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INTRODUCTION: Congenital heart diseases are of immense importance and also a high prevalence. Contributing factors to developing these defects have not been abundantly studied. Therefore, the current study was conducted aiming at determining the effective factors on Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in newborn infants of Northwest Iran. METHODS: A case-control study was carried out in North-West of Iran from 2002 to 2012 and a total of 473 infants entered the study. Required data were obtained through check lists completed by the information of hospital records and interview with mothers of 267 newborn infants with CHD together with medical records of mothers as the case group, and 206 medical records of healthy infants at the same period all together with those of their mothers as the control group. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, T-test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and Multi-variable Logistic Regression Model (OR with 95% CI), using SPSS.19. In the present study, P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Based on the results of univariable analyses, the number of previous cesarean sections, past medical history of diseases, gestational age (GA), fetal weight at birth, diastolic blood pressure, fetal heart rate, pulse rate, fetal hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, and fetal head circumference at birth have significant relationship with incidence of congenital abnormalities (P<0.05). Family history, past cesarean sections history, past medical history and GA had significant relationship with CHD incidence. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of present study, in order to control and reduce the cases of CHD, it is crucial to make proper decisions and implement policies for reducing cesarean cases, lowering consanguineous marriages, providing proper pre-marriage counseling, prompt treatment of mothers' illnesses, improving pregnancy health care and mothers' health status for the purpose of better well-being of newborn infants.
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BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life, irrational parenthood cognitions, and their interrelationship among a group of Iranian women referred to an infertility center in Tehran, the capital of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women who visited the infertility center in Imam Khomeini University Hospital in Tehran participated in this cross-sectional study. Each participant filled out a two-part questionnaire. The first part included background questions, and the second part included inventories developed to assess quality of life and irrational parenthood cognition among infertile subjects. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 27.8 years (standard deviation, 5.1). Mean standardized quality of life score was 59.4 out of a maximum of 100 (95% confidence interval, 56-62.8). No statistically significant linear correlation was found between quality of life and age, length of marriage, or the time under treatment. There was a weak reverse correlation between length of the time attempting to become pregnant and quality of life (r = -0.25; P < 0.01). There was a strong reverse correlation between irrational parenthood cognitions and quality of life (r = -0.64; P < 0.00). Multivariate regression analysis found several variables to be independent predictors of quality of life score. These included having higher levels of irrational parenthood cognitions, being under high social pressure imposed by relatives, and having spent a long time attempting to become pregnant. CONCLUSION: Knowing about the predictors of low quality of life (including high-level irrational parenthood cognitions, social pressure from relatives, and spending a long time attempting to become pregnant) is assumed to help physicians in identifying the infertile women who are at higher risk of developing a poor health over their infertility experience.
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INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular diseases are always one of the major causes of mortality in the world affecting all aspects of patients' lives. Therefore, this study was conducted to summarize and provide a clear view of quality of life in these patients in Iran through a systematic review on the results of previously conducted studies. METHODS: In a systematic review, required information was collected by searching keywords of Iran, quality of life, heart failure, cardiac, heart, and their Persian equivalents in databases of Science Direct, Pubmed, IRAN doc, SID, Medlib and Magiran. The selected time period for searching articles was since 2000 to 2012. Inclusion criteria were: releasing of article during 2000 to 2012, articles reporting patients' quality of life in any domains of heart diseases, and articles published in Persian and English. Extracted results first were summarized in Extraction Table, and then analyzed manually. RESULTS: Finally 18 of 1592 found articles were included in the study. A total of 3,797 cardiac patients' quality of life was measured using six different tools, the most important one of which was SF36 questionnaire. Among eight dimensions of SF36 questionnaire, the highest mean was for social role functioning with average score of 58.37 and the lowest for physical limitation (physical role functioning) with score of 42.95. Overall, mean of eight dimensions was 53.19. Among 4 general domains of quality of life, physical activity had the lowest average of 43.63 and average of general dimensions of quality of life was 47.65. The most important factors affecting quality of life were sex, age, education, marital status, occupational status, suffering duration, number of hospitalizations etc. CONCLUSION: The results of the studies showed relatively low quality of life of cardiovascular patients in general. Therefore, according to the introduced effective factors in this study, it is necessary to consider regular programs for improving quality of life in these patients and providing suitable and qualitative services.
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BACKGROUND: Iran started a new public-private partnership model in form of health coopera¬tives which is somehow different from other types of health cooperatives throughout the world. In this study we compared the performance and quality of health services in public health cen¬ters (PHCs) and cooperative health centers (CHCs). METHODS: In this comparative study performance quality of two cohorts of public and coopera¬tive health centers were compared in several health service delivery programs over the time pe¬riod of 2001- 2002. RESULTS: Screening program: the rate of visited population during screening program was higher in CHCs. Maternal health care program: In some of studied programs CHCs had better results. Child health care: Most indicators were better or similar in CHCs. School health program and Health education: All indices were better or similar in CHCs. Environmental health: population based positive function was not significantly different for the population covered by CHCs compared to population covered by PHCs. MANAGEMENT: Client and staff satisfaction as well as participation and attitudes of personnel towards management was better in CHCs. Mean annual cost per capita of the covered population by PHCs was higher. CONCLUSION: CHCs as a public private partnership model in Iran may deliver preventive health care services as effective as PHCs in many fields and even better in some areas.