ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cancer is the second most common cause of morbidity and mortality in children. This study aimed to epidemiologically and demographically assess common cancers in children in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cohort study was conducted on children registered in Mahak Hospital and Rehabilitation Complex (which is a non-governmental organizations (NGO)-related hospital for only malignant diseases). A total of 2232 questionnaires were filled out for cancer patients between 2007 and 2016. The factors including age, gender, race, family history, type of treatment, and type of cancer were entered into Cox regression model to examine their effect on mortality of children diagnosed with cancer. RESULTS: The Cox regression model showed that age, race, type of cancer, family history of cancer, and type of treatment had a significant effect on mortality of children diagnosed with cancer (P < 0.05). The hazard ratio (HR) of mortality in 10-15 years old was higher than that of 1-5 years old (P = 0.03, HR = 1.3). The HR of mortality in patients with brain tumor (P < 0.01, HR = 2.24), sarcoma (P < 0.01, HR = 2.32), and neuroblastoma (P < 0.01, HR = 2.56) was twice the value in patients with leukemia. The HR of mortality in patients who had a family history of cancer was higher than that of patients without it (P < 0.01, HR = 1.33). Patients who had undergone chemotherapy along with surgery and radiotherapy (P = 0.02, HR = 0.68) and patients who received chemotherapy along with surgery (P = 0.01, HR = 0.67) had a lower HR of mortality compared to the chemotherapy group. CONCLUSION: Young age, multidisciplinary approach, and absence of family history were associated with lower hazard of death in children diagnosed with cancer; brain tumor, leukemia, and sarcoma had higher hazard of mortality compared to leukemia. Children with a family history of cancer should be under regular follow-up. Treatment should be multidisciplinary and comprehensive.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression is considered as a major health complication of women after delivery. It is necessary to find an essential approach for the prevention of its serious consequences on mothers' and infants' health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of home visiting on postpartum depression. METHODS: The first stage of study was the design of postpartum package. According to the package, a clinical trial was performed for 276 mothers who had delivered in affiliated hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University in 2013 and were divided into two groups, i.e., control group and intervention group. Intervention group received health care by home visiting, and control group had no intervention. Mothers were supposed to fill up Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale before and 60 days after delivery, and the results were compared. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 18 software and t-test, Chi-square, and logistic regression test. RESULTS: The mean ages of participants were 27.03 ± 5.2 standard deviation (SD) in intervention group and 27.37 ± 5.4 SD in control group. Occurrence of depression was 7.6% in intervention group and 19% in control group, and there was a significant difference between two groups (P < 0.05). The logistic regression results indicate that groups (intervention and control) (P = 0.087, odds ratio [OR] =2.1); planned and unplanned pregnancy (P = 0.028, OR = 2.5) and the infant nutrition (P = 0.025, OR = 2.2) are significantly associated with the postpartum depression. CONCLUSIONS: Providing postpartum home visiting can influence postpartum depression in a positive way and could improve mothers' and infants' health.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Early in the 21st century, cancers are the second cause of death worldwide. Colon cancer is third most common cancer and one of the few amenable to early diagnosis and treatment. Evaluation of factors affecting this cancer is important to increase survival time. Some of these factors affecting all diseases including cancer are social determinants of health. According to the importance of this disease and relation with these factors, this study was conducted to assess the relationship between social determinants of health and colon cancer survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study for patients with colon cancer registered in the Cancer Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, from April 2005 to November 2006, performed using questionnaires filled by telephone interview with patients (if patients had died, with family members). Data was analyzed with SPSS software (version 19) for descriptive analysis and STATA software for survival analysis including log rank test and three step Cox Proportional Hazard regression. RESULTS: Five hundred fifty nine patients with ages ranging from 23 to 88 years with mean ± standard deviation of 63 ± 11.8 years were included in the study. The five year survival was 68.3%( 387 patients were alive and 172 patients were dead by the end of the study). The Cox proportional hazard regression showed 5-year survival was related to age (HR=0.53, p=0.042 for>50 years versus<50 years old) in first step, gender (HR=0.60, p=0.006 for female versus male) in second step, job (HR=1.7, p=0.001 for manual versus non manual jobs), region of residency (HR=3.49, p=0.018 for west versus south regions), parents in childhood (HR=2.87, p=0.012 for having both parents versus not having), anatomical cancer location (HR=2.16, p<0.033 for colon versus rectal cancer) and complete treatment (HR=5.96, p<0.001 for incomplete versus complete treatment). CONCLUSIONS: Social determinants of health such as job, city region residency and having parents during childhood have significant effects in 5-year survival of colon cancer and it may be better to consider these factors in addition to developing cancer treatment and to focus on these determinants of health in long-time planning.
