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Background: Network Scale Up (NSU) is applied in many settings to estimate the size of hidden populations. The visibility of alcohol consumption - as a hidden behavior - in Iran has not been yet set. Our aim is to estimate the visibility factor (VF) of alcohol consumption in Iran which is an Islamic country in the Middle East. Methods: Ninety persons who had a history of alcohol consumption were recruited. Relationships in network were aligned in three main subgroups: immediate family, extended family, and non-family. According to the game of contact methodology, participants answered questions about total and aware number of persons they know in each relationship category. VF was calculated by dividing total number of people aware about the respondent's alcohol consumption by total number of respondent's social network. The 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed through bootstrapping. Findings: The mean and standard deviation (SD) of participants' age was 32.9 ± 10.2, the sex ratio was 3. Overall VF (95% CI) was 40% (33% to 47%). VF was estimated at 44% and 23% among men and women's network, respectively. The immediate family was the highest informed group, followed by non-family and extended family members. Conclusion: The visibility of alcohol consumption in Iran was not high. This is due to religious and legal prohibitions around it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rate of viral infections in donated bloods is one of the main indicators of blood safety which has to be monitored precisely. This paper provides a thorough study of blood safety indicators in the last 15 years in Iran. Methods: The data of the transfusion organization in Iran from years 2003 to 2017 were used. The study focuses on the analysis of the frequency of viral hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) as well as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in blood donations. Results: Of 27,442,124 donated bloods, the relative frequencies were 4, 302, and 81 for HIV, HBV and HCV, respectively. This study also shows that the corresponding frequencies were significantly lower in recent years (2.5, 53, and 26 per 100,000 samples in 2017). Conclusion: The presented study indicates an overall low infection rate and provides evidence for the effectiveness of modern safety measures in improving the level of blood safety in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two main issues that challenge model building are number of Events Per Variable and multicollinearity among exploratory variables. Our aim is to review statistical methods that tackle these issues with emphasize on penalized Lasso regression model. The present study aimed to explain problems of traditional regressions due to small sample size and multi-colinearity in trauma and influenza data and to introduce Lasso regression as the most modern shrinkage method. Methods: Two data sets, corresponded to Events Per Variable of 1.5 and 3.4, were used. The outcomes of these two data sets were hospitalization due to trauma and hospitalization of patients suffering influenza respectively. In total, four models were developed: classic Cox and logistic regression models, as well as their penalized lasso form. The tuning parameters were selected through 10-fold cross validation. Results: Traditional Cox model was not able to detect significance of any of variables. Lasso Cox model revealed significance of respiratory rate, focused assessment with sonography in trauma, difference between blood sugar on admission and 3 h after admission, and international normalized ratio. In the second data set, while lasso logistic selected four variables as being significant, classic logistic was able to identify only the importance of one variable. Conclusion: The AIC for lasso models was lower than that for traditional regression models. Lasso method has practical appeal when Events Per Variable is low and multicollinearity exists in the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abortion is a sensitive issue surrounded by social, cultural and religious stigmata. Therefore, estimation of its prevalence involves methodological challenges. The aim of this manuscript is to estimate the abortion prevalence, stratified by type, using a direct and two indirect methods. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in 2016, we recruited 1020 women aging 18-49 years. Three methods were applied to estimate the abortion prevalence: direct question, network scale-up (NSU), and single sample count (SSC). In the direct method, to guarantee anonymity, data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. In other methods, data were collected through gender-matched street-based interviews. Results: The annual rate of abortion estimated by direct and NSU methods were 2 respectively 9 (10 intentional, 4 therapeutic and 15 spontaneous) and 23 (9 intentional, 3 therapeutic, and 11 spontaneous) per 1000 women aging 18- 49 years. The annual rate of intentional abortion estimated based on SSC method was higher (15 per 1000) women than other methods. Conclusion: The present estimates are higher than previously reported ones. The results of three methods more or less supported each other confirming the internal validity of our estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use and drug injection are prevalent among homeless youths. The aim of this study was to identify the associated factors of alcohol consumption and drug injection among homeless youths aged 18-29 years. Methods: Data on 202 homeless youths (111 males and 91 females) were collected using a standardized questionnaire and face-to-face interview. Lasso logistic regression was applied to determine the impact of associated factors on alcohol consumption and drug injection. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 26.30 ± 3.19 years. Also, the prevalence of alcohol consumption and drug injection was 33.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 30-36] and 4.0% (95% CI: 0-8), respectively; 6 people (3.0%) consumed alcohol and injected drugs at the same time. Correlates of alcohol consumption and drug injection were male sex [odds ratio (OR)Alc = 5.7], age (ORAlc = 0.96 and ORDI = 0.98), bachelor or higher education level (ORAlc = 1.34), non-Iranian nationality (ORAlc = 0.05 and ORDI = 0.18), food score (ORDI = 0.92), smoking (ORAlc = 2.05), substance use (ORAlc = 1.12), opposite sex relationship (ORAlc = 1.6), homosexual relationship (ORAlc = 3.56 and ORDI = 2.69), and mental disorder (ORAlc = 0.99). Conclusion: Based on our findings, it seems that the homeless youth are more desired to use alcohol and drug injection, whereas the prevalence of alcohol consumption and drug injection in homeless youth was higher than general youth population in Iran. Therefore, some suitable solutions are needed to prevent the homelessness. Also, the effective variables that were identified in this study for alcohol use and drug injection can help design and implement beneficial interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the burden of injuries, including spinal cord injuries and limb amputation, caused by the Bam earthquake. Materials and Methods: The data related to morbidity of spinal cord injuries were collected from records provided by State Welfare Organization of Iran. Then, morbidity and mortality data for amputation and also mortality of spinal cord injuries were obtained from a previous study using the network scale-up method. Then, we followed the World Health Organization guidelines to assess the burden of this disease, and then years of life lost (YLL) and years of life lost due to disability (YLD) were calculated. Results: The disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) caused by the spinal cord injury were 15,435 years. YLL due to premature mortality was 13,134 and YLD was 2301 years and the number of DALY caused by limb amputation was equal to 2184, all of which were due to YLD. Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, spinal cord injuries and amputations resulting from the earthquake impose many burdens on society. This provides outcomes and evidence for policymaking and planning in the field of health care for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to determine novice and experienced users’ search performance and satisfaction with the interfaces of the Web of Science and Scopus. This is a descriptive-analytical study. Snowball sampling was used. Given queries were searched by 15 experienced and 15 novice users and their search performance was recorded using Camtasia. Their satisfaction was determined by the QUIS questionnaire. The experienced users were more satisfied with both databases than the novices but the difference was not significant. The results imply that even a limited amount of search experience provides search performance benefits in using databases to locate information. If a user interface is designed in a proper manner and considering users’ needs, users get better results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the effect of Iranian traditional remedy prepared from Apium graveolens and Trachyspermum copticom (AT) on the severity and frequency of symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). Material and Methods: In total, 150 FD patients were included in this randomized double-blind trial, based on the ROME III diagnostic criteria, and they were divided into three intervention groups namely, AT, Placebo and omeprazole. Then, severity and frequency of symptoms during this eight-week trial were measured. Obtained information was analyzed using Chi-square test and repeated measures test. Result: In general, the severity and frequency of symptoms after the 4th week significantly decreased in the AT group as compared to the omeprazole and placebo groups, and continued to reduce by the end of the eighth week. General reduction of symptom severity and frequency in the omeprazole group was significantly different from the placebo group by the end of the 4th and 8th weeks. With respect to each individual symptom, AT markedly improved symptoms, such as burning, pain, early satiation, fullness, bloating, belching and nausea, as compared to placebo-treated group. Moreover, AT significantly improved symptoms, like vomiting, and nausea, except for pain, as compared to omeprazoletreated subjects. Conclusion: According to the results, AT, as Iranian traditional remedy, was more effective than omeprazole and placebo in reducing the symptoms in FD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional disability refers to conditions in which a person is not able to fulfill the daily chores and activities on his/her own or requires assistive devices to perform them. The objective of this study was to investigate the functional disability of the elderly in Kerman, Southeastern Iran and its relationship with handgrip strength. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 110 elderly participants (58 man and 52 woman) living in nursing homes in Kerman in 2014. Data were collected using functional disability standard questionnaire and Jamar Dynamometer so as to measure grip strengths of the elderly. Moreover, data were analyzed by statistical tests at a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS software. The measured grip strength of women was significantly lower than that of men (P< 0.05). The grip power of the women in the age group of 60-70 yrs was approximately equal with the grip power of men in the age group of 90-100. With age increase, grip strength would decline in both genders. Furthermore, there was a strong and direct correlation between functional ability and handgrip strength. In addition, there was a significant relationship between the increase in functional disability of the elderly and decline in their grip strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic kidney disease is asymptomatic until its last stages and though it is increasing globally, we are faced with paucity of a population-based model to assess this disease, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and trends of CKD according to a new estimation method. Methods: Using multiplier method, we estimated the numbers of different stages of CKD based on the number of patients with end stage renal failure from 2006 to 2016. The required multipliers were extracted from a simulation of the disease in Kerman following a dynamic model. The 95% uncertainty interval was computed using Monte-Carlo technique with 10,000 iterations. Results: The prevalence of CKDA (GFR<=90mL/min/1.73m2) and CKDB (GFR less than 60mL/min/1.73m2) patients were estimated to be 7.6% (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 5.7-9.1%) and 1.1% (95% UI, 0.8-1.3%), respectively in 2011. The method revealed that the prevalence may rise up to 25.7% (95% UI, 18.2-32.5%) and 3.7% (95% UI, 2.7-4.5%) for CKDA and CKDB, respectively in 2016, indicating approximately 3.3 times increase for both figures. Conclusion: This study predicted an increase in the prevalence of CKD in the future. This may be due to the increasing life expectancy of the population, the increase in the prevalence of non- communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, or patients' survival due to receiving better support. Therefore, the policymakers should be concerned and well informed about this increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low Back pain (LBP) is the most common type of musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) in transfer tasks such as nursing personnel. Financial and economic costs expended for these disorders affect not only the individual, but the organization and society as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate associated factors in the incidence of LBP among nursing personnel according to risk assessment methods related to the patient's transfer. The present analytical study was conducted on 243 nurses in Kerman, Iran in 2014. The instruments for gathering data were Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), MAPO and PTAI checklists. The data was analysed using SPSS.16 software. The prevalence of LBP among nursing personnel was 69.55%. Based on MAPO index, 48.2% of wards had moderate level of risk. In addition, the results of PTAI index also showed that 76.5% of the studied subjects were at the second risk level (moderate risk) of LBP. Work experience, work shifts and the final score of PTAI index were factors that affected prevalence of LBP the most. In this regard, we recommend the modification of factors such as guidance in work posture, use of patient transfer equipment and guidance in their use, work arrangement, mental strain of patient transfer, physical load of patient transfer and Frequency of manual patient transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This This paper aims at determining the influence of contextual factors on information seeking behavior. This survey investigates search tactics used and users' perceptions of the search results on the Web by postgraduate students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This study was conducted through a mixed method. Thirty postgraduate students voluntarily participated. The study was carried out in the first semester of the academic year 2012-2013. The data was gathered using two questionnaires and log files recorded with Camtasia Studio software. The findings indicated that more than half of the participants (53.3 percent) used Google, short queries were more used than long queries, advanced search options were used rarely (23 percent), and the participants view few search result pages. According to the results, the contextual factors significantly influenced the search time, search tactics (including querying and navigating) and users' perceptions of the search results (including ease of use, usefulness, satisfaction and relevance judgment). Navigating tactic was primarily used by the participants. Among different aspects of users' perceptions of the search results, ease of use and relevance judgments were significantly different based on the contextual factors, whereas scanning, extracting, and confidence were less affected by the contextual factors. The findings suggest practical implications for information retrieval systems designers to design systems with better user interface in order to meet the needs of users with different knowledge and skills. Doing this, it leads in promotion of search process and improvement of search results quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to generate a valid and adapted version of the Personal Impact Health Assessment Questionnaire (PI HAQ) compatible with Iranian culture. Patients and methods: Between October 2006 and February 2007, data obtained from 100 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (80 females, 20 males; mean age 51 years; range 20 to 78 years) in a referral rheumatologic clinic in Kerman, Iran were included in this cross-sectional study. The study had five phases; (i) translation and back translation; (ii) cultural adaptation seeking advice of expert rheumatologists in the country; (iii) assessment of face validity by deep interview technique with 20 patients; (iv) assessment of reliability and internal consistency of questionnaire and (v) assessment of content and construct validity using factorial analysis. The results of the PI HAQ were also compared with Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results: The Persian version of the PI HAQ had small changes in three items compatible with Iranian culture in terms of the ability of cutting meat, taking a tub bath and using a toilet. The correlation coefficient in test and re-test was high (r=0.86, p-value <0.001). Cronbach's alpha was 0.94. The correlation coefficient between the VAS and PI HAQ scores was significantly high (r=0.93, p?0.001). The factorial analysis showed that the main hidden variable explained over 50% of to total variance (Eigenvalue=50.6%). Conclusion: It seems that the adapted version of the questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to assess the quality of life of Iranian RA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Iran, similar to other countries, had faced H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009. In order to assess its transmission dynamic, we estimated its force of infection (β) and basic reproductive number (R0). Methods: Within a middle size primary school in Iran, we actively followed students and detected flu-like syndrome among students and their families in the first three months of academic year; October through December 2009. We estimated the probability of disease transmission within families (β) fitting random effects Poisson regression model. Moreover, R0 within the school was computed based on the number of detected cases. Results: In 452 students, 204 influenza-like syndromes were detected. The estimated β within families was 0.10; increasing one infectious member within each family was associated with 30% increase in this number. The estimated R0 for the first month was 1.21 (95% C.I.: 0.99, 1.47); corresponding numbers for the first two and first three months were 1.28 (95% C.I.: 1.05, 1.54) and 1.32 (95% C.I.: 1.11, 1.59), respectively. Conclusion: It seems that the dynamic transmission of H1N1 virus was more or less comparable with that in other seasonal species. Our findings showed that the virus mainly circulated among students within schools. In addition, it seems that the transmission rate within families was relatively high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Maternal mortality, a preventable tragedy, is an indicator of development, poverty and democracy. Therefore, prevention of maternal deaths is one of the main goals in many countries. Iran is one of the developing countries which aim to reduce maternal mortality through introduction of a new policy at national level. This study aimed to explore the extent to which this policy is practiced at peripheral levels. Methods: The data were collected through interviews with relevant people, observation, and review of the documents. Results: The results showed that there is a gap between policy and practice which can be explained by inadequate training programs, inadequate collaboration, lack of guidelines and instigation of a specific investigation into maternal deaths. Conclusions: This study suggests a number of considerations such as an initiative to collaborate, developing a guideline and presenting training programs before such policies are launched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: One of the factors affecting the life of elderly people is the extent of social support they receive from people around them. The present study was designed to determine social support among the elderly in Shiraz city, Iran, in 2015. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study with a sample size of 143. To collect the data, the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) was used. Linear regression was used to analyze the data, and SPSS version 19 was applied for analysis. Results: Among 143 elderly participants, 43 were male (30.1%) and 100 were female (69.9%). Multivariate analysis indicated that among the factors studied, age, education and previous job (self-employed and housewife) were significantly related to both social networks and social satisfaction (p <0.00). Discussion: This study aimed to investigate the demographic factors associated with social support for the self-referred elderly residents of two care centers in Shiraz. After controlling for the possible impact of confounding variables, the study showed that age, education and previous job were significantly associated with both social network and satisfaction. Conclusions: Among the factors studied, age, occupation and education of the elderly people had the greatest roles in social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In order to generate local evidence, a case-control study was designed to explore risk factors for suicide attempts (SA) in one of the larger cities in the southeast of Iran-Kerman. Methods: From one of the main referral hospitals, 300 cases and 300 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. On top of demographic variables, the following variables were compared in the two groups: personality traits, psychological condition, religiosity, coping skills, general health, and recent stressful events. Results: Having adjusted for recent stressful events as the most important factor (OR = 1.66, P-value < 0.001 ), the main significant variables were: general health (1.04, P = 0.02), the support of friends (OR = 0.95, P-value = 0.04), being problem-focused mentality (OR = 0.88, P-value = 0.005), and intrinsic religiousness (OR = 0.86, P-value = 0.01). Conclusions: Although, recent stress increased the risk of SA considerably, other factors such as general health, friends' support, and being problem-focused may predispose subjects independently. Conversely, intrinsic religious beliefs and close social networks may have protective effects. Therefore, a multi-disciplinary approach is recommended to minimize the burden of SA in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Motor imagery (MI) has been recently considered as an adjunct to physical rehabilitation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is necessary to assess MI abilities and benefits in patients with MS by using a reliable tool. The Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ) was recently developed to assess MI ability in patients with stroke and other disabilities. Considering the different underlying pathologies, the present study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the KVIQ in MS patients. Method: Fifteen MS patients were assessed using the KVIQ in 2 sessions (5-14days apart) by the same examiner. In the second session, the participants also completed a revised MI questionnaire (MIQ-R) as the gold standard. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were measured to determine test-retest reliability. Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to assess concurrent validity with the MIQ-R. Furthermore, the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and factorial structure of the KVIQ were studied. Results: The test-retest reliability for the KVIQ was good (ICCs: total KVIQ=0.89, visual KVIQ=0.85, and kinesthetic KVIQ=0.93), and the concurrent validity between the KVIQ and MIQ-R was good (r=0.79). The KVIQ had good internal consistency, with high Cronbach's alpha (alpha=0.84). Factorial analysis showed the bi-factorial structure of the KVIQ, which was explained by visual=57.6% and kinesthetic=32.4%. Conclusions: The results of the present study revealed that the KVIQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing MI in MS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide Attempt in Iran: A Matched Control Study," by M. Akbari and others in the November 2015 issue.

Background: Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody (Ab) on dried blood spot (DBS) samples in the Australian Needle and Syringe Program Survey (ANSPS) decreased nationally from 57 % in 2015 to 32 % in 2022. We aimed to investigate potential explanations for this decline., Methods: Changes in DBS HCV Ab prevalence were investigated by redefining positive cases as those with those with either a positive HCV Ab test result or a self-reported history of ever having HCV treatment (modified prevalence), examining HCV Ab prevalence by birth and age cohorts, and assessing trends in key risk behaviours., Results: Overall prevalence of DBS HCV Ab declined rapidly and significantly from 57 % in 2015 to 32 % in 2022 (p < 0.001) however modified HCV Ab prevalence remained stable over time (85 % and 88 % in 2015 and 2022, respectively, p = 0.357). The proportion of participants with negative HCV Ab and self-reported HCV infection increased from 20 % in 1995 to 40 % in 2022 (p < 0.001) and the proportion with negative HCV Ab and lifetime HCV treatment increased from 3 % in 1999 to 67 % in 2022 (p < 0.001). We also observed a decreasing trend in DBS HCV Ab prevalence in all birth and age cohorts with a noticeable acceleration in the decline commensurate with the advent of HCV DAA treatment. A long-term decreasing trend was also observed for key risk behaviours (p < 0.001) however the short-term trend was not significant for recent receptive syringe sharing., Conclusion: The temporal decline in HCV Ab prevalence appears related to reduced sensitivity of DBS HCV Ab detection with viral clearance following treatment. Since 2016, HCV treatment uptake has increased markedly including among people who inject drugs. In this context, continuing to monitor HCV Ab prevalence by DBS testing is problematic, with a shift to surveillance of active infection the most relevant to guide policy and practice in this setting., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have any competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There are a lot of reports related to adverse reactions post blood donation. The present study is designed to investigate the incidence of adverse reactions in blood donation around the world. This research was conducted through searching databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EmBase, Ovid, as well as the specialized journal of TRANSFUSION without any time limit by using the keywords including "Adverse Event", "Adverse Effect", "Adverse Reaction", "Complication", "Side Effect", "Vasovagal Reaction", "Local Reaction", "General Reaction", "Allergic Reaction", "Blood Donor", and "Blood Donation". In the initial search, 7054 documents were found, of which 2517 duplicates were excluded. After screening the remaining 4,537 documents, 97 one were reviewed for quality assessment, of which 30 with the appropriate quality were selected for the review process. The results of the study showed that the reactions caused by blood donation are very different. Most reactions were systemic, and ranged from 0.08 to 13 percent in different countries. The incidence of adverse reactions in blood donation differ across the countries which might be related to the donors' characteristics. The difference did even existed in studies conducted in the same country and the same year. This suggests that many factors can cause adverse reactions in blood donation, and that a wide range of them investigated in one study, most of which were systemic., Competing Interests: None., (AJBR Copyright © 2020.)

Background: This is the first study on the blood donation trend in Iran at a national level. We report different characteristics of blood donation such as demographic status, donor type, donation trend, and geographical distribution of blood donation in Iran between 2003 and 2017., Methods: This study used data registered in the donor vigilance part of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and ArcMap GIS version 10.2 software. A P -value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Based on the study results, blood donation in Iran reached >2 million units in 2017; moreover, it is predicted that Iran will achieve >29 donations per 1,000 population in 2022. The proportion of regular and repeated donors increased from 77% in 2013 to 87% in 2017. The average blood donation rate in seven provinces was higher than the national average, and the average growth rate of their blood donation per population was positive., Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that there is a recent increasing trend toward blood donation in Iran. Furthermore, the largest share of donations is related to regular donors. The increasing proportion of regular and repeated donors has led to the improvement in the quality and consequently health level of donated blood., Competing Interests: Authors' Disclosures of Potential Conflicts of Interest: No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported., (© 2019 Korean Society of Hematology.)

Introduction: Maternal mortality is a tragic death, and is perceived as a sensitive indicator of the socioeconomic status and healthcare services in a given country. In this study, the relationship between maternal deaths and factors such as socioeconomic development and the proportion of medical professionals in Iran was examined., Methods: This was an ecological study, where three main groups of data based on different provinces were applied. Data included maternal mortality ratio, the proportion of medical professionals and socioeconomic variables, such as urban residency, unemployment and literacy. Data were obtained from various sources, including census returns, the Family Unit at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran and the Iran Medical Council. Data were analysed using univariate and multivariate methodologies., Results: Multivariate analysis showed a significant inverse relationship between maternal deaths and variables of male literacy (p < 0.001) and unemployment (p = 0.04). A marginally significant association was also found between maternal deaths and the proportion of midwives (p = 0.09)., Conclusion: Our findings underscore the role of literacy, particularly male literacy, in the prevention of maternal deaths. Iran, as a male-dominated society, could benefit from targeting men for training programmes to enhance the health of their families, and ultimately, that of the society. As economic status does play a role in maternal deaths, there is a need to strengthen the financial situation of families. The number of skilled medical personnel available in a population also plays a key role in reducing maternal deaths.

Objectives: Early diagnosis of diabetes is crucially important in reduction of the complications. Although HbA1c is an accurate marker for the prediction of complications, less information is available about its accuracy in diagnosis of diabetes. In this study, the association between HbA1c and FBS was assessed through a cross-sectional population-based study., Methods: A random sample of population in Kerman city was selected. The total number was 604 people. Their HbA1c and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were tested. The association between HbA1c and FBS and also their sensitivity, specificity and predictive values in detection of abnormal values of each other were determined., Results: The association of HbA1c with FBS was relatively strong particularly in diabetic subjects. Generally, FBS was a more accurate predictor for HbA1c compared with HbA1c as a predictor of FBS. Although the optimum cutoff point of HbA1c was >6.15%, its precision was comparable with the conventional cutoff point of >6%., Conclusions: In conclusion, FBS sounds more reliable to separate diabetic from non-diabetic subjects than HbA1c. In case of being interested in using HbA1c in screening, the conventional cutoff points of 6% is an acceptable threshold for discrimination of diabetics from non-diabetics.