The role of bacterial genital infections in spontaneous preterm delivery: a case-control study.

Background: Spontaneous preterm delivery is defined as the beginning of the birth process before the 37th week of pregnancy. The presence of microorganisms in the fetal membranes is accompanied by an increase in the production of prostaglandin, one of the important factors associated with the prevalence of preterm birth. The invasion of microorganisms leads to the production of protease, coagulase, and elastase, which directly stimulate the onset of childbirth. We investigated the role of genital infections in women with preterm birth. Methods: The present case-control study was conducted in the west of Iran on 100 women with spontaneous preterm delivery (following 24 weeks of gestation and before 36 weeks and 6 days) as the case group and 100 women with normal delivery as controls. A questionnaire was applied to collect the data. Polymerase chain reaction and pathological examination of the placenta were performed. Results: The average age in women with normal delivery (30.92 ± 5.10) in women with spontaneous preterm delivery (30.27 ± 4.93). The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhea, Listeria monocytogenes, and Mycoplasma genitalium infections was zero in both groups. The highest prevalence of Gardnerella vaginalis was 19 (19%) in the case group and Ureaplasma parvum 15 (15%) in the control group. Also, Placental inflammation was zero in controls and 7(7%) in the patient group. There was a significant relationship between Gardnerella vaginalis bacteria and spontaneous preterm delivery. Conclusion: The results of our study showed that except for Gardnerella vaginalis bacteria, there is no significant relationship between the above bacterial infections and spontaneous preterm birth. Moreover, despite the significant reduction in the prevalence of many sexually transmitted infections in this research, it is still suggested to increase the awareness of people, including pregnant women, about the ways it can be transmitted by gynecologists and health and treatment centers.

Summer heat waves and their mortality risk over a 14-year period in a western region of Iran.

Compared to previous decade, impact of heat waves (HWs) on mortality in recent years needs to be discussed in Iran. We investigated temporal change in added impact of summer HWs on mortality in eight cities of Iran. The pooled length of HWs was compared between 2015-2022 and 2008-2014 using random and fixed-effects of meta-analysis regression model. The temporal change in impact of HWs was evaluated through interaction effect between crossbasis function of HW and year in a two-stage time varying model. In order to pool the reduced coefficients of each period, multivariate meta-regression model, including city-specific temperature and temperature range as heterogenicity factors, was used. In addition to relative risk (RR), attributable fraction (AF) of HW in the two periods was also estimated in each city. In the last years, the frequency of all HWs was higher and the weak HWs were significantly longer. The only significant RR was related to the lowest and low severe HWs which was observed in the second period. In terms of AF, compared to the strong HWs, all weak HWs caused a considerable excess mortality in all cities and second period. The subgroup analysis revealed that the significant impact in the second period was mainly related to females and elderlies. The increased risk and AF due to more frequent and longer HWs (weak HWs) in the last years highlights the need for mitigation strategies in the region. Because of uncertainty in the results of severe HWs, further elaborately investigation of the HWs is need.

Gender-based violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic: recommendations for future.

BACKGROUND: Gender-based violence (GBV) includes any physical, sexual, psychological, economic harms, and any suffering of women in the form of limiting their freedom in personal or social life. As a global crisis, COVID-19 has exposed women to more violence, which requires serious actions. This work aims to review the most critical dimensions of the GBV against women, effective factors on it, and strategies for combating it during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to provide recommendations for future pandemics. METHODS: This study was conducted based on PRISMA-ScR. First, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were searched in April 2021 with no time limitation and location using the related keywords to COVID-19 and GBV. The searched keywords were COVID-19, gender-based violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, women, violence, abuse, and their synonyms in MESH and EMTREE. Duplicates were removed, titles and abstracts were screened, and then the characteristics and main results of included studies were recorded in the data collection form in terms of thematic content analysis. RESULTS: A total of 6255 records were identified, of which 3433 were duplicates. Based on inclusion criteria 2822 titles and abstracts were screened. Finally, 14 studies were eligible for inclusion in this study. Most of these studies were conducted in the United States, the Netherlands, and Iran, mostly with interventional and qualitative methods. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening ICT infrastructure, providing comprehensive government policies and planning, government economic support, social support by national and international organizations should be considered by countries worldwide. It is suggested that countries provide sufficient ICT infrastructure, comprehensive policies and planning, economic support, social support by collaboration between national and international organizations, and healthcare supporting to manage incidence of GBV against women in future pandemics.

Prevalence of unwanted pregnancy among Iranian women: an updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Unwanted pregnancy is a global issue with adverse outcomes for the mother, child, family, and society. Previous studies in Iran have reported different prevalence rates for unwanted pregnancy. This meta-analysis was aimed at estimating the overall prevalence of unwanted pregnancy among Iranian women. METHODS: A total of 20 articles in English or Persian, published between 2012 and December 2018, were collected. The search was conducted in national and international databases, including Scientific Information Database (SID), MagIran, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, using the following keywords: 'Unplanned pregnancy', 'Unintended pregnancy', 'Unwanted pregnancy', and 'Mistimed pregnancy'. The data were analyzed using the meta-analysis method and the random effects model. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. All analyses were performed using Stata, version 12. RESULTS: Analysis of 20 studies with a total sample size of 16,298 showed that the prevalence of unwanted pregnancy among Iranian women was 26% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 23-28). This prevalence was higher in the regions 5 and 2 of Iran (27%) than the other regions, and had no significant decrease between 2012 and 2018 (p = 0. 937). CONCLUSION: More than one-fourth of pregnancies among Iranian women are unwanted. Providing training programs for couples who do not plan to have children along with the support policies aimed at stimulating population growth, can be an important step in overcoming the issue of unwanted pregnancy and reducing the illegal abortions related to it.

Group B Streptococci and Trichomonas vaginalis infections in pregnant women and those with spontaneous abortion at Sanandaj, Iran.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Group B Streptococcali (GBS) is an important factor in newborn deaths in developed and developing countries. Trichomoniasis is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the world, which is caused by protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis). The present study compares the frequency of GBS and T. vaginalis genital infections in pregnant women, women with spontaneous abortion, as well as its role in spontaneous abortion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 109 women were included with spontaneous abortion with gestational ages between 11-20 weeks and 109 pregnant women with gestational ages between 35-37 weeks in Sanandaj, Iran. DNA was extracted by endocervical swabs and subjected to PCR assays. The independent t-test was used; and for comparing other qualitative variables in each group, the Chi-Square Test was used. RESULTS: The age of the women ranged from 19-43 years (29.6 ± 5.9) and in the control group the age range was from 19-42 years (27.8 ± 4.87). The rate of prevalence of Group B Streptococcal infection in the control group was 3.6%; and in the patient group there were 7.2% with the rate of prevalence of T. vaginalis in both groups as zero. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that there is no relationship between GBS infections (P-value = 0.235) and T. vaginalis.

Exploring Self-Care Needs of Pregnant Women with Gingivitis: A Qualitative Study in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Oral self-care behaviors are not satisfactory among pregnant women; incidence of gingivitis is high in them and training programs have slightly improved their gingivitis. This study was aimed to explore self-care needs of pregnant women suffering from gingival inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out in Sanandaj, west of Iran, in 2017. Twenty pregnant women with gingivitis were included in the study. Data were collected via semi-structured individual and group interviews and note-taking, and were analyzed by conventional content analysis. To confirm the accuracy and strength of the data, credibility, confirmability, and transferability components were taken into account. RESULTS: The results of data analysis yielded six major categories, including "organizational support," "dentist's professional competence," "increasing perceived threat," "increasing self-efficacy," "increasing perceived benefits," and "culture-making." Increased self-efficacy was the most important concern of pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed that self-care behaviors to prevent gingivitis in pregnant women are influenced by various factors. It is essential to consider the cooperation of the media and organizations, support of society, and attention of families and authorities to oral health education and disease prevention among women.

Breast cancer research in Iran: a scientometric analysis of publications output from 1991 to 2015 in Scopus.

INTRODUCTION: As a common type of malignancy, breast cancer is one of the major causes of death in women globally. The purpose of the current study was to analyze Iran research performance on Breast Cancer in the context of national and international studies, shown in the publications indexed in Scopus database during 1991-2015. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the Scopus citation database in this scientometric study. The following string was employed; "breast cancer OR breast malignancy OR breast tumor OR mammary ductal carcinoma" keywords in the main title, abstract and keywords and Iran in the affiliation field were the main related keywords. The terms used were searched in Scopus using the tab specified for searching documents. Time span analyzed was 1991 to 2015 inclusive. Using the analyzing software of Scopus, we analyzed the results. RESULTS: Iran's increasing publication production during 1991-2015 in breast cancer research which indexed in Scopus, consists of 2,399 papers with an average of 95.96 papers per year, and achieved an h-index of 48. Iranian cancer research articles have received 15,574 citations during 1991-2015, and average citations per paper were 6.49. Iran ranked 27th among the top 30 nations with a worldwide stake of 0.67 %, the 20 top publishing journals published 744 (31%) Iranian research articles on breast cancer, among them, there were 15 Iranian journals. CONCLUSION: The number of Iranian research papers on breast cancer and also the number of citations to them, is increasing. Although the quantity and quality of papers are increasing, regarding the prevalence of breast cancer in Iran and also the ineffectiveness of screening programs in the early detection of the cases, more effort should be made, and Iranian policy makers should consider more investment on breast cancer research.

The Prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Study.

INTRODUCTION: Restless legs syndrome is a sensory-motor disorder that causes sleep disorder. The syndrome in patients undergoing hemodialysis associates with depression, sleep deprivation, performance disorder, day fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, stress, anxiety, and higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this systematic meta-analysis study was to estimate prevalence of restless legs syndrome in patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: Twenty-six relevant articles published between 2000 and 2015 indexed in Iranian (MagIran and IranMedex) and international databases (SID, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Pre Quest, and Scopus) were selected. Data analysis was carried out through meta-analysis (random effect model) and heterogeneity of the studies was determined using I2 index. The obtained data were analyzed in STAT (11.2). RESULTS: Prevalence of the syndrome according to the found articles was 50% (95% CI: 38-61) in Iranian and 30% (95% CI:23-37) in international databases. There was an ascending trend of prevalence of the syndrome corresponding to the publication year of the articles (P=0.419), while the trend based on age of the patients was descending (P=0.604). However, the variations were not significant. CONCLUSION: Given the high prevalence and considerable effects of restless legs syndrome on patients undergoing hemodialysis, it is recommended that these patients be screened for the syndrome.

The prevalence of violence against women and some related factors in Sanandaj city (Iran) in 2015.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Violence against women is considered as one of the social problems of all countries in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of violence against married women referring to health centers, and determining its related factors in Sanandaj, Iran, in 2015. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 700 married women referred to health centers in Sanandaj, Iran in 2015. A researcher made questionnaire was used to collect data. To perform sampling, the city was divided into 5 regions and from each region, one health center was selected randomly. Data were analyzed by SPSS 18 and using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-test, chi-square test and ANOVA. Significance level of .05 was considered. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that all women in the study had been subjected to violence at least once. In 11.7% of cases, the violence was moderate and severe. A total of 9.6% had been subjected to physical violence, 42.2% to verbal and psychological violence, 52.4% to sexual violence and 53.4% to economic violence. It was a statistically significant correlation between violence and following variables; education (p=0.0001), occupation (p=0.0001), history of domestic violence in family (p=0.0001), and having a boy in the family (p=0.0001). There was no statistically significant relationship between the number of girls in the family and violence against women (p=0.19). CONCLUSION: Although Physical violence against women has decreased, other forms of violence including; verbal, sexual and economic were used against women. It seems that the problem of violence against women would not be solved without improving women's socio-economic status.