Assessment of refractive errors, amblyopia, strabismus, and low vision among hearing-impaired and deaf students in Kermanshah.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Refractive errors, amblyopia, strabismus, and low vision are more common among children with hearing impairments in comparison with their hearing peers. Neglecting visual disorders can pose educational and social problems for these children. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of refractive errors, amblyopia, strabismus, and low vision among hearing-impaired and deaf students in Kermanshah. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 79 deaf and hearing impaired students within the age range of 7-20 years (mean age of 15.01 ± 2.72) underwent optometric examinations, including autorefractometry, retinoscopy, ophthalmoscopy, slit lamp, visual acuity measurement, and cover-uncover test. Those who needed further evaluation were referred to the Ophthalmology Clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital. RESULTS: Regarding the prevalence of refractive errors, 32 (40.5%) subjects had one or a combination of refractive errors, the most common of which was astigmatism (36.7%), followed by amblyopia (15.1%). The most common type of strabismus was latent strabismus (heterophoria) (88.6%), followed by exophoria (81%). Moreover, 3 (3.7%) cases had nystagmus. A significant difference was observed between the prevalence of amblyopia and the degree of hearing loss (P = 0.026), and no significant difference was detected in other cases. CONCLUSION: As evidenced by the obtained results, refractive errors, amblyopia, strabismus, and low vision are more prevalent among deaf and hearing-impaired children compared to normal children because deaf and hearing-impaired children are not able to convey their vision problems and need to compensate for their poor hearing with an enhanced sense of sight, inattention to these disorders can present these children with serious educational and social problems. Therefore, eye screening examinations are of paramount importance in deaf and hearing-impaired children.

Seroepidemiological Investigation of Hepatitis B and C Prevalence and Associated Factors Among People in Custody at Zahedan Central Prison.

BACKGROUND: On a global scale, approximately 350 million are affected by hepatitis B, and 71 million by hepatitis C. People in custody face elevated risks for these infections. The prevalence and risk factors in Iranian prisons are insufficiently documented. The principal objective of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of hepatitis B and C, coupled with the identification of pertinent influencing factors, within the confines of Zahedan central prison, situated in the southeastern region of Iran. METHODS: In 2019, we conducted an analytical cross-sectional study involving 407 people in custody, using stratified random sampling. To definitively diagnose hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (P<0.05), a checklist developed by the researchers, along with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, were employed. RESULTS: This study comprised 406 participants (96.3% male) with a median age of 32 years (27-38). Approximately 62% were married, and a substantial proportion of the participants had low education levels (47%), unemployment (64%), and belonged to the Baloch ethnicity (64%). The overall prevalence of hepatitis C and B infections was 2.7% and 10.6%, respectively. Tattooing (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.9-4.5) and marriage (AOR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.05-3.04) were identified as risk factors for hepatitis B. Moreover, hepatitis C showed a statistically significant association with a family history of hepatitis B and C (AOR: 3.31, 95% CI: 3.93-24.64) and intravenous (IV) drug use (AOR: 7.01, 95% CI: 1.52-32.78) according to the multivariable logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hepatitis B and C was higher among people in custody in Zahedan central prison. Consequently, targeted interventions are vital to address and reduce viral hepatitis burden in custodial settings.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Penn Parkinson Daily Activities Questionnaire-15.

Introduction: Appropriate information about the ability of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) to perform cognitive instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) is necessary. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Penn Parkinson daily activities questionnaire-15 (PDAQ-15). Methods: A total of 165 knowledgeable informants of PD patients completed the PDAQ-15. The clinical dementia rating scale, Hoehn and Yahr staging, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and Lawton IADL scale were used in the study. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated by the Cronbach α coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. To examine the dimensionality of the questionnaire, exploratory factor analysis was used. The construct validity was assessed using the Spearman rank correlation test. To assess the discriminative validity, PDAQ-15 scores were compared across cognitive stages. Results: The PDAQ-15 showed strong internal consistency (the Cronbach α=0.99) and test-retest reliability (ICC= 0.99). Only one dimension was identified for the PDAQ-15 in the factor analysis. There was a strong correlation between PDAQ-15 with the depression domain of the HADS scale and the Lawton IADL scale (rs=|0.71-0.95|). The correlation of PDAQ-15 with the anxiety domain of the HADS scale was moderate (rs=0.66). Discriminative validity analysis showed that the PDAQ-15 has significant power to discriminate between PD patients across cognitive stages. Conclusion: These results suggest that the PDAQ-15 is a valid and reliable PD-specific instrument and can be useful in clinical and research settings.

Sensory Processing Patterns and Sleep Quality in Primary School Children.

OBJECTIVES: Sensory processing and sleep quality affect children's academic performance and their quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sensory processing patterns and sleep quality in primary school children. MATERIALS & METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 231 primary school students aged 7 to 12 years old (133 girls and 98 boys, the mean age of 8.68±1.51) who were studying in schools in Tehran were randomly selected through cluster sampling. The researchers distributed a questionnaire on children's sleep habits to assess the quality of sleep and a sensory profile questionnaire to assess the sensory processing patterns (avoidance, sensitivity, seeking, and registration) among the students. RESULTS: In this study, we found a meaningful moderate relationship between sensory processing patterns and overall scores of sleep habits (p <0.001). Moreover, each of the sensory processing patterns had a negative relationship with areas of sleep habits (p = 0.005). There was also a significant difference between children who had more challenges with sleep maintenance and children with normal sleep patterns in sensory processing; mean differences were significant in all the four sensory quadrants (registration, seeking, sensitivity, and avoiding) (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: The sensory processing patterns are moderately correlated with sleep habits in primary school children. Occupational therapists and other specialists working in the field of children's sleep should consider the relationship between sensory challenges and sleep habits while making decisions about sensory challenges and sleep problems. Better sleep may occur with attention to sensory needs in sleep routines. Better sleep may lead to improved quality of life in families and enhanced student performance at school.

Relationship between using cell phone and the risk of accident with motor vehicles: An analytical cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Traffic accidents are one of the major health problems in the world, being the first cause of burden of illness and the second leading cause of death in Iran. The Sistan-Baluchestan province is one of the most accidental provinces of Iran with the highest rate of accidents-caused deaths. This study was conducted to determine the risk factors associated with traffic accidents in Zahedan through 2013 to 2016. METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 223 drivers from Zahedan who were traumatized by traffic accident and sent to Zahedan hospitals. The data were obtained through interviews taken by the trained interviewers via refereeing to the medical records and collected in the researcher-made checklist. Census was obtained from the study subjects. For data analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Chi-square and logistic regression were used with the Stata software version 11.0. RESULTS: In this study, 223 male subjects with the mean age of (32.54 ± 12.95) years, 39.8% single and 60.2% married, entered for investigation. Most accidents (38.8%) occurred between 12:00 to 17:59. While driving, 47.1% of the study subjects were using cell phones, 89.1% had manual use of mobile phones, 21.9% had a habit of sending short message service (SMS) and 23.4% had sent SMS within 10 min before the accident. The one way analysis of variance showed that the mean age of individuals with marital status, driving experience, education and accident with motorcycle were significantly different (p < 0.05). Also, the multivariate logistic regression test indicated a significant relationship of smoking, ethnicity, insurance and SMS typing while driving with motorcycle accident (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, SMS and smoking while driving had the highest risk among the variables studied in the motorcycle accidents. Therefore, effective education attempting to enhance people's awareness about the consequences of using cell phone and smoking during driving to reduce traffic accidents seems necessary.

Stereopsis in Early Diabetic Retinopathy.

PURPOSE: The present study was undertaken to compare the stereoacuities measured by TNO and Titmus tests, in diabetic patients with early retinopathies and those without diabetes (control group). METHODS: In this study, 139 participants (43 with diabetes mellitus, and 96 age-matched controls) were recruited from a retina subspecialist clinic in Qazvin, Iran, from September 2016 to March 2017. The stereo-acuities were measured following subjective refraction by Titmus and TNO tests at 40 cm. The patients with diabetes whose retinal exam revealed no background retinopathy or only microaneurysms (very mild diabetic retinopathy) in the worse eye were enrolled into this study. RESULTS: In the diabetic group, with TNO, the stereoacuity levels in 95.3% of the subjects were in 120, 240, and 480 levels, while in the non-diabetic group, 86.4% of the subjects were in 30, 60, and 120 levels. In the diabetic group, with Titmus, 86.1% of the subjects were in 40, 50, and 60 levels, while in the nondiabetic group 91.7% of the subjects were in 40 levels. The correlation between TNO and Titmus was statistically significant (r = 0.338, P<0.001) for the non-diabetic group, while it was not statistically significant (r = -0.034, P= 0.827) for the diabetic group. CONCLUSION: In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, the global pathway of stereopsis is damaged more than the local. The difference in severity of damage to local and global pathways in patients with diabetes indicates that there may be different underlying mechanisms for these two pathways.

Effect of kinesio taping direction on force sense in wrist flexor muscles in healthy persons.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of direction of kinesio taping of wrist flexor muscles on force sense. Forty-five healthy women took part in this study, in three groups: kinesio taping application from origin to insertion (OI group) or from insertion to origin (IO group), and no kinesio taping (control group). Absolute and relative force sense errors were calculated with 50% maximal grip strength as the target force value. Absolute and relative force sense errors in the dominant hand were recorded before and 24 h after the application of kinesio tape to the forearm. Relative force sense error was significantly lower in the OI group than in the control group (P = 0.028). However, absolute force sense error did not differ significantly among the three groups (P = 0.431). Our results suggest that kinesio taping in the OI direction enhances relative force sense compared to no taping.

Stereoacuity after Wavefront-guided Photorefractive Keratectomy in Anisometropia.

PURPOSE: To determine changes in stereoacuity in anisometropic myopic eyes after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). METHODS: Myopic patients with at least 1 diopter (D) of anisometropia in sphere, astigmatism, or spherical equivalent who were referred to our hospital for excimer refractive surgery were enrolled as a prospective sequential interventional case series. All patients underwent wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy (WFG-PRK) using the Technolas Perfect Vision (217z) Excimer laser machine. Changes in binocular stereoacuity were evaluated using the TNO and Butterfly stereoacuity tests before and at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after the operation. RESULTS: Between January and November 2015, a total of 98 eyes of 49 patients (71.4% men) with a mean age of 28 ± 5.5 years, mean myopia of -3.32 ± 1.74 D, and mean astigmatism of 1.3 ± 1.3 D were enrolled in this study. Preoperative mean stereoacuity values were 102 ± 103.44 and 56.8 ± 41 seconds of arc (s/arc)as measured by the TNO and Butterfly stereoacuity tests. Mean stereoacuity improved to 90 ± 110.52 s/arc (P = 0.009) and 56.5 ± 41.3 s/arc (P = 0.80), respectively, 6 months after WFG-PRK. Overall improvement in stereoacuity was 10.2% and 6.12% according to the TNO and Butterfly stereoacuity tests, respectively. CONCLUSION: Stereoacuity improves after WFG-PRK for treatment of anisometropic myopia. This improvement is more accurately detectable by the TNO than the Butterfly stereoacuity test.

The Immediate Effects of Manual Massage of Forearm on Power-Grip Strength and Endurance in Healthy Young Men.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the immediate effects of a single massage session on hand grip strength and endurance after isometric exercise in healthy young men under controlled conditions. METHODS: A total of 44 healthy young men from a university population participated in the study. They were randomized to receive either massage or passive movement intervention. Hand grip endurance and hand grip strength in both groups were recorded using a Jamar hand grip dynamometer and a digital chronometer before and after the intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, and paired t test as well as independent t test. RESULTS: Pre-and postmean hand grip endurance times for the massage group were 38.4 ± 12 and 46.5 ± 13 seconds (P < .001), and hand grip strength values were 43 ± 5.6 and 45.7 ± 5.3 kg (P = .077). Pre-and postmean hand grip endurance times for the passive movement group were 33 ± 12.3 and 31.9 ± 10.7 seconds (P = .513), and hand grip strength values were 42.8 ± 6 and 42.9 ± 5.6 kg (P = .854). CONCLUSION: Immediately after 1 session of massage to the forearm and hand, the grip endurance improved in a group of healthy young men. However, passive movement of the upper limb for 1 session did not enhance grip performance.