Showing 43 results for Men
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Volume 1, Issue 1 (5-2013)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Emotional intelligence contributes to the success in leadership, especially among nursing managers. This study sought to determine the relationship between the components of emotional intelligence and transformational-transactional leadership style among the heads of nursing education departments of Iranian medical universities.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling to select the managers of 68 nursing education departments from the country’s universities of medical sciences. Data were collected using the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory and Bass’s Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed with Pearson’s correlation coefficient, analysis of variance, and Student’s test in SPSS version 16.0.
Results: There was a direct, positive correlation between emotional intelligence and leadership style (P < 0.05 r = 0.36). The components of problem solving, happiness, independence, self-actualization, emotional self-awareness, interpersonal relationship, optimism, and accountability showed significant correlations with all leadership styles. However, impulse control was not significantly correlation with any of the leadership styles.
Conclusion: Considering the significant positive correlation between the components of emotional intelligence and leadership styles, training about emotional intelligence and its components and reinforcing the components of emotional intelligence can be beneficial to presenting leadership styles and thus more successful management.
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Volume 1, Issue 1 (5-2013)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Performance assessment is a powerful management tool in the development of human resources. For their survival in a competitive environment, universities should enhance their management knowledge and performance. Thus, the present study evaluated the application of performance management in Golestan University of Medical Sciences (Iran) from the viewpoint of faculty members.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 2012. A total of 136 faculty members of Golestan University of Medical Sciences were randomly selected. Data were collected using a reliable questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.76) developed by the researchers in Shiraz University (Iran). The questionnaires, comprising two dimensions of benefits and applicability of performance management in the university, were distributed among the participants and collected after completion. The obtained data were analyzed using inferential statistics.
Results: The studied faculty members reported the benefits of performance management and its dimensions, i.e. performance evaluation of faculty members and groups, support and improvement of performance of faculty members and groups, management of the groups, and comparison and ranking of the groups, to be at a desirable level. They considered “comparison and ranking of faculty members as acceptable. The applicability of performance management and its dimensions were also rated as acceptable. However, the benefit of performance management and its dimensions were rated significantly higher than the mean applicability and its dimensions in the university (P = 0.0001).
Conclusion: The participating faculty members suggested the applicability of performance management in the current conditions of the university. Meanwhile, the benefit of performance management was scored more favorably than its application.
Monavar Moradian Sorkhkalaee, Hasan Eftekhar, Saharnaz Nejat, Narges Saeepour, Sima Esmaeel Shemirzadi,
Volume 1, Issue 1 (10-2012)
Abstract
Background and objective:
Students are the most dynamic people in the society and their health is to a great extent a prerequisite for the health of most individuals in the society. This study was conducted to investigate the state of mental health and factors which influence it in the students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services.
Materials and Methods:
This descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 400 students of Tehran Medical Sciences University in the academic year 2010-2011. The number of studied subjects was determined according to the student population of each faculty and questionnaires were randomly distributed among them. The data collection tool in this study was the standard GHQ28 questionnaire. After collecting the data, analysis was done using SPSS.18 software, Chi-square test, T-test, and Regression Logestic.
Results:
25.52% of the attendants were healthy and 75.47% had suspected mental disorders. Also, regarding depression, 75.53% of people suffered from mental disorders and 25.46% were healthy.
Conclusion:
According to the achieved results, it seems that studying at university, facing educational problems and the existing conditions at university cause an increase in the rate of mental disorder among the students of Medical Sciences University.
Maryam Parvini, Parivar Kazem, Mohammad Javan,
Volume 1, Issue 2 (10-2013)
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells as the cells with a capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into various specific
cell types have been highly regarded in regenerative medicine studies. To repair the eye disease damages, the
differentiation into retinal pigment epithelial cells of pluripotent stem cells has gained great importance in
recent decades because the inappropriate function of these cells is the main cause of degenerative diseases such
as the age-related macular degeneration. Millions of people in the world suffer this disease.
To restore the damaged cells and, finally, to improve the vision, numerous studies have been conducted on using
pluripotent stem cells, their differentiation into retinal pigment epithelial cells, and finally, their application
in cell therapy. Based on this, many researchers have attempted to produce highly efficient retinal pigment
epithelial cells, such that they show a proper function after transplant, along with the host cells. In this review
article, the importance and the role of pigment epithelial cells, as well as, the studies on the in vitro production
of these cells were examined
Nasrin Kheibar, Soghra Nik-Pour, Eftekhar- Sadat Haji-Kazemi, Hamid Haghani, Maryam Dastoorpour,
Volume 2, Issue 1 (5-2014)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Control of hypertension is based on lifestyle modification. Group discussion can be considered as an efficient method for health education. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the effect of group discussion on the empowerment of patients with hypertension who were referred to two health centers in Tehran.
Method: This was a pretest-post test, quasi-experimental study in a group. The convenience sampling method was used by randomly selecting 36 patients with primary hypertension, aged 30-65 years. They were divided into 4 groups of 9 people. Since the comparison of groups was not taken into consideration, they were not homogenized. For each group, six 90-minute group discussion sessions were held. The tools included demographic information checklists and verbal empowerment questionnaire of Elhani et al with the scale of perceived intensity, perceived susceptibility, efficacy, and control axis. The data were calculated and analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test.
Results: The average age of the subjects was 54 ± 8.4 years and 34.4% of the participants had a history of hypertension for 5 years. Group discussions could lead to improve the average empowerment of individuals (P=0.04). Furthermore, among all the aspects of empowerment, group discussions had the greatest impact on the perception and sensitivity levels (P=0.001 and P=0.02 respectively).
Conclusion: In patients with hypertension, group discussions can lead to increased perception and sensitivity levels and also enhance the ability of individuals to control their lifestyles.
Sedigheh Moghasemi, Nezal Ajh, Taraneh Estaki, Parvin Mirmiran,
Volume 2, Issue 2 (10-2014)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Pregnant or lactating women and children are the two population group most vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies. The aim of this study was to review the nutritional status of lactating women, as one of the main loops of the chain of effective factors on health of the generation and society, assessing the supportive nutrition programs in Iran and to provide solutions in this regard. Method: This review was conducted in April 2014. All related articles on the databases of IranMedex, SID (Scientific Information database) and PubMed were investigated with no time limit. After reviewing the abstracts, 15 Persian articles and 13 English articles were fully reviewed. Results: The results of the few available studies on the nutritional status of lactating women indicate deficiencies or inappropriate nutritional patterns among lactating women. Although in formulation of nutritional strategies, pregnant or lactating women and children often receive equal attention, women are practically the target of nutrition and health programs to improve the growth of the fetus and little attention have been paid to their health and nutritional needs. Nutrition of lactating women have been forgotten and solely focus on prenatal nutrition of women means ignoring the more fundamental nutritional problem in women throughout their lives. Conclusion: Implementing a holistic approach to health and nutrition of women instead of the traditional approach, which focuses solely on a particular period of life, leads to health promotion and ensuring the health of women and the next generation.
Esmael Ghahremani, Afshin Maleki, Somayeh Ghafouri, Nasrin Feyzi, Shahram Sadeghi,
Volume 2, Issue 2 (10-2014)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Cattle Slaughterhouses are one of the main centers of wastewater producing facilities with high pollution load, which in the absence of proper treatment can cause a lot of environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Industrial slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plant in the city of Sanandaj in 2012.
Method: This is a cross-sectional study which was conducted in the laboratory of faculty of health, university of medical sciences in Sanandaj in the year 2012 for three months. Weekly tests of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) and in total 24 times sampling of input and output for the treatment plant was performed instantly. The experiments were based on the latest proposed method in the book of standard method (the Examination of Water and Wastewater) and at the end, Microsoft EXCEL software was used for data analysis.
Results: The average COD, BOD and TSS entering the plant were 2036.69 ± 61, 1216.5 ± 220 and 791.12 ± 147 milligrams per liter and their average output from the plant were 747.71 ± 17, 517.5 ± 8 and 306.51 ± 8 milligrams per liter and the total average of removal efficiency for each of these parameters were 63.29 ± 3 percent, 57.45 ± 2 percent and 61.25 ± 5 percentage respectively.
Conclusion: The quality of output effluent from treatment plant of cattle slaughterhouse in Sanandaj, in almost all months was not according to effluent disposal standards and generally, the efficiency of this treatment plant is not desirable in removal of contaminants. Therefore, its efficiency should be improved by using appropriate methods.
Samaneh Taghilou, Mirjamal Hosseini,
Volume 3, Issue 2 (10-2015)
Abstract
The dialkyl- or alkyl/aryl esters of 1, 2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, which are known as Phthalates, are high-production volume synthetic chemicals and considered as environmental pollutants, due to high production and uses in community, plastics industry and common consuming products. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most abundant phthalate in the environment. Human exposure with DEHP could be done via different chemical compounds including food packaging, household furnishings, nutritional supplements, cleaning materials and insecticides. Besides, exposure of human with phthalates occurs through different pathways such as direct contact and using Phthalate-containing products, and indirectly through leaching into other products, or general environmental contaminations. Historically, the diet has been considered the major source of phthalate exposure in the general population, but in all sources, pathways, and their relative contributions to human exposures are not well understood. Medical devices are other source of significant exposure in human. Furthermore, cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, herbal remedies and insecticides, may result in significant but poorly quantified human exposure with this compounds. In the present review article, we tried to discuss about metabolism of phthalates in human, toxicity, monitoring of phthalates in foods, environment, and cosmetic products and then metabolites of phthalates. Finally, evaluation of human exposure through biological control is discussed.
Afshin Salahian, Hasan Gharibi, Neda Malekpour, Noshin Salahian,
Volume 3, Issue 2 (10-2015)
Abstract
Background and objective: According to the high and increasing prevalence of internet addiction, and the fact that little research has been done on the predictors of internet addiction in Iran, the purpose of this study was to examine the role of predictor variables of mental health and personality subscales in internet addiction of students in medical and non-medical universities of Sanandaj in 2014.
Methods: The Method of this research was correlation and the statistical population were all of medical and non-medical students of Sanandaj Universities in 2014. In this study, 250 students (125 female and 125 male), were randomly selected, and completed the checklist of mental health symptoms, NEO personality questionnaire, and internet addiction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation, stepwise regression, and T test by SPSS software version 20.
Results: The results indicated that obsession-compulsion, openness, consciousness, aggression and somatization subscales had predictor roles in internet addiction, and totally 51 percent of variances predicted the internet addiction (F=29.97; P=0.001).
Conclusion: The internet addiction of university students is dependent upon their mental health and personality, and one can predict the internet addiction of students via subscales of mental health and personality.
Towhid Babazadeh, Morteza Banaye Jeddi, Davood Shojaeizadeh, Fatemeh Moradi, Katayoon Mirzaeian, Elham Gheysvandi,
Volume 4, Issue 2 (10-2016)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Family-centered empowerment model is one of the patterns in the area of empowering patients in modification of risky behaviors. According to extensive health and economic consequences of brucellosis in the community, we decided to evaluate the effect of this pattern in risk behavior modification in patients with brucellosis.
Methods: The current study was a quasi-experimental study that was performed on 76 individuals with brucellosis in Chalderan County, 2013. All of the patients were allocated in intervention and control groups using stratified randomiztion. Data was collected using a standardized researcher-made questionnaire based on family-centered empowerment model in five structures including knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, self-esteem and behavior in two phases. The first stage was before the educational intervention and the second stage was performed two months after the intervention. To analyze data statistically, descriptive statistics and paired and independent t tests with the significance level of 0.05 were used.
Results: Mean and standard deviation of the patients' ages was 37.9 ± 14.7. Paired t-test results showed that the mean scores of knowledge (p<0.001), attitudes (p<0.001), self efficacy (p<0.001), self-esteem (p<0.001) and behavior (p<0.001) were significantly increased within the intervention group. However, the changes were not significant in the mean scores of knowledge (p=0.293), attitudes (p=0.106), self efficacy (p=0.225), self-esteem (p=0.105) and behavior (p=0.303) in the control group. According to the results of independent t-test, the mean scores increased considerably in all structures within the intervention group in comparison to the control group after the educational intervention (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Regular interventional programs and applying educational theories could be an effective method in high risk behavior modification in patients with brucellosis. Therefore, such programs should be implemented in a wide range.
Marzieh Latifi, Mahem Kamran Toraj, Abdurrahman Charkazi, Sakineh Graylou,
Volume 4, Issue 2 (10-2016)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Iron deficiency anemia is the most common hematologic problem during pregnancy. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women referring to health care centers in Bandar Turkmen city in 2013.
Methods: In the present descriptive study, 544 pregnant women were enrolled using census method of samplinig from urban health centers of Bandar Turkmen city . Data was collected using a check list and was analyzed by spearman correlation, linear regression, kruskal wallis and Wilcoxon descriptive and analitical tests using SPSS 15.
Results: Iron deficiency anemia was diagnosed among 13.4% of pregnant women during 6-10 weeks of pregnancy. Spearman correlation results showed a positive significant correlation between age and hemoglobin level in the secound stage. Wilcoxon results showed a significant difference between hemoglobin levels of first and secound stages. Linear regression results showed a significant correlation between age and iron deficiency anemia, while kruskal wallis results revealed a significant relationship between Hematocrit levels within Trimesters.
Conclusions: According to the high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among pregnant women, especially during secound and trimesters, pregnant women should be educated in terms of lifestyle modification and compensating nutritional deficiencies.
Azita Fathnezhad Kazemi, Nasibe Sharifi, Dr Masoomeh Simbar,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (5-2017)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Nowadays, the participation of men in prenatal care is emphasized by international institutions to improve the health and reduce mortality of mothers and children. The purpose of this study was to review the various aspects of men participation in prenatal care.
Methods: All of the articles published since 2005 to 2016 containing full texts which were archived in SID, Medlib, Magiran, IranMedex, Google Scholar and Pubmed were searched with the keywords of “Men” and “the empowerment of women with prenatal care” in both Persian and English languages. After the initial investigation and search on the basis of sources, a total of 7 Persian and 28 English articles were included in this study.
Results: The results showed that the participation of men in prenatal care exerts positive effects on mother-infant outcomes. Increasing the expectations of women and core families are of the most important reasons showing the necessity of men participation in prenatal care. However, despite the positive attitude of couples towards men's participation, barriers such as lack of awareness among men and their undefined role in the field of prenatal care, economic and cultural issues and health system problems are the obstacles for men to cooperate in prenatal care.
Conclusion: Considering the important role of men in different areas of women's life and the positive effects of their participation in reproductive health of women, different strategies should be used to promote men's participation in order to introduce them to different aspects of fertility. Therefore, further research in this field seems necessary.
Dr Jahangir Karami, Dr Kamran Yazdanbakhsh, Parvaneh Karimi,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (5-2017)
Abstract
Background & Objective: According to the importance of somatization disorder in women, this study was conducted to investigate the mediating role of attachment styles in relationship with temperament and character dimensions of personality and somatization disorder among female teachers in Kermanshah city.
Methods: The study population consisted of all female teachers working in Kermanshah educational system in 2013-2014. The sample population included 300 teachers who were allocated by multistep cluster sampling. They were asked to complete Cloninger Temperament and character Inventor Questionnaire (TCI), somatization questionnaire and Adult Attachment Styles Inventory Questionnaire (AII). The data analysis was done by correlation coefficient calculation and path analysis using SPSS 21.0 and Amos 18.0 software.
Results: Our findings showed that there was a significant correlation between anxiety and avoidance attachment styles and dimensions of personality with somatoform disorder. However, the relationship between safe attachment style and physical disorder was not significant.
Conclusion: Temperament and character dimensions of personality result in somatization disorder when the insecure internal models which are set according to the framework of mother-neonate attachment relationships had been formed.
Dr Mahsa Saadati,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (10-2017)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Migration, in any forms and by any motivations or outcomes, as a demographic phenomenon, has various cultural and socio-economic effects on local, regional, national and international levels. On the other hand, fertility plays an important role in health and population studies and researchers have examined its changes and trends in various aspects. The aim of this research was modeling the mean number of children ever born (CEB) for women who have left their cities or villages and migrated to Tehran city using regression tree model.
Methods: Data was obtained from 2% of raw data from the census of 2011 and analyzed by regression tree model. Tree models are nonparametric statistical techniques which do not need complicated and unreachable assumptions of traditional parametric ones and have a considerable accuracy of modeling. These models are associated with simple interpretation of results. Therefore, they have been used by researches in many fields such as social sciences.
Results: Age, educational level, job status, cause of migration, internet use for urban migrant women and age for rural migrant women were assumed as influential covariates in predicting the mean number of CEB.
Conclusion: Regression tree findings revealed that urban migrants who were in higher age groups, lower educational levels, unemployed and have not used internet have had more mean number of CEBs.
Seyed Farid Nourbakhsh, Reza Fadayevatan, Mahtab Alizadeh-Khoei, Farshad Sharifi,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (10-2017)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Dementia is associated with serious effects on memory, cognition and ability to carry out daily activities. There is evidence that impairment in activity of daily living (ADL) is even reported among elder patients who suffer from mild cognitive disorders. Therefore, we aimed to determine the status of ADL and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) in healthy and cognitive impaired elderlies (MCI, Mild, and Moderate dementia).
Methods: In this cross-sectional study which was conducted in 2016, 300 elderlies (60 years and above) were selected using a classified cluster sampling in four groups (each group of 75 individuals). These groups comprised of healthy old people and elderlies with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild to moderate dementia that were residing in rural areas of Isfahan and Tehran and were classified between stages of 1 to 5 according to the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). All individuals in four groups were assessed by ADL and IADL evaluation tools. The geriatric depression scale (GDS-15) and DSM-IV scale were performed on healthy elderlies by a physician to confirm the lack of mild dementia or depression. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software and using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and independent samples T-test.
Results: According to the cognitive impairment screening results by GDS, 76 elderlies were healthy, 75 were in MCI group, 72 individuals were diagnosed with mild dementia and 77 were suffering from moderate dementia. The mean scores of ADL tool on the basis of different cognitive stages of elderlies were statistically significant (p<0.001). The ADL scores among elderlies were lowered by increasing the severity of cognitive impairment. Moreover, the average scores of IADL among elderlies with different cognitive status were significantly different (p<0.001). The IADL scores in cases with moderate dementia were markedly declined in comparison to healthy subjects and elderlies with MCI and mild dementia.
Conclusion: Although applying the ADL and IADL tools are not considered as gold standards in rapid assessment of cognitive impairments among elderlies, they could be considered as useful and user friendly tools to detect performance alterations in elderlies with dementia to provide healthcare by geriatric teams.
Danial Bagheri, Dr Reza Ali Mohseni, Dr Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Mahdavi,
Volume 6, Issue 1 (3-2018)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Environmental pollution is a major cause of various diseases. Massive production of hospital, industrial, and household wastes lead to several health issues, threatening community health on a daily basis. The present study aimed to determine the association between socioeconomic status and pro-environmental behaviors in the citizens of Gorgan, Iran.
Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 400 citizens of Gorgan. Participants were divided into three regions based on urban categorization. Data were collected using demographic and socioeconomic questionnaires. To assess environmental behaviors, a standard questionnaire was used based on the Dunlap spectrum. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 using the analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-test and factor analysis.
Results: No positive significant correlation was observed between gender and environmental behaviors. The results of ANOVA showed a significant association between marital status and environmental behaviors. In addition, the results of factor analysis indicated that five factors explained 55.49% of environmental behaviors. The results of ANOVA also demonstrated that middle-class citizens had a more responsible attitude toward the environment compared to others (P<0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results, socioeconomic status influenced the social value orientations and responsible behaviors of individuals toward the environment. Therefore, increasing the quality of life and providing comprehensive education could enhance pro-environmental behaviors and promote community health.
Dr Babak Moeini, Hamid Abbasi, Maryam Afshari, Morteza Haji Hosseini, Soheila Rashidi,
Volume 6, Issue 1 (3-2018)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Admission to university is an important event in the life of youth in every country. Homesickness is one of the most significant issues faced by university students during their education life. The present study aimed to determine the association between homesickness, happiness and the related factors in the dormitory students in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 387 dormitory students at Hamedan University of Medical Sciences in Hamedan, Iran during February-March 2015. Subjects were selected via stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. Data were collected using self-report and using demographic and contextual questionnaires, Fenfelit homesickness questionnaire, and oxford happiness questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 23 using Pearson’s correlation-coefficient and general linear model (GLM) at the significance level of 0.05.
Results: The mean score of homesickness in both genders had a significant difference (P=0.009). In addition, the mean score of happiness differed in terms of economic status. Homesickness was negatively correlated with the happiness score, so that increased homesickness was associated with reduced happiness. Variables of homesickness, age, internet use, maternal education, health status, economic status, and education level could significantly predict happiness.
Conclusion: Mental health of students in dormitories is of paramount importance. Therefore, interventions and preventive programs must recognize the causes of happiness, and appropriate interventions should be developed and implemented based on the influential factors in this regard.
Shima Kazemi Malek Mahmoudi *, Kiomars Niaz Azari, Negin Jabari,
Volume 6, Issue 2 (6-2018)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: Knowledge-based economy is one of the major parts of the resistance economy and is recognized as the essentials of the information technology age. As one of the most important educational units and the custodian of community health, universities of medical sciences play a pivotal role in the success of resistance economy based on the knowledge-based economy. Among the employees of a university, the managers and faculty members play an important role in this regard. This study aimed to explain the dimensions of the resistance economy based on the knowledge-based economy in universities of medical sciences.
Materials and Methods: This qualitative research had a purposeful sampling method. Data were collected via library and field research. In the library method, the relevant specialized scientific texts and resources were exploited, whereas in the fieldwork, the researcher interviewed 24 faculty members. The interviews continued until saturation, and after being recorded, they were transcribed in Word software, coded, classified, and encoded by Microsoft OneNote. After that, the interviews were analyzed. It is notable that ethical considerations were observed during the research process. In the field method, the texts and books were evaluated and information searched in scientific and specialized websites. In addition, relevant articles recently published in valid international journals were translated, and primary data with the topic of translation were collected. In the field research and after coordination with faculty members and main elites with a history of article or innovation production or a management background, the opinions of the interviewees were asked about some questions in a semi-structured manner. In addition, three-stage coding, open coding, axial coding, and selective coding were applied in the research. To perform open coding, the main sentences were recorded as codes, followed by classifying the similar codes. In axial coding, the classes were related to their subclasses by comparing the primary classes of open coding and revolving the ones that resembled around the common axis. In selective coding, the integration and refining process of the categories was performed to form and present the model, and the dimensions were extracted and explained.
Results: From the perspective of the faculty members and key experts, resistance economy based on knowledge-based economy in universities of medical sciences could be explained in dimensions of information and communications technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in medical sciences, human resources and knowledge-based team, administrative and structural system, resources of equipment and abilities, policy and socio-environmental impacts. Each of these dimensions also included sub-groups and special themes.
Conclusion: According to the results of the study, it could be stated that moving towards the knowledge-based economy is one of the requirements of the country on the path to economic development, which involves dimensions such as information and communications technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, specialized knowledge-generating team, strategic planning and policy-making, formulating and ensuring the legal framework and legal system, supplying and developing electronic infrastructures, and paying attention to capabilities and resources of facilities.
Golnesa Dadkhah, Hadi Bazzazi, Yaghoub Yazdani,
Volume 6, Issue 3 (9-2018)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex and systemic inflammatory disease in which the immune response is disturbed. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter regions of regulatory cytokines including interleukin-10 (IL-10) may lead to exacerbated immune response and increased risk of RA. Here, we aimed to assess the association of IL-10 -1082 (G/A) (rs1800896) promoter polymorphism with the susceptibility to RA in a population in northeast of Iran.
Methods: A total of 130 RA patients and 128 sex- and age- matched healthy donors were enrolled. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the polymorphic regions and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique was applied to detect rs1800896. SPSS 22.0 software was used to analyze data statistically.
Results: Our findings revealed that G allele was significantly associated with the increased risk of RA [OR = 1.88, 95% CI (1.32–2.66), P-value = 0.0001] in patients. Setting AA genotype as the reference, the AG [OR = 2.93, 95% CI (1.68–5.12), P-value = 0.0001] and GG [OR = 5.73, 95% CI (2.30–14.23), P-value = 0.0001] genotypes were significantly associated with RA susceptibility.
Conclusion: The present study suggests that the IL-10 -1082 (G/A) genetic variants are associated with RA susceptibility, but not with the disease activity. While this is the first time to report such an association in a population in northeast of Iran, further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Roohollah Gholikhani, Farbod Ebadi Fard Azar, Mohammad Javad Kabir, Mohammad Mehdi Tadayon,
Volume 6, Issue 4 (12-2018)
Abstract
Background & Objctives: With regard to unclear government approach in the insurance sector, multiplicity of rules, high share of households, improper population coverage and lack of cost-effective interventions, this study aimed to analyze the current status of basic health insurance in Iran and its distance from the desirable status according to upstream documents. In addition, we attempted to propose a strategy in this regard.
Methods: This qualitative research was performed in 2017 in four stages of analysis of the current status of upstream documents and laws, round-table discussions of policy-makers, and presenting political options. In total, 20 subjects were selected by targeted sampling method with maximum diversity and based on the saturation rule. Data were collected by document analysis and interviews with authorities. Moreover, data were analyzed applying content analysis and the deductive approach.
Results: The results were classified into five areas of population coverage, financial resources management, financial protection of insured individuals, strategic purchasing, policy-making, and structure. There was a significant distance between the desirable status based on upstream documents and laws and the current status. Recommendations: eliminating conflicts of interest in decision-making areas, complying with the public interest in making health decisions, observing the principles of the evaluation of regulatory effects, and assessing the economic and social effects of health decisions.
Conclusion: Despite the successful global experiences, the recommendations of the World Health Organization, and the existence of several optimal structures, proper models must be considered by the health system of the country through observing the relevant mechanisms and necessities.
