persian cohort

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 had a profound impact on global public health. This study investigates the effects of the coronavirus on dietary intake and physical activity among the Mashhad PERSIAN cohort population in Mashhad, Iran.  This nested cohort study was done among the PERSIAN Cohort Study in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences population who confirmed COVID-19 infection through PCR testing. Participants were assessed for physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form, as well as changes in appetite and food intake during the COVID-19 infection. All measurements were compared during the disease period to pre-infection.  This study comprised 381 confirmed COVID-19 patients (average age of 42.51 ± 7.31 years) of which 154 (40.4%) were male. There was a significant reduction in the levels of vigorous and moderate physical activity, walking, and total sitting time (P<0.001 for all). Also, food intake was reduced during the COVID-19 infection compared to before the infection.  In summary, this study demonstrates a significant decrease in physical activity and food intake during COVID-19 infection.

 The study aims to determine the age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of refractive errors and its related factors among the adult population of southeastern Iran.

 The current study included 9280 individuals aged 35 to 70 years using a multistage random sample method from October 2015 to January 2019 as a part of a Persian cohort study in Zahedan. Uncorrected and corrected vision, objective noncycloplegic, and subjective refraction were measured, with all participants undergoing ophthalmoscopy, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fundoscopy, refraction, and retinoscopy. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 statistic software and described as percentage, odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval. Comparisons between groups and relationships among risk factors and refractive errors were performed with chi-square, nominal, and multiple regression analysis.

 The prevalence of low and moderate myopia, high myopia, low and moderate hyperopia, high hyperopia, low and moderate astigmatism, and high astigmatism was 24.2 (95% CI: 22.40 - 25.90), 1.5(95% CI: 0.00 - 3.53), 16.1(95% CI: 14.20 - 17.90), 1.3(95% CI: 0.00 - 3.30), 35.6 (95% CI: 33.90 - 37.30), and 3.8 (95% CI: 1.80 - 5.70) percent, respectively. The prevalence of refractive errors significantly varied across different age groups overall and by sex (P = 0.01). The proportion of refractive errors also significantly differed by education (P = < 0.001). The prevalence of against the rule, with the rule, and oblique astigmatism was 32.8 % (95% CI: 31.10 - 34.20), 42.1% (40.50 - 43.60), and 24.9% (23.10 - 26.60), respectively. The risk of astigmatism was significantly lower in men than in women (OR = 0.75; 95 % CI: 0.60 - 0.90). Based on multiple regression, the risk of myopia (OR = 2.07; 95 % CI: 1.60 - 2.60) and hyperopia (OR = 25.38; 95 % CI: 18.70 - 34.3) was higher in the age group 65 to 75 years compared to the younger group.

 The present study provided valuable information on the prevalence of refractive errors in the adult population in south-eastern Iran. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive eye care services, particularly for older individuals and those with lower education levels. Further prospective research is warranted to explore the factors contributing to refractive errors and to develop effective strategies for its prevention and management.

Different kinds of smoking tobacco may affect pulmonary function and reduce some spirometric parameters. This study aimed to assess the relationship between smoking cigarettes and waterpipe and spirometric parameters.

This was a cross-sectional study on 1543 middle-aged individuals, as a sub-study of the Shahedieh cohort study in Yazd. The participants were randomly selected from the Shahedieh cohort population and were divided into 6 groups according to their smoking habits: non-smokers (n=455), cigarette smokers (n=139), waterpipe smokers (n=287), ex-cigarette smokers (n=131), concurrent waterpipe and cigarette smokers (n=121), and cigarette or waterpipe passive smokers (n=410). Spirometry was performed on all participants and spirometric parameters were compared between different groups. The data were analyzed by SPSS (version 20) using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests. 

FEV1%, FEV1/FVC, and PEF25-75% were significantly lower in cigarette smokers, compared to waterpipe smokers and non-smokers. The measures were not significantly lower in waterpipe smokers in comparison to non-smokers. The frequency of obstructive pattern and small airway diseases was significantly higher in cigarette smokers compared to waterpipe smokers and non-smokers.

The results of this study showed that in the middle-aged population, spirometric parameters related to airway obstruction (FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25-75%) were significantly lower in cigarette smokers than in non-smokers and waterpipe smokers, but these parameters were not significantly different between waterpipe smokers and non-smokers.

 The co-existence of chronic diseases (CDs), a condition defined as multimorbidity (MM), is becoming a major public health issue. Therefore, we aimed to determine the patterns and predictors of MM in the Azar Cohort.

 We evaluated the prevalence of MM in 15,006 (35–70-year old) subjects of the Azar Cohort Study. MM was defined as the co-existence of two or more CDs. Data on the subjects’ socioeconomic status, demographics, sleeping habits, and physical activity were collected using questionnaires.

 The overall prevalence of MM was 28.1%. The most prevalent CDs, in decreasing order, were obesity, hypertension, depression, and diabetes. Obesity, depression, and diabetes were the most co-occurring CDs. The MM risk increased significantly with age, illiteracy, and in females. Also, the subjects within the lowest tertile of physical activity level (OR=1.89; 95% CI: 1.75–2.05) showed higher MM risk than those with the highest level of physical activity. Findings regarding current smoking status indicated that being an ex-smoker or smoker of other types of tobacco significantly increased the risk of MM.

 The reduction of MM is possible by promoting public health from an early age among people of various socioeconomic conditions. It is vital to offer the necessary health support to the aging population of Iran.

The trend of chronic diseases is increasing globally. Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major factor underlying many chronic diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the socioeconomic inequalities in distribution of chronic diseases in Iran, as a middle-income country.

This cross-sectional study was conducted using the baseline data of the Kharameh cohort study, that were collected between 2014 and 2016. The number of participants in this study was 10663 people in the age range of 35 to 70 years. Principal component analysis was used for calculating the SES of the people under study. In addition, we used concentration index and concentration curve to measure socioeconomic inequality in chronic disease.

The mean age of 10,663 participants in our study was 52.15±8.22 years and the male to female ratio was 1.26. Recurrent headache (25.8%( and hypertension (23.5%) were the most prevalent diseases. The concentration index showed that the distribution of movement disorder, recurrent headaches and gastroesophageal reflux diseases is significantly concentrated among people with low SES, and obesity among people with high SES. The results of the analysis by gender were similar to the results seen in all participants.

The findings of this study show that socioeconomic inequality is the cause of the concentration of non-communicable diseases among people with low socio-economic status. Therefore, health policy makers should pay special attention to identifying vulnerable subgroups and formulate strategic plans to reduce inequalities.

The study of the smoking and drug use profile of the Tabari cohort enrolment phase, the outcomes of which will be evaluated in the coming years, has proper comprehensiveness. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the cigarette and drug use status in the population of the Tabari cohort study (TCS).

In this study, the profile of cigarette and drug use in the TCS was evaluated. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 24 using percentage, mean, and standard deviation, chi-square, and independent t test.

The frequency of daily smoking in the entire population was 9.1%, and the frequencies in men and women were 21.5% and 0.6%, respectively (P<0.001). The frequency of exposure to smoking in the home, at present or in the past, in the entire population was 30.5%, and in the populations living in urban and mountainous areas were 35.4% and 19.8%, respectively (P<0.001). The mean age at first use of cigarettes in the entire population was 20.50±7.61, whereas the mean age of regular smoking was 23.19±8.02. Furthermore, the frequency of experiencing drug abuse in the total population was 6.1%, and the frequencies in men and women were 14.1% and 0.7%, respectively.

According to the results of this study, cigarette smoking and drug use are significant in men, and overall exposure of the Tabari cohort population to tobacco and drugs in the home is high. If effective prevention is not on the agenda, a significant proportion of the future outcomes in this population may be attributable to these risk factors.

The present study aimed at assessing the validity of self-reported drug use in people aged 35 and older in a pilot phase of a population-based cohort study.
A total of 1038 adults over 35 years old in Khamene city in East Azerbaijan province were recruited for the pilot phase of Azar cohort; a province-level of a nationwide PERSIAN cohort study completing a questionnaire and providing biological samples from October to December 2014. Information about the history and duration of smoking tobacco, using drug and medication were obtained by the physician. The validity of the drug use was assessed through comparing the questionnaire response with three urine strip tests for the detection of morphine, amphetamine and methamphetamine among 259 randomly selected subjects.
The prevalence of drug use according to self-report was 2.6% (95% CI: 1.7%-3.8%).One-step drug test as the gold standard for the use of drug self-reported demonstrated a sensitivity(95% CI) and specificity 15% (10-22) and 99.7% (98.9%-99.9%) respectively. All participants with positive self-report were male; however, in the urine analysis drug test, it was positive for 7out of 68 randomly selected women.
The validity of self-reported drug use in this population was low; therefore, the self reported use of the drug should be used with caution in this population. It is recommended to use alternative techniques to improve the validity of data using the self-report procedure.

BACKGROUNDDespite progress in the health indexes in recent years, health inequalities remain as a global challenge within and between regions and countries. This study is the first to quantify the socioeconomic inequity in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) using the concentration index.
METHODSIn this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data (7012 subjects) from the Fasa Cohort Study (the Southern Iran). The principal component analysis was used to construct socioeconomic status of the participants. The concentration index and concentration curve were used to measure socioeconomic-related inequality in GERD. Decomposition of concentration index was also done to identify the contribution of each explanatory variable to the wealth-related inequality in GERD prevalence.
RESULTSThe prevalence of GERD was 16.9% (95% CI: 15.9-17.7%). The overall concentration index for GERD was 0.093 (95% CI: 0.062-0.166]. Correspondingly, this figure for men and women were 0.116 (95% CI: 0.062-0.171%) and 0.091 (95% CI: 0.044-0.137%), respectively. The main contributors of socioeconomic-related inequality in GERD prevalence were socioeconomic status (64.4%), alcohol drinking (29%), and age (8.4%).
CONCLUSIONGERD is significantly more concentrated among richest people. There was significant socioeconomic inequality in GERD according to some individual factors. These inequalities need to be addressed by policy makers to identify the vulnerable subgroups and to reduce the disease burden in the community.

There is remarkable alteration in hypertension prevalence and awareness, and their correlates among various geographic locations and ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to report hypertension prevalence, awareness, and its correlates as well as hypertension treatment, and control among Azari people aged 35 years and older.

The pilot phase of the Azar Cohort Study; a state level of a nationwide PERSIAN cohort study was conducted in Khameneh city between October 2014 and January 2015. All people 35 years of age and above were invited to take part in this study. A comprehensive range of different biomarkers, lifestyle, socioeconomic factors, and health‑related factors was collected. Blood pressure was measured by a trained nurse/midwife. Descriptive statistical methods were used to present general characteristics of the study population as frequency tables. Separate multiple logistic regression models were built to assess the predictors of hypertension prevalence.

A total of 1038 people were included in this study. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 22.9%. Awareness of hypertension was 60.5% and in those with known hypertension, 84% were using the antihypertensive medications, of those 68.5% had controlled hypertension. After adjustment; age (odds ratios [OR] adj = 1.12 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09–1.15), gender (ORadj = 1.65 95% CI: 1.08–2.51), obesity ORadj = 2.51 (1.40–4.88), waist‑to‑hip ratio (WHR) (ORadj = 1.70 (1.05–2.75), and comorbidities (ORadj = 2.51 (1.72–3.66) were independent predictors of hypertension.

Age, sex, body mass index, WHR, and comorbidities were known as predictors of hypertension in this study, health promotion strategies including lifestyle modification to reduce overweight/obesity and secondary prevention programs for early detection of hypertension in high‑risk groups according to age, gender, and disease profile are recommended.