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Objectives: The present study was conducted to examine the relationship between smartphone dependency and its effect on clinical tasks of nurses in educational and medical centers of Hamadan, in western Iran. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 248 nurses were selected via the proportional allocation sampling method. The required data were collected using a self-report, reliable and validated questionnaire, covering patterns of smartphone use, smartphone dependency, effects of smartphone dependency, and influence of smartphone on the clinical performance of nurses. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Results: The average age of the participants was 30.43 (± 5.68) years. The average smartphone dependency, effects of smartphone dependency, and clinical performance of the examined nurses were, respectively, 38.65 (20.93), 20.78 (13.90), and 29.48 (10.03). Clinical performance of nurses decreased with age (P = 0.02) and increase of smartphone dependency (P = 0.02), effects of smartphone dependency (P ≤ 0.001), and smartphone use while working (P ≤ 0.001). Higher work experience (P = 0.02) and the application of smartphone multiple capabilities (P = 0.02) had positive effects on the clinical performance of the examined nurses. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that using smartphones affects the clinical performance of nurses, and if not well managed, it can lead to some physical, psychological, and social problems for the individual nurse, patients, and society. Thus, training nurses and developing regulations for the use of smartphones in the workplace must be considered by the relevant authorities.
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BACKGROUND: Dental caries among Iranian elementary school children aged 6-12 years continue to rise. To estimate treatment needs and guide health initiatives, current epidemiologic data are required. Such data are currently unavailable for dental health. The purpose of this study was to assess caries experience, dental plaque, and associated factors in elementary school-aged children from Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 988 elementary school children aged 7-12 years were selected by multistage cluster sampling. Dental caries was studied using the WHO criteria, dental plaque was examined according to O'Leary index. Data on parental education and occupation, living district, dental pain within the past year, and tooth brushing habits under parental supervision were collected through interviews based on questionnaire. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and logistic and linear regression. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of the elementary school children was 9.64 (1.73) years. The highest dmft was seen in elementary school children aged 7-8 years 6.53 (4.37) and the highest DMFT and dental plaque was in 12 year olds recorded as 1.17 (1.77) and 51.97 (25.86), respectively. The proportion of decayed teeth in 7 years old elementary school based on dmft index was 80.36%, moreover, the proportion in 12 years old elementary school was 40.17% based on the DMFT index. Age, gender, and dental pain within the past year were significantly associated with DMFT and dmft. The odds of developing dental caries (DMFT) was 1.70 times higher in girls than in boys (p < 0.001) and 1.72 times higher in the students that reported dental pain frequently than in those who did not (p = 0.005). The chance of developing dental caries (dmft) was 0.47 times lower in girls than boys (p < 0.001). Age was significantly correlated with dental plaque such that Plaque Index increased by 2.44 times per one year increase in age (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Results indicated that dental caries experience and plaque formation among elementary school children in Hamadan were high and they were influenced by their sociodemographic factors. The associations found can be used as a helpful guide for planning accurate preventive programs for elementary school children in this region.
