Prevalence of Domestic Violence against Women and Its Visibility in Southeast Iran.

Background: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of domestic violence against women at Reproductive Age (WARA) and its visibility in southeast of Iran. Methods: Adopting a modified time-location sampling, we recruited 933 WARA in the city of Kerman, Iran from Aug to Dec 2019. Domestic violence (DV) was divided into three main categories: Physical, psychological, and sexual. Data were obtained by direct and Network Scale-Up (NSU) methods through self-administered questionnaires. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) was used to determine the association between socioeconomic variables and the violence experience. Visibility was defined as the ratio of NSU over direct estimates. Results: Using the direct method, the annual prevalence of psychological violence was estimated at 60.9%. Corresponding figures for physical and sexual violence were 34.7% and 37.7%, respectively. NSU estimates were about one-third of the direct estimates. Divorced and widowed, self-employed, and less educated women were more likely to experience DV. Conclusion: While the average DV was as high as 44%, its visibility was as low as 33%. Nearly two-thirds of domestic violence against women remains undisclosed. This indicates a high level of stigma perceived around this type of violence.

Iranian older adults women: The Impact of COVID-19 and Coping Strategies.

In the field of epidemics, some vulnerable groups, such as older adults, are at greater risk. Many psychological, social, economic and physical hazards have threatened older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some threats can be managed with medical system interventions. However, social and psychological challenges cannot be controlled quickly. People will have a better quality of life if they can take appropriate action in critical situations. There is a strong theoretical and empirical background that a sense of control and self-efficacy can promote psychological well-being. The main questions of this study included the following: What were the main problems experienced by older Iranian women during the outbreak of COVID-19? What coping methods did they use to control the situation? What were their views on the future? This research was conducted in Kerman city, the capital of Kerman Province. A phenomenological method was used. We interviewed 15 women over 65 years old. We extracted five main themes from the interviews. These themes were health issues, persistent anxiety, economic and social pressures, identifying unique solutions to the current situation, and optimism versus pessimism: what is the future? From the participants' point of view, psychological, social and physical problems have disturbed them during the pandemic, especially at the beginning. However, they controlled their problems by using selective coping strategies. In Iran, planners can use the potential of the two institutions of family and religion to reduce the problems of older adults.

Assessment of hormonal alterations in major depressive disorder: A clinical study.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe mood disorder that may lead to use of drugs, alcohol, and even suicide in acute cases. It has been shown that neurotransmitters and hormones have the same receptors and pathways in the mood area of the brain. Therefore, metabolic and biochemical changes are expected in MDD and, in such diseases, understanding the hormonal alterations would be extremely helpful in the management or treatment with hormone replacement therapy. We evaluated levels of cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), testosterone, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine index (FT4I), T3 resin uptake (T3RU), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) in 79 patients suffering from MDD and 71 healthy controls. The existence of MDD was confirmed by a face-to-face structured clinical interview. We started the investigation by taking a blood sample from the study population. Then, hormone levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Significant differences were found between TSH, FT4I, DHEA-S, ACTH, testosterone, and cortisol/DHEA-S ratio in MDD patients compared to the healthy controls. We also demonstrated a correlation between MDD recurrence and FT4I index and TSH, respectively. Regarding some hormonal changes in patients with MDD, hormonal shifts should be considered in the treatment or management of MDD patients.

Review of Body Image and some of Contributing Factors in Iranian Population.

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.

Body dissatisfaction among Iranian youth and adults.

Despite the importance of body satisfaction on one's self image and well-being, little has been written about body image or how it affects people in Iran. The aim of this study is to assess body dissatisfaction and its risk factors in the general Iranian population. The sample size for this cross-sectional study included approximately 1,200 participants (both male and female) and was conducted in 2011. Body dissatisfaction (based on the Figure Rating Scale), demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI) and use of the media were recorded. Nearly two thirds of the participants were included in the middle age group and roughly half of them had a university education. Approximately two thirds of the participants were satisfied with their body. The mean score of body dissatisfaction in women was greater than men (p < 0.0001). Age, gender, marital status and BMI had a significant relationship with body dissatisfaction. The finding of this study demonstrates that in Iran, body dissatisfaction and it consequences must be addressed. While the prevalence and pattern of body dissatisfaction in Iran is as high as other Asian countries, considering cultural variation within Asian countries is also important.

Body dissatisfaction among Iranian youth and adults / Dismorfofobia entre jovens e adultos iranianos / Dismorfofobia entre jóvenes y adultos iraníes

Abstract: Despite the importance of body satisfaction on one's self image and well-being, little has been written about body image or how it affects people in Iran. The aim of this study is to assess body dissatisfaction and its risk factors in the general Iranian population. The sample size for this cross-sectional study included approximately 1,200 participants (both male and female) and was conducted in 2011. Body dissatisfaction (based on the Figure Rating Scale), demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI) and use of the media were recorded. Nearly two thirds of the participants were included in the middle age group and roughly half of them had a university education. Approximately two thirds of the participants were satisfied with their body. The mean score of body dissatisfaction in women was greater than men (p < 0.0001). Age, gender, marital status and BMI had a significant relationship with body dissatisfaction. The finding of this study demonstrates that in Iran, body dissatisfaction and it consequences must be addressed. While the prevalence and pattern of body dissatisfaction in Iran is as high as other Asian countries, considering cultural variation within Asian countries is also important.

Resumo: Apesar da importância da satisfação com o próprio corpo para a autoestima e o bem-estar, pouco tem sido publicado sobre auto-imagem e como afeta as pessoas no Irã. O objetivo do estudo é avaliar a dismorfofobia e fatores associados na população geral iraniana. A amostra nesse estudo transversal incluiu aproximadamente 1.200 participantes (homens e mulheres) em 2011. Foram registrados a dismorfofobia (baseada na Figure Rating Scale), características demográficas, nível socioeconômico, índice de massa corporal (IMC) e uso da mídia. Quase dois terços dos participantes foram classificados no grupo de meia idade, e cerca da metade tinha nível superior. Dois terços estavam satisfeitos com o próprio corpo. A média da dismorfofobia era mais alta em mulheres (p < 0,0001). Idade, gênero, estado civil e IMC mostraram relação significativa com a dismorfofobia. Os achados destacam a necessidade do enfrentamento da dismorfofobia e suas consequências no Irã. A prevalência da dismorfofobia é tão alta quanto em outros países asiáticos, mas é igualmente importante considerar as variações culturais dentro desses países.

Resumen: A pesar de la importancia de la satisfacción con el propio cuerpo para la autoestima y el bienestar, poco ha sido publicado sobre la auto-imagen y como afecta a las personas en Irán. El objetivo del estudio es evaluar la dismorfofobia y sus factores asociados en la población general iraní. La muestra en ese estudio transversal incluyó aproximadamente 1.200 participantes (hombres y mujeres) en 2011. Se registró la dismorfofobia (basada en la Figure Rating Scale), características demográficas, nivel socioeconómico, índice de masa corporal (IMC) y uso de los medios de comunicación. Casi dos tercios de los participantes se clasificaron en el grupo de mediana edad, y cerca de la mitad tenía nivel superior. Dos tercios estaban satisfechos con el propio cuerpo. La media de la dismorfofobia era más alta en mujeres (p < 0,0001). Edad, género, estado civil e IMC mostraron una relación significativa con a dismorfofobia. Los hallazgos destacan la necesidad del enfrentamiento de la dismorfofobia y sus consecuencias en Irán. La prevalencia de la dismorfofobia es tan alta como en otros países asiáticos, pero es igualmente importante considerar las variaciones culturales dentro de esos países.

Body image and body change: predictive factors in an Iranian population.

BACKGROUND: Body concerns and its health consequences such as eating disorders and harmful body change activities are mentioned in Asian countries. This study evaluates factors contributing to body image/shape changes in an Iranian population. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study we focused on four main body change activity (diet, exercise, substance use, and surgery) and their risk factors such as demographic variables, Body Mass Index (BMI), Media, Body-Esteem, Perceived Socio-cultural Pressure, Body dissatisfaction and, Self-Esteem. Approximately, 1,200 individuals between 14-55 years old participated in this study. We used a multistage sampling method. In each region, the first household was selected at random. The probability of outcomes was estimated from logistic models. RESULTS: About 54.3% of respondents were females. The mean (SD) of age was 31.06 (10.24) years. Variables such as gender, age, BMI, use of media and socio cultural factors as, body dissatisfaction, body-esteem and pressure by relatives were the main factors that influenced body change methods. In particular we have seen that male are 53% less likely to follow surgical treatments, but 125% were more likely to use substances. CONCLUSIONS: Investigation of body concern and its health related problem should be assessed in cultural context. For effectiveness of interventional programs and reducing harmful body image/shape changes activities, socio-cultural background should be noted.

Assessment of psychometric properties of Persian version of Perceived Socio-cultural Pressure Scale (PSPS).

OBJECTIVES: To generate the Persian version of the Perceived Socio-cultural Pressure Scale. METHODS: The study, done in Kerman, Iran, from November 2010 to February 2011, comprised 1200 volunteers. After translation and back-translation, the questionnaire's internal consistency, criterion and construct validity were evaluated, individual and global scores of the Perceived Socio-cultural Pressure Scale were assessed between people with and without eating disorders. RESULTS: The mean scores for comparison were 14.7 +/- 6.64 and 21.84 +/- 10.65, giving a p-value of 0.0001. Internal and inter-item consistency were acceptable. Item-total correlation ranged from 54% to 80%. Construct and criterion validity of the scale were also acceptable. CONCLUSION: The Persian version of the Perceived Socio-cultural Pressure Scale is a competent tool for use in the general population and in individuals with eating disorders.

Religion and smoking: a review of recent literature.

Tobacco smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke are a major threat to human health worldwide. The effort to prevent tobacco use should be regarded as an important public health strategy. Given the significance of religion and spirituality in the daily life of more than 90% of the world's population, the relationship of religion and smoking should be seen as a critical research area. Religions are many and varied, but most value human well-being highly and so do not approve of tobacco use, even though they do not prohibit it entirely. In recent years, researchers have shown more interest in the subject of religion and health, including drug and tobacco use. Differences of focus and methodology notwithstanding, most studies have ascertained a deterrent role for religion as regards tobacco use, and several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the negative relationship between religion or spirituality and smoking. Many of the studies, however, suffer from shortcomings that need to be acknowledged and addressed, such as using nonstandard data-gathering tools, lack of a unified definition of religion or spirituality, and paucity of research in non-Christian and developing countries. Finally, the cross-sectional nature of many of the studies makes the meaningful interpretation of findings difficult.

Reliability and validity of the Persian version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-P).

BACKGROUND: There is a high worldwide prevalence of sleep quality disturbances, and sleep disturbances have been associated with numerous diseases. Thus, it is important to assess sleep quality. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a self-rating questionnaire that can be completed within 5 min, but no Persian language version is available. METHODS: We translated the PSQI into Persian and then back into English to ensure the accuracy of the translation. A total of 125 psychiatric patients (generalized anxiety disorder, n = 37; major depression, n = 35; schizophrenia, n = 28; primary insomnia, n = 25) and 133 controls completed our Persian version of this questionnaire. Internal consistency, construct validity, and sensitivity and specificity of the PSQI were assessed. RESULTS: The mean ages (±SD) of the patient and control groups were 36.8 years (±13.9) and 34.2 years (±9.8), respectively (p = 0.08). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for all subjects was 0.77 and was 0.52 for the patient group and 0.78 for the control group. The corrected item-total correlations ranged from 0.30 to 0.75 for the seven component scores of the PSQI. When the general health questionnaire-12 was used as a measure of psychiatric morbidity, it was well correlated with the PSQI scores (r = 0.54, p < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of discrimination of insomniac patients from control subjects were 94% and 72% for a PSQI cutoff value of 5 and 85% and 84% for a PSQI cutoff value of 6. CONCLUSION: The psychometric properties of the Persian version of the PSQI were acceptable.

Eating disorders and their associated risk factors among Iranian population - a community based study.

BACKGROUNDS: Many socio cultural variables could be affect eating disorders in Asian countries. In Iran, there are few researches regarding eating disorders and their contributing factors. The aim of this study is to explore frequency of eating disorders and their risk factors in an Iranian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: About 1204 participants were selected aged between fourteen to 55 years. Frequency of eating disorders and effects of variables such as demographic characteristics, Body Mass Index (BMI), use of media, body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, social comparison and social pressure for thinness in individuals with and without eating disorders, were assessed. FINDINGS: The prevalence of eating disorders was 11.5% that included 0.8% anorexia nervosa, 6.2% full threshold bulimia nervosa, 1.4% sub threshold anorexia nervosa and 30% sub threshold binge eating disorder. Symptoms of bulimic syndrome were greater in males. CONCLUSION: In Iran, eating disorders and related problems are new issue that could be mentioned seriously The identification of these disorders and their related contributing factors are necessity of management and preventive programs planning.

Body satisfaction and management in Iranian students.

PURPOSE: Despite the importance of body satisfaction on self concept and well being, there is little study about it or its consequences in Iranian populations, a part of Asian culture. The aim of this study was the assessment of body satisfaction and body management strategies in Iranian university students. WORK METHOD: This survey was performed based on a self-administrated questionnaire in 535 university and post graduate students. WORK RESULTS: About 2/3rd of the students had moderate to severe body dissatisfaction and 40% of the students were using body management methods. Rhinoplasty and heavy exercise were the most frequent body management methods in women and men, respectively. CONCLUSION: Widespread research on body satisfaction prevalence and its management behaviors in the general population can be effective in reducing the negative health, social and economic consequences of harmful behaviors.

Experiences of drug dependent fathers in relation with their children: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The effects of substance abusing on children of all ages has been considered. The major problem of these children is the inability of their parents to implement their parental tasks and duties. In Iran, addressing the issue of substance abuse has a history of several decades. Identifying the experiences of these individuals about relating to their children is important in effective therapeutic planning to help drug dependent people continue their treatment. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted using phenomenological approach. Subjects were selected from among the referrals to the substance abuse treatment centers in Kerman. This study lasted for 11 months from October 2008 to August 2009 and tried to use purposive sampling to select the subjects with as much diversity as possible from the drug-dependent males who had at least one child. All those who had history of addiction less than two years were excluded. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the findings. FINDINGS: Participants were 35 opiate-dependent males. The mean age of subjects was 43.18 ± 8.25. Five themes were extracted from analyzing the interviews including emotional relations, economical problems, experiences of communicating with children, the effects of substance abuse on children, and the role of children on the quitting process. CONCLUSION: To promote the quality of services offered to drug-dependents who have decided to quit, family therapy and psychotherapy are recommended to help addicted individuals reduce the problems they have with their children.

Validity and reliability of a Persian version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.

The purposes of this study were to translate the English version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire into Persian and to examine its psychometric properties. Reliability was examined using Cronbach coefficient alpha and corrected item-total correlation. A confirmatory factor analysis, based on a five-factor model, was performed using AMOS. Consecutive samples of 194 drug addicts, 197 psychiatric patients, and 599 college students were selected for the study. The mean age of participants (N = 1,000) was 24.8 yr. (SD = 7.1), and 49% were female. The test-retest reliability coefficient and the internal consistency reliability coefficient for the whole scale were suitable. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire exhibited acceptable convergent validity with the General Health Questionnaire. A four-factor solution was selected as the most appropriate model using exploratory principal component analysis with oblique rotation. In conclusion, the Persian version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire showed acceptable psychometric properties.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index addendum for PTSD (PSQI-A).

BACKGROUND: Considering the frequent occurrence of natural disasters in Iran, the need for an inventory assessing the quality of sleep in the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients is clearly evident. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index addendum for PTSD (PSQI-A) has been recently developed to assess the disruptive nocturnal behaviors in the PTSD patients. This study was aimed to explore the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the PSQI-A. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-five PTSD patients related to the two recent major earthquakes of Kerman Province were enrolled in the study, and 133 healthy subjects were conveniently selected as the control group. The inventory was translated and then back-translated according to standard methods. The reliability was checked by computing the Cronbach;s alpha coefficient and corrected item-total correlation. The sensitivity and specificity were assessed by comparing the PSQI-A score with the DSM-IV-TR diagnosis. Convergent validity was checked against the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12). RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) of the two groups were 42.1(+/-13.8) and 34.2 (+/-9.8), respectively. The sex distribution was comparable in the two groups (females consisted 55% and 58% of the PTSD and control groups, respectively). There were significant differences between the items comparing the two groups except for the "acting out dreams". Overall the Cronbach;s alpha coefficient was 0.89, and the item-total correlation of all the seven items were over 0.4 except for the acting out dreams. At cut-off of 7/8, the sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 93%, respectively. The sum score showed a correlation of 0.66 with the GHQ-12. CONCLUSION: Although the psychometric properties of one of the seven items of the inventory were to some extent unsatisfactory, the overall reliability and validity of the questionnaire were acceptable.

Reliability and Validity of A Persian Version of Substance Dependence Severity Scale (SDSS).

BACKGROUND: Iran (I.R.) is suffering the growing problem of opiate abuse. In evaluation of the treatment plan for opium dependent patients, a valid and reliable instrument is needed to measure patients' severity of dependence. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the "Substance Dependence Severity Scale" (SDSS). METHODS: After translating the English version of SDSS to Persian and then back translating it to English, a structured interview with 200 opium dependent patients was conducted to collect data. Then, reliability (internal consistency and test-retest procedure) and construct validity were tested. FINDINGS: The alpha coefficient was 0.77 and the correlation between test and retest results showed a high correlation coefficient (0.97) which confirmed the reliability. Construct validity was assessed by a cross-check against General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the results were in favor of its validity. But the correlation between the amount of substance usage and scores of the 1(st) and 2(nd) questions were not within the acceptable range. CONCLUSION: The results support the reliability of the Persian version of SDSS, but to confirm its validity further studies are needed.