The Association of Social Support, Depression, and Loneliness with Health-Related Quality of Life in Over 50 Years Adults: Ardakan Cohort Study on Ageing (ACSA).

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Social factors play a crucial role in the quality of life of + 50 adults. This study aimed to investigate the association between social support, depression, and loneliness and the health-related quality of life in + 50 adults of Ardakan. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study from the first phase of Ardakan Cohort Study on Aging (ACSA) in 2019. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL, SF-16), Duke Social Support Index (DSSI), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D10) were used to assess the variables of interest. Multivariable linear regression was used to model the associated factors with the score of the SF-16 tool in two dimensions; physical (PCS) and mental (MCS). FINDINGS: A total of 5197 over 50 years individuals included in this study; The mean age was 62.2 ± 7.3 years old, and 52% were male. The mean score for PCS and MCS subscales was 45.6 (95% CI 45.4 to 45.9) and 49.3 (95% CI 49.0 to 49.5), respectively. Adjusted for other variables, having less feeling level of loneliness, and not having depressive symptoms were related to better PCS and MCS scores. CONCLUSION: The HRQoL for the mental aspect of HRQoL was better than the physical in elder populations. Also, much more focus should be paid to older adults who experience inadequate social support, higher levels of loneliness, and depressive symptoms.

Effect of whey protein supplementation on weight and body composition indicators: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND & AIM: Whey protein (WP) is one of the well-known dairy driven products to help people to change their weight and body composition (BC). This study aimed to investigate the effect of WP on weight and BC on every published RCT on all populations. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify RCTs that examined the effect of WP on weight, body fat, lean body mass, fat-free mass, and waist circumference. To create weighted-group-mean differences for within- and between-group comparisons, random effects models were used. Subgroup analyses were also done to determine the effect of potential sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Thirty-five RCTs, with a total of 1902 adult participants were included in pooled analysis. The effect of WP supplementation on BMI (-0.156, 95% CI: -0.31, 0.00, P < 0.05), body fat mass (-0.144, 95% CI: -0.28, 0.00, P < 0.05), and waist circumference (-0.448, 95% CI: -0.86, -0.03, P < 0.05) in within group analysis, and BMI (-0.769, 95% CI: -1.54, 0.00, P < 0.05) and lean body mass (0.741, 95% CI: 0.07, 1.41, P < 0.05) in the between group analysis was indicated. Resistance training, WP dosage, sex, age group, the type of control group (placebo, different proteins, etc.), the control group dosage, and energy intake before and during the trial, as well as between the WP and control groups, were recognized as the main sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: The data from trials currently available supports the use of WP to improve BC indicators. The benefits of WP on BC are expected to be greatest when combined with resistance training and a reduction in overall calorie consumption.

Burden of type 1 diabetes mellitus in the North Africa and Middle East Region, 1990-2019; findings from the global burden of disease study.

AIMS: We aimed to report the burden of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in the North Africa and Middle East region and its 21 countries from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: Information related to incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) of T1DM was acquired from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. The burden was estimated by sex, age groups, and socio-demographic index (SDI) in 21 countries. RESULTS: Over the past 30 years, regional incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs of T1DM increase by 188.7%, 304.8%, 43.7%, and 71.6%, respectively. While the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates increased by 84% and 91%, the mortality and DALYs rates decreased by 34% and 13%. During these years, the contribution of YLDs to total DALYs increased considerably (from 17% to 42%). The highest increase in the incidence and prevalence rates occurred in high SDI countries. Moreover, the Mortality to Incidence Ratio (MIR) decreased in the region countries. CONCLUSIONS: Despite progress made in diabetes care, there is a persistently increasing burden of T1DM in the region countries. This indicates that T1DM is still one of the major health challenges in the region countries, especially in high SDI Arab countries.

Students' Nutrition Literacy and the Existence of Health Care Providers in Iranian Schools.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between Students' nutrition literacy and the existence of health care providers in Iranian schools. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study was conducted on 504 students in Ardebil City, northwestern Iran from Oct 2017 to Jan 2018. The FLINT questionnaire was used to assessment the food and nutrition literacy. Socio-demographic characteristics and the existence of health care providers were collected using demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: Nearly 75% of students had not a health care provider. Most students had a low FNLIT (62% males and 58.1% females). The probability of low FNLIT was lower in students with health care providers than those without them (OR=0.46, CI 95%; 0.10, 0.91). CONCLUSION: One of the reasons for the low nutritional literacy of students may be due to the lack of health care providers in schools. Health educational administrators employ specialized health care providers in Iranian schools.

Prevalence of cancers diagnosed in Jamhuriyat Hospital, Kabul, Afghanistan.

BACKGROUNDS: Throughout the world, there exists a clear need for the maintenance of cancer statistics, forming an essential part of any rational programme of cancer control, health-care planning, etiological research, primary and secondary prevention, benefiting both individuals and society. The present work reports only on the prevalence of cancers in the Oncology Department of Jamhuriyat Hospital, Kabul, Afghanistan following several decades of war. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quantitative retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using the medical records of patients diagnosed and treated from October 2015 to December 2017. Data includes information on gender, age, economic status, address and types of cancer diagnosed. The data was transferred to a customized form and analysed using Microsoft Excel program to classify cancer types. RESULTS: The total number of patients with completed documents were 1025. Of these, 403 (39.3%) were male and 622 (60.7%) female. Most of the patients were in the age range of 20-70 years old. The most common cancers in women were breast cancer (45.8%), followed by oesophagus (12.5%), colorectal (4.8%), Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (4.7%), sarcoma (4.7%), ovary (3.8%), both stomach and liver (2.6%) and cervix uteri (1.9%). Contrarily to men, esophageal cancer was highest (21.8%), followed by stomach (12.2%), Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (9.4%), sarcoma (8.9%), gastroesophageal junction (8.9%), colorectal (8.6%), Hodgkin lymphoma (4.7%), testis (4.2%), liver (3.2%), lung (2.7%) and Nonmelanoma skin squamous cell carcinoma 9 (2.2%). CONCLUSION: Results showed that the most frequent cancers among Afghans were breast and oesophagus. The most common cancer in men was oesophagus and stomach at the age range of 50-70 years while in women, breast and oesophagus cancers were common and within the age range of 25-65 years old.

Evaluating maternal and child health indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals in 2018: what is Iran's position?

OBJECTIVES: Since many Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were not achieved, countries including Iran-despite achieving some of the MDGs-need regular planning to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. This article examines maternal and child health indicators in the early years of the SDGs in Iran relative to several other countries. METHODS: This study was carried out through a secondary analysis of maternal and child health indicators in Iran. The results were compared with data from other countries divided into three groups: countries with upper-middle income levels, countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the countries covered by the Outlook Document 1,404 (a regional classification). Then, the relationship between these indicators and the Human Development Index was investigated. RESULTS: Iran has attained better results than other countries with respect to maternal mortality, family planning, skilled birth attendance, under-5 deaths, incidence of hepatitis B, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccination coverage, and antenatal care. In contrast, Iran performed worse than other countries with respect to under-5 wasting, under-5 stunting, and care-seeking behavior for children. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, among the 11 indicators surveyed, Iran has attained better-than-average results and seems to be improving. We recommend that Iran continue interventions in the field of maternal and child health.

Analysis of affecting factors on patient safety culture in public and private hospitals in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety culture is one of the main components of the quality of health services and is one of the main priorities of health studies. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine and compare the views of healthcare staff on the patient safety culture and the impact of effective factors on patient safety culture in public and private hospitals in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 1203 health care workers employed in three public and three private hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Stratified random sampling was used in this study. Data were collected using the Maslach burnout inventory and patient safety culture questionnaire (HSOPSC). IBM SPSS v22 and Amos v23 were used to perform path analysis. RESULTS: Eight hundred sixty-seven (72.57%) females and 747 (27.43%) males with a mean age of 33.88 ± 7.66 were included. The average percentage of positive responses to the safety culture questionnaire in public and private hospitals was 65.5 and 58.3%, respectively. The strengths of patient safety culture in public hospitals were in three dimensions including non-punitive response to errors (80%), organizational learning-continuous improvement (79.77%), and overall perceptions of patient safety (75.16%), and in private hospitals, were three dimensions including non-punitive responses to errors (71.41%), organizational learning & continuous improvement (69.24%), and teamwork within units (62.35%). The type of hospital and work-shift hours influenced the burnout and patient safety questionnaire scores (P-value < 0.05). The path analysis results indicate the fitness of the proposed model (RMSEA = 0.024). The results showed a negative impact of a work shift (ß = - 0.791), occupational burnout (ß = - 0.554) and hospital type (ß = - 0.147) on the observance of patient safety culture. CONCLUSION: Providing feedback on errors and requirements for the frequent incident reporting, and patient information exchange seem necessary to promote the patient safety culture. Also, considering the negative impact of the shift work and burnout on patient safety culture, by planning and managing these factors appropriately, correct actions could be designed to improve the safety culture.