The Predictors of High Dietary Salt Intake among Hypertensive Patients in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and its complications are among the major health problems all over the world, particularly in developing countries. The aims of this study were to show that, weather the hypertensive patients follow the expertise recommendations and differences between men and women in their levels of knowledge and behavior in salt taking. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among all hypertensive patients in rural health centers of Tabriz, Iran, in Feb-May; 2016. Data were collected by an interviewer-administrated questionnaire, along with anthropometric, blood pressure, and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion measurements. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to compute adjusted odds ratio (OR). RESULTS: In all 205 patients, 62.9% female, 40.5% aged over 60 years, and 53.7% with low or moderate socioeconomic status, 49.3% body mass index (BMI) 30 kg/m2 and above, 10.2% of the patients had systolic/diastolic equal and above (≥) 40/90 mmHg, participated in the study. In total, 16.6% were aware of the daily salt allowance for healthy people with sex difference (P < 0.001). Significant predictors of adding salt beyond the dietary recommendations in food preparation were occupation (unemployed) (OR = 4.05, 95% CI = 1.041-15.78, (P = 0.044)) and blood pressure level (systolic/diastolic ≥140/90) (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.28-5.96 (P = 0.010)), while adding salt at the table correlated with sex (men) (OR = 4.47, 95% CI = 1.21-16.57 (P = 0.025)), age (54-59) (OR = 0.05 95% CI = 0.01-0.39, (P = 0.005)), and knowledge (general) (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.99-1.13 (P = 0.05)). CONCLUSION: The different pattern of salt intake was observed between men and women. In general, the amount of salt taken by hypertensive patients is higher than recommended allowances. Both men and women add extra amount of salt to food, women when preparing food and men at the table. Salt intake level both during preparing and eating food may be associated with occupation (unemployed), blood pressure level (systolic/diastolic ≥140/90), sex (men), age (54-59), and also patient knowledge (general).

Unrestricted prevalence of sedentary behaviors from early childhood.

BACKGROUND: Light and sedentary behaviors impose heavy challenges on societies. The objectives of this study are to identify child sedentary behaviors, and to examine the relationship between parent knowledge and behavioral style on children's sedentary time in Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was done among children and their parents selected randomly using multi-stage method, from 12 urban districts in Tabriz, Iran;2017. Data were collected through designing a multi-sectional questionnaire adopted from the Bjelland and previous studies to assess the time spent on sedentary behaviors among children/adolescents along with parent knowledge and behavioral style. RESULTS: From 480 children/adolescents and their parents 54.6% came from middle class families, and 55.62% were boys aged 2 to18. The percentage of time spent more than 120 min per day (min/d) on weekdays was for watching television (TV): (girls 24.4%, boys 21.0%), for playing computer and video games: (girls 38.7%, boys 54.7%), for electronic media communication (EMC): (girls 52.8%, boys 60.2%). The associated factors for watching TV: child age [12 years and above OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 0.53-3.54], parent knowledge [OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.35-0.99], and communicative styles [OR = 1.43, 95%CI = 1.11-1.86], and for playing computer and EMC: child age [5 years old and above OR = 4.83,95% CI =1.52-15.38, 12 years old and above OR = 13.76, 95% CI= 4.22-24.91], family socio-economic status [middle class OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.54-4.11, high class OR = 5.53, 95%CI = 1.80-15.89]. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need to combat the unrestricted prevalence of sedentary behaviors among Iranian children/ adolescents who use computers and other electronic devices more than the recommended time every day from early childhood. Parents should be provided with appropriate information about adverse effects of using electronic devices longer than recommended time by children. It is also essential to teach them beneficial communicative styles to monitor their children's sedentary behaviors.

Conversion of extrinsic into intrinsic motivation and computer based testing (CBT).

BACKGROUND: Because computers are used in many aspects of today's life, it seems necessary to include them in teaching and assessment processes. METHOD: The aims of this cross-sectional study were to construct a multidimensional valid scale, to identify the factors that influenced the nature of student motivation on Computer Based Testing (CBT), to recognize how students self-regulated their activities around CBT, and to describe the efficiency of autonomous versus controlled situations on motivation. The study was carried out among 246 Iranian Paramedical Students of Tabriz Medical Sciences University, Tabriz, Iran; 2013-2014. The researchers prepared a questionnaire, based on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), containing 26 items with a five-point Likert scale. It was prepared according to a previous valid questionnaire and by sharing opinions with some students and five professors. The factor analysis was done to perform instructional and exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin(KMO) measure was performed and variables were correlated highly enough to provide a reasonable basis for factor analysis. The selected 4 factors determined a 60.28% of the variance; autonomy 26.37%, stimulation 14.11%, relatedness10.71%, and competency 9.10%. CONCLUSION: A questionnaire was prepared and validated, based on SDT variables. The results indicated that autonomous extrinsic motivation correlated positively with intrinsic motivation and CBT. There was a general positive attitude towards computer-based testing among students. As students became intrinsically motivated through the promotion of autonomous regulation, CBT was recommended as a proper test mode.

Early occurrence of childhood dental caries among low literate families.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the oral health status and influencing factors in preschool children in Tabriz, Iran. A total of 756 children from 20% of the total district preschools were selected using a two-step random sampling procedure. Questionnaires were used to collect demographic and socio-economic data. Oral exams were conducted by a single pediatric dentist to assess the children's oral health, and to determine the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) definition of caries. RESULTS: Out of 756 preschool children, 51.5% boys with mean age of years 5.76 (SD = 0.78) were enrolled. The median (25th-75th Pertcentile) of dmft index in boys and girls was 4 (2-9) and 5 (2-8), respectively. Only 15.1% children had decay-free teeth. The results of univariate analysis showed a significant relationship between dmft index and child age (P < 0.001), mother's years of education (P = 0.001), mother's employment status (P < 0.001), and family socio-economic status (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, statistical significance was found in sex (P = 0.007), age groups except for 5 years (P = 0.210), mother's education status (P < 0.001) as well as in families with intermediate (P = 0.024), and high (P = 0.072) socio-economic status.

An Innovative Method to Enhance the Modified DOTS for TB Patients.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays establishing communication and educating patients to enhance their knowledge regarding disease and treatment process at home is one of the most important principles in providing patient care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A semi-experimental study was done on 57 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis in two care groups namely professional - family mix directly observed treatment short- course (PFM-DOTS) and family based-DOTS (FB-DOTS). The patients were referred to the tuberculosis and lung diseases research center for diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Both the patient and a family supervisor were evaluated regarding their level of knowledge of the disease and the treatment regimen. RESULTS: A significant difference between the degree of knowledge of groups of patients and the groups of family relatives before and after the intervention was indicated, with a higher increase in PFM-DOTS group than in F-B-DOTS group (P< 0.001). In PFM- DOTS group 100% of the patients, and in the FB-DOTS group 86.8% of the patients followed the recommended drug regimen (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: According to the treatment recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO) for appropriate implementation of DOTS project combating TB, it seems the PFM-DOTS implementation is a more suitable method with greater effects on correct care and treatment of tuberculosis patients.