[Evaluation of changes in nerve conduction velocity in the lower limbs of football players]

Background and Aims: Lower limbs' nerves are exposed to mechanical injuries in athletes [e.g. football players], because of the excessive physical demand of their job. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of regular and intense sports, such as football, on nerves in the lower leg. This study was conducted during 2006 to 2007 in the Shiraz Rehabilitation Faculty, University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Methods: Nerve conduction studies were done on 20 male college student football players and 15 male inactive students [control] matched for age, height, weight, and foot skin temperature for comparison. Standard nerve conduction techniques using constant measured distances were applied to evaluate the tibial and common peroneal nerves in the dominant and nondominant limbs of each individual

Results: The motor latency of deep peroneal and tibial nerves of the dominant leg of football players was significantly prolonged compared with the inactive group [P < 0.05]. Moreover, sensory latency of superficial peroneal, tibial, and compound nerve action potential [CNAP] of tibial nerves of both legs [dominant and nondominant] in football players was significantly prolonged in comparison with the control group [P < 0.05]. There were significant delays of motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity [NCV] of tibial and common peroneal nerves in football players in comparison with the control group [P < 0.05]

Conclusion: It is concluded that, in athletes, the limbs involved in sport will be exposed to different external and internal damage and trauma. In other words, football is a sport with high contact and as a result it causes sub-clinical neuropathies due to nerve entrapment

Time management and the factors affecting it among the managers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

These days, systematic and programmed management in organizations is one of the important factors to develop. For managers, effective use of time is the most important basis to do and control the daily affairs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the application and focus on time management and the factors affecting it among the managers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This cross sectional study has been done with 82 participants [samples] who were the middle and top managers of 12 hospitals. Data was gathered by a time management questionnaire containing 12 questions. The samples were 25 to 55 years old. Results showed that 9.8% of the managers had weak time management [lower than 50% of total score] and 86.6% had an average time management [up to 75% of total score]. With 40.2 from 60 points, the time management score among the participants evaluated as average and they didn't achieve a high score. Although time management score rises by the high education degrees, the statistics doesn't show any meaningful relation [difference] among sex, work position, work experience and educational degree. It seems that among most of the managers, the correct pattern of time management is almost not common. In this respect, educational courses or pamphlets seem to be necessary

Validity and reliability of the Persian [Farsi] version of the Job Content Questionnaire: a study among hospital nurses

Stress is an increasingly important occupational health problem, even in developing countries such as the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Job Content Questionnaire [JCQ] is a widely used self-administered instrument to measure dimensions of job stress in the workplace. This study describes the preparation of a Persian [Farsi] language version of the questionnaire [P-JCQ]. In the first stage, linguistic validation was done by forward and backward translation. In the psychometric evaluation stage, the reliability and validity of the P-JCQ were explored among 107 hospital nurses in Shiraz city. Cronbach alpha coefficients for decision latitude and psychological job demands scales were 0.54 and 0.58 respectively and ranged from 0.64 to 0.85 for other scales. Exploratory factor analysis showed 3 meaningful factors that could explain support, psychological job demands and physical loads and hazard exposure. The P-JCQ has satisfactory linguistic validity and psychometric properties, provided the recommended factor pattern is used

Could hip and knee muscle strengthening alter the pain intensity in patellofemoral pain syndrome?

In patellofemoral pain syndrome [PFPS] as a common cause of knee pain in athletes, muscle weakness is proposed to contribute to its pain and dysfunction. This study was conducted to determine whether hip and knee muscles strengthening can accordingly reduce pain. In a single blinded, randomized clinical trial, 32 females [52 knees] with PFPS were randomly divided into a case and a control group. All the hip muscles and knee extensor in the case group and only the knee extensor in the control group were tested. In the case of recognizing weakness, they underwent a 4-week strengthening exercise program, after which a retest was taken. Pain as indicated on a visual analogue scale was recorded before and after the intervention. Both groups revealed pain reduction, although the amount of reduction was significantly greater in the cases compared to the subjects in the control group. Among the muscles selected for strengthening, only the hip flexors, abductors, and external rotators were found related to successful treatment as defined by at least 15% pain reduction on a pain visual analogue scale. Despite the current concept of focusing on quadriceps strengthening exercise in PFPS in the attempt to reduce pain and dysfunction, the results of this study did not support this idea. More attention should be shifted toward the hip muscles, if a long term and more efficient treatment is targeted

[ survey of family history of diabetes in patients with type 2 diabetes in Chaharmahal va Bakhteyari province, Iran, 2008]

Diabetes is a multi-factorial and metabolic disease, which is diagnosed by chronic hyperglycemia. Although a few epidemiological researches have focused on the genetic of the type 2 diabetes in Iran, but it is not clear that which of the parents are more important to transmit the disease to their children, mothers or fathers? This study was performed in Chaharmahal va Bakhteyari province in Iran to answer to this question. This survey was a cross - sectional epidemiological study on all diabetic patients in Chaharmahal va Bakhteyari province in 2008. A two-stage random sampling method was used to select 254 diabetic patients. Data was collected by interview and analyzed by stata9 software, using Chi-square test. From the total number of the type 2 diabetic patients, 59% were female. The average age of the patients was 54.8 +/- 8.6 years and the average duration of the disease was 7.4 +/- 5.8 years. A positive history of the disease was seen in the family of 116 patients [45.7%], for example 61.4% of the patients had a family history in their mothers, 19.8% in their fathers, 62.9% in their sisters, 18.1% in their brothers, 40.5% in their daughters and finally 18.1% in their sons. Positive family history was higher in mothers than fathers. This was seen more in sisters and daughters compared to the brothers and sons [P<0.001]. Our findings showed that the chance of having diabetes from the mothers is higher than from the fathers. It means that type 2 diabetes can be inherited from the mothers more than the fathers

Assessment of spending leisure time in students of Shiraz university of medical sciences, 2005

Leisure time is an opportunity for individuals to have an intellectual or entertaining activity according to their interests, when they are free from work, gatherings or family responsibilities. This study was performed with the aim to identify students' interests and tendencies as well as their information about facilities of the University for helping the university authorities to plan in regard to students' interests. This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 356 students as 10 percent of total number of students in all disciplines who were selected randomly through stratified sampling method. Data was gathered using a questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS software. The mean of the leisure time was 2.47 +/- 1.36 hours, which was spent as follows: 88 +/- 92 minutes for taking a walk in the park, 77 +/- 81 minutes for watching television, and 24 +/- 49 minutes for using sport facilities in the university. Students' main priorities for spending their leisure time were respectively resting in 70.9% [n=249] recreational activity in 59.7% [n=209], studying the university lessons in 48.4% [n=170], studying other texts in 47.9% [n=168], doing sport activities in 28.2% [n=99], and entertainment in 22.9% [n=80] of students. There was a significant difference between activities done by male and female students. The amount of leisure time of students in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences is at the same level with students' leisure time in Tehran and Lebanon. Due to the differences in tastes and interests of male and female students and also according to their educational level, university administrators should make appropriate planning in order to increase useful activities for students in their leisure time

[Asthma and its correlates in primary school children in Shiraz]

Introduction: Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in children

Objective: The present study was based on target population. After the study of prevalence, determination of asthma was matched by case- control method to identify correlates in primary school children aged 6-12 years in Shiraz [Southern Iran]

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 2228 primary school children. The children were selected using two-stage random sampling from the four educational districts of Shiraz. A screening questionnaire was completed for each child. The consultant physician examined the children with positive result. After diagnosis of asthma, control group was selected by using matching method [age-sex-school]. Conditional Logestic Regression determined the correlates of asthma

Results: The most important results were as follows: Prevalence of diagnosed asthma in primary school children estimated as %102 [boys: 1.19% - girls: 1.13%] with no significant difference. There was no significant association between asthma and birth order, social class, parent's education, mother's occupation and duration of breast-feeding. An increased risk of childhood asthma was associated with familiar history of allergic rhinitis [P<0.04], familial history of asthma [P< 0.01], history of allergy in children, [P<0.007] and exposure to smoking [P<0.016]

Conclusion: Our study confirmed that familial atopic diseases and exposure to smoking were significant predictors of childhood asthma in Shiraz children

Sociodemographic factors and age at natural menopause in Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran

With increasing life expectancy, menopause is an increasingly important aspect of women's health. We recorded the age at natural menopause among women in a population-based cross-sectional study in Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran, in summer 2000. Interviews with 948 randomly selected menopausal women showed the mean [st and ard deviation] age at menopause was 48.3 [5.3] years [95% CI: 48.0-48.6], median 49 years. The sociodemographic and health behaviour factors that were significantly related to early mean age of menopause were: never married [44.7 years], low income level [47.4 years], low social class [45.8 years], tobacco use [47.9 years] and non-consanguineous husb and [48.1 years]

[An evaluation of the quality of published clinical trials in Iranian medical journals during 2001-2004]

A clinical trial cannot be adequately interpreted without information about the methods used in the design of the study and the analysis of the results. The goal of this study was to assess the quality of published clinical trials in the Iranian medical journals. In this cross sectional study, all 227 randomized clinical trials published in the 25 Iranian Medical Journals were surveyed. In these trials, the methods of randomization, determination of sample size, blinding and ethical issues were examined. Results showed that only 14[6.2%] out of 227 published clinical trials reported the sample size calculations. The information about the type of randomization and the methods of blinding were reported in 3[1.3%] and 113 [49.8%] respectively. Of these figures, 27[11.9%] were single-blind and 86 [37.9%] double-blind. One hundred ninety three [85%] of the trials reported the statistical methods used. Finally, the issue of the informed consent was reported in 92[40.5%] trials. Published clinical trials are poorly designed and reported in Iranian medical journals. Therefore, it is recommended that editors, reviewers and authors should improve the standards of reporting clinical trials using a standard protocol

Age at natural menopause and its determinants in Shiraz

The mean age at natural menopause among women of Shiraz in relation to socio-demographic factors was calculated. The data were obtained from a population-based, cross-sectional study carried out in the year 2000. Interviews were carried out and observations made with women in Shiraz, who had undergone a natural menopause. Chosen at random basis from a sample using postal zones housing framework. The most important results include mean +/- SD age at menopause in the population of 48.3 +/- 5.3 years [95% CI: 47.97-48.62] with a median of 49 years. Groups of women with an average early menopause were those with never married [44.7 years, P < 0.006], low income level [47.4 years P < 0.002], low social class [45.8 years, P < 0.000], tobacco use [47.9 years, P < 0.014] non consanguine husband [48.1 Year, P < 0.027]. This phenomenon must be documented in Iran because of it's strong links with morbidity and mortality of the growing number of women who are reaching advanced ages and whose survival is calculated at a quarter century after menopause

effective factors on men infertility: a case control study

The infertility and its psycological problems can be considered as one of the important difficulties among married couple. Nearly half of the infertility related to the men. This study was set up to determine the most common risk factors of male infertility in men attending infertility clinics in Shiraz. A case - control study was conducted in which 268 men. 161 fertile men were compared with 108 infertile men from the point of risk factors such as smoking habits, drug consumption, hernia, varicocele, job and BMI. Logestic regression analysis, Risk estimate [adds Ratio], and t-test demonstrated that hernia, varicocele, ranitidine consumption, Job and BMI all have statistically significant associations with infertility in men. Odds Ratios of 2.5 for hernia, 4 for varicocele, 2.9 for ranitidine consumption, 2.3 for workers [simple, semiskilled and skilled], t=3.5 [P<0.05]. With an increase of one cigarette per day there was decrease 1% in motility of sperm. With an increase of one year of cigarette smoking, the number of sperm was decrease about 800000. The BMI in infertility men was <25. This study showed that the most common factor in men infertility in Shiraz are varicocele and hernia and hard works can cause testicular injury

[Prevalence of atopic diseases [Allergic rhinitis, Urticaria, Eczema] and its correlations in primary school children, Shiraz, Iran]

Background and Objective: atopic diseases are one of the most common chronic conditions in children. A population based matched study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of atopic diseases and this study used to identify its correlations in primary school children aged 6-12 years in Shiraz [Southern Iran]

Materials and Methods: this case-control study was carried out in 2228 primary school children. The children were selected using 2-stage random sampling from the 4 educational distrincts of for each child. The consultant physician examined the children with positive result. After diagnosis of eczema, utricaria and allergic rhinitis control groups were selected by using matching method [Age, sex, school]. The correlations of atopic diseases were determined by conditional logestic regression

Results: the most important results were as follow: Prevalence of diagnosed allergic rhinitis, utricaria and eczema in primary school children estimated in order 5.2% [Boys: 5.2% and girls: 5.12%], 3.6% [Boys: 3.57% and girls: 3.7%] and 1.6% [Boys: 1.53% and girls: 1.7%]. There was no significant association between atopic diseases and birth order, social class, parent's education, parent's smoking and period of breast-feeding. An increased risk of childhood atopic diseases were associated with familiar history of allergic rhinitis [P<0.05], familiar history of utricaria [P<0.05] and familiar history of eczema [P<0.05]

Conclusion: our study confirmed that familiar atopic diseases were significant predictors of childhood allergic rhinitis, utricaria and eczema among school children in Shiraz

Deteminants of age at natural menopause in Shiraz

The mean age at natural menopause and its determinants among Shirazi women [southern Iran] was calculated. The data were obtained from a population- based cross-sectional study carried out in the year 2000. Interviews were carried out and observations made on 948 women who had incurred natural menopause. They were randomly chosen using postal zones housing sample framework of Shiraz. Mean +/- SD age at menopause in the studied group was 48.3 +/- 5.3 [95% CI: 48.0-48.6] years with a median of 49.0 years. Arm circumference, height, weight, BMI, place of birth, handedness, ancestry, family background, level of education, level of daily physical activities, smoking habit, history of abortion, age at first marriage, age at first full-term pregnancy, menstrual cycle interval/duration, age at menarche, dysmenorrhea, mid-cycle spotting, were rewrded. It was found that the number of pregnancies were not significantly related to age at menopause. Age at natural menopause significantly correlated with menstrual cessation pattern, age at last full-term pregnancy, consanguinity of marriage, place of birth, and use of hormones before menopause