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Background/Aims@#Accumulating evidence based on a few studies suggests a relationship between depression and functional constipation. This study examined whether depression is associated with a higher risk of functional constipation and whether it is gender specific. @*Methods@#This cross-sectional study was carried out on 3,362 adults aged 18-55 years. In this study, functional gastrointestinal symptoms were determined using an Iranian reliable and valid version of the modified Rome III questionnaire. The Iranian validated version of the hospital anxiety and depression scale was used to evaluate the psychological health. Scores of eight or more on the depression subscale in the questionnaire were considered the presence of depression. Simple and multiple binary logistic regression were used for data analysis. @*Results@#The mean±SD age of participants was 36.29±7.87 years, and 58.5% were female. The prevalence of depression and constipation in the study sample was 28.6% and 23.9%, respectively. In the full adjusted model, in the total sample, depressed people showed a significantly higher risk of constipation; adjusted OR (AOR), 1.69 (95% CI, 1.37-2.09). Although a significant association was observed between depression and constipation in both genders, the association was stronger in men than women (AOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.50, 3.63 vs. AOR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.21, 1.99). @*Conclusions@#These study findings showed that depressed people are at a significantly higher risk of being affected by constipation. The current study findings justify the importance of mental health evaluations in all patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, particularly among constipated individuals.
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Background/Aims@#Despite huge evidence on the link between adherence to dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) eating pattern and several metabolic abnormalities, the association of this diet with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has not been investigated so far. We aim to examine the association between adherence to the DASH diet and prevalence of IBS symptoms and subtypes in adults. @*Methods@#This cross-sectional study was done among 3362 adult people in Isfahan, Iran. Usual dietary intakes were assessed using a validated 106-item dish-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. To investigate participants’ adherence to DASH-style diet, we created DASH score based on 8 main foods and nutrients emphasized or minimized in the DASH diet. Participants were classified into 3 categories according to their DASH-style diet scores. A validated modified Persian version of the Rome III questionnaire was applied for assessment of IBS. @*Results@#Totally, 22.2% of study participants were affected by IBS. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, we found that participants in the highest tertile of DASH score had lower odds of IBS (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.50-0.83) compared with those in the lowest tertile. The same findings were also reached for IBS with constipation (OR for the highest vs the lowest tertile of DASH-style diet = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38-0.85). No significant association was seen between adherence to DASH-style diet and IBS with diarrhea (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.83-2.06). @*Conclusions@#We found a significant inverse association between adherence to DASH dietary pattern and odds of IBS and IBS with constipation.Further prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.
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Background: Ulcerative colitis [UC] is a chronic inflammatory disease that because of its unknown and recurring nature can reduce the quality of life of the affected patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention on disease activity and quality of life in patients with UC
Materials and Methods: This was a clinical trial with control group. In this study, 32 patients with UC were selected through voluntary sampling. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of 120 minutes of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. For evaluating the efficacy of the treatment, the Lichtiger Colitis Activity Index [LCAI] and Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Questionnaire [CUCQ] were used
Results:The analysis of the results showed that difference between the two groups in terms of decreasing the severity of disease activity and increasing the quality of life was not statistically significant [p > 0.05], but increased quality of life in the experimental group was significant in terms of the three stages of evaluation [p < 0.05]
Conclusion: It can be stated that mindfulness-based interventions may be beneficial in improving physical symptoms and quality of life in patients with UC, which requires future studies, taking into account the limitations of this study
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Background and Objective: Obesity is a major healthy problem wordwide. The incidence andseverity of obesity is incrased in recent years. Satiety is described as a blocker of receiving more food after the end of eating. Satiety index [SI] is considered as index for measerment of ablity of food for losing of hungry and making satiety for more than 2 houres. This study was done to determine satiety index of low-fat yogurt [1.5%] and white bread in healthy adults with normal body mass index
Methods: This quasi - experimental study was conducted on 30 healthy adults with normal body mass index for two consecutive days. In the first day, each subject was consumed 90 grams white bread and in the second day, each subject was consumed 526 grams of 1.5% low-fat yogurt within 15 minutes. The satiety of low-fat yogurt and white bread based on VAS and LIKERT scales was measeared. Cronbach's alpha was determined 0.98 for satiety of white bread and 0.947 for low-fat yogurt
Results: Satiety index of low-fat yogurt was 136.66+/-1.46 in compared to white bread [SI=100]. The level of satiety after 120 minutes of consumption of white bread and low-fat yogurt were not significant based on the VAS scale, but according to the LIKERT scale, low-fat yogurt [1.60+/-0.43] significantly increased the Satiety index [P<0.05]
Conclusion: The satiety index of low-fat yogurt in adults with normal body weight was 136.66% compared to white bread that showed higher satiety of low-fat yogurt compared to white bread
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Earlier forms of food frequency questionnaire [FFQ] used in Iran have extensive lists of foods, traditional categories and food-based design, mostly with the interviewer-administered approach. The aim of the current paper is to describe the development of a dish-based, machine-readable, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire [DFQ]. Within the framework of the Study on the Epidemiology of Psychological, Alimentary Health and Nutrition project, we created a novel FFQ using Harvard FFQ as a model. The following steps were taken to develop the questionnaire: Construction of a list of commonly consumed Iranian foods, definition of portion sizes, design of response options for consumption frequency of each food item and finally a pilot test of the preliminary DFQ. From a comprehensive list of foods and mixed dishes, we included those that were nutrient-rich, consumed reasonably often or contributed to between-person variations. We focused on mixed dishes, rather than their ingredients, along with foods. To shorten the list, the related food items or mixed dishes were categorized together in one food group. These exclusions resulted in a list of 106 foods or dishes in the questionnaire. The portion sizes used in the FFQ were obtained from our earlier studies that used dietary recalls and food records. The frequency response options for the food list varied from 6-9 choices from "never or less than once a month" to "12 or more times per day". The DFQ could be a reasonable dietary assessment tool for future epidemiological studies in the country. Validation studies are required to assess the validity and reliability of this newly developed questionnaire
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With respect to the importance of hepatitis B vaccination of high-risk groups such as prisoners, this study was performed to assess the comparability of a short-course double-dose vaccination schedule with the standard 3-dose schedule. Within a randomized clinical trial, a short-course vaccination [at months 0 and 1] with 20 microgram [double-dose] doses of the vaccine was compared to the standard method of hepatitis B vaccination [at months 0, 1 and 6, with 10-microgram doses] in 100 prisoners in Zahedan city in Iran in 2009. We made sure the sera from all the individuals were negative for markers of previous hepatitis B infection. Subsequently serum from all the participants was tested for anti-HBs antibody 1, 2 and 7 months after the first dose of vaccination. Seroconversion rates [HBsAb>10 mIU/ml] 1, 2 and 7 months after the first dose of vaccination were similar in the routine [11%, 79% and 94%, respectively] relative to the double-dose group [26%, 95% and 93%, respectively]. The mean values of anti-HBs antibody titers were similar in the 1st and 2nd months for the two groups but it was significantly higher [P=0.002] in the routine dose [514 mIU/ml] versus the double-dose group [130 mIU/mL], in the 7th month. Demonstrating comparable results with the standard 3-dose schedule, it seems that short-term double-dose vaccination for hepatitis B is a safe and acceptable method for use in high-risk groups such as prisoners
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Hepatitis D virus [HDV] is dependent on hepatitis B virus [HBV] infection. Acute infection with HDV can occur simultaneously with acute HBV infection of be superimposed onto a chronic HBV infection. This study aimed to identify cases of HCV and determine its prevalence in patients with chronic HBV infection for the first time study in Isfahan, central Iran. In a cross-sectional study in 2009, 346 who had been diagnosed for at least 6 months with chronic HBV were enrolled consecutively. Anti-HDV was measured by ELISA in the serum of these patients. The study included 245 males [70.8%] and 101 [29.2%] females with a mean age of 39 +/- 12.4 years. Anti-HDV was present in 8 [3.5%] HBe antibody-positive patients [p= 0.36] and in 2 [2.3%] HBe antigen-positive cases [p = 0.68]. No association was found between hepatitis D and probable risk factors. This study demonstrates that the prevalence of HDV infection is higher in patients who are positive for HBeAb compared those who are HBeAg-positive. Therefore, most HDV antibody-positive cases in Isfahan are HBV/HDV superinfections but not coinfections
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Male , Risk Factors , Cross-Sectional Studies , Hepatitis B , Prevalence , Hepatitis B, ChronicABSTRACT
Resistance to antimicrobial agents, particularly metronidazole and clarithromycin, is frequently observed in Helicobacter pylori and may be associated with treatment failure. This resistance rate varies according to the population studied. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of antimicrobial resistance of H. pylori isolates from dyspeptic patients in Isfahan. Antral gastric biopsies from 230 dyspeptic patients were cultured. Susceptibility testing to commonly used antibiotics performed on pure cultures of 80 H. pylori-positive isolates by Modified Disk Diffusion Method [MDDM]. Genomic DNA extracted and subjected for study of entire genomic pattern using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA- Polymerase Chain Reaction [RAPD-PCR]. The overall rates of primary resistance were 30.0%, 8.75%, 6.25%, 3.75%, 3.75%, and 2.50% for metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin, respectively. Multiple antibiotic resistances were observed in 8 of 27 resistant isolates [29.6%] that mainly were double resistance with the prevalence of 6.25%. No association between antimicrobial resistance and either the gender, age or clinical presentation of the patients were detected. In RAPD-PCR, great diversity observed in 27 resistant strains isolated from different patients and this heterogeneity was not significantly different from susceptible strains. Primary H, pylori resistance to metronidazole in our population was lower than the developing world and even other parts of Iran, to ciprofloxacin was considerable in comparison with results in most other countries. Moreover, antibiotic resistance had no effect on genomic pattern of H. pylori isolates. Finally, pretreatment H. pylori isolates susceptibility testing is highly recommended
Subject(s)
Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics , Prevalence , Helicobacter pylori/genetics , Clarithromycin/pharmacology , Metronidazole/pharmacology , Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests , Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique , Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
Although all newborns in Iran have been vaccinated against hepatitis B since March 1993, routine screening of pregnant women has not been conducted in prenatal care programs, yet transmission of hepatitis B via the maternal-fetal route is still a viable likelihood, which must be entertained. The subjects were divided into 2 groups. The exposed group comprised 97 vaccinated children whose mothers were seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] and had not received hepatitis immunoglobulin at birth. The unexposed group consisted of 87 vaccinated children whose mothers were seronegative for hepatitis B surface antigen. We compared these 2 groups to determine the efficacy of vaccine alone in high-risk children. This study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, from June 2002 to December 2002. All children were born after 1993. Chronic infection [HBsAg positivity] was detected in 14.3% of children in the exposed group. There were no instances of chronic infection in the unexposed group [relative risk [RR]=13.48, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.8-100.02]. Previous infection of hepatitis B [HBcAb positivity] was found in 29 [29.9%] children in the exposed group, but only one [1.2%] in the unexposed group [RR=26.01, 95% CI: 3.61-186.95]. Immunity [HBsAb positivity] in the exposed group measured 48 [49.5%] and unexposed group measured 56 [64.4%] [R.R=0.76, 95% CI: 0.59-0.99]. Vaccination alone did not induce immunity against hepatitis B in high-risk children; it seems that routine screening of pregnant women is necessary for determining whether neonates need hepatitis B immunoglobulin after birth