What explains socioeconomic inequalities in dental flossing? Cross-sectional results from the RaNCD cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The magnitude and underlying determinants of socioeconomic inequality in dental flossing are poorly understood in Iran. This study aimed to measure and decompose socioeconomic inequalities in dental flossing in Ravansar, Iran. METHODS: Data of 10,002 individuals aged 35-65 years who participated in the Ravansar Non- communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study in Kermanshah province, western Iran, were analyzed. Based on an asset-based method, socioeconomic status (SES) was measured using principal component analysis (PCA). The concentration index and curve were employed to measure socioeconomic inequality in dental flossing. Decomposition analysis was used to estimate the contribution of each determinant to the overall inequality. RESULTS: Of 10,002 participants, 11.74% were found to practice dental floss. The normalized CI for dental flossing was 0.327 in the entire population, 0.323 in females and 0.329 in males, indicating that the use of dental floss is more concentrated among high-SES individuals. The decomposition analysis indicated that SES (50.58%) and level of education (44.90%) respectively contributed the most to this inequality. Place of residence (10.55%) and age group (2.7%) were the next main contributors, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found a low prevalence of dental flossing among participants in RaNCD study. We also observed a relatively high degree of pro-rich inequality in dental flossing. The observed inequality was mainly explained by socioeconomic status, level of education and place of residence. Policy interventions should consider these factors to reduce inequalities in dental flossing.

The reliability of self-reporting chronic diseases: how reliable is the result of population-based cohort studies.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability of self-reporting chronic diseases in the baseline data of the Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study in Kermanshah province, western Iran. METHODS: The study was conducted in RaNCD cohort study. To assess the reliability of self-report of chronic disease, a random sample of 202 participants were asked about some of chronic conditions 30-35 days (mean = 32) after recruitment. RESULTS: A range of kappa agreement between 39.52-100%, which the lower statistics was for hypertension and hepatitis and the higher one for cancer, cardiac ischemic, and diabetes. CONCLUSION: The self-report of chronic diseases was relatively reliable. Therefore self-reporting data for some conditions can be used in situations where the validity is acceptable.

Infected abdominal aortic aneurysm graft complicated by lumbar discitis.

We present the case of a 68-year-old male, who underwent open abdominal aortic graft in August 2016 owing to a ruptured large infrarenal abdominal aneurysm. He subsequently presented 6 months later with back pain, general weakness, reduced mobility and cachexia. He underwent CT, MRI and fluorodeoxyglucose (PDG)-PET spinal imaging, all modalities showing signs of aortic graft infection complicated by L4/5 discitis. The patient was treated conservatively with intravenous antibiotics and spinal brace support, as his general condition did not allow for surgery. Although he showed initial clinical improvement allowing plans for supported discharge, his improvement was not sustained and he died 4 months after admission.

The impacts of Beliefs, Attitude, Subjective Norms, Enabling Factors-based educational program on cardiovascular risk factors through enhanced nutritional behaviors in water and wastewater organization employees.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of disability and morbidity in many countries. Considering the significance of education in correcting unhealthy eating habits and improving nutritional behaviors that prevents cardiovascular diseases, the current study has been carried out to investigate the impacts of Beliefs, Attitude, Subjective Norms, Enabling Factors (BASNEF)-based educational program on the employees' nutritional behaviors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out on 120 randomly selected employees of Water and Wastewater Organization of Kermanshah. Individuals were divided into the control and intervention groups. Questionnaires devised based on BASNEF model and food frequency questionnaires were collected preintervention and 3-month postintervention. Educational program was performed in four training sessions. RESULTS: Significant differences between mean scores of knowledge and other items of BASNEF model as well as nutritional improvements were observed in the intervention group after 3 months (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: BASNEF educational model positively affected nutritional behaviors of the employees to reducing cardiovascular risk factors.

Human visceral leishmaniasis in kermanshah province, Western iran, during 2011-2012.

BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is a parasitic disease caused by the species of Leishmania donovani complex. It is endemic in some parts of provinces of Iran. According to the reported cases of VL in Kermanshah Province in recent years, this study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of VL in high risk villages of the province. METHODS: Totally, 1622 serum samples obtained from children under 15 years old and 178 from adults in 22 villages of studied areas. Serum samples were examined by direct agglutination test (DAT) for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies. Data were analyzed using SPSS software ver.11.5. RESULTS: Only 6 serum samples (0.33%) showed anti-Leishmania antibodies against L.infantum at titers ≥ 1/3200. Four of the seropositive cases had a history of kala-azar and Leishman bodies were seen in their bone marrows. The highest (0.5%) and lowest (0.29%) seroprevalence was seen in the age groups of 5-9 and 10-14 years old, respectively. None of the adults were seropositive. There were not any significant differences between the rate of seropositivity in males (0.36%) and females (0.31%). 66.7% of seropositive individuals showed clinical manifestations. The most important symptoms in Kala-azar patients were fever, hepato-spleenomegally and anemia. CONCLUSION: Kala-azar is occurred sporadically in Kermanshah Province. But presence of significant number of positive sera confirms the necessity for attention of people and clinicians to kala-azar.

Opinions about potential causes and triggers of intimate partner violence against women: a population-based study among married men from Kermanshah city, Iran.

This cross-sectional study forms part of a community-based social diagnosis in an Iranian city where different community members were approached regarding their opinions about what can cause and trigger intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). The study deals with the opinions of married men and looks for patterns of opinions and how those patterns relate to individual socio-demographic characteristics. It also discusses opinions expressed concerning the consequences of IPVAW. A workplace-based convenient sample of men from Kermanshah city filled in a standardised, self-administered questionnaire (n = 480, response rate 93%). By means of cluster analysis, four patterns of answers emerged: (1) regarding most items proposed as potential causes or triggers (33.3% of respondents); (2) not regarding them as potential causes or triggers (18.9%); (3) being ambivalent about their role (20.3%); (4) having mixed opinions but mainly not regarding them as potential causes and triggers (27.4%). Being less educated and a blue-collar worker were prominent attributes of those men inclined not to agree with the potential role played in IPVAW by the items proposed (class 2). Moreover, individual ethnicity and perpetration of non-physical violence against one's spouse had very little association with the patterns observed.