ABSTRACT
Background: In December 2019, the spread of a new infectious disease was reported in Wuhan, caused by a new coronavirus named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization. This study aims to compare the dispersion of COVID-19 disease among four Iranian cities in North Khorasan named Bojnord, Farooj, Jajarm, and Shirvan. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study includes information about the daily morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in 1124 patients from March to May 2021. The analysis of variance method, Scheffe post hoc technique and Leven's test are used to compare the means and the variances of daily morbidity and mortality of these cities. Finally, the coefficients of variation (CVs) of the morbidity and mortality are compared. Results: The means of daily morbidity in Bojnord, Farooj, Jajarm, and Shirvan cities are 6.387, 0.946, 1.150, and 2.193, respectively. Furthermore, the means of daily mortality in Bajnourd, Farooj, Jajarm, and Shirvan are 0.763, 0.193, 0.161, and 0.290, respectively. The means and the variances of both daily mortality and morbidity are significantly different in all four cities (P < 0.05). Furthermore, CVs of daily morbidity in the cities of Bojnord, Farooj, Jajarm, and Shirvan are 0.665, 1.026, 1.032, and 0.787, respectively. The CVs of daily mortality in these cities are 1.196, 2.052, 2.468, and 1.728, respectively. The CVs of both daily mortality and morbidity are significantly different in all four cities (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The ratio of CVs is a good option for comparing the spread of COVID-19 in different regions with different means and variances.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Brucellosis and Q fever are considered as occupational hazards to people in contact with domestic animals or their carcasses. The present cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis and Q fever among professions at risk in the North Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran during 2020. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 185 sera samples were collected from butchers, slaughterhouse workers, farmers, and veterinarians in different counties of the province. The collected sera were tested by ELISA test for the detection of IgG antibodies against Coxiella burnetii and Brucella spp. A questionnaire was filled for each participant to investigate demographic characteristics information (i.e., age, gender, educational status, occupation, years of occupational experience, and location), and any exposure to risk factors (animals Keeping, consumption of unpasteurized dairy products, exposure to ill or dead animals, tick bite, splashing animal fluids, travel history, and use of personal protective equipment) that could be associated with these infections. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of antibodies against C. burnetii and Brucella spp. were 17.2% and 19.4%, respectively. Twelve participants also had Q fever and brucellosis co-infection, with a prevalence of 6.4%. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, it is concluded that brucellosis and Q fever occur among the high-risk populations in this area and it needs more surveillance to control the diseases by public health and veterinary authorities.
ABSTRACT
Body image is the perception of individuals of their own body and it can be affected by many variables such as culture, social pressure, and media, but it is not limited to these factors. Body image disturbances are important because they lead to severe physical or psychological health problems. Development of body image dissatisfaction in Eastern communities has been increased in the past years. Despite many studies in Asian societies, In Iran, studies are scattered and limited. Our goal is a better understanding of this matter in Iran. A review of scientific literature about Body Image and Iran was conducted inPubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, and ProQuest, also in Persian scientific databases such as Scientific Information Database (SID) and Thematic Guide to Iranian Publications (MAGIRAN). This search has been conducted in January 2018. Out of 389 articles, 44 of them were selected. In these articles, study period, sample characteristics, type of study, contributing variables, type of statistical analysis, and the main result of each article were extracted. Despite using different methods for detection of body dissatisfaction, results showed that this problem has a high prevalence in Iranian population. Contributing factors were also similar to the world findings. Review of studies regarding body dissatisfaction in Iran, revealed a high prevalence of this problem. It seems there is a need for interventional programs to prevent the negative consequences of body dissatisfaction, especially in teenagers and young people. Future studies with scientific or longitudinal design, which lead to better results, are recommended.
