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Fatigue is the most common complication of cancer treatment procedure during chemotherapy, leading to limited daily activities, mood swings, and ultimately impaired functional status. This study aimed to determine the effect of energy efficiency training on the fatigue scores of children with a cancer diagnosis.

BackgroundUp to now several studies estimate the prevalence of HBV, HCV, and TB among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Iran; however, their results are inconsistent. This study aimed to estimate the overall prevalence of HBV, HVC, and TB among Iranian PLWH.MethodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis six databases including Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, MagIran, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Barakat Knowledge network system were searched up to October 2023 with no language restriction. All studies estimated the prevalence of HBV, HCV, and TB among PLWH in Iran were included. The random-effects model was used to report the study estimates. Results were reported at a 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsOut of 1050 retrieved references, 58 articles met the eligibility criteria. Overall among PLWH, HBV prevalence was 13.0% (95% CI: 11.0, 15.0), HCV prevalence was 54% (95% CI: 45.0, 64.0), and TB prevalence was 19% (95% CI: 13.0, 24.0). The results from multivariate meta-regression analysis showed no statistically significant association between HBV and TB prevalence with the year of study, quality of studies, age, gender, and persons who inject drugs (PWID). HCV prevalence was significantly associated with PWID.ConclusionWe found HBV, HCV, and TB infections are common among PLWH in Iran and required to be screened and treated with effective and timely services.

Background and Objective: In recent years, resistance to antibiotics and the emergence of different strains of resistant bacteria have been the main concern of the World Health Organization and healthcare workers. This study aimed to determine the frequency and pattern of bacterial antibiotic resistance in blood culture samples of hospitalized patients in Besat Hospital in Hamadan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on all patients who were referred to Besat Hospital of Hamadan with sepsis symptoms over 10 years. Results: In this study, 1,790 patients with positive blood cultures were examined. The mean age of the patients was 24.81 years, and 58.9% of the patients with positive blood cultures were male. Most of the patients (38.4%) were hospitalized in the intensive care unit. It was revealed that 48.8% of positive blood cultures were gram-negative bacteria and 49.1% were gram-positive bacteria. The most common isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Based on the results, the highest resistance was shown to cefixime (70.6%) and cefpodoxime (67.5%), and the highest susceptibility to vancomycin (98.5%), piperacillin-tazobactam (71.7%), and meropenem (70%). Conclusion: The resistance of bacteria to available antibiotics in Besat Hospital of Hamadan is considerable and leads to worries about using antibiotics and the prevalence of their resistance in Hamedan city; therefore, implementing serious interventions and reviewing the prescribing and consumption must be overemphasized.

The study assessed the HIV treatment cascade of people living with HIV (PLWH) in Iran and the reasons for gaps in HIV services in 2014. We did the cascade analysis using the WHO HIV test-treat-retain cascade analysis tool (2014). To measure the gaps, we check the records for all PLWH reported to the national HIV surveillance till September 2014 to define how many were alive, linked to HIV care, assessed for CD4 count, started antiretroviral therapy (ART), and reported to be alive up to five years after ART. To assess the reasons for gaps in the cascade, we ran desk review, four focus group discussions (FGD) and fifty one in-depth interviews with key informants including PLWH. Spectrum model estimated 75,700 PLWH in Iran, of whom, only 22,647 people (%30) were diagnosed. Of those who were diagnosed with HIV, 16,266 people (%72) enrolled in HIV care. About 13% of all PLWH retained in HIV care and only 9% (6,745 people) had ever tested for CD4 count. Only 8% (6,018 people) of all PLWH received ART by September 2014. We found the biggest gap in the HIV treatment cascade to be HIV diagnosis as only 30% of PLWH have been diagnosed. Innovative strategies to improve HIV testing, particularly those work best for key populations, is critical to reach the 90–90-90 targets.

The purpose of the present article is to introduce theoretical and algorithmic approaches to address the problem of finding optimal test-control incomplete block designs with unequal block sizes where intra-block observations are correlated. Theoretical approach is used to find Etc-optimal designs analytically. In addition, due to the computational complexity of theoretical methods, in this article a two-phase optimization algorithm is proposed to construct ϕ -optimal or nearly ϕ -optimal designs. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is validated by comparing our results with optimal designs presented in several prior studies. Our algorithm has the advantages of being independent from the sizes of blocks, structure of correlation, and the optimality criteria. Moreover, it takes only a few minutes to obtain the optimal designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the importance of diabetes-related stigma and its coincidence with adolescence and the need to implement a self-care program to strengthen knowledge, improve attitudes and practice in adolescents, the present study aimed to determine the effect of virtual self-care education on the perception of type 1 diabetes-related stigma in female adolescents with diabetes. Methods: The present quasi-experimental clinical trial was done on 76 girls with type 1 diabetes as members of the Iranian Diabetes Society (IDS) in 2016. We recruited patients using the convenience sampling, and then randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. We implemented the self-care education in the experimental group through a mobile-based virtual social network for 12 weeks (a media message per day and interactively). The 35-item online questionnaire of type 1 diabetes-related stigma were fulfilled before intervention, immediately after the intervention and 4 weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using the independent t-test, Fisher's exact test, and Chi-square test in SPSS-16. Results: There was no significant difference between the experimental (94.09±21.89) and control groups (89.87±22.97) in terms of mean scores of stigmas before the intervention (P=0.415). Mean scores of stigmas decreased significantly in the experimental group immediately (78.20±18.66; P=0.043) and 4 weeks after the intervention (77.47±19.39; P=0.012) compared to control group. Conclusion: Self-care education via virtual social networks was effective in reducing the stigma perception. In general, the more education was separated from its traditional method, lecturing, and was accompanied by attractive and popular methods, such as the use of social networks, the higher the level of learning, and the more enjoyable it became.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health emergency, which presents wide-ranging negative impacts on individuals with diabetes. To examine psychosocial well-being and diabetes outcomes in individuals with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigate how these factors vary in different countries. Methods Between April and June 2020 we employed a cross national comparative research study in the United States (US), Brazil, and Iran to collect data from 1788 adults with type 1 diabetes using web-based survey. Study participants answered questions relevant to diabetes distress, diabetes burnout, depressive symptoms, COVID-19 related changes, and socio-demographic characteristics. They also reported their last Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and daily Time-in-Range (TiR) blood glucose. We analyzed data using comparative tests (Chi-square, Kruskal–Wallis and McNemar test), logistic and linear regression adjusted for fixed effects. Results There were significant changes prior and during the pandemic regarding access to diabetes care, diabetes supplies and medications, healthy food and safe places to exercise in all countries (p

Aims: Socioeconomic inequalities are major problems for public health in the communities. This study aimed to determine the socioeconomic inequality of health literacy (HL), self-rated health (SRH), and general health. Instrument & Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in Arak city, Iran, in 2019. The Wealth index was created using the principal component analysis (PCA) based on participants' assets. HL was evaluated using a validated questionnaire in Iran. The general health was evaluated using the WHO general health questionnaire. The relative concentration index (RCI) was used to assess HL's inequality, SRH, and general health. The simple random sampling method was used. The results were reported at a 95% CI. Stata software 14.2 was used for data analysis. Findings: Overall, 750 adults with a mean±SD age of 34.76±9.82 participated in this study. The prevalence of poor SRH was 2.93 (95% CI: 1.94, 4.42). In general health domains, the highest poor prevalence was related to the feelings of sadness or depression in the 30 past days with 10.80% (95% CI: 8.77, 13.24). The total prevalence of poor health literacy was 25.60% (95% CI: 22.60, 28.85). In domains of poor general health, mobility, cognition, individual activities, and sleep disorders were significantly concentered among disadvantaged participants. Also poor health literacy was concentered among disadvantaged participants in term of wealth index and education, RCI=-0.21; 95% CI: -0.27, -0.14 and RCI= -0.25; 95% CI: -0.32, -0.19, respectively. Conclusion: Poor health domains such as mobility, cognition, individual activities, sleep, and poor health literacy were significantly concentrated among disadvantaged participants based on the wealth index and education.

Background and Objectives: Today, medicinal plants and their derivatives are considered to reduce the prevalence of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Mentha longifolia essential oil on oqxA efflux pump gene expression and biofilm formation in ciprofloxacin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 clinical strains of K. pneumoniae resistant to ciprofloxacin were studied. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of M. longifolia essential oil and its synergistic effect with ciprofloxacin were determined using the microbroth dilution method and the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) method. Minimum biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC) of M. longifolia essential oil was detected. The effect of essential oils on the expression level of the oqxA gene was detected by Real-time PCR. Results: M. longifolia essential oil showed inhibitory activity against ciprofloxacin-resistant strains of K. pneumoniae. When M. longifolia essential oil was combined with ciprofloxacin, the MIC was reduced 2-4 times. In 28% of the strains, M. longifolia with ciprofloxacin showed a synergistic effect. M. longifolia essential oil reduces the strength of biofilm formation and alters the biofilm phenotype. A significant decrease in oqxA gene expression was observed in all isolates after treatment with M. longifolia essential oil. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it was observed that supplementing M. longifolia essential oil can help reduce ciprofloxacin resistance and inhibit biofilm formation in fluoroquinolone-resistant K. pneumoniae strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Physical inactivity is one of the major risk factors for non-communicable diseases. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effects of educational interventions on promoting regular physical activity in adolescent weight management programs. Methods The relevant studies indexed in Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases were searched using keywords namely “Physical Activity, Adolescent, Weight Management, Body Mass Index (BMI), Randomized Controlled Trials, and Clinical Trial.” Up to the end of March 2020, two authors independently screened the papers, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the studies using Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool. Results Out of 12,944 initial studies, 14 met the inclusion criteria after screening the titles, abstracts, and full texts of the papers. The participants in these studies were aged between 6 and 18 years, and 13 studies included participants from both sexes. Moreover, eight of them were performed as a controlled clinical trial. The overall estimate of the difference showed that the interventions improved weight loss which is a statistically significant finding. The participants in the intervention group had a weight loss of 1.02 kg compared to the control group at a 95% confidence interval (− 4.794–0.222). Conclusion Published longitudinal data indicated that physical activity declines over the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Using the results of the study, policy-makers can design educational interventions using educational models and patterns. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020173869

Current studies have controversial reports about the effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) on the risk of psychiatric disorders among offspring. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effect of MSDP on the risk of Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorders (CTD) among offspring. A systematic search using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted up to July 2019 to retrieve potential studies in English. Fixed and random-effects meta-analyses was performed to estimate pooled relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) according to heterogeneity. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Heterogeneity among studies was explored using the I2 statistic. Of the 641 studies from the initial search, 7 were included in the quantitative synthesis (3 cohort and 4 case control studies). Overall, MSDP increased the risk of TS and CTD among the offspring by 35% (pooled RR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.17–1.56; I2=45.8%; P-value=0.08). The results of this meta-analysis revealed that there is a significant association between MSDP and the risk of TS and CTD in offspring, and MSDP may be considered a potential risk factor for TS and CTD.

Aims: Early childhood development is one of the priority areas of social determinants of health. A wide range of factors influence a childchr('39')s development. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with developmental delay in children under 5 years. Instrument & Methods: This study was a case-control study that conducted from April to August 2019 in Hamadan city. 462 children under 5 years and their mothers participated (231 children that have a developmental delay in the case group and 231 healthy children in the control group). The risk factors assessed were demographic characteristics, mothers’ awareness, and childhood developmental care. The data analysis were performed using Logistic Regression by Stata11 software and a significant level of 5% was considered. Findings: The results showed that there were statistically significant relation between the developmental delay with mothers’ age (OR=1.04, 95%CI:1.00-1.08), history of child hospitalization (OR=2.57, 95%CI:1.63-4.05), tobacco use by parents (OR=2.09, 95%CI:1.20-3.64), and mothers’ awareness (OR=0.44, 95%CI:-0.25-0.82). Conclusion: Mothers with children under 5 years need to be educated on various aspects of development and caregiving behaviors that protect their children from developmental delays, and the Identify these factors can help planners to reduce developmental delays and their effects.

Aims: Smoking in adolescents show worrying trends, and at this age, media threats and media attention increases. Therefore, to determine the role of media in the intentions to smoke in adolescents, this study was conducted. Information & Methods: The systematically electronic search from international databases including Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Science Direct until April 2019 was conducted, and observational studies addressing the associations between media exposure and smoking in adolescents aged 10 to 19 years were analyzed. The results of related studies were evaluated with the Newcastle and Ottawa Guidelines and the JBI (The Joanna Briggs Institute), and Chi2 and I2 statistics assessed between-studies heterogeneity. Findings: In this study, 20 articles were entered, and 13 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The ORs (95% CI) exposure to the media contents associated with intentions to smoke in adolescents was as follows: in persuasive media OR=1.27 (95% CI 0.98, 1.64) and protective media OR=0.76 (95% CI 0.67, 0.86) with the intention of smoking in adolescents. Also, films with cigarette content were considered the strongest media were encouraging the intention to smoke OR=1.54 (95% CI 0.91, 2.59). Conclusion: The present study provided a clear picture of mediachr('39')s role and how a medium platform influences the intention of smoking among adolescents and emphasizes the need to acquire and improve media literacy skills to prevent them.

Background: There is no official and representative information on certain health-risk behaviors in Iran. This national survey was performed to determine the prevalence of five high-risk behaviors among the adult population and underlying factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 23 provinces of Iran in 2019 involving 10,957 participants. The following five risky behaviors were evaluated: (a) using illicit drugs in the past month, (b) drinking alcohol in the past month, (c) having extramarital sex in the past year, (d) having suicidal thoughts in the past month, (e) and attempting suicide in the past year. The logistic regression model was used for analyses and associations were reported using odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The prevalence of health-risk behaviors was as follows: illicit drug use 10.4%, drinking alcohol 16.8%, extramarital sex 9.9%, suicidal thoughts 8.8%, and suicide attempt 5.4%. Almost 27.6% of the participants were involved in at least one risky behavior. There was a strong association between illicit drugs use and male gender 2.51 (2.11-2.98) and using psychiatric medications 2.96 (2.46-3.55); between drinking alcohol and male gender 2.23 (1.93-2.58); between extramarital sex and divorced/widowed status 2.43 (1.72-3.44) and having an intimate friend of the opposite sex 3.75 (3.13-4.51); between suicidal thoughts and using psychiatric medications 2.23 (1.83-2.72); between suicide attempt and a history of running away from home 2.10 (1.64-2.68). Conclusion: More than one-fourth Iranian adult population is involved in at least one risky behavior. Engaging in any risky behavior may increase the possibility of engaging in other high-risk behaviors.

Background: We aimed to determine the generation time, the best model for estimating reproduction number (R), and to estimate the basic reproduction number (R0) and effective reproduction number (Rt) for COVID-19 in Iran. Methods: We used the daily incidence cases of COVID-19, hospitalized due to a probable diagnosis of COVID-19 from 19 February 2020 to 17 November 2020 in Iran. Four models, including maximum likelihood (ML), exponential growth (EG), time-dependent (TD), sequential Bayesian (SB) were evaluated. The weekly reproduction number with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. Results: TD model shows the best fit compared to other models for estimating reproduction number in Iran. The R0 in Iran in the first week of the epidemic, leading up to 21 February 2020 was 7.19, 95% CI: 5.56, 9.00. The lowest value for the Rt was equal to 0.77 between 3 to 10 March 2020 and 4 to 11 December 2020. From 11 June 2020 up to13 August 2020, the Rt was more than one but after then to 24 September 2021 was less than one. Conclusion: TD model was the best fit for estimating the R in Iran. The worst situation of the epidemic in Iran was related to the weeks leading up to 26 February 2020 and 28 October 2020, and better status was related to the weeks leading up to 10 March 2020 and 11 December 2020.

Background and Aims: Open ICU visiting is recommended because of positive effects on patients and relatives. However, patient visiting in Iranian’s ICU is restricted now. Many issues around the subject have not been properly addressed. Here the visiting challenges have been discussed. Methods: This is a qualitative descriptive-exploratory study conducted through semi-structured deep interview with 35 participants (6 patients, 20 nurses, and 9 patient relatives) in Shahrekord in 2017. Data analysis was carried out with a thematic analysis approach. Results: The main emerged theme was the "Conflict Experience". Families (patientschr('39') relatives) and patients consider the visiting as an important and necessary need, and this unmet need causes "imbalance between the familieschr('39') need and laws" and the "imbalance between the patientchr('39')s need and the laws.” Meanwhile, there was another dichotomy that was imbalance between "nurseschr('39') human and scientific beliefs on the patients and familieschr('39') need" and "nursechr('39')s belief in the reasons for the forbidden visiting and laws". Conclusion: Experiencing "conflict" in participants indicates the necessity to find scientific and applicable strategies to address the visiting challenge.

Background and Objective: The effects that smartphones have had on the control of chronic diseases such as diabetes in recent years have taken self-care to a new level. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics and dimensions of virtual self-care of diabetic children in Hamadan. Materials and Methods: In the present quasi-experimental study, 92 children aged 10-18 years with type 1 diabetes, and one of the parents referred to the Diabetes Clinic in Hamadan were studied. The telephone numbers of all samples of the experimental group were added to the virtual group. A self-care questionnaire for a child with diabetes was completed before and after the study for both groups. Paired t-test and chi-square were used to analyze the data under Stata 11 software. Results: There was a significant relationship between weight and knowledge of insulin before the intervention (P = 0.003), weight and physical activity after the intervention (P = 0.032), and maternal knowledge with knowledge of insulin after the intervention (P = 0.014). Conclusion: Demographic characteristics can affect the empowerment of children with diabetes in four areas: how to measure blood sugar, follow insulin therapy, and follow a diet plan and physical activity.

Background and Objective: Students are interested in using computer games, which can threaten their mental health and make them feel lonely. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between the use of computer games and the feeling of loneliness in first grade high school students in Hamadan city. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study conducted on 384 first-year high school students in Hamadan in 2019. Subjects were randomly selected from a cluster of schools. Data collection tools included two virtual network usage questionnaires and a loneliness questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed with SPSS 24 software and with Pearson correlation and linear regression statistical tests. Results: The results of the study showed that 67.4% of the participants played for one hour. Also, the use of computer games was associated with family loneliness. Also, with a single increase in computer game, the average score of loneliness increased by 0.36 (P = 0.001). Conclusion: The overall assessment of the findings of the present study showed that the higher the use of computer games, the more lonely students feel.

Abstract Background Our knowledge on the prevalence of high-risk behaviors among women of Alborz is not reliable due to the sensitivity of the issue. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of seven risk behaviors among the reproductive age women in Alborz Province, Iran. Method In this cross-sectional study, 2000 women were randomly selected from a registered healthcare system in 2019. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The prevalence of the risk behaviors including drug abuse, hookah, alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking, extramarital intercourse, and gambling was estimated using the unmatched count technique, and the prevalence rate was reported at a 95% confidence interval. Results The response rate for this study was 95%. The estimated prevalence for drug abuse, hookah, alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking, extramarital intercourse, and gambling were 3% (95%CI: 2.78 to 3.22), 10.5% (95%CI: 10.29 to 10.71), 7% (95%CI: 6.78 to 7.22), 10% (95%CI: 9.78 to 10.22), 8.7% (95%CI, 8.29 to 8.71), and 7.5% (95%CI, 4.71 to 7.28), respectively. Conclusion High risk behaviors are highly prevalent among Iranian women. Enforcing laws, prohibition, marketing restrictions, increasing taxation, expanding treatment, promoting condom distribution and providing community-based service are recommended to reduce the effects of high risk behaviors among women.

Background and Objectives: After the introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine, an increase has been observed in the disease due to nonspecific stereotypes of the vaccine. This study was conducted to determine the spatial distribution of pneumococcal vaccine coverage and common stereotypes of streptococcus pneumonia after vaccine introduction in the vaccine recipient countries. Methods: The Web of Sciences, Medline, and Scopus were searched using a designed search strategy. Studies that reported the prevalence of the stereotypes of streptococcus pneumonia and replacement of the stereotypes were included. In addition, the coverage of pneumococcal vaccination in the countries was extracted from the reports of the World Health Organization. The spatial distribution of vaccine recipient countries and vaccination coverage were determined using the ArcGIS 10.6.1. Results: Of 6989 retrieved references, 325 studies were included. The highest proportion of vaccine recipient countries were in the African, European and Western Pacific regions. The vaccination coverage increased up to 2017 in the vaccine recipient countries. The common specific vaccine serotypes after the introduction of vaccine were 19A, 5, 3, 14, 19F, 7F, 23F, 6B. In addition, common nonspecific vaccine serotypes were 11A, 15A/B, 8, and 12F. Conclusion: The results indicated pneumococcal vaccination is not included in the immunization program in many countries. In addition, common serotypes after vaccine introduction of include 19A, 5, 3, 14, 19F, 7F, 23F, 6B. Therefore, it is recommended the health policymakers have a plan for pneumococcal vaccine introduction based on the pattern of the commonly detected stereotypes.

Background and Objective: Students are more interested in communication in cyberspace than in real-life communication, which could threaten mental health and sleep quality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the overuse of cyberspace and sleep quality among students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 379 students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in 2019. Subjects were randomly selected from schools of university. The data collection tools were two questionnaires: virtual network use and the quality of sleep questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 24 and Pearson correlation test, independent t-test, ANOVA. Results: The results of the study showed that 98.2% and 79.4% of the participants were members of the telegram and Instagram, respectively. 73.8% of them use social networks more than 2 hours a day. According to the findings, 40.6% of the students did not have adequate sleep quality and had some kind of sleep disturbance. Also, excessive use of cyberspace was associated with delayed components of sleep, sleep duration, sleep disturbances, hypnotics and overall sleep quality score (P

The purpose of this study is an investigation of the impact of each dimension of perceived quality of urban transportation services in Isfahan on the satisfaction of domestic tourists. In terms of purpose this is applied research and in terms of method, this is descriptive-correlative research. The present study is a combination of library and field research. The statistical population of the study consisted of domestic tourists of Isfahan on Nowruz 2017. The inclusion criterion was the usage of urban transportation. In order to collect data, the convenience sampling method was used. The results showed that to achieve tourist satisfaction it is necessary to increase the quality of services. It was also found that tourists are not satisfied with the urban transportation of Isfahan in any dimension. Therefore, according to the impact of different dimensions of service quality on tourist satisfaction, it is necessary to focus on improving responsiveness, empathy, reliability, tangible items, economic efficiency, and guarantee, respectively.

Background The mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is necessary for the morbidity of tuberculosis (TB), but it is insufficient. Many risk factors increase the risk of disease among infected people. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of modifiable risk factors of TB and their related population attributable fraction (PAF) in the marginal population of Markazi province in Iran. Design In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence of the modifiable risk factors of TB was estimated. We designed and validated a questionnaire to determine the risk factors. The measures of association for the modifiable risk factors of TB were obtained via the review of published literature. We calculated the PAF for each modifiable risk factor. Results Out of the 1275 calculated sample size, 1146 people participated in this study, and the participation rate was 89.9%. The mean age was 39.26. Out of 1146 participants, 76% did not know anything regarding TB. The highest prevalence was related to the lack of physical activity (58.73%), lack of fish consumption (50.79%), lack of red meat consumption (21.20%), and secondhand smoke (19.02%). The highest PAF was related to secondhand smoke; this value based on the crude relative risk (RR) and crude odds ratio (OR) was 24.54% and 23.44%, respectively. Based on crude hazard ratio (HR) and crude OR, the PAF for smoking was 14.81% and 11.19%, respectively. PAF for lack of BCG vaccination based on the crude OR was 14.79%. Conclusion Based on this study’s results, poor nutrition, secondhand smoke, smoking, lack of BCG vaccination, and diabetes are the main prevalent modifiable risk factors for TB. The highest PAF for TB was related to secondhand smoke, smoking, lack of BCG vaccination, and diabetes.

Background. Attention to the administration of probiotics for the treatment of psoriasis has recently increased. Aim. In the present study, improvements in dermatology life quality index (DLQI), psoriasis area severity index (PASI), and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores in the psoriasis patients receiving Lactocare® probiotic were compared to psoriasis patients receiving placebo. Methods. A total of 52 psoriasis patients were included in this study and randomly divided into treatment and placebo (control) groups. The control group received topical hydrocortisone associated with placebo; in the treatment group, Lactocare® was administrated orally associated with hydrocortisone. The mean of VAS, DLQI, and PSAI scores was recorded and evaluated pretreatment and post-treatment in both groups for 3 months. The mean of the scores in the control groups was compared to the treatment group. Intragroup analysis was preformed with a comparison of the mean of these scores at baseline 4-, 8-, and 12-weeks post-treatment. Results. In the treatment group, a significant decrease was seen in PASI, VAS, and DLQI scores compared to the control group on week 12 post-treatment. Conclusion. Oral administration of Lactocare® probiotic (two times daily) associated with administration of topical hydrocortisone resulted in the improvement of PASI, DLQI, and VAS scores in the patients with psoriasis after 12 weeks of treatment. PASI reduction occurred in all patients who received probiotics.

BackgroundDespite the well-known impact of fruit/vegetable consumption, physical activity, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, fasting blood glucose, and total cholesterol on blood pressure, the amount of exposure to these factors is required to halve or double the odds of hypertension is unknown, but it was investigated in this research.MethodsThe data used in this study are derived from results of the seventh Iranian national STEPS survey involving 30,542 adults aged 18 years or older. The questionnaire measured non-communicable disease risk factors covered three different levels including behavioral characteristics, physical and biochemical measurements. The level of exposure to factors necessary to reach the odds ratio of 0.5 or odds ratio of 2.0 was obtained from the coefficients of the multiple logistic regression model.ResultsAn OR of 0.5 corresponds to 7 servings of fruit and vegetable consumption daily and burning of 7175 kcal through physical activity at work or recreation daily. An OR of 2.0 corresponds to an increase in body mass index of about 11 kg/m2, an increase in the waist-hip ratio of about 18%, an increase in fasting blood glucose of about 77 mg/dl, and an increase in total cholesterol of about 134 mg/dl.ConclusionThe results of this study indicate how much fruit and vegetable and physical activity halve the odds of hypertension and how much increase in body mass index, the waist-hip ratio, fasting blood glucose, and total cholesterol can double the odds of hypertension. Such information may be useful for developing guidelines by policymakers.