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The prevalence of COVID-19 disease continues to be a significant psychosocial status among health care workers (HCWs) and the general population worldwide. This cross sectional study aimed to compare the psychosocial status between healthcare workers and general population during the prevalence of COVID-19 disease in southeast Iran. Totally 415 health care workers of a medical service center for COVID-19 patients and 1023 people of general population participated in the study. An online socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ -28), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) were utilized to evaluate psychosocial status. According to GHQ, the psychological disorders of the HCWs were significantly higher than that of the general population (P < 0.001). According to GAD-7, no significant difference was found between general population and HCWs. Multivariate logistic analysis showed no difference between general population and HCWs in the psychological disorder. Although HCWs suffered from psychological disorders more than general population, nearly one third to half of the participants in both groups had psychosocial disorders., Author(s): Mohammad Ali Zakeri [sup.1] , Sayed Mortaza Hossini Rafsanjanipoor [sup.2] , Nadia Sedri [sup.3] , Mahmood Kahnooji [sup.4] , Mojtaba Sanji Rafsanjani [sup.5] , Maryam Zakeri [sup.6] , Abbas [...]

Background: This study assessed the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a general adult population in Iran. The association between GERD and various factors was also evaluated. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study on 163,018 individuals aged over 35 who were enrolled in the PERSIAN cohort. GERD was defined as the occurrence of heartburn and/or regurgitation symptoms at least several days a month. Survey design analysis for pooled data was performed and multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent risk factors for GERD. Results: The prevalence of GERD in our study was estimated at 21.86% (95% confidence interval:17.4%-36.4%). The mean age of the participants was 49.84 years±9.25 (35–70) and 44.75% of the participants were male. Symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation were reported in 18.65% (n: 29,170) and 6.06% (n: 9,717) of participants, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, several factors were found to be associated with a higher prevalence of GERD: female sex, age >50, current smoking, opium use, weekly consumption of fried foods, frequent consumption of hot tea, less than 6 hours of sleep per night, psychiatric disorders, usage of NSAIDs, and poor oral hygiene, were associated with a higher prevalence of GERD. Conversely, higher education levels and average physical activity were found to be less commonly associated with GERD. Conclusion: We found a relatively high prevalence of GERD (21.86%) in this population-based study in Iran. By identifying modifiable risk factors, this research offers opportunities for targeted interventions and lifestyle modifications to reduce the burden of GERD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses are front-line health-care workers for patients with severe Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the resiliency of nurses and its relationship with secondary traumatic stress (STS) in pandemic conditions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 233 nurses working in a medical center providing services to patients with COVID-19 in southeast Iran from May to August 2020. Data were collected using demographic questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS). Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between variables and data were analyzed through SPSS22. Results: The mean STS score of nurses was 40.82 ± 11.7. The results showed a significant relationship between STS score and Job satisfaction. The mean score of resilience was 60.91± 17.1 in nurses. The resiliency score showed significant difference based on work experience and exposure to COVID-19 disease. The results of correlation test showed that the overall stress score was significantly related to all aspects of resilience except trust (p < 0.05). Also, based on the multiple regression model, positive acceptance (one of the dimensions of resilience) and exposure to COVID-19 disease were the predictors of STS. Conclusion: The results showed that there is a significant and inverse relationship between resiliency score and STS. Therefore, according to the present conditions, it is recommended to design programs to improve resilience and reduce stress of nurses during COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 disease has quickly become a major threat and epidemic in the world. Many people are experiencing psychological disorders due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 disease. The present study aimed to investigate the psychosocial status of the Iranian citizens during the prevalence of COVID-19. One thousand one hundred and sixteen citizens of Rafsanjan city participated in the cross-sectional study from March 15 to 30, 2020. The data were collected using demographic and COVID-19 related-items, and Health General Questionnaire (GHQ −28). The results showed that 35% of the participant had mental health problems. All participants had social functioning disorder, while 22.8% had physical symptoms, 26.8 had anxiety symptoms and sleep disorders. In addition, the risk of psychosocial disorder was higher in females, those who were living in the city, earning less than 1 million, thinking of being at risk for infection with the coronavirus, and those whose most important concern about COVID-19 was death (P < 0.05). The results of the present study showed that all participants had social dysfunction. Therefore, health-care providers are suggested to evaluate the psychosocial consequences routinely, design and implement appropriate interventions to deal with these complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In late 2019, a new respiratory illness was detected in Wuhan, China and was later designated as COVID-19 by the WHO. Despite international efforts to impose restrictions and quarantine measures, the virus spreads rapidly across the globe. The pandemic has significantly impacted the mental health of both children and parents. This study investigates the relationship between parents' anxiety, stress and depression, and Children's Health-Related Quality of Life (CHQol) and externalised behavioural disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included 396 parents who have children between the ages of 6 and 18 years old. Sampling was done by designing an online questionnaire that was distributed on social media (WhatsApp and Telegram and native social media, such as Eitaa, Soroush and E-Gap). Inclusion criteria were all citizens living in rural and urban areas of Rafsanjan, citizens living in Rafsanjan city for 1 year and having children aged 6-18 years old. We used a demographic information questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21, CHQol and Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment to collect data., Results: We found a positive significant correlation between anxiety (r=0.334), stress (r=0.354), depression (r=0.324) and externalised behavioural disorder (p<0.001). Depression and anxiety predicted 22% of the variance of the CHQol (p<0.001) while age, stress, use of masks and gloves to prevent infection, and anxiety predicted 19% of the variance of externalised behavioural disorder (p<0.001)., Conclusion: Parents experienced high levels of symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression during the COVID-19 outbreak, which can be associated with behavioural disorders in their children and negatively impact their health. Therefore, it is crucial to pay more attention to the mental state of parents and its complications for children., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)