The Assessment of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Status and Its Determinants among Students of Iran University of Medical Sciences

Careful assessment of lifestyle status among students is a necessity for identifying lifestyle problems and, it is an essential prerequisite for more efficient planning and implementing health promotion interventions among them. This study performed to estimate the current status of a health-promoting lifestyle among students of Iran University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was performed on 250 students of Iran University of Medical Sciences. By performing a proportional stratified random sampling method according to the number of students in each academic discipline, samples were chosen. The data gathering tool was a two-part questionnaire. The first part was related to demographic and socioeconomic information. The second part consisted of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-II) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 through descriptive and inferential statistics. The results were statistically observed as significant at p < 0.05. The mean score of health-promoting lifestyle was 124.36 ± 18.41. The highest mean score was for the nutrition dimension (23.67±4.91) and the lowest was for the physical activity dimension (15.08±5.16). This research showed that a statistical proper correlation was found between marital status and spiritual growth. Also, there was a relationship between academic discipline and health responsibility. Additionally, another statistical significant relationship between financial status and health-promoting lifestyle, health responsibility, spiritual growth, and stress management was observed. Since the status of a health-promoting lifestyle is not satisfactory, a wide range of planning and implementing health interventions are needed to improve the health-promoting lifestyle among the students

Survey of Effective Factors in the Event of Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Introduction: Diabetic neuropathy is a common and sever complication of diabetes that its progression can lead to disability and even amputation in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effective factors in the event of neuropathy and to assess the cumulative incidence of neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this cohort study, all patients with type 2 diabetes who were registered at Fereydunshahr Diabetes Clinic, Isfahan, Iran, were selected by census method. They were followed up for diagnosis of neuropathy since 2006 until March 2016. To investigate the quantitative and qualitative effective factors in the event of neuropathy, one-sample t-test and chi-square test, respectively, were used. And for modeling of effective factors in the event of neuropathy, logistic regression was used. All statistics were analyzed by R software (version 3.2.3) and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: At the end of 10-year follow-up, cumulative incidence and prevalence of neuropathy were estimated 31% and 41.6%, respectively. After removal of confounders in the final model, variables such as age, ethnicity, family history of diabetes, duration of diabetes, FBS and HDL levels were identified as effective factors in the event of neuropathy (P<0.05). Conclusion: Low levels of HDL and poor control of FBS level are modifiable risk factors for diabetic neuropathy. But non-modifiable risk factors include Persian ethnicity, family history of diabetes, age and increase of diabetes duration. For this reason, in order to increase the HDL level and to decrease FBS level, education is recommended particularly in elderly patients with a family history of diabetes

Survey of Effective Factors in the Event of Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Introduction: Diabetic neuropathy is a common and sever complication of diabetes that its progression can lead to disability and even amputation in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effective factors in the event of neuropathy and to assess the cumulative incidence of neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this cohort study, all patients with type 2 diabetes who were registered at Fereydunshahr Diabetes Clinic, Isfahan, Iran, were selected by census method. They were followed up for diagnosis of neuropathy since 2006 until March 2016. To investigate the quantitative and qualitative effective factors in the event of neuropathy, one-sample t-test and chi-square test, respectively, were used. And for modeling of effective factors in the event of neuropathy, logistic regression was used. All statistics were analyzed by R software (version 3.2.3) and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: At the end of 10-year follow-up, cumulative incidence and prevalence of neuropathy were estimated 31% and 41.6%, respectively. After removal of confounders in the final model, variables such as age, ethnicity, family history of diabetes, duration of diabetes, FBS and HDL levels were identified as effective factors in the event of neuropathy (P<0.05). Conclusion: Low levels of HDL and poor control of FBS level are modifiable risk factors for diabetic neuropathy. But non-modifiable risk factors include Persian ethnicity, family history of diabetes, age and increase of diabetes duration. For this reason, in order to increase the HDL level and to decrease FBS level, education is recommended particularly in elderly patients with a family history of diabetes

Prioritizacija i procjena ključa sigurnosti pokazatelja uspjeha u automobilskoj industriji

The performance of any management system needs to be monitored with adequate and proper indicators. This study aimed to identify, set priorities and assess key indicators for implementing an effective performance evaluation system. This descriptive-analytical study was carried out in three phase. In first phase, a semi-structured interview as well as a review of the company\u27s documentation and studies carried out, then a set of key indicators were collected and selected. The validity of the indicators were determined by experts (N = 11) and indicators were prioritized using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) according to SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time- bound) criteria. Following the study framework, a primary set of 60 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were collected. The results of the validity assessment showed 23 indicators had acceptable validity. The results of examining the relationships between the indicators showed that the percentage of corrected non- compliance and the number of risk assessments had a significant relationships with the total number of work-related lost time injuries as a lagging indicator. According to the results, the four the most important key performance indicators to assess the safety performance in the automotive industry were as follows: the number of risk assessments conducted, the percentage of corrected non- compliance, the percentage of safety educational programs implemented for workers, and Frequency Severity Index (FSI) index.Učinkovitost bilo kojeg sustava upravljanja treba pratiti odgovarajućim i ispravnim pokazateljima. Cilj ove studije bio je identificirati, odrediti prioritete i procijeniti ključne pokazatelje za primjenu učinkovitog sustava vrednovanja učinka. Ovo opisno-analitičko istraživanje provedeno je u tri faze. U prvoj fazi, polustrukturirani intervju, kao i pregled provedene dokumentacije i studija tvrtke, zatim je prikupljen i odabran skup ključnih pokazatelja. Valjanost pokazatelja odredili su stručnjaci (N = 11), a pokazatelji su odredili prioritete pomoću Analitičkog postupka hijerarhije (AHP) prema SMART (Specifični, mjerljivi, dostižni, relevantni i vremenski ograničeni) kriteriji. Slijedom okvira studije, prikupljen je primarni skup od 60 KPI. Rezultati procjene valjanosti pokazali su da 23 pokazatelja imaju prihvatljivu valjanost. Rezultati ispitivanja odnosa između pokazatelja pokazali su da je postotak ispravljene neusaglašenosti i broj procjena rizika u značajnoj vezi s ukupnim brojem ozljeda izgubljenog na radu kao pokazatelj zaostajanja. Prema rezultatima, četiri najvažnija ključna pokazatelja uspješnosti za procjenu sigurnosnih performansi u automobilskoj industriji bila su sljedeća: broj provedenih procjena rizika, postotak ispravljenih nesukladnosti, postotak provedenih obrazovnih programa o sigurnosti za radnike i indeks FSI

Determinants of COVID-19 preventive health behaviors in Iranian adults based on extended parallel process model

Abstract Performing preventive behaviors by individuals has been recognized as one of the important strategies for the prevention and control of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to assess the determinants of adopting preventive behaviors of COVID-19 in a sample of Iranian adults based on Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) variables. In this cross-sectional study, 300 adults from Tehran, Iran were selected using cluster sampling method from five areas of the city: north, south, west, east, and center. The participants completed a study instrument developed to assess demographic information and EPPM variables. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software. The mean age of the participants was 40.11 (± 15.158) years. The results showed that 88.3% (n = 265) of the participants were in the process of danger control. Perceived self-efficacy, attitude, response efficiency, behavioral intention, and the number of hours of activity outside home were determinants of performing COVID-19 preventive behaviors among the participants. These predictors might be used to develop theory-based educational efforts based on EPPM variables due to encouraging people to adopt COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Our results suggest that because many participants were engaged in danger control, health professionals should focus on increasing perceived efficacy

The Relationship of Different Dimensions of Social Support with Older Adults’ Quality Of Life in the 8th District of Tehran in 2013

Background and Objectives: Older adults’ quality of life and factors affecting it such as social support are a major concern because they are among vulnerable groups and should receive different supports to ensure their quality of life. This study aimed to determine the relationship between social support and quality of life in the older adults living in the 8th district of Tehran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 240 older adults living in the 8th district of Tehran. Participants were selected via cluster sampling method. We used LEIPAD quality of life questionnaire to measure the quality of life and Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire to evaluate social support. Data were analyzed in SPSS-20 using Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman’s correlation. Results: The mean score of quality life was 68.9 of 93 in men and 97.6 of 93 in women and this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.404). Education level had a significant effect on both quality of life and social support (P<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between social support and some dimensions of the quality of life, e.g. physical, social and cognitive function (P<0.05). Conclusion: Different dimensions of social support were higher in men than in women. Although the relationship between dimensions of social support on the overall quality of life score was not statistically significant, the significant relationship between dimensions of social support and dimensions of quality of life show that social support can impact quality of life

A comparison of Speech Duration in Cochlear Implant and Normal Hearing Elementary School Students in the Imitation and Reading Tasks

Abstract Farsi Background and Objectives: Excessive duration is one of the suprasegmental features in cochlear implant children. Regarding the importance of the normal rate of speech in transferring the intonation and clarity of speech, the present study aims at comparing word and sentence duration in cochlear implant and normal hearing children in imitation and reading tasks. Methods: The present descriptive-analytical study was performed on 30 elementary school cochlear implant children versus 30 normal hearing children. Voice recording was done in a silent room. The Persian-speaking subject was asked to utter “/sælam/ (hello)” and “/Ɂemruz nemiyad/ (He won’t come today)” with the following moods and emotions: statement, question, exclamation, with happiness and with sadness. Then, they were asked to do the same task imitating the voice which had been recorded earlier. Data recording was done using Praat software and data analysis was done by SPSS software. Results: The average duration in cochlear implant children in two modes of imitating and reading a word showed a significant difference with that of children with normal hearing (P < 0.001). Moreover, in both groups, the average duration of reading the word was less in comparison with imitating the word. Also, the average duration in cochlear implant children in two modes of imitating and reading a sentence showed a significant difference with that of children with normal hearing (P< 0.001). In the cochlear implant group, the average duration of imitating the sentence was less than the average duration of reading the sentence, whereas in the normal hearing group, the average duration of reading the sentence was less than the average duration of imitating the sentence. Conclusion: The average duration in cochlear implant in all modes (word imitation, word reading, sentence imitation, sentence reading) was more than normal hearing children, which results in abnormal intonation in these children. According to the present study, imitation cannot cause a decrease in duration and consequently, does not result in more natural intonation. Hence, it is probably not a proper therapeutic method

Comparing of cox model and parametric models in analysis of effective factors on event time of neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes

Background: Cox proportional hazard model is the most common method for analyzing the effects of several variables on survival time. However, under certain circumstances, parametric models give more precise estimates to analyze survival data than Cox. The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative performance of Cox and parametric models in a survival analysis of factors affecting the event time of neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: This study included 371 patients with type 2 diabetes without neuropathy who were registered at Fereydunshahr diabetes clinic. Subjects were followed up for the development of neuropathy between 2006 to March 2016. To investigate the factors influencing the event time of neuropathy, significant variables in univariate model (P < 0.20) were entered into the multivariate Cox and parametric models (P < 0.05). In addition, Akaike information criterion (AIC) and area under ROC curves were used to evaluate the relative goodness of fitted model and the efficiency of each procedure, respectively. Statistical computing was performed using R software version 3.2.3 (UNIX platforms, Windows and MacOS). Results: Using Kaplan–Meier, survival time of neuropathy was computed 76.6 ± 5 months after initial diagnosis of diabetes. After multivariate analysis of Cox and parametric models, ethnicity, high-density lipoprotein and family history of diabetes were identified as predictors of event time of neuropathy (P < 0.05). Conclusion: According to AIC, “log-normal” model with the lowest Akaike's was the best-fitted model among Cox and parametric models. According to the results of comparison of survival receiver operating characteristics curves, log-normal model was considered as the most efficient and fitted model

A comparison of central and peripheral refractions between 4-6 years old Children user and non-user of smartphones and/or other electronic screens

Background: The purpose of the present study is to compare central and peripheral refraction among children of 4-6 year-old user and non-user of smartphones and /or other electronic screens.    Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 106 children aged 4-6 years were enrolled in two groups of user (56 children: 34 boys and 22 girls) and non-user (50 children: 30 girls and 20 boys) of smartphones and /or other electronic screens. The user group used smartphones and /or other electronic screens for 1-3 hours a day for at least one year and non-user group either did not use these screens or used less than half an hour occasionally and not every day. All children had visual acuity of at least 20/20 with or without correction and showed no other ocular or systemic diseases. Both groups were evaluated for central refraction and peripheral refraction up to 20° eccentricity in nasal and temporal directions and up to 10° eccentricity in superior direction using the Shin-Nippon K5001 autorefractometer. The outcome measures were compared with SPSS statistical software.    Results: The findings showed no statistically significant difference in terms of central and peripheral refraction in superior, nasal and temporal eccentricities between the user and non-user groups (p>0.05).    Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it concludes that using smartphones and/or other electronic screens for 1-3 hours a day shows no effect on central and peripheral refraction in children with low range of refractive errors

Correlation Between Sleep Quality and Tear Film Tests

Background and Objectives: Several  studies have investigated the correlation between sleep and tear film among adults, senior high school students, employees and animals. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between sleep quality and tear film tests among university students. Materials and Methods: A total of 102 students (52 men and 50 women) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Their sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh standard questionnaire and their tear film by the Schirmer-1 test and the tear film break up time (TBUT).  Results: Out of 102 participants in this study, 69(67.6%) students had poor sleep quality and 64 (62.7%) students based on TBUT and 17(16.7%) students based on Schirmer-1 test had dry eye. There was a significant relationship between the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Schirmer-1 test (correlation coefficient:-0.409, P<0.001). There was also a significant relationship between PSQI and TBUT (correlation coefficient:-0.484, P<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that there is a significant correlation between PSQI and tear film tests