Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 42 8 2013 08 15 795 805 Abdullah Sarwar Dept. of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2015 10 15 Tourism, combined with the phrase medical, seems to be a new form of tourism which has gained huge popularity in recent decades. Though, a number of literatures available with regard to the tourism industry and the competitiveness of the destination, however, the major aspects which determine the satisfaction of medical tourists are hardly focused specifically on Malaysia. There is a lack of empirical evidence in this area of study which needs to be bridged. Hence, this study aimed at investigating the various factors contributing towards the development of medical tourism in Malaysia.As the purpose of the research was to find out various factors contributing towards the development of medical tourism in Malaysia, so this study used Structural Equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis. The target population for this study consisted of the medical tourists coming to Malaysia with the primary intension of seeking medical procedures other than sightseeing. A total sample size of 266 was collected through non-probability judgment sampling during the period between December 2012 and February 2013.The result confirms that destination competitiveness and service quality play an important role in the medical tourist's mind towards medical tourism aspect in Malaysia. Thus, Malaysia need to promote various medical success stories together with the services they offer to attract more foreign patients.This study contributes to the theoretical development in the tourism industry by offering the structured relationship among various aspects contributing towards the development of medical tourism in Malaysia. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/4446 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/4446/4095

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 42 8 2013 08 15 806 812 Haiyan Xing Dept. of Nursing, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Zhejiang Province, China. Wei Yu Institute of Epidemiology, Shaoxing County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhejiang Province, China. Sanmei Chen Dept. of Nursing, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Zhejiang Province, China. Dengke Zhang Dept. of Nursing, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Zhejiang Province, China. Rongmei Tan Dept. of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, China. 2015 10 15 The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) has generally been used for patients, few studies in migrants who move from rural to urban within one country. Many studies asserted that social isolation presents a risk to individual health. Poor social networks are associated with worse QOL. This study examined health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and social support in new-generation migrant workers and compared it with urban workers.Nine hundred thirty new-generation migrant workers and 939 urban controls completed the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) by stratified sampling in 2011. Spearman's correlation was performed to clarify the relationship between social support and HRQOL in migrants. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify the variables that were associated with HRQOL.The general health, psychological health, and environmental scores of QOL in new-generation migrant workers were lower than in urban workers. New-generation migrants had poorer social support compared with urban controls with regard to general support, objective support, and support utilization. A positive correlation was found between social support and HRQOL. Workers with a higher level of education achieved better psychological, environmental, and general scores than workers with a primary education. Physical, social, environmental, and general health was also closely connected with the age factor. Physical health scores were higher in males than in females.These data suggest that new-generation migrant workers have significant impairment in HRQOL and receive less social support. HRQOL may be affected by social support, education, age, and gender. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/4444 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/4444/4093

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 42 8 2013 08 15 813 818 Ramesh Nagarajappa Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Airport Road, Debari, Udaipur - 313024, Rajasthan, India. Piyush Pujara Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Airport Road, Debari, Udaipur - 313024, Rajasthan, India. Archana J Sharda Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Airport Road, Debari, Udaipur - 313024, Rajasthan, India. Kailash Asawa Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Airport Road, Debari, Udaipur - 313024, Rajasthan, India. Mridula Tak Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Airport Road, Debari, Udaipur - 313024, Rajasthan, India. Pankaj Aapaliya Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Airport Road, Debari, Udaipur - 313024, Rajasthan, India. Nikhil Bhanushali Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Airport Road, Debari, Udaipur - 313024, Rajasthan, India. 2015 10 15 Long-term ingestion of large amounts of fluoride can lead to potentially severe skeletal problems and neurological consequences. The study was conducted to assess and compare intelligence quotient of children living in high and low fluoride areas in Kutch, Gujarat, India.A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 100 school children aged 8 to 10 years, living in Kutch District, Gujarat, India during July 2012. Mundra (2.4 to 3.5 mg/L) and Bhuj (0.5mg/L) were the two villages randomly selected to represent the high and low water fluoride areas respectively. Seguin Form Board Test was used to assess the intelligence quotient (IQ) level of children. Descriptive statistics and independent sample t-test was used for analysis.Mean scores for average, shortest and total timing category were found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) among children living in Mundra (30.45±4.97) than those living in Bhuj (23.20±6.21). Mean differences at 95% confidence interval for these timings were found to be 7.24, 7.28 and 21.78 respectively. In both the villages, females had lower mean timing scores than males but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05).Chronic exposure to high levels of fluoride in water was observed to be associated with lower intelligence quotient. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/4442 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/4442/4091

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 42 8 2013 08 15 819 825 Kamran Hafeez Dept. of Surgery & Allied, Dow International Medical College, Medical Faculty, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, Pakistan. Ayaz Ahmed Memon Dept. of Surgery & Allied, Dow International Medical College, Medical Faculty, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, Pakistan. Masood Jawaid Dept. of Surgery & Allied, Dow International Medical College, Medical Faculty, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, Pakistan. Sidra Usman Dow International Medical College, Medical Student, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, Pakistan. Sara Usman Dow International Medical College, Medical Student, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, Pakistan. Saroona Haroon Dept. of Pathology & Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. 2015 10 15 To study the prevalence of low back pain in medical and nursing undergraduate students in our institutes and its association with physical activity, smoking, depression, use of computer and other variables.It was a comparative cross sectional study carried out at two institutes of Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan during October to December 2011. Two hundred and fifteen undergraduate students representing different semesters were asked to fill out the structured questionnaire. Back pain was assessed in terms of lifetime, one year and point prevalence. Bivariate analysis was done to study the relationship between back pain and different variables; including gender, study program, smoking, computer use, depression and level of physical activity. Both the groups were compared for duration/intensity of pain, seeking medical advice and duration of computer use.There were 183 undergraduate students who completed the questionnaire for back pain. Mean age was 22.84 (SD ± 5.85) years. Gender distribution was nearly equal (females = 51.4%). Life time prevalence was 57.9% (72% in medical students; 41% in nursing students). Medical students were 0.47 times more at risk of having back pain (95% CI 0.15-1.48; P=0.198). Smoking (OD=0.39; 95% CI 0.04-3.6; P=0.001) and use of laptop (OD=4.9; 95% CI 1.2-19.2; P=0.031) were found to be associated with increased prevalence of back pain. Nursing students sought medical opinion more as compared to medical students but it was not significant. However duration of computer use was more in medical students which was significant (P=0.03).High lifetime prevalence of back pain was observed in undergraduate students. Medical students appeared to be more at risk. Preventive measures are required to improve the quality of life in future health care professionals. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/4440 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/4440/4089

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 42 8 2013 08 15 826 832 Rajesh Kumar Tenguria Division of Microbiology, Department of Botany, Govt. Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalya, Bhopal, India. Mohd Irfan Naik Division of Microbiology, Department of Botany, Govt. Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalya, Bhopal, India. Bashir Fomda Dept. of Microbiology, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar Kashmir, India. 2015 10 15 Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most important parasitic zoonosis worldwide. Due to the high recurrence rate of the disease after surgery, follow up of the patient is necessary. The aim of current research was to assess the performance of Western blotting (WB), using sheep hydatid fluid, for serological diagnosis and post-treatment monitoring of human CE.Serum samples obtained from 50 clinically/radiologically proven cases of CE along with serum samples from non-CE patients and healthy persons were tested by WB, using sheep hydatid fluid as antigen.The WB test enabled the detection of antibodies in the pre-operative samples for proteins of 18-239 kDa in molecular weight. From 50 sera of CE patients, 31 cases (72.09%) detected 52 kDa subunit, 27 cases (62.79%) detected 24 kDa band, 26 cases (60.46%) recognised 39 kDa band and 21 cases (48.83%) identified 46 kDa component of sheep hydatid antigen. Sera from patients with other parasitic infections and malignancy showed cross-reactivity with the cluster of 54-59 kDa bands. The healthy control sera were not reactive to any antigenic fraction. The antigenic bands with molecular weight of 52, 24, 39 and 46 kDa were specific for CE, and may serve as useful diagnostic markers. The antibodies specific to proteins 24 and 39 kDa significantly decreased in the patients cured after surgery, while in patients with recurrent parasitism the bands present before surgery persisted.The WB with sheep hydatid antigen might be useful in the diagnosis and post-surgical monitoring of CE patients. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/4438 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/4438/4087

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 42 8 2013 08 15 833 841 Svetlana Kvrgic Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. Sanja Harhaji Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. Vesna Mijatovic Jovanovic Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. Erzebet Ac Nikolic Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. Ivana Radic Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. Sonja Cankovic Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. Dusan Cankovic Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia. 2015 10 15 Mental health and mental disorders are determined by multiple and interacting social, psychological and biological factors which determine the prevalence, onset and course of mental and behavioral disorders. The aim of the study was to evaluate differences in mental health status regarding gender of the adult population in the Province of Vojvodina.Research was carried out as a retrospective cross-sectional study. Data was obtained from the "National Health Survey in Serbia, 2006" database that refers to the representative adult population of Vojvodina, aged 20 and over. A specially designed questionnaire was applied as a research instrument.This study included 3627 examinees, average age 49.9 years. In the month prior to the study, a half of the adult population in Vojvodina (48.4%) was exposed to stress and one third had emotional problems (32.9%), while both stress and emotional problems were more prevalent in females. The average score value on the psychological distress scale (presence of negative conditions and feelings) of all examinees was 64.1 (from 0 to 100) and it was statistically significantly lower in women (62.0), compared to men (66.6) (P<0.001). Statisticaly significant differences were also observed between average score values on the role-emotional and vitality scales (P<0.001).When mental health is considered, this research showed that female population is more vulnerable compared to males. Women are more often exposed to stressful situations and emotional problems and more often faced with negative conditions and feelings. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/4436 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/4436/4085

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 42 8 2013 08 15 842 853 Ashkan Shahnazi International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Ameneh Setareh Forouzan Social Determinants of Health Research Centre, Department of Social Welfare Management, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Saharnaz Nedjat 2022 05 31 2022 10 15 Background: Achieving financial goals is one of the health systems goals, especially for those in low- and middle-income countries. Since financing equity, is an objective of Health Transformation Plan (HTP) implementation in Iran, this study examined this plan toward improving equity in healthcare Financing, using four payment indices: Out-of-Pocket Payment (OOP), Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE), Fair financial Contribution Index (FFCI) and Impoverishing Health Expenditure (IHE). Methods: Articles published in English on equity in financing related to HTP were searched and retrieved in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Embase databases between Jan 2014 and Dec 2020, following PRISMA guidelines. Overall, 1319 papers were retrieved initially, and 31 were selected for analysis. Results: After implementation of HTP, OOP index has decreased between patients and households. No consistent trend was evident for CHE. HTP reforms have a limited effect on the FFCI. The one study on IHE has shown an upward trend for this index. In general, in the early years of HTP, there was a higher downward trend in equity in financing indicators than in subsequent years. Conclusion: HTP has made significant accomplishments in equity, such as the financial protection of patients in healthcare centers, but fail to achieve this plan goals, significantly reduced its value. Therefore, it is necessary for managers and health policy makers around the world, with scientific and principled solutions, to prevent loss of their reform plans positive achievements.   https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/28915 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/28915/8029

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 26 1855 1865 EN Leili Abedi Gheshlaghi Non-Commuicable Diseases Research Center, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran Ayoob Rastegar Department of Environmental Health, School of Health and Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran Maryam Moradi Binabaj Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, School of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran Hamid Reza Shoraka Department of Public Health, Esfarayen Faculty of Medical Sciences, Esfarayen, Iran Majid Fallahi Department of Occupational Health, School of Health and Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran 2022 08 23 2023 03 29 Background: Home accident is among the most common type of trauma, in the second place after traffic accident. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors affecting the occurrence of home accidents in Iran. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and national Persian databases including SID, MagIran, and Medical Articles Bank were searched for articles published until September 12, 2021. The pooled prevalence and factors affecting the occurrence of home accidents were calculated. Results: Twenty articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of home accident was 44% (95%CI: 32% to 56%). The pooled prevalence of foreign object/fall, stab or cut, suffocation, burn, poisoning and were 15% (95%CI: 10% to 20%), 24% (95%CI: 10% to 38%), 1% (95%CI:0.7% to 1.3%), 31% (95%CI:19% to 42.2%), and 6.8% (95%CI:4.2% to 429.4%), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of home accidents in Iran is moderate but higher than in other countries. The findings of this review highlight the need for more attention to home accident in children and elderly in the South and Southeast regions of Iran. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/29631 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/29631/8030

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 26 1866 1876 Leila Jahangiry 1. Road and Traffic Injury Research Center, Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medi-cal Sciences, Tabriz, Iran 2. Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Saber Eisazadeh Medical Education Research Center, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Roghayeh Khabiri Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani Road and Traffic Injury Research Center, Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medi-cal Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Fatemeh Bakhtari-Aghdam Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Koen Ponnet Faculty of Social Sciences, Imec-Mict-Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium 2022 10 25 2023 01 24 Abstract Background: We aimed to review the effectiveness of health promotion interventions in the use of helmet and to identify the types of effective health promotion strategies among the examined studies. Methods: A systematic search was performed on the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Embase databases up to 1 Aug 2022 to find the studies evaluated the effectiveness of health promotion interventions for helmet use among target population. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, interventions with pre- post-test design were included. The dependent variable of the study is the percentage of participants who responded positively toward helmet use in the baseline and after the interventions. Random-effects models were used to pool study results. Results: Overall, 1,675 articles were found in the initial search and entered into the Endnote software. Of these, 917 duplicate articles were removed, leaving 758 articles were screened based on title and abstract. Finally, 12 eligible articles were included in the review and five with pre and post-test design were included in the meta-analysis. The overall random-effects pooled estimation of persons wearing helmets before and after interventions was 70% (95%CI 21 –119; P<0.001), without a heterogeneity (I2 =0%; P=0.94), which means that the average percentage of changing to helmet use is 70%. Community-based education program was the most commonly applied for interventional studies. The next most commonly used approaches were campaign designing. Conclusion: Wearing helmet approximately increased 70% among participant. Health promotion strategies may target helmet-wearing behavior to reduce head injuries in motorcyclist road traffic accidents. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/30215 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/30215/8034

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 26 1877 1888 EN Mohammad Khammarnia Department of Health Care Management, Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran Fatemeh BagherBarahoue Student Research Committee, School of Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran Alireza Ansarimoghadam Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran 2022 06 03 2023 01 22 Background: One of the effective indicators used to determine the efficiency and optimal use of hospital resources is the length of stay (LOS). Then, we aimed to determine LOS and its related factors in Iran. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines using the online databases; Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, SID, MagIran, and Medlib from 1995 to 2022 using a combination of medical subject. STATA version 11 used for data analysis. Results: Overall, 75 (cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control) reports were identified. The average length of stay in Iranian hospitals was 6.7 (95% CI: 5.32 -7.74) d. There was a significant relationship between the length of stay in the hospital and different wards of hospital (P=0.001). The average of men’ LOS was longer than women were [6.9 (95% CI: 5.32 -7.74) vs. 3.9 (95% CI: 1.67-9.41)]. Moreover, the average LOS before and after the Health Transformation Plan (HTP) in Iran has changed, so that it has increased from 5.8 (95% CI: 4.39 -7.86) to 7.1 (95% CI: 5.59 -9.25) d after HTP (P=0.30). Conclusion: The average length of stay of patients in Iranian hospitals is more than the expected index of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and is in the unfavorable range (> four days). Moreover, considering the direct effect of the type of departments on LOS; therefore, hospital managers should pay more attention to hospital processes using new process-oriented and customer-oriented management approaches.   https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/28940 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/28940/8031

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 26 1889 1901 Abbas Homauni Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Nader Markazi-Moghaddam 1. Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2. Critical Care Quality Improvement Research Center, Shahid Modarres Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ali Mosadeghkhah Department of Endocrinology, Aja University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran Majid Noori Infectious Diseases Research Center, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Kourosh Abbasiyan Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Sanaz Zargar Balaye Jame Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2022 11 01 2023 01 24 Abstract Background: Budgeting is the process resource allocation to produce the best output according to the revenue levels involved. Among the constraints that healthcare organizations, including hospitals, both in the public and private sectors, grapple with is budgetary constraints. Therefore, cost control and resource management should be considered in healthcare organizations under such circumstances. Methods: We aimed to identify methods of budgeting in healthcare systems and organizations as a systematic review. To extract and analyze the data, a form was designed by the researcher to define budgeting methods proposed in the literature and to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and dimensions. The search was conducted in Google Scholar, Web of science, Pub med and Scopus databases covering the period 1990-2022. Results: Overall, 33 articles were included in the study for extraction and final analysis. The study results were reported in four main themes: healthcare system budgeting, capital budgeting, global budgeting, and performance-based budgeting. Conclusion: Each budgeting approach has its own pros and cons and requires meeting certain requirements. These approaches are selected and implemented depending on each country's infrastructure and conditions as well as its organizations. These infrastructures need to be thoroughly examined before implementing any budgeting method, and then a budgeting method should be selected accordingly.   https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/30287 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/30287/8032

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 26 1902 1916 Hui Han Department of Endocrinology, the Affiliated Hangzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Xiaodan Fu Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Yu Zhang Department of Surgical Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hang-zhou, Zhejiang, China Dingcun Luo Department of Surgical Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hang-zhou, Zhejiang, China Xianfeng Zhang Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Xiaohong Wu Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 2023 03 30 2023 08 26 Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation modification is involved in tumorigenesis and progression and can affect various stages of RNA processing. We aimed to determine m6A methylation modifications on a transcriptome-wide scale in thyroid cancer. Methods: RNA samples from cancerous tissues and adjacent tissues extracted from patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) from Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang, China from January 2019 to January 2020 were used for m6A-sequencing. The biological function of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was analyzed via Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Correlation analysis between the results of transcriptome sequencing and m6A-sequencing was also performed. The key m6A immune-related genes were downloaded from Immport. LASSO regression was performed on the resulting genes to establish a prognostic risk model, which was verified by multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Results: An increase in m6A content in the total RNA of PTC was observed. A total of 123 genes with significant differential expression and differential methylation sites in thyroid cancer were selected, related to protein digestion and absorption, linoleic acid metabolism, legionellosis and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism. Seven genes (GDNF, EBI3, CCL2, BMP5, TGFB2, CGB3 and RLN2) were found to be predictive of PTC. Conclusion: We analyzed the expression, enrichment pathways and functions of m6A methylation-related genes in the whole transcriptome of thyroid cancer and provided a prognostic risk model for thyroid cancer patients.    https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/31591 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/31591/8033

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 26 1917 1924 EN Meltem Ugurlu Department of Midwifery, Health Sciences Faculty of Gulhane, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey Arzu Kul Uctu Department of Midwifery, Health Sciences Institute of Gulhane, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey 2023 07 19 2023 08 26 Background: The effects of health-literacy and health-perception on prenatal distress levels of pregnant women were not investigated. We aimed to examine the relationship between pregnant women’s prenatal distress levels with their health-literacy and health-perception and affecting factors. Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 223 pregnant women in Ankara, Turkey in 2021. Data were collected with a personal information form, Health Literacy Scale (HLS), Health Perception Scale (HPS), and Prenatal Distress Scale (PDS). Results: Participants’ mean score on the PDS was 11.39±6.17. Participants who had a high level of education (P=0.040), working (P=0.026), no history of miscarriage/abortion (P=0.040), and a bad relationship with their spouses (P<0.001) had significantly higher mean scores on the PDS. There was a significant negative correlation between total PDS and HLS scores (P<0.001) and a positive correlation between total PDS and HPS scores (P<0.001). Total HLS and HPS scores, spousal relationship status, education level, and employment had an effect on the mean PDS score and that the explanatory power of the model was found 21.5% (R2=0.215). Conclusion: Pregnant women had a moderate level of prenatal distress. While the prenatal distress levels of pregnant women with high health-literacy levels decreased, the levels of those who were employed, had a higher level of education, and had a bad relationship with their spouses increased. Awareness of the factors affecting pregnant women’s prenatal distress can guide the provision of adequate care and support interventions during pregnancy. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/32607 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/32607/8035

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 27 1925 1934 Ardea Milidrag Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia Teodora Safiye Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia Medo Gutić 1. Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia 2. Public Health Institution Health Center “Dr Branko Zogovic”, Plav, Montenegro Milena Zlatanović 1. Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia 2. Department Ćuprija, Academy of Educational and Medical Vocational Studies Kruševac, Serbia Aleksandar Stevanović Faculty of Social Science, Catholic University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain Jakša Dubljanin 1. Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia 2. Department of Cardiology, University Clinical Hospital Center Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia Mile Despotović Department Ćuprija, Academy of Educational and Medical Vocational Studies Kruševac, Serbia Vesna Miličić 1. Department of Dermatovenereology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia 2. Department of Dermatology, University Clinical Center Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia Svetlana Radević Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia Ana Ravić-Nikolić 1. Department of Dermatovenereology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia 2. Department of Dermatology, University Clinical Center Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia 2023 07 17 2023 08 27 Background: We aimed to identify the quality of life (QoL) of patients with psoriasis, to determine the possible differences depending on the therapeutic modalities (biologic, conventional treatment and phototherapy), and to examine other variables that could affect the success of the treatment. Methods: This research was a non-experimental, quantitative, observational study that included 183 psoriasis patients. The study was conducted from November 2021 to December 2022 at the University Clinical Center Kragujevac, Serbia. The following instruments were used: Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), as well as a general questionnaire that contained a set of questions which referred to sociodemographic data. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the average values of the DLQI score concerning the application of different therapeutic modalities (P<0.001). Biologic treatment was the modality with the lowest impairments in the QoL domain (average value of DLQI score 10.6±7.3), followed by patients on conventional treatment (average value of DLQI score 12.9±7.9), and the highest levels of impaired QoL were in patients who received phototherapy (average value of the DLQI score 13.7±9.3). Conclusion: Patients on biological therapy at all four time points individually (baseline, 4, 12 and 16 weeks) had the lowest average values of the DLQI score, i.e. the best QoL compared to subjects who received other therapy.   https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/32575 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/32575/8036

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 27 1935 1941 Qi Shen Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui,230001, China Dandan Liu Department of Geriatric Medicine, The Second People’s Hospital of Hefei (Hefei Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical Universi-ty), Hefei, Anhui, 230001,China Shaojun Liu Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230001,China 2023 03 15 2023 08 27 Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is recommended to locally advanced rectal cancer, especially for the lower and middle ones. However, the role of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectosigmoid junction cancer remains undetermined. We investigated whether patients with a good response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy will have a relatively better long-term survival compared with those with no response. Methods: Overall, 1325 patients diagnosed with locally advanced rectosigmoid junction cancer from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) cancer registry database (2004-2014, America) were selected. All of them had received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and were evaluated by Collaborative Stage Data Collection System. We performed Kaplan–Meier univariate analysis and Cox regression multivariate analysis models to estimate the potential prognostic factors of long-term survival outcomes. Response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and histological type of tumor were the two prognostic factors. Results: The 5-year OS was 78.1% in responders, and 63.4% in nonresponders. In addition the 5-year DSS was 85.1% in responders, and 72.9% in nonresponders. Conclusion: Based on SEER database in locally advanced rectosigmoid junction cancer, patients with a good response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy could have a benefit of long-term survival. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/31480 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/31480/8037

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 27 1942 1951 Heeyoung Jung Department of Nursing, Busan Women’s College, Busan, Korea Yeon Hee Lee Department of Nursing, Dong-eui University, Busan, Korea Jung-Ha Park Department of Nursing, Dongseo University, Busan, Korea 2023 07 18 2023 08 27 Background: We aimed to investigate the effects of a nonviolent and nonverbal communication and self-acceptance training program among Korean nursing students. Methods: We enrolled students in nursing departments at three universities in Busan Metropolitan City, South Korea. The students were randomly allocated to the experimental (n = 38) and control groups (n = 36); subsequently, they completed questionnaires before and after training. Data were collected on March 2023. The experimental group was enrolled in a program comprising 390 minutes of lecture, practice, role play, discussion, and reflection in 8-h daily sessions, with a total of eight sessions. The training sought to allow students to understand and practice nonviolent and nonverbal communication. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and a paired t-test. Results: Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed a significant post-intervention improvement in the nonviolent communication scores (t = -2.442, P= 0.020); however, there were no significant between-group differences in the post-intervention nonverbal communication or self-acceptance scores. Conclusion: Customized communication training programs are required to address communication competencies among medical personnel, including nursing students. Moreover, it is crucial to set standards for communication competency. Specifically, from a long-term perspective, a continuous educational strategy is required to effectively improve the communication capabilities of nursing students in Korea. It is possible to develop training programs that can systematically improve communication competency among nursing students.   https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/32592 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/32592/8038

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 27 1952 1961 Hatice Esen Department of R&D, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey Tugba Caliskan Sengöz Department of Family Medicine, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey 2022 09 27 2022 11 12 Background: We aimed to evaluate the quality indicators monitored within the scope of quality standards health. Methods: In this descriptive study, patients who visited the home health services unit in 2021, were included. Patient age and diagnostic data were obtained from the Basic Health Statistics Module. Other information such as the number of patient visits and nutritional status were obtained from the indicator data collection form followed by the quality management unit of our hospital and from the home health services unit. We included the data of Antalya Training and Research Hospital. Microsoft Excel and SPSS 25.0 program were used in the analysis of the data, and the data obtained were shown as numbers and ratios (%). Results: When the quality indicators of home health services delivery were examined, the timely response rate of the application was 100%, the nutritional status of all patients was evaluated using the Nutritional Risk Score (NRS-2002) evaluation form at the first patient visit; the patients receiving health care from the home health unit of our hospital visited an average of three times in a year, and the health service from the home health unit was determined: the annual average rate of medical appointments kept with patients who receive medical care at the scheduled time is 83%. Conclusion: Quality indicators are being met well, and good-quality care services are being delivered in the home health service of the training and research hospitals. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/29929 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/29929/8039

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 52 9 2023 08 27 1962 1972 Changhai Pan The First Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China Hongjin Chen The First Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China Bolin Yang The First Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China 2023 01 31 2023 08 27 Background: We aimed to explor the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanism of licochalcone A (LCA) on colon cancer. Methods: This study was carried out in 2020-2021 in Nanjing Tongren Hospital, China. Colon cancer HCT116 cells were treated with different concentrations of LCA. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation and flow cytometry assays were used to analyze cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis. Wound healing and transwell experiments were used to measure cell migration and invasion ability. The expression of ADAM9 and apoptosis-related proteins in different LCA treatment groups was detected by western blot. HCT116 cells were transfected with ADAM9 small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or overexpression vectors. The database screened the upstream miRNA targeting ADAM9 and predicted the targeted binding site between miR-1270 and ADAM9, which was verified by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Rescue experiments were performed to confirm the effects of the miR-1270/ADAM9 axis on cell proliferation and metastasis. Results: LCA decreased cell growth (P<0.05), migration (P<0.05), and invasion (P<0.05) of colon cancer cells and inhibited ADAM9 expression in a dose-dependent manner. LCA affected the functions of colon cancer cells by negatively regulating the expression of ADAM9. MiR-1270, increased by LCA, targeted and suppressed ADAM9 expression significantly (P<0.001). ADAM9 overexpression restrained miR-1270 mimic and LCA-induced changes in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted apoptosis in HCT116 cells significantly (P<0.01). LCA and miR-1270 mimic inactivated the Akt/NF-κB pathway, while ADAM9 overexpression rescued it. Conclusion: LCA exhibited antitumor efficacy in HCT116