[Nursing and Midwifery students' approaches to study and learning in AJUMS]

Utilizing appropriate approaches to study and learning can be improved student academic performance. This study was designed to investigate the study and learning approaches used by of Nursing and Midwifery students in AJUMS. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 165 of Nursing and Midwifery students in 2010. The Approaches to Study Skills Inventory for Students [ASSIST] questionnaire was administered. The questionnaire includes 52 questions that assessed the study of different methods of deep, strategic and surface approaches. Questionnaire content validity was confirmed by experts and its reliability with Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the three deep approach, strategic and surface was calculated 0.76, 0.85 and 0.64, respectively. Data was analysed by SPSS-15 software and descriptive and analytical chi square test and Pearson correlation coefficient. The frequency of deep, strategies and surface approaches of nursing students was 28.6%, 46.4% and 25.0% respectively. The figures for midwifery students were 30.9%, 49.4% and 19.8% respectively [P=0.721]. Between GPA, sex and Duration of study in universities and students' study approaches differences were not statistically significant. The results showed that students mostly used strategic and deep approaches. The rate of such study approaches will change the way students tend to use deep approaches to increase and the strategic approaches to decrease. Between nursing and midwifery students' study approaches in utilizing of deep and strategic approaches no significant difference was found, but nursing students, mostly used surface approach

Prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in 6-7 and 13-14 years old ahvazian school children

The prevalence rates of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema which are common disorders of children vary widely in different areas. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and severity of allergic disorders among Ahvazian children by ISAAC protocol in 2006-7. The descriptive study was conducted on primary [6-7 years] and guidance [13-14 years] schoolchildren who were randomly selected among Ahvaz schools by cluster sampling method. Data were collected using phase I standardized International study of asthma and Allergy in child hoos [ISAAC] questionnaire which was completed by schoolchildren itself or by the parent of each child. Data were analyzed by SPSS-15 and using Chi-square test. The prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema were 14.1%, 18.2% and 8.4% respectively. Sex difference was not significant, while by educational level guidance students showed significant higher prevalence for asthma and allergies [11.8% vs 16.4% P<0.01]. The Prevalence of [physician diagnosed] asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema" were 8.4%, 12.3% and 5.7% respectively; guidance school children in compare to elementary school children showed higher rate in the each 3 conditions [P<0.01]. Allergic disorders are common in Ahvaz and its prevalence is similar to those reported from other parts of Iran. The prevalence of physician diagnosed asthma was higher than that reported from other regions of Iran, but lower than those obtained from neighboring Arab countries

Factors affecting studenls academic failure in Ahvaz Jundishapur university of medical sciences in 2005

Investigating factors affecting academic failure may provide a more clear view towards university's function for educational administrators and lead to more appropriate interventions for reducing the effects of academic failure. This study was performed to investigate the factors affecting students' academic failure in Jondishapour University of Medical Sciences. In this survey, performed in academic year of 2004-2005 in Jondishapour University of Medical Sciences, 100 failed and 100 non-failed students participated. The research tools were questionnaires gathering information about demographic features, satisfaction with discipline and university, mental health, and educational stressors. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using chi[2] and t-test. Male and married students faced with such failures more than others. Dropped students worked more for affording life expenses. Most of them had their high school education in villages and small towns, had their high school graduation in summer [late graduation], had lower average score, with more gap between high school diploma and university admission, had older ages, with less literate parents and lower class occupations. Dropped students were less satisfied with their discipline, and enjoyed less mental health. They had experienced more tensions resulted from post-graduation period, dormitory environment, educational conditions, and educational environment. Considering the effective variables on academic performance and students' educational failure, the educational authorities should make appropriate plans and strategies in order to identify at risk students and provide proper consultation and better facilities for them

Concordance of length and contents of continuing medical education programs with educational demands of practicing GPs in Khuzestan province

Assessing educational needs and prioritizing them is the first step in planning. Evaluation of current Continuing Medical Education [CME] programs according to the general physicians' points of view is essential for quality improvement and increasing their efficacy and effectiveness. This study aimed to determine the educational priorities of general physicians [GPs] and the degree of concordance of demands with the programs presently offered in Jondishapour University of Medical Sciences. In this descriptive study, on the educational needs of general physicians of Khouzestan province, a population of 300 GPs were investigated [2004] by means of questionnaire covering the various diseases; and the results were compared with the allocated time to the current presented programs in the same year. The GPs mainly ranked "internal diseases" their highest priority with a mean of 2.05, and the last priority belonged to "infectious diseases" with a mean of 1.75 out of 3. The most time allocated to CME programs for GPs was spared to "pediatric disease" with 36.63% hours and the least to "Ophthalmology" with 0.31% hours. The most time allocated to a great number of the medical issues did not show any concordance with the GPs' educational needs. Therefore, it is suggested that the "needs assessment" procedure be done for more quality improvement in continuing medical education with a higher efficacy and effectiveness

Evaluation of serum IgG subclass levels in asthmatic and atopic children with recurrent infection

Serum IgG subclass levels were measured using an indirect immunoenzymatic assay [ELISA] with monoclonal antibodies in 16 children with asthma and 13 children with atopy who had mostly recurrent infections. Seven of the asthmatic children had marked low or low normal levels of IgG[4], six had marked low or low normal levels of IgG[3], two had marked low normal levels of both IgG[2] and IgG[3] and one had low levels of IgG[2], IgG[3] and IgG[4]. All these patients suffered from recurrent sinopulmonary infections- There were low percentages of IgG[3] and IgG[4] defects [about 15%] in the atopic patients, while a significant increase in the serum IgG[4] levels were observed [six patient out of 13 patients, 46.2%]