[Effective factors on confronting violence on married women]

Background and Objective: Family violence is known as a painful reality which does impact on all aspects of the victims' lives. The burden of family violence on the health of 15-44 year old women is more than that of breast cancer, womb cancer and the accident. This study was done to determine the effective factors on confronting violence on married women

Methods: This descriptive - analysis study was done on 273 married women whom referred to health centers in Kordkuy city in Golestan province, north of Iran during 2011. The sample size has been made through casual classification out of proportionate sharing. The rate of exposure to physical, psychological and sexual violence was recorded in questionnaire for each subject

Results: The average age and marital age of women and their husbands was 29.4 +/- 7.8, 19.6 +/- 3.7 and 23.6 +/- 3.9 years, respectively. 86.2% of the women were housewives. The exposure rate of physical, psychological and sexual violence was: 32.8%, 49% and 33.7%, respectively. The important factors related to womens and husbands were education of women and their husbands, women employement, marriage age of women and their husbands [P<0.05]. The important factors related to family were number of children and household income [P<0.05]

Conclusion: Level of education, employee, marriatal age and family income were the effective factors in confronting violence on married women in northern Iran

Effective factors of treatment outcome in smear positive tuberculosis patients in Golestan province-Iran [2014]

Background and Objective: Tuberculosis [TB] is the main cause of death in the world. Half of the patient eventually will die during first 5-year of infection if they do not receive suitable treatment. According to WHO's report, treatment success in Iran is lower than the regional and global mean. This study was conducted to identify the effective factors of treatment failure among tuberculosis patient in golestan province- Iran

Methods: This cross- sectional study was conducted on 331 new smear positive tuberculosis patients that detected in TB laboratory in in golestan province-north of Iran during 2014. Inclusion criteria included weight more than 30kg, age greater than 13 years, diabetes, immune deficiency, liver or kidney diseases. Patients were treated according to a protocol for a period of two months on the DOTS strategy. The criterion of treatment outcome was sputum smear at the end of the second month of treatment. The effect of gender, medication regiment, age, weight, smoking, addiction and severity of smear basilli load on treatment outcome was assessed

Results: 50.8% and 49.2% of patients were treated with combination and separate medicinal regiments, respectively. The conversion rate of smear positive was 67.7% at the end of the second months. According to multivariate logistic regression, the age of the patient [95% CI: 0.96-0.99, OR: 0.98, P=0.017], addiction [95% CI: 1.26-4.54, OR: 2.4, P=0.008], ethnicity [95% CI: 1.86-7.02, OR: 3.62, P=0.0001] and diagnostic smear bacilli load [P=0.0001] were the important effective variables

Conclusion: The success of two months treatment was fairly low and the important factors on treatment success during the intensive phase were patient age, smoking, addiction and diagnostic smear bacilli load

Reliability of pubertal self assessment method: an Iranian study

This investigation aims to evaluate the validity of a Persian Tanner Stages Self-Assessment ? Questionnaire. In this cross sectional study, 190 male students aged 8-16 years selected from three layers of different regions of Tehran [North, Central and South] were enrolled. A Persian questionnaire illustrated with Tanner stages of puberty [genital development and pubic hair distribution] was prepared. Children were asked to select the illustration that best described their pubertal development. Tanner status of the children was also estimated by an independent physician using physical examination. The degree of agreement between subjects' judgments with assessments made by the rater was compared through the calculation of the weighted kappa statistic coefficient. We found a substantial agreement between self-assessment of pubertal development made by the children and doctor's assessment of genital development [kappa=0.63, P<0.0001] and also the pubic hair distribution [kappa= 0.74, P<0.0001]. Although a large proportion of subjects in G4 [89.2%] and G5 [85.7%] were capable of accurately or almost accurately identifying their own Tanner sexual stages, some degree of disagreement was observed in G3 Tanner stage [%46.9]. Self-assessment of puberty should be used very cautiously and may not be a substitute method for routine evaluation of pubertal state especially for early and mid pubertal groups

Prevalence and characteristics of irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] amongst medical students of Gilan northern province of Iran

Irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders characterized by non-specific symptoms such as abdominal pain and altered bowel habits with no known organic pathology. Its prevalence varies in different communities. We performed this study to determine the prevalence of IBS in medical students who attended Gilan University of Medical Sciences [GUMS]. Medical students of GUMS were studying during 2002 academic year were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Within a specifically designed schedule, trained general practitioners performed student interviews. The interviewers used a structured questionnaire based on the Rome II criteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS-10 software. Results were presented as percentages and the mean +/- SD and level of significance was denoted as a p-value <0.05. This study included 422 students, 148 [35.1%] males and 274 [64.9%] females, trained in various educational levels at GUMS whose mean age was 23.7 +/- 2.9 years. The prevalence of IBS was 12.6% [53 of 422]. IBS was more prevalent in females than males [15% [41 of 274] vs. 8.1% [12 of 148]; p<0.05]. Reported a Physician 37.7% of cases visit in comparsion to 17.6% of non IBS case [p<0.05]. This study shows a higher prevalence of IBS in medical students than in other sections of the Iranian population. A prevalence of 12.6% in medical students, who are in an active phase of life, requires careful planning to provide alleviation

Predictors of malnutrition among Zahedan's children, age ranging from 2-5 years old in 2007-2008

Periodical evaluation of anthropometric indicators is one of the best methods for monitoring of children's nutritional status and also is an appropriate information resource for the health system of the countries. The purpose of this study was assessing prevalence and predictors of three anthropometric indices, underweight, stunting and wasting among 2-5 year old Children in Zahedan, 2007-2008. This descriptive analytjcal study was conducted on 1245 children [2-5 years old] in Zahedan, 2007-2008. Samples were selected from 5 different districts in Zahedan. Data were collected using records and interviews with mothers. In this study, wasting [weight for height], stunting [height for age] and underweight [weight for age] were evaluated based on Z score = -2.5. Data were analyzed using independent T-test, ANOVA, Chi square and linear logistic regression. In this study, the prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweighting were found as 4.2%, 7.6% and 3.4%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that wasting had a significant relation with birth weight and birth interval. In addition, stunting had relation with birth weight, mothers' educational level, fathers'job, nutritional status, infection history, birth interval and mothers' age. Underweight showed significant relation with sex, birth weight, nutritional status, infection history, birth interval and mothers' age [P<0.05]. In multiple analysis, birth interval demonstrated significant relation with wasting and birth weight, mothers' age had significant relation with stunting, birth weight and birth interval and finally, mothers' age had significant relation with underweight [P<0.05]. Considering to results obtained from this study, the most important factors related to the three above mentioned anthropometric indices are birth weight, birth interval and mothers' age. Therefore; improving these variables, may help decreasing the prevalence of malnutrition among children

[Investigation of validity and reliability of Persian version of the "St. George Respiratory Questionaire"]

Health related quality of life [HRQL] questionnaires allow clinicians to measure daily the impact of disease on a patients daily life and is valuable in clinical trial designed to assess benefits and costs of management. We describe the adaptation into Persian version of the St.George Respiratory Questionnaires [SGRQ]; a recognized valid self administered questionnaire for chronic obstructive pulomnary diseases. In order to adapt the face validity, the forward and back- translation method was used. Then this questionnaire was edited by researchers and a single pulmonologist as an internist. The content of tests evaluated for feasibility and comprehension by 15 educated COPD patients. In following, the professional committee of researcher assessed the content validity. At last, 55 COPD patients with wide range of disease severity fulfilled the Persian version of the SGRQ. Internal consistency were measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficient test. The test coefficiency for reliability was 0.74 in part I of questionnaire; "symptoms". Factor analysis indicated that if latest question of part 1 was eliminated ["If you wheeze, is it become worse in the morning?"] Cronbach's alpha would be elevated to 0.78. Cronbach's alpha was 0.95 in Part II [Activity and impact] and for overall scale, the result was found to be 0.93. Data from this study revealed that Persian version of SGRQ, as a research tool, is of good validity and sufficient reliablity. The present study suggest the feasibility of adapting a specific instrument of health related quality of life in patients with respiratory disease to be used in different settings from where the instrument has been originally developed

Irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] prevalence in medical students of Gilan university of medical sciences

Irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders, characterized by non-specific symptoms such as abdominal pain and altered bowel habit without any organic pathology. Its prevalence varies in human communities. We performed this study to determine the prevalence of IBS in medical students of Gilan University of Medical Sciences [GUMS]. Medical students of GUMS in 2002 enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Under a schedule they were interviewed by trained general practitioners with structured questionnaire, which based on Rome II criteria. Data was analyzed by SPSS-10 software. Results were presented into percentage and mean +/- SD. Level of significance was denoted as p value less than 0.05. This study included 422 students training in various educational levels of GUMS, 148 [35.1%] males and 274 [64.9%] females whose mean age was 23.7 +/- 2.9 years. Prevalence of IBS was 12.6% [53 of 422 with 95%, CI 9.5%-16.1%]. IBS was more prevalent in females than males [15% [41 of 274] vs. 8.1% [12 of 148]] [p<0.05]. This study shows higher IBS prevalence in medical students than other published Iranian reports. Prevalence of 12.6% in students, who are in active phase of life, necessitates planning to help this population

immunologic response to anti-hepatitis B vaccination among medical students of Guilan university of medical sciences, Guilan, Iran

An important way to prevent hepatitis B infection is vaccination especially among high-risk populations including healthcare workers. Unfortunately, immunologic response to the vaccine is not perfect. Multiple different factors such as gender, age, body mass index [BMI], smoking and underlying diseases can influence the immunologic response. So, this study was conducted to evaluate the post-vaccination immunologic response of medical students of Guilan University of Medical Sciences [GUMS]. In this cross-sectional study, GUMS medical students who had received complete vaccine series at zero, one, and six months were enrolled. Their demographic data and the factors which could probably alternate the immunologic response were collected by interview. The anti-HBs Ab titer was evaluated by Enzyme-Linked-Immunoassay [ELISA]. Appropriate immunologic response was supposed to be HBsAb >=10 mIU/ml. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 10.00.P value <0.05 was considered significant. We evaluated 233 students with mean age of 24.9 +/- 4.5 years. 74.7% were female. 4.9% did not respond properly to vaccination. Females' immunologic responses were significantly higher than males' [P=0.001]. Responsiveness was significantly lower in smokers than non-smokers [P=0.02]. Mean age in inappropriate and appropriate responder groups were 28.67 +/- 5.4 and 24.77 +/- 4.4 years, respectively [P=0.004]. 95.1% of students had a protective level of anti-HBsAb [>10 mIU/ml]. Since health-care staffs including medical students are a high risk group to be contaminated with HBV, it is preferable to be evaluated for anti-HBs titer 1-3 months after full three-dose vaccination especially when these factors are present; in this way the false sense of being immunized among them may be decreased