Medical student and academic staff perceptions of role models: an analytical cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: This study explored the associations between the perceptions of students and the perceptions of academic staff about the characteristics of clinical lecturers at the Department of Internal Medicine at Kerman University of Medical Sciences (KUMS). It also assessed what characteristics constitute a 'role model' from the point of view of students and staff. METHODS: Staff and students were questioned about the characteristics of their colleagues and lecturers, respectively. They were asked about 15 characteristics under four headings: personality, teaching skill, group working and overall performance as a role model. Associations between lecturers' characteristics were explored using Pearson correlation and characteristics were allocated into groups by partition cluster method. In addition, predictors of being a valuable lecturer were assessed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Based on staff responses, the strongest association observed was between honesty and being respectful (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001). Based on student responses, the strongest association observed was between being professional and honesty (r = 0.98, p < 0.0001). None of the correlations between student and staff perceptions were significant for any characteristic. Two groups were recognized among the characteristics. group one contained those characteristics which were related to the lecturer's activity; while the second group contained characteristics that were related to the personality or teaching performance of the lecturer. The predictors of lecturer as 'role model' (i.e., perceptions of students) consisted mostly of characteristics from the first group, while the predictors of a 'role model' by fellow academic staff consisted of characteristics that were in both groups. CONCLUSION: These findings showed considerable differences between the perceptions of students about their lecturers when compared with perceptions of staff about their colleagues. Students were more concerned with the personality of their lecturers, while staff also considered their ideas and behaviors. This suggests that a more comprehensive assessment of a lecturer's performance could be obtained by taking into account feedback from both students and colleagues

Cost-of-Illness Analysis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Iran

Diabetes is a worldwide high prevalence chronic progressive disease that poses a significant challenge to healthcare systems. The aim of this study is to provide a detailed economic burden of diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications in Iran in 2009 year.This is a prevalence-based cost-of-illness study focusing on quantifying direct health care costs by bottom-up approach. Data on inpatient hospital services, outpatient clinic visits, physician services, drugs, laboratory test, education and non-medical cost were collected from two national registries. The human capital approach was used to calculate indirect costs separately in male and female and also among different age groups.The total national cost of diagnosed T2DM in 2009 is estimated at 3.78 billion USA dollars (USD) including 2.04±0.28 billion direct (medical and non-medical) costs and indirect costs of 1.73 million. Average direct and indirect cost per capita was 842.6±102 and 864.8 USD respectively. Complications (48.9%) and drugs (23.8%) were main components of direct cost. The largest components of medical expenditures attributed to diabetes's complications are cardiovascular disease (42.3% of total Complications cost), nephropathy (23%) and ophthalmic complications (14%). Indirect costs include temporarily disability (335.7 million), permanent disability (452.4 million) and reduced productivity due to premature mortality (950.3 million).T2DM is a costly disease in the Iran healthcare system and consume more than 8.69% of total health expenditure. In addition to these quantified costs, T2DM imposes high intangible costs on society in terms of reduced quality of life. Identification of effective new strategies for the control of diabetes and its complications is a public health priority

Network Location and Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission among Injecting Drug Users: Results of Multiple Membership Multilevel Modeling of Social Networks

BACKGROUND: Despite the implementation of harm reduction program, some injecting drug users (IDU) continue to engage in high-risk behaviors. It seems that there are some social factors that contribute to risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in IDUs. The aim of this study was to analysis the social network of IDUs and examines the effect of network location on HIV transmission risk using the multiple membership multilevel models. METHODS: From October 2013 to March 2014 we conducted face-to-face interviews on 147 IDUs. We asked participants to nominate up to 20 people whom they had more than causal contact with them during the last month and specify if each nominee is drug injector or not. We defined four Network locations as Core and Peripheries of main components. The risk of HIV transmission for each individual was measured based on 7 items scale. We applied Multiple Membership Multilevel Linear Regression analysis to examine the relationship between network location and HIV transmission risk. We used Stata and UCINET software's for the analysis of data. FINDINGS: The mean age of participants was 37 ± 9.32. Most of the individuals were male, single and educated up to guidance school. Being a core member of the main component as like as being a member of other small components in comparison with Isolates/unlinked significantly increased the HIV Transmission risk. Engagement in methadone maintenance therapies (MMT) was associated with a decrease in HIV transmission score. CONCLUSION: Network analysis is a useful guide to find the most influential members of IDUs network and may have a complementary role for harm reduction program. The efficacy of interventions programs can be reinforced by addressing them to core individuals within the network. Furthermore, it provides the harm reduction staff to find the broader number of IDUs who are usually hard to reach by routine outreach case-finding tasks

Evaluation of the wash resistance of three types of manufactured insecticidal nets in comparison to conventionally treated nets.

The present study evaluated the efficacy and wash resistance of several commercial deltamethrin-treated nets (PermaNet, from factory (PN-F) and market (PN-M), Yorkool (Y) and AZ net) that were claimed by the manufacturers to be Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITNs), compared to ITNs conventionally treated with deltamethrin (23-27 mg/m(2), using one K-O Tab tablet (KO) per net). Montpellier washing technique was used for washing the pieces of the nets. Insecticidal activity was assessed on dried pieces of nets after 0, 2, 5, 8, 11, 15, 18 and 21 washes, using two types of bioassay (mean median knock down times and mortality 24 h after a 3-min exposure) and reared female Anopheles stephensi. To evaluate the effect of heat on diffusion of insecticide from inside of the nets to the surface of them, some Permanet nets were heated. For all the types of nets tested the median knock down time (MKDT) increased approximately linearly with number of washes. The slopes of the lines (increase of MKDT per wash) were low with the PN-F and PN-M, intermediate with Y and equally high with KO and AZ. No significant differences can be claimed with the 3-min exposure tests. The slopes of the regression lines did not differ significantly between the heated and unheated samples. It is concluded that diffusion at ambient temperature is fast enough to rapidly compensate for the loss of insecticide on the surface with no need to artificially stimulate diffusion by heating

Investigation of grip and pinch strengths in iranian adults and their correlated anthropometric and demographic factors

BACKGROUND: Grip and pinch strength measurement is important for objective evaluation of the function of the upper extremities in upper limbs injuries treatment and also for ergonomists as a way of optimizing the requirements of hand tool design. OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to investigate the correlation of anthropometric and demographic factors with hand strength as well as to develop regression models for grip and three types of pinch strengths including Tip, Key and Palmar in Iranian adult population. METHODS: The study population consisted of 1008 Iranian adults aged 20 to 107 years. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling method from crowded places of the cities with the highest number of Persian ethnic group. Strength measurements were undertaken according to recommendations by the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT). RESULTS: This study found a positive and significant correlation between all measured strengths and anthropometric factors. The regression equations of grip and pinch strengths were developed for dominant and non-dominant hands. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provided more information about correlated factors of grip and pinch strengths. The regression equations developed in this research are applicable to clinical treatment and ergonomics programs

Criteria for Site Selection of Temporary Shelters after Earthquakes: a Delphi Panel

INTRODUCTION: After a devastating earthquake, the site selection for the sheltering of earthquake victims is an important task. In order to generate a list of appropriate criteria for deciding on temporary sheltering site selection, we systematically combined the experience of experts and the findings of published documents in this study. METHODS: Having explored published papers, we generated a list of criteria for the selection of the best location for temporary sheltering. In the next step, all criteria were presented to a group of experts in Iran and after a scientific discussion, the list was updated. In the last step, the final list of criteria was developed using the Delphi method in three rounds. RESULTS: Based on our previous systematic review, 27 criteria were presented for sheltering site selection. Expert interviews added 12 more items to them. The Delphi process approved 21 criteria of all proposed ones. These items then grouped into four categories: land suitability, socio-cultural considerations, service availability and disaster risk reduction. DISCUSSION: After an earthquake, our list of criteria may help the disaster team to select the best locations for temporary sheltering with minimum confusion. The consent of the earthquake victims and cost reduction of the operation would be the minimum benefits of using the appropriate criteria. These criteria also could be used by researchers to make objective and reproducible assessments of temporary sheltering site selection

Incidence of multiple sclerosis in Iran: a nationwide, population-based study

Objectives The incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is not well known in Iran. This study was conducted to estimate the trends in annual MS incidence in Iran from March 21, 2010, to March 20, 2016. Study Design Longitudinal study. Methods In this longitudinal study, data for all MS patients fulfilling McDonald criteria were obtained from a national registry, coordinated by the Ministry of Health (MOH). In Iran, all MS patients are eligible to receive public care and treatment services based on their records in this registry, and thus nearly all MS patients are registered in this database. The annual incidence rates were calculated based on year of diagnosis and were standardized using the World Health Organization (2000–2025) population as a standard. Results In this registry, 36,287 (8202 [22.6%] males and 28,085 [77.4%] females) confirmed MS cases were registered by the MOH between 2010 and 2016. The female-to

How sex work becomes an option: Experiences of female sex workers in Kerman, Iran

Sex work is rarely an occupation of choice for Iranian women and is often described as a last resort. While several factors play a role in creating an environment where individuals become involved in sex work, female sex workers' experiences regarding entry into sex work in Iran are poorly understood. In this qualitative study, a convenience sample of 24 participants was recruited from a drop-in centre for vulnerable women in Kerman, Iran. Through in-depth interviews, participants were asked about their personal lived experiences of initiating sex work. Grounded theory was used to analyse findings from this research. We learned that major factors impacting on women's initiation into sex work circulated around their vulnerability and chronic poverty. Participants continued to sell sex due to their limited opportunities, drug dependence and financial needs. Improving sex workers' economic status could be a vital intervention in providing vulnerable women with options other than sex work. Female sex workers should be provided with government support and educational programmes delivered through special centres. Despite the illegal status of their work, sex workers' needs should be recognised across all aspects of policy and legislation