Pattern of Use of Earphone and Music Player Devices among Iranian Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: There is no information about the pattern of use of earphones and music players in Iranian adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and pattern of the use of earphone and music player devices as a main risk factor for hearing loss in adolescents of Tabriz city, northwest of Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study in November 2011, 2,359 high school students were randomly selected and were asked to complete a 20-item questionnaire about the pattern of using earphones and music players. RESULTS: The results showed that 44.3% [confidence interval (CI) 95%: 38.3-50.3] of the respondents had a history of hearing problems that was significantly different between males and females (42.2% of males and 47% of females, p: 0.02). Notably, 36.8% of the participants stated that they listened to music without any rest or stop. Almost 49.6% (CI 95%: 44.4-54.4) of the students reported listening to 'somewhat loud' (gain setting at 50%) or 'very loud' (gain setting more than 50%) volume level of music. In terms of the kind of earphones, 17.1% of the participants used headphones, 34.8% used earbud-style headphones, 32.3% used supra-aural headphones, and 15.8% of them did not use any type of earphones. CONCLUSIONS: Students have risky patterns of using earphones and music-listening devices. Planning educational programs in this domain for adolescents especially in high schools is necessary.

Effectiveness of presence of physician and midwife in quantity and quality of family planning services in health care centers.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Iran's health sector has been engaging the services of physicians and midwives in healthcare centers since 2005, with the hope of improving the quantity and quality of family planning services. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of serving physicians and midwives on the quantity and quality of family planning services in the healthcare centers of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study (Jan 2010 until Sep 2011) was carried out on 600 eligible families who were clients of healthcare centers of Tabriz, Azarshahr and Osku, cities of Northwest Iran from 2006 until 2011, in two groups (before and after). Some of the characteristics of the participants and the data on the quality and quantity of family planning services provided were grouped in a checklist of 16 variables by comparing the patients' past medical histories. RESULTS: In comparison with 3 years prior to engaging physician and midwife services in health care centers, the Couple Year Protection (CYP) and the quantity of family planning service indexes significantly increased among eligible families. The family size of participants declined significantly after family physicians and midwives became available in the healthcare centers (P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Our findings showed some improvement in the quantity of services without any noticeable changes in the quality of services provided as a consequence of this huge intervention. Therefore, it is suggested that there should be proper oversight of the duties of the health team in order to keep a close watch on primary healthcare, design of proper mechanisms for collecting and maintaining performance reports and statistics, and continuously monitor and control the quality of services.

Sexual function in breastfeeding women in family health centers of tabriz, iran, 2012.

INTRODUCTION: There are conflicting evidences about the effects of breastfeeding on postpartum maternal sexual functioning. With regard to the methodological weaknesses of previous studies and cultural differences affecting their issue, the present study aims to evaluate sexual functions of lactating women and its components. METHODS: This is a descriptive study in which 200 eligible postpartum women were selected from eight health centers of Tabriz (25 from each center). The eligible women were called and invited to attend the health center. The evaluation was performed using the Persian version of normalized questionnaire of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The participants' sexual function scores above 28 were considered desirable (regarding the cut-off point mentioned in the Persian version of the questionnaire). RESULTS: Almost all of the lactating women suffered from sexual dysfunctions. Regarding the sexual performance's components the lowest scores were for libido and sexual arousal. CONCLUSION: According to the findings of the studies, in order to prevent the effects of sexual dysfunction on lactating women and their family members it is necessary to develop sexual health programs in health centers.

Self-Care Behaviors among Patients with Heart Failure in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Recovery from heart failure and dealing with its effects is significantly influenced by patient's self-care. In order to maximize the effects of behavioral interventions and for educational planning, it is essential to know how much experience and information do patients with heart failure have about their disease and self-care behaviors. The present study aimed to identify self-care behaviors in patients with heart failure. METHODS: Eighty heart failure patients hospitalized in Shahid Madani Training Center in Tabriz, Iran, participated in this study. Data collection was done through Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) that contained 22 questions in three sections including self-care behaviors, self-care management and confidence in performing self-care behaviors. RESULTS: The patient's self-care behaviors in three behavioral sub categories of maintaining, managing and confidence were low. The most repeated self-care behavior in the participating patients was taking medication and visiting the doctor. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed low levels of self-care behaviors in patients with heart failure, which notes the need for patient empowerment. It is necessary to develop appropriate strategies in this regard by the authorities.

Prevalence of professional burnout and its related factors among nurses in Tabriz in 2010.

INTRODUCTION: Burnout is a syndrome containing three dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduction of personal accomplishment. Nurses are exposed to professional burnout (PB) due to their exposure to physical, mental, and emotional stressors, which can lead to numerous complications in their personal, social, and organizational life. This study aimed to define the prevalence of PB amongst nurses working in hospitals in Tabriz and to detect its related effective factors in 2010. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional analytical study conducted on all selected nurses working in hospitals in Tabriz. The questionnaires were filled and returned by 712 subjects after taking their consent. The data were collected by a questionnaire including questions on demographic characteristics and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Independent t-test was employed to compare mean quantitative variables in two groups of individuals with and without PB. Chi-square test was also adopted to compare the prevalence of PB in levels of qualitative variables. Logistic regression test was employed for multiple analyses of PB related factors. In this analysis, variables in level of 0.2 which had an association with PB as a single variable were entered to the model. RESULTS: Among the nurses taking part in the study, 156 (21.9%, CI 95%: 19.0-25.1) suffered from PB based on its definition. The risk of burnout is increased by 1.12-folds for each overwork night shift. Higher education increases professional burnout by 3.17-folds. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of burnout among nurses in Tabriz was revealed. Night shift and education level were shown to have an association with professional burnout.