Mortality rate and years of life lost due to prostate cancer in Yazd province, Iran: a 10-year study

Objectives: Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The number of deaths and years of life lost [YLL] due to a disease can be used to monitor health status, assess healthcare needs and determine the prioritisation and allocation of health resources within a population; in addition, the latter calculation can serve as a baseline indicator of premature mortality. This study aimed to measure prostate cancer-related mortality and YLL in Yazd Province, Iran

Methods: This study included all prostate cancer-related deaths in Yazd Province reported between March 2001 and March 2010. Mortality data were obtained from a provincial death registration system which integrates data from different sources. YLL was calculated based on an individual's age at death and their life expectancy according to age group

Results: During the study period, prostate cancer was the fourth most common fatal cancer among men, resulting in 324 deaths or 10.0% of all cancer-related deaths. The crude mortality rate per 100,000 individuals increased from 4.7 in 2001 to 8.8 in 2010. Premature deaths caused 1,358.7 YLL and the YLL caused by prostate cancer deaths more than doubled from 94.7 in 2001 to 196.5 in 2010

Conclusion: Due to changes in population structure, it is likely that the burden of prostate cancer will continue to increase in Yazd Province. As such, it is necessary that the national health system implements screening programmes and improves public awareness of prostate cancer-associated risk factors

Loneliness and its related factors among elderly people in Yazd

Introduction: Old people appear to be most prone to loneliness and depression perhaps because of decrease in their ability in daily livings, increase in morbidity, loss of close ties caused by loss of friends and spouses. This study was conducted for investigation of the loneliness and its related factors in elderly people in Yazd

Methods: In this cross sectional study, 200 old people [over 60 years old] from three zone; health centers, nursing home and retirement center by convenient sampling method. Data was collected by UCLA Loneliness Scale that was consisting of 20 items for loneliness measurement. Scores 41 and more defined as loneliness. Collected data was analyzed by proper statistical tests with SPSS software

Results: Results showed that 71 % of subjects had Not Feel Lonely, 24 % moderate and 5 % severe felling of loneliness. Factors such as level of education, marital status, numbers of daughter and sons, previous job, residence site, current job status, living in nursing home, insufficient income, place of praying, sleep quantity and quality of sleep and feeling of healthy were associated with loneliness status [p < 0.05]

Conclusion: Our findings showed loneliness is common in elderly that support needs for more investigations and attention to loneliness related factors, educational courses conduction for family to take care of their elders, preparing of recreational measures and social support groups to decrease the loneliness in old people and so they spend this period by good and healthy sensation

burden of road traffic injuries in yazd province - Iran

Objectives: To estimate the Disabled-adjusted Life Years [DALYs] of Road Traffic Accidents in patients referred to hospitals in Yazd Province, central Iran

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Yazd province during 2010. To calculate the Years of Life Lost [YLL] due to premature death and to calculate the incidence of non-fatal injuries and Years Lost due to Disability [YLD], the data were collected from Yazd death registration system and hospital records

The causes of death and nature of non-fatal injuries were classified using International Classification of Diseases [ICD-10]

We estimated Disability Adjusted Life Years [DALYs] on the guidelines of the Global Burden of Disease Study [discount rate: 0.03, age weight: 0.04, constant age weight correction factor: 0.165]. Age and sex composition was taken from the National Statistical Center for the year 2010

Results: During 2009, 483 deaths were caused by traffic accidents in Yazd Province, 382 [79.09%] of which were males, and 101 [20.91%] were females

The mortality rates for males and females were 70.98 and 20.15 in 100,000, respectively. The years of life lost due to premature deaths were 15.84/1000 in men and 4.75/1,000 in women

Total YLLs caused by traffic accidents were 10,908 years. The injuries caused by traffic accidents were calculated as 15.21 and 3.73/1,000 in males and females, respectively. The total YLDs was calculated 1.51/1,000

The total burden of Road Traffic Injuries in Yazd province was 12478 years [DALYs], 87.41% of which was due to premature death, and 12.59% was related to disability. Also, 78.32% was lost in males. The age specific peak of burden was in 15-29 year

Conclusion: This study showed that traffic accidents in Yazd impose a high burden. It seems that it is one of the health sector priorities. It is recommended to revise laws on use of motorcycles, especially on helmet use for motorcyclists, enforce strict laws in residential areas, and review social determinant affecting the incidence of such accidents

Yazd breast cancer project profile; a community based trial for the evaluation of self-examination and physical examination of the breast cancer disease

There is some evidence to suggest that a benefit might be derived from a program that incorporated both annual physical examination of the breast [BPx] and the teaching of breast selfexamination [BSE]. Current investigation presents the profile of a multicenter community based intervention for evaluating the effect of BSE+BPx on the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to breast cancer amongst women residing in urban areas of Yazd [Iran] from 2008 to 2018. There were three distinctive phases in this trial with 10 years duration: pilot phase with the duration of 1 year, active intervention phase with 4 rounds of annual screening of BPx+BSE and follow up phase with 5 years duration. Tools of enquiry included a pretested questionnaire, repeated annual physical examination of the breast and more importantly mammography, sonography, and fine needle aspiration [FNA]. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percent, mean [SD], tests of chi-square and student t-test with 95% confidence level. Comparison of socio-demographic and socio-economic factors such as age, age at marriage, family size, number of live births, occupation, education level, total family income and marital status showed that no significant difference was seen between the groups [P>0.05]. A response rate of 84.5% was seen by participants of the experiment group visiting the health centers for the first BPx. Our results showed that except for the education and marital status, the difference in other main demographic and socio-economic factors between the groups were not significant, and the response rate of individuals in the experiment group was at an acceptable level

Pet exposure and the symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in 6-7 years old children

Allergic diseases are frequent in children and their prevalence and severity differ in the different regions of the world. The association between pet ownership in childhood and subsequent asthma and sensitization is very controversial. In our survey conducted with standardized method [International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood], 3200 children 6-7 years old were questioned regarding asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema. The prevalence of Attacks and shortness of breath with wheezing during last 12 months in the children who had exposure to pets in the first year of life was 34.3% that was less than children who had not exposure [OR=3.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-8.21, P=0.021]. Also during the past 12 months the prevalence of night dry coughs, allergic rhinitis symptoms and eczema symptoms in those who had pet exposure in the first year of their life was lower than the children did not have it. However there was no significant difference in some other symptoms of asthma in two groups. Our findings suggest that pet exposure in the first year of life can have a protective effect on asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema

Antibiotic use and symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in children

Allergic diseases are frequent in children and their prevalence and severity differ in different regions of the world. It has been hypothesized that antibiotic use, early in life, may increase the subsequent risk of asthma and other allergic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the use of antibiotics in the first year of life and the subsequent development of asthma and other allergic symptoms. In our survey using standardized methods [International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood], parents of 6-7 year-old children were questioned regarding asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema symptoms in their children. The prevalence of ever wheezing, wheezing during past 12 months and exercise-induced asthma in the children who took antibiotics in the first year of life were not different statistically but the prevalence of asthma ever was significantly higher. No significant relationship was found between the use of antibiotics and hay fever or eczema. We found that the use of antibiotics in early childhood was not associated with an increased risk of developing allergic symptoms in children

Pregnancy outcomes in asthmatic women

Asthma is considered to be the most common respiratory disorder complicating pregnancy. Seventysix asthmatic and 152 non-asthmatic pregnant women were studied. Maternal asthma was significantly associated with adverse infant outcomes, including prematurity, low birth weight and the need for Cesarean delivery. The results of this study could indicate that pregnant women with asthma were at substantially increased risk for adverse infant outcomes and suggest the need for extra attention to mothers with asthma before and during pregnancy

Acetaminophen use and the symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in children

Allergic diseases are frequent in children and their prevalence and severity deffer in the different regions of the world. A number of studies have been performed to determine the factors which are effective in the incidence of these diseases. One of the drugs that might have a role in incidence or intensity of the symptoms of allergic diseases is Acetaminophen. In our survey conducted with standardized method [International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood], 3000 children 6-7 years old and 3000 teenagers 13-14 years old were questioned regarding asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema. The prevalence of ever wheezing in the children of 6-7 years old who took acetaminophen in the first year of their life was 11.3%, which is more than other group [Odds Ratio=1.54, 95% Confidence Interval: 1-2.38, P=0.049] and the prevalence of ever wheezing in older age group who have taken acetaminophen at least once in a month was 25.1% which is more than those taken less acetaminophen [OR=1.7, 95%CI=1.43-2.04, P=0.000]. Moreover taking more acetaminophen during past 12 months led to more prevalence of night dry coughs and the symptoms of rhinitis in children 6-7 years old and eczema and rhinitis symptoms in the 13-14 years old. Our findings suggest that taking more acetaminophen may be assossiated with increasing allergic symptoms in children