ایران

The present study investigated the prevalence of intestinal parasites in individuals who referred to hospitals affiliated with Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, from 2019 to 2023.

The present descriptive study was conducted cross-sectionally and consisted of 5,976 individuals referring to the hospitals with gastrointestinal. To describe the data, mean (standard deviation) and number (percentage) were used according to the studied groups.

The results of the study showed that 1,510 people were diagnosed positive. The highest rate of infection by intestinal protozoa was related to Giardia, affecting 528 people (8.8%), while the lowest rate of infection was related to Endolimax nana, affecting 10 people (0.16%). The highest prevalence rate of infections by intestinal worms was related to Entrobius vermicularis, with 64 people (1.07%), whereas the lowest prevalence rate was associated with Trichuris trichiura, with 19 cases (0.31%). 

The comparison of the percentage of pollution in the current study with other relevant studies in the past years showed that the prevalence of intestinal parasitic diseases in this region has decreased significantly, similar to other regions of the country. At the same time, the rate of infection by intestinal protozoa is significantly higher than by intestinal worms. This issue can be due to their direct and easier transmission compared to the worm eggs or larvae.

Scientometric studies in various dental specialties are relatively scarce. This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the research scholarly output of Iran regarding orthodontic-related research, based on data retrieved from the Scopus citation database using SciVal.
The SciVal platform was utilized to analyze all documents relevant to orthodontics published in Iran from January 2014 to December 2023. Key indicators examined included FWCI (Field-Weighted Citation Impact), the number of published scientific documents, the extent of international collaboration, the main topics of the articles, and the journals in which these articles were published.
The findings revealed that the number of Iran's scientific papers published in the filed of orthodontics increased by 94.4% from 2014 to 2023, accounting for 3.3% of all scholarly orthodontic articles globally. A remarkable 25.5-fold increase in the number of Q1 articles from Iran was observed in 2023 compared to 2014. However, the FWCI declined from 0.93 to 0.61. Among the articles published over the past decade, the topics of adhesives and bonding had the highest number of publications. Additionally, the number of internationally co-authored documents in 2023 showed a 2.5-fold increase compared to 2014.
Iran's scientific output in orthodontics has shown an increasing trend, indicating the potential for further growth. With meticulous planning and strategic measures, this field could be distinguished as a leading area of scientific production in the country.

Accreditation as an external assessment model is considered a key program for evaluating health care organizations. The new health service accreditation system in Iran seems to lack the necessary standards for evaluating outpatient services and general clinics. The objective of this study was to design, based on the experiences of other countries, a model for accreditation of general clinics in Iran

This research was a qualitative review study conducted in two phases First, the methods and standards of accreditation of general clinics of selected countries were identified through a comparative review. In the second phase, the conceptual framework of the accreditation of these clinics was developed by an expert panel.

The proposed framework for the accreditation of clinics starts with registering the application in the system and updating the information. After the clinic's self-evaluation and external evaluation, amendments will be made.The key areas proposed for the accreditation of clinics included management and leadership, information management, process management, human resource management, salaries,  and operational results. The country's clinics can be ranked in five levels, namely, excellent, good, average, poor, and substandard.

Considering the processes and areas determined in this study and the lack of a systematic approach, the proposed accreditation model could provide a scientific and practical method for the internal and external evaluating bodies to provide a relevant and valid evaluation of the general outpatient clinics in Iran.

Mortality statistics are among the important health indicators. Despite some studies on the mortality of Iranian older adults, these are not adequately considered compared with other demographic groups. The current study aims to investigate the causes and trends of mortality among Iranian older adults and compare them with global statistics.

In the current study, the World Health Organization's (WHO) available data on the causes of death for different sexes, age groups, and countries were analyzed. After calculation and raking of cause-specific death rates and proportional mortality from the specific diseases, 5 main causes of death and 20 diseases with the highest specific death rates among Iranian older men and women, 60-70 and over 70 years age groups, were reported and compared. 

The main groups of cardiovascular diseases (47.75%), malignancies (22.56%), diabetes (5.98%), unintentional injuries (4.86%), and pulmonary diseases (4.53%) were the most common causes of death in the age group of 60-69 in 2019. Meanwhile, in the age group of 70 years and older, cardiovascular diseases (54. 09%), malignancies (15.71%), neurologic disorders including dementias (6.80%), pulmonary diseases (5.42%) and diabetes (4.15%) were the leading causes of death. 

Examining the top 20 causes of mortality shows significant differences in the pattern and rate of mortality between the two age groups of under and over 70 years old. Since the complications of some diseases that are common causes of death in older people, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, are largely preventable, more actions are recommended to identify, control, and prevent the complications of these diseases.

The increase in the older population over the past decades has become a global phenomenon, so it is necessary to make appropriate policies for improving the welfare and well-being of this group. There is little consensus in the theoretical field regarding the concept of well-being. Therefore, this study examines the dimensions and indicators of the seniors' well-being in the published studies in this field.

Arksey and O'Malley's six-stage methodological framework for scoping reviews guided this scoping literature review. This study has reviewed all English and Persian papers published in the last 20 years that have examined the dimensions and indicators of well-being in older people. After screening, 25 studies were included in the analysis. 

The dominant approach to study well-being in older people is a multiple approach, exploring a combination of objective and subjective dimensions. The most mentioned dimensions are health status, mental well-being, social relationships, living environment, economic status, resources, and capabilities. The well-being indicators are presented in a multifaceted model according to individual, family, local, and social levels.

Policymaking for seniors' well-being needs to consider objective and subjective dimensions and different indicators based on the context of society.

Wearing face mask is an effective public health measure in epidemics, and it could be an important way to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. The present study was conducted aiming to assess community response to wearing face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.

This was cross-sectional study. A random sample was selected and examined by from January to February 2023. A self-designed questionnaire was used for online data collection. The data was analyzed using SPSS V.21 software.

We received 881 completed questionnaires. Of these 522 (59.3%) were women and 359 (40.7%) were men. The results showed that 97% of the participants used face mask. Difficulty in breathing was the most important reason for not wearing face mask. Pearson's correlation results showed that gender (r=0.091, p=0.001) and education (r=0.055, p=0.021) did not have a strong effect on the use of masks. Although Pearson's correlation findings showed that the probability of contracting COVID-19 increased by reuse of a mask (r=0.055, p=0.05), but this effect was not significant. No significant relationship was observed between the time pattern of changing the mask and contracting Covid-19 (r=0.41, p=0.089).

This study showed that the face mask use during the outbreak of the covid-19 by the Iranian population was promising.

The pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a threatening and potentially traumatic event, causing psychological problems among communities. So far, few studies have evaluated the psychological impact of COVID-19-related deaths on the mental health of bereaved people. This study aimed to assess the mental health of individuals who lost a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sanandaj, Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the family members of the deceased confirmed COVID-19 patients living in Sanandaj, Iran, in 2020 – 2021. A total of 405 participants completed the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) anonymously after obtaining informed consent and entered the study.

The mean age of the participants was 39.87 ± 8.31 years. Most participants (76.8%) reported only mild to moderate symptoms, whereas 5.4% indicated severe symptoms, and 17.8% reported no mental health difficulties. The depression dimension was more prevalent in the mothers, daughters, and sisters of the deceased, and the percentage of disorder in the obsessive-compulsive and paranoid ideation dimensions was more prevalent in women and unemployed people, respectively.

According to our results, COVID-19-related death negatively affected the mental health of a relative. Given the pandemic's possible long-term mental health effects, planning to improve mental health in vulnerable groups should be considered for the post-COVID-19 era.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a significant shock to healthcare systems worldwide, including Iran. The mental health of nurses, who have been at the forefront of the fight against the virus, has been profoundly impacted. This study aims to examine the mental health status of Iranian nurses during the pandemic.

This rapid review was conducted by searching keywords such as "Mental Health," "Nurse," and "COVID-19" in databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Mag Iran, and Civilica. Articles were selected based on their titles, abstracts, and full texts in alignment with the study’s research objectives.

The reviewed studies revealed a range of mental health disorders among nurses working in COVID-19 wards, with stress, anxiety, and depression being the most common. Several factors, such as demographic variables and the specific departments where nurses served, were identified as influencing their mental health. Given that the mental health of nurses affects the quality of care, resilience, and job satisfaction, various strategies have been proposed to improve their mental health.

The findings suggest that the mental health status of nurses is not at an optimal level, and neglecting this issue could lead to long-term harm to the healthcare system and its economic stability. It is recommended that healthcare managers and policymakers implement appropriate measures to address this critical concern.

Hearing impairment in neonates is one of the most significant public health challenges that can lead to substantial consequences, including delayed language and cognitive development and a reduced quality of life. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hearing impairments in neonates in Iran using a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, SID, and Magiran databases were systematically searched until January 2025. A hand search was also conducted in relevant review articles and key study sources. The language of the studies was limited to Persian and English. Risk of bias in the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale checklist. Data analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 3 software.

A total of 26 studies, including 341,944 neonates, were selected and included in the study. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of hearing impairment and hearing loss in neonates was 0.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.004–0.01, p < 0.05) and 2% (95% CI: 0.007–0.08, p < 0.05), respectively. The prevalence of hearing impairment in male and female neonates was 5% (95% CI: 0.02–0.12, p < 0.05) and 3% (95% CI: 0.01–0.08, p < 0.05), respectively. Publication bias was observed in the study (p < 0.05).

The findings of the present study demonstrate that hearing impairment in neonates is a serious health problem in Iran that requires immediate attention and intervention. Preventive and diagnostic measures should be prioritized to help improve the hearing status of neonates and prevent its negative consequences on their development.

Hemophilia A has received attention in Iran due to its significant patient population and number of complications and comprises a major healthcare challenge in the southwestern region. Several factors contribute to the prevalence and incidence of hemophilia A in southwestern Iran, including genetic predisposition, consanguineous marriages, and limited access to comprehensive healthcare services. This study aimed to investigate the common haplotypes of hemophilia A in this region of our country.

Medical record data of patients with hemophilia A over 14 years from 2009 to 2023 were entered into a questionnaire, including age, gender, form or severity of the disease, the most common bleeding site, survival rate, cause of death, place of residence, blood type, ethnicity, family relationship, and mutation type. The severity of the disease was determined based on the results of the patient's factor VIII levels, and the mutation type was determined based on molecular testing and sequencing (mutation determination by direct method or gene linkage study, including VNTR).

Of the 40 patients in this study, three were female (7.5%), and 37 were male (92.5%). The most common disease form was severe. In 39 patients, the most common bleeding site was in the joints, and only one case had bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. A high mutation diversity was observed in gene mutations and inversions; the most reported case was intron-22 gene inversion.

Identifying genetic mutations in hemophilia disease helps promote the clinical care available for these patients. Genetic testing is also indicated for carrier identification and prenatal diagnosis.

Currently, even with the extensive and advanced resources available in dentistry, patient dissatisfaction and complaints have increasingly become more prevalent. To acquire accurate and practical data for enhancing dental services’ quality and reducing the expenses linked to complaints, research must be performed to explore dental grievances. This research sought to identify the rate and reasons behind complaints made against dentists to the healthcare system from 2017 to 2022.  

This cross-sectional research entailed gathering existing data and examining complaint records from dentists at the Yazd Medical Council Organization. The information was gathered through observation and by filling out applicable checklists. Subsequently, thedata underwent analysis through  SPSS version 16, utilizing with a chi-square test and Spearman correlation. The threshold for statistical significance was established at p≤ 0.05.

According to the results obtained, the majority of complaints were directed towards general dentists, especially males. Over fifty percent of the individuals who filed complaints were female. The most frequent types of dental issues were associated with surgery, endodontic, and prosthetic care. In 52.9 percent of the cases, dentists were deemed guilty, primarily due to complaints related to malpractice.

Dental practitioners must increase their knowledge regarding case selection and dental management to improve their practice.

Spiritual intelligence is a key factor in coping with the challenges and stress that come with working in demanding environments, such as nursing. This study aimed to assess the level of spiritual intelligence among nurses in Iran.

In this systematic review, an electronic search was conducted for English articles using the keywords "Nurse", "Spiritual Intelligence", "Iran", and "Hospital" in the PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Ovid databases. Additionally, Persian articles were searched using the keywords "Spiritual Intelligence", "Nurse", "Iran", and "Hospital" in the academic databases of Jihad University (Scientific Information Database; SID), the Iranian Nursing Publications Index (Iranian Nursing Index; Nindex), Magiran, and Iranmedex, covering the period from 2010 to 2022. Articles were extracted in 2023.

A total of 142 articles were extracted, and finally, 30 articles were analyzed. Most of the studies reported the general scores of nurses' spiritual intelligence as being in the average or higher range. Spiritual intelligence was found to have a statistically significant relationship with various variables, including clinical competence, quality of nursing care, nursing performance, emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, mental health, resilience, stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, empathy, physical activity, general health, moral behavior, psychological well-being, patient support, life satisfaction, job stress, perceived stress, nurses' talent management, and happiness (p>0.05).

Since spiritual intelligence can effectively enhance the quality of services, it is recommended that policymakers in the healthcare system implement necessary planning and training programs to improve and promote spiritual intelligence.

For over a decade, cancer has emerged as the second leading cause of death among Iranians, coinciding with a rise in cancer-related fatalities. This study examines the changes in the incidence and patterns of cancer-related deaths in Iran and their impact on life expectancy at birth.

This study utilized data on total mortality and cancer-related mortality in Iran, categorized by age and gender, for the years 2000 and 2019, sourced from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019. After age- and sex-specific death rates using the life table technique, life expectancy at birth was determined for all ages in years 2000 and 2019. Subsequently, the Arriaga decomposition technique was employed to assess the contribution of cancer to changes in life expectancy.

The proportion of cancer-related deaths among men and women in the country increased from 2000 to 2019 across all age groups and both sexes. For both men and women, the contribution of cancer deaths to changes in life expectancy was approximately -0.1. Among all cancer types, stomach cancer (0/04 year) has had the most favorable impact on life expectancy. Conversely, lung cancer has been a significant factor contributing to reduced life expectancy in Iran, particularly among middle-aged and older individuals.

Considering the changes in the age structure of the population in Iran, it is expected that the trend of rising cancer-related deaths will persist. Therefore, cancer, as a significant component of non-communicable diseases, poses a critical health challenge in Iran and is expected to become increasingly prominent in the coming decades, which should be considered comprehensively.

Nurses often experience high levels of job burnout due to heavy workloads and stressful conditions, which can have a negative effect on the quality of nursing care. This study aims to determine the relationship between job burnout and missed nursing care in nurses from the selected in Tehran, Iran.

In this descriptive-correlational study, 194 nurses of hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, were included using a convenience sampling technique from February to April 2024. Data were collected using a demographic form, Maslach burnout inventory (MBI), and Kalisch’s missed nursing care scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 26 using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, Percentage, and frequency) and inferential statistics (Independent t-test, Pearson correlation test, ANOVA, and regression analysis).

The mean scores for the subscales of MBI including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment were 32.44±10.70, 18.76±4.14, and 29.91±7.10, respectively. The mean score of missed nursing care was 35.78±2.67. The results showed no significant difference in job burnout and missed nursing care scores based on demographic variables (P>0.05). No significant relationship was found between job burnout and age or work experience (P>0.05). Pearson correlation test results revealed a significant direct relationship between the subscales of MBI and missed nursing care (P<0.001). The highest and lowest correlations were for the MBI subscales of emotional exhaustion (r=0.608, P<0.001) and depersonalization (r=0.301, P<0.001), respectively. The results of regression analysis showed that emotional exhaustion (β=0.62), depersonalization (β=0.30), and personal accomplishment (β=0.34) were significant predictors of missed nursing care (P<0.001). 

There is a significant relationship between missed nursing care and job burnout in nurses. Healthcare authorities are recommended to use appropriate interventions to prevent or reduce nurses’ job burnout in order to reduce the occurrence of missed nursing care and improve patient outcomes.

The significance of the microbiota as an ecosystem in our bodies has been well established. Recent studies have reported the presence of bacteria in the blood of healthy individuals. Our study aims to characterize the bacterial microbiota in human blood through 16S rRNA region sequencing. This study highlights the importance of method selection by focusing on the strains cultured in growth media.

This descriptive study collected 50 blood samples from healthy volunteers, following previous research protocols. In this study, a healthy individual is defined as someone who meets the following criteria: absence of chronic diseases or active infections. Blood samples were cultured in the Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth medium under controlled conditions. DNA was extracted from the resulting colonies. The 16S rRNA region was amplified, and amplicons were sequenced in both directions.

Five out of fifty (10%) blood samples exhibited bacterial growth. All samples with bacterial growth were from females aged 25-43 years. BLAST analysis of the bacterial isolates revealed Staphylococcus epidermidis was identified in two samples with similarity percentages of 97.7% and 97.78%, respectively. Staphylococcus hominis was detected in one sample with a similarity of 99.05%. Additionally, a Bacillus species was found in one sample with a similarity of 98.62%, and Bacillus subtilis was identified in one sample with a similarity of 91.28%. Statistical analysis using Fisher's exact test did not reveal a significant relationship between age and the isolated bacterial strains
(P-value > 0.05).

It seems that this species identification method can be used for diagnosis purposes. It recommends further research

  Mental workload is a key factor influencing nurses' performance and the quality of care they provide. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mental workload of Iranian nurses and the factors affecting it.

This review study analyzed articles published between 2014 and 2023 from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Irandoc, MagIran, and SID, in both Persian and English. The keywords used for Persian sources were "mental workload," "nurse," and "Iran," while "nurses," "Iran," and "mental workload" were used for English-language searches. After screening the studies through a selection process, 21 articles were included in the final analysis.

The average mental workload of nurses ranged from 63.96 ± 18.26 (on a scale from 0 to 100) to 93.68 ± 13.2, indicating that the mental workload of nurses is generally moderate to high. Factors associated with mental workload included demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, education), health conditions (cognitive impairment, chronic fatigue, mental health status, physical health issues, musculoskeletal disorders, body mass index, mental efficiency), and job-related factors (employment status, job history, job satisfaction, job performance, job control, quality of work life, number of patients, work efficiency, department, work accidents, maintenance of patient dignity, and work shifts).

Nurses' mental workload is at an undesirable level. To prevent burnout and enhance the quality of nursing care, it is crucial for healthcare system managers to consider factors related to mental workload, particularly occupational factors and the health conditions of nurses, when making decisions and planning.

Given that critical analysis plays an important role in clinical decision-making and providing high-quality care, this skill is considered a priority in the education of nursing students. The purpose of this study is to review the studies conducted on the relationship between critical thinking and educational methods in nursing in Iran.

In this systematic study, articles published From 1996 till 2023 have been reviewed without time limit from PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, MagIran, SID, Google Scholar, Irandoc, Web of Science databases, in Persian and English languages. After evaluating the quality of the articles, 15 articles (three English articles and 12 Persian articles) were eligible and included in the study.

The results of the results of the findings of the articles showed that 20% of the studies have been investigated. 26.5 percent of the studies showed a positive effect on the conceptual design map, 6.5 percent of the studies showed the effect of the nursing process method on the conceptual design map. Also, 13% of studies have reported the effect of case-based teaching method compared to other teaching methods and 13% of studies have reported the effect of problem-based teaching.

The educational methods of conceptual mapping, based on topics and based on cases, were the most important educational strategies for improving the critical thinking skills of nursing students in Iran

More than 12 types of cancer are caused by contact with environmental factors and occupational carcinogens. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the trend of mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates attributed to occupational carcinogens in Hamedan province, Iran, from 1990 to 2021.

In this ecological study, the Global Burden of Diseases database was used to collect the required data. The trend of changes in the mortality and disability-adjusted life years rates was examined using joinpoint regression analysis and the Join Point Regression software.

The years of life lost (YLLs) due to premature death and disability attributed to occupational carcinogens in Hamadan Province increased from 10.31 per 1,000 population in 1990 to 23.33 per 1,000 population in 2021. The average annual percent change (AAPC) in DALYs was 3.79% for women and 2.57% for men. The all-cause mortality rate attributed to occupational carcinogens rose from 0.31 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 0.74 per 100,000 in 2021 (AAPC = 2.78%; 95% CI: 2.68% to 2.90%).

The trend of mortality and disability-adjusted life years due to occupational carcinogens in Hamadan province had an increasing trend overally. Periodic screenings for workers in high-risk occupations are essential to mitigate the burden of occupational cancers.

This study aimed to compare the health status of Iran with that of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Countries in terms of various health indicators.

The data from 27 health indicators were collected in 2023 from WHO, EMRO, and the World Bank and then grouped into five categories: mortality and morbidity indicators, nutritional risk factor and non-communicable disease indicators, health financing indicators, maternal and immunization indicators, and health workforce indicators. This study used MEREC, a method that analyzes the effects of deleting criteria, to determine the weighting of the indicators. The countries were then ranked using the MARCOS method, one of the new multi-criteria decision-making methods.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were in the best situation. Iran ranked 8th, 6th, 7th, 4th, and 13th in the first to fifth categories mentioned in the methods. Iran also ranked 10th among the countries in the region in the overall ranking of all these indicators.

Many researchers and policymakers evaluate the health status in Iran based on the introduced health indicators. Iran needs to intensify its efforts to strengthen its position in the Eastern Mediterranean region, considering its overall circumstances.