPSS, version 22. This study included 250 subjects, a 60% majority of whom were female, aged between 55 to 61 years, suffering from critical blood pressure with systolic blood pressure of 205 mm Hg and an average blood pressure of 100 mm Hg. A history of hypertension was the highest rated, 86.4%, factors risk assessed in the present study. 72% of patients did not use the drug correctly; the frequency of other physical diseases and disorders was like the following in the present study: 39.6% diabetes, 33.6% dyslipidemia, 27.2% a history of coronary artery disease, 16% kidney disease, 13.2% stroke, 8.4% hyperthyroidism, 48.4% psychological disorder, 26.8% smoking, 0.8% alcohol, and 66% salty diet. According to the results of the present study, a history of hypertension and drug compliance is the most common risk factors for critical high blood pressure. Therefore, it is suggested that all hypertension patients receive proper medical advice from experts in terms of correct application of required medicine

Domestic violence and its associated factors in Iran: according to World Health Organization model

Background and Aim: Domestic violence is a global problem that led to many maternal and neonatal complications. Among the factors associated with domestic violence, social determinants of health are the most controversial issues in health policy domain. According to the WHO conceptual framework of Commission on Social Determinants affecting on health this study has been designed to investigate the articles that have been published on its prevalence and related factors in Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study reviews the Iranian articles published in four data bases (PubMed, SID, Iran Medex, Magiran) between 2000-2013, by searching violence, abuse, pregnancy in title, abstract and keywords of the articles. Results: Overall, 38 articles, 5 English and 33 Persian, were selected according to inclusion criteria and assess. 35 articles were descriptive (longitudinal and cross-sectional) and 3 were analytic (cohort and case-control). Prevalence of domestic violence in pregnancy was reported between 19.3% to 94.5%. Among domestic violence related factors, the most prevalent factors in structural determinant were maternal education and in intermediary determinant were material circumstance: housing, psychosocial circumstance: unwanted pregnancy, behavioral factors: partner substance abuse and health system: lack of prenatal care. ‍Conclusion: The prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy in Iran is a matter of concern and can be reduced by identifying high risk groups. Since many social determinants may affect domestic violence, performing etiological investigations is recommended

CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION-REVIEW ARTICLE

Introduction: Cardiac arrest is one of the major causes of increased mortality and morbidity worldwide Regarding the occurrence of physiological changes in the vital system of pregnant mothers and reminders, it must be stated that the fact that heart disease in pregnant women can endanger two lives simultaneously, it is clearly indicative of the importance of taking correct remedial and precautionary measures. On the other hand, since the implementation of cardiopulmonary arrest on pregnant women cause incidents, timely and correct remediation is associated with a high percentage of success. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to review the recovery of heart rhythm in pregnant mothers. Methods: In this review article, the databases Medline, Cochrane, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were thoroughly searched to identify the studies investigating Pulmonary cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In this review, the papers published until early January 2017 that were conducted to study the Paget's disease were selected. In searching for the articles, those English papers were selected that had investigated Pulmonary cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Results: . Side effects such as heart rhythm disorders and pulmonary edema usually arise in the context of old heart disease and follow physiological changes in the cardiovascular and pulmonary causes which, unless treated timely and correctly, may lead to cardiac arrest. Conclusion: In case of cardiac arrest, ventilation of pregnant mothers is initially performed by mask and bag valve mask and the oxygen core. If additional ventilation is needed, intubation of the trachea should be done as soon as possible and the ventilation must continue through the tracheal tube and bag valve mask; finally, in case of prolonged cardiac and respiratory difficulty, long-term ventilation can be used. Keywords: Pulmonary, cardiopulmonary, resuscitatio

Correlation of spirituality and psychological well-being with pregnancy-specific stress

For downloading the full-text of this article please click hereBackground and Objectives: Pregnancy is a natural function for women, it is nonetheless a stressful experience, associated with extensive psychological and physical changes that make women psychologically vulnerable. One of the components of a healthy life is attending to spiritual needs, which can enhance quality of life and gradually reduce harmful behaviors. The present study, titled "Correlation of spirituality and psychological well-being with pregnancy-specific stress in women visiting health centers in Dehdasht township in 2015", was conducted considering the available data.Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-correlational study recruited 450 pregnant women visiting health centers in Dehdasht township. The data were collected using personal-social, pregnancy-specific stress, and spirituality and psychological well-being questionnaires, and were analyzed in SPSS-20.Results: The present study results showed correlations between spirituality and pregnancy stress(r=0.156) and also between psychological well-being and pregnancy stress(r=0.294). The results relating to the contribution of spirituality components in pregnancy stress showed that religious and spiritual health are able to affect pregnancy stress, and the results relating to the contribution of subscales of psychological well-being showed that purposeful life well-being and independent well-being can affect pregnancy stress(P=0.01).Conclusion: The results showed that spirituality and psychological well-being are associated with stress during pregnancy. It is recommended due to the impact of variable both spiritual and psychological well-being in developing coping skills, stress reduction program.Keywords: Stress, Spirituality, Psychological Well-being, PregnancyFor downloading the full-text of this article please click her

Correlation between self-esteem and perceived stress in pregnancy and ways to coping with stress

Background and Aim: Stress during pregnancy can have long-term negative consequences on both mother and fetus. Therefore, recognizing the factors that contribute to controlling stress can have a major role in pregnant women’s mental health. The current research was designed to determine the role of self-esteem on the level of stress during pregnancy and the ways to cope with it. Materials and Methods: In this regard, a cross-sectional study was conducted. The city of Tehran was divided into 4 geographic districts including north, south, east and west. A state hospital was elected for each district, and 450 pregnant women (24-32 of gestational week) were randomly chosen from the hospitals. After explaining the purpose of the study and obtaining an informed consent from the qualified pregnant women, they filled out the perceived stress, Rosenberg Self-Esteem and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 19. The level of significance was considered p<0.05. Results: The age of the 450 participating pregnant women was 28.55 years, 78.9 percent had high school or lower education, and 90 percent were housewives. In this study, self-esteem was 21.918.33 and the perceived stress was 20.094.5, respectively. There was a significant inverse correlation between self-esteem and perceived stress. A significant difference was observed between individuals with different levels of self-esteem and the coping styles. ‍Conclusion: It appears that the level of self-esteem of pregnant women is effective on their level of stress and their coping style. By teaching techniques, which increase self-esteem, the level of stress can be decreased in pregnant women

Postpartum Mental Health and Its Relationship with Mediating Social Determinants of Health in Iran based on the WHO Model: A Systematic Review

Background: Pregnancy is a complex and vulnerable period that causes some challenges including the development of postpartum psychiatric disorders (PPDs) for women. Identifying the factors associated with these disorders can be effective in reducing maternal symptoms and supporting mother, child and family. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between postpartum mental health and mediating social determinants of health in Iran.Methods: In this systematic review, the Persian and English observational studies in Iran were obtained through advanced search in online databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, SID, Magiran, Psycinfo, and Google Scholar search engine in the period of January 2005 to August 5, 2021 using the following keywords: social determinants, mediating factors, social support, mental health, risk factors, postpartum, Iran, and their English equivalents through Mesh. Articles were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and quality assessment of articles was performed using the standard Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).Results: Out of 42 eligible articles (total sample: 39216), 40 articles examined the relationship between postpartum depression and 2 articles studied the relationship of maternal grief with some mediating social determinants. In general, these factors were classified into five categories, including midwifery and pregnancy-related factors, psychosocial conditions, factors related to postpartum status, behavioral factors and material status or conditions, and health care.Conclusion: Mothers' mental health is affected by many underlying factors; Therefore, identifying the risk factors associated with mental disorders in this population based on the model of the WHO (World Health Organization), especially in the mediating area (Material and environmental conditions, Psychosocial, Behavioral factors, Health system) due to the extent of this area is very important

The Effect of Group Counselling on Body Image Coping Strategy among Adolescent Girls

Background Adolescents, pay particular attention to their body image. Dissatisfaction with body image in people can lead to stress. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group counselling on body image and coping strategies among adolescent girls. Materials and Methods This clinical trial study was conducted on 60 adolescent girls in Karaj City, Iran. The samples were selected using a multi stage sampling technique. For the intervention group, four counseling sessions were held weekly and each session lasted 60 to 90 minutes. The control group received an educational body image package at the end. The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations questionnaire and Body Image Coping Strategy Inventory were completed by participants in both groups before and two weeks after the intervention. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS-19.0 software.   Results The mean score of the positive rational acceptance before the intervention in intervention and control groups were 43.541±2.798 and 41.875±13.146, respectively. These values after the intervention were 62.708±2.484 and 46.972±16.545 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. There was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the mean score of body image and the positive rational acceptance two weeks after the completion of the intervention (P = 0.0001). Conclusion The overall results of this study indicated the effectiveness of intervention (Group Counseling) in improving the body image score and increasing the positive strategic skills