Regular physical activity postpones age of occurrence of first-ever stroke and improves long-term outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Few data are available on the associations between the level of pre-stroke physical activity and long-term outcomes in patients with stroke. This study is designed to assess the associations between pre-stroke physical activity and age of first-ever stroke occurrence and long-term outcomes. METHODS: Six hundred twenty-four cases with first-ever stroke were recruited from the Mashhad Stroke Incidence Study a prospective population-based cohort in Iran. Data on Physical Activity Level (PAL) were collected retrospectively and were available in 395 cases. According to the PAL values, subjects were classified as inactive (PAL < 1.70) and active (PAL ≥ 1.70). Age at onset of stroke was compared between active and inactive groups. Using logistic model, we assessed association between pre-stroke physical activity and long-term (5-year) mortality, recurrence, disability, and functional dependency rates. We used multiple imputation to analyze missing data. RESULTS: Inactive patients (PAL < 1.70) were more than 6 years younger at their age of first-ever-stroke occurrence (60.7 ± 15.5) than active patients (67.0 ± 13.2; p < 0.001). Patients with PAL< 1.7 also had a greater risk of mortality at 1 year [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.31; 95%CI: 1.14-4.67, p = 0.02] and 5 years after stroke (aOR = 1.81; 95%CI: 1.05-3.14, p = 0.03) than patients who were more physically active. Recurrence rate, disability, and functional dependency were not statistically different between two groups. Missing data analysis also showed a higher odds of death at one and 5 years for inactive patients. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, we observed a younger age of stroke and a higher odds of 1- and 5-year mortality among those with less physical activity. This is an important health promotion strategy to encourage people to remain physically active.

Assessment of life skills of medical students in Mashhad, Iran, in 2015.

BACKGROUND: Developing social skills and mental health is a crucial part of the psychosocial health status of medical students. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the life skills of medical students in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2015. By census method, 146 interns were entered into the study. The life skill questionnaire, consisting of 144 questions, was used as the measurement tool. Over 3 months, all the medical students in internship period were asked to complete the questionnaire. Data were analyzed by independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney with SPSS version 11.5 software. RESULTS: Women were shown to have higher decision-making ability than men (p=0.046). It was also shown in the study that social behavior (p=0.018), participation in activities that improve benefits (p=0.006), critical thinking (p=0.007), observing and using safety points (p=0.005), and mental health status (p=0.034) were significantly lower in men than in women. The data also suggests that men (13.97±4.7249) are more likely to become global citizens than women (12.15±3.6298) (p=0.010). Furthermore, there was a significant difference when comparing smoking and non-smoking in freedom and justice (p=0.003) and becoming a global citizen (p=0.012). CONCLUSION: Our study provides helpful information about medical students' life skills for policy makers and university authorities. We suggest that gender differences should be considered during life skill training.