Journal of Research in Health Sciences
Volume:22 Issue: 4, Fall 2022

Traditional meta-analyses often assess the effectiveness of different doses of the same intervention separately or examine overall differences between the intervention and placebo. The study aimed to model the effect sizes obtained for different doses from multiple studies through a two stage dose response meta-analytic approach while taking dose variations into account.

Different dose response meta-analysis models using linear, quadratic and restricted cubic spline functions were fitted. A two stage approach utilizing the multivariate meta-analysis was performed and results obtained were compared with univariate meta-analysis. Random effect dose response meta-analysis was performed by using data from an existing systematic review on combination therapy with Zonisamide and anti-Parkinson’s drugs for Parkinson’s disease. The effective dose or optimum dose to produce maximum response was also being investigated.

Dose response meta-analysis was performed using the data from four double blinded randomised controlled trials with 724 and 309 Parkinson’s patients in dose arms placebo arms. The quadratic model gave the smallest AIC when compared to linear and restricted cubic spline models indicating best fit to the data.

Compared to the traditional approach, the two stage approach could model the dose dependent effect of Zonisamide on UPDRS part III score and predict the outcome for different doses through a single analysis.

Although a surge of interest in examining the co‐occurrence of problematic use of different technology means has recently emerged, findings are still inconclusive. This web-based survey aimed at examining whether (a) personality traits, coping strategies, and sociodemographics are associated with problematic use of the internet, smartphone, and SMS among Greek users and (b) personality traits mediate the relationship between maladaptive coping strategies and problematic use of the three media. Study design: A cross-sectional study.

A convenience and snowball sample of 1,016 participants (84.4% female, mean age 30.3 years) completed the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-9 (PIUQ-9), the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS), the Self-Perception of Text Message Dependency Scale (STDS), the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire 4+ (PDQ-4+), and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE).

Shared predictors between the three problematic uses were younger age and low educational level, the coping strategy of substance use, and the narcissistic, avoidant, and dependent personality disorders. The coping strategies of self‒distraction and behavioral disengagement were common between the problematic users of the internet and smartphone. Schizoid traits predicted problematic smartphone users, paranoid traits predicted problematic internet users, and histrionic traits predicted problematic SMS users. Cluster C personality disorders fully mediated the relationship between maladaptive coping strategies and problematic use of technology-based tools, thus suggesting their amplifying role in this relationship.

Addressing shared factors between the three groups of problematic users, such as teaching adaptive coping strategies, should be the aim of effective and cost-saving treatment and preventive efforts.

Asbestos is a natural fiber that induce health risk such as chronic lung diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate pleural mesothelioma and lung cancer risk for a population exposure to asbestos in Tehran, Iran.

According to the annual report of Air Quality Control Company (AQCC), from 2011-2020, carcinogenic risk and mesothelioma was assessed based on environmental protection agency (EPA) method using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Relative risk of morality cancer was calculated based on Camus et al' model. Also, mesothelioma risk was estimated by Bourgault et al' model.

The mean concentration and health risk of asbestos in ambient air has generally reduced from 2011 to 2020. The highest mortality risks for lung cancer, was 8.4 per 100,000 persons in 2011. It had reduced to 1.8, in 2017. For mesothelioma, the corresponding numbers were 8.96 per 100,000 persons in 2011 and it had also reduced to 1.92 in 2017.

Finding of this study could be helpful for health policy makers in management of asbestos risk.

Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) are one of the most important health problems that endanger human health. Head and neck injuries are the main causes of death and disabilities among motorcyclists. This study aims to investigate the predictive factors of helmet use behavior among motorcyclists based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

A cross-sectional study

This study was conducted among 730 motorcyclist employees of Qom city, Iran in 2021 whom were recruited randomly. The data collection tool was a self-administered researcher-made questionnaire including questions on demographic charachteristics, history of RTIs and constructs of TPB. .Descriptive summary statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling (SEM) technique were used to analyze the data.

In this study, only 15% of the participants reported that they always used a helmet while riding a motorcycle.Sixty percent of the participants reported a history of motorcycle crash, of which about 11.5% had head injuries and 34% were hospitalized for treatment. The direct effect of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on the intention to use a helmet were statistically significant, explaining 59% of the variation of behavioral intention (intention to use a helmet) (P<0.05; R2 = 0.59). Also, perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention had significant effects on helmet use (P<0.05; R2 = 0.26).

The prevalence of helmet use among the studied population was very low. Moreover, TPB is useful in identifying the determinants of behavior and especially behavioral intention of helmet use among motorcyclists.

Hypertension and diabetes are common comorbidities in patients with COVID-19 and could be influencing the mortality of such patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of hypertension alone and in comorbidity with diabetes on the 30-day mortality of inpatients with COVID-19 in presence of well-known determinates of COVID-19 death.

Cross-sectional study design

Four groups of COVID-19 inpatients including controls, diabetes alone, hypertension alone, and hypertension and diabetes comorbidities were defined. None of the groups had underlying diseases. Demographic and general characteristics, underlying diseases, and hospital course events were extracted from medical records. The outcome of interest death and lived on the 30th day. Multivariable binary logistic analysis was employed to estimate the effect measure.

Thirty-day mortality among controls (N=1359), diabetes alone (159), hypertension alone (406) and hypertension and diabetes comorbidities (188) were 12.68%, 15.72%, 20.74% and 26.74%, respectively. According to three multivariable analyses after adjusting older age, hospital length of stay, and ICU admission separately, the odds of 30-day mortality in COVID-19 patients with hypertension and diabetes comorbidities was 1.58, 2.13 and 1.91 times of patients without such comorbidities, respectively (P-value <0.01). The effect of hypertension was also significant after adjusting hospital length of stay and ICU admission but not for older age.

Our results suggest that comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes may be associated with COVID-19-related deaths independent of other underlying diseases, older age, and adverse hospital course events.

One of the most fundamental issues in recent years has been maintaining and promoting the society health, as making coordination in the policies of all sectors with the aim of health improvement has always been highly emphasized. The study aims to identify the socio-economic factors affecting health and to provide a cognitive map of the social determinants of health in Iran.

A retrospective cohort study

This study follows a developmental process with an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach. First, a meta-synthesis qualitative method determines the most critical health determinants by reviewing 54 studies within the period 2000-2019. Then, the fuzzy analysis draws the Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) representing the causal relationships among the social determinants of population health in Iran.

The first stage introduces 170 factors as the health determinants, classified into 4 levels: individual, local, national, and global levels with 7, 4, 13, and 3 branches, respectively. According to the causal relationships and the outdegree, the most effective factors are the economic system (18.24), governance and policy-making (17.13), and national policies (16.93). According to the degree of centrality, these factors are the economic system (33.27), health system (30.37), and governance and policy making (30.15).

Analyzing the causal relationships and FCM of public health determinants help the policy-makers to understand the priorities and the link among the sectors in develop and implement the health-oriented policies in all the sectors.

Myocardial infarction (MI), is considered as an important cause of death and disability. About three - quarters of the deaths caused by heart diseases occur in countries with low or middle economic levels. Evaluation of the effective risk factors and medications and the overlap of their compounds on the long - term survival of patients with myocardial infarction

In this retrospective cohort study 21181 patients, hospitalized in coronary care units (CCU) hospitals of Iran enrolled from the MI registry system for the period of 20 March 2013 to 20 March 2014.
Participants were followed up to February 2020 for any cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. To evaluate survival rate, difference between groups and to assess factors related to MI death, Kaplan–Meier, Log rank test and Cox Proportional-Hazards Model were used, respectively.

The mean age of patients was 62.10± 13.41. 72.37 % of the patients were men. The rate of survival in the time period in females was less than males. For those patients without the history of coronary diseases, hypertension, and diabetes but with hyperlipidemia and smoking, the 1, 3, 5, and 7-year survival rates were better compared to other patients. The 1, 3, 5, and 7-year survival rates of those in group 6 (Beta blocking agent) were higher compared to other medication groups.

Controlling risk factors can reduce the mortality rate, and the recommendations of doctors and adherence treatment plays an important role in the long - term survival of Myocardial infarction patients.

Nowadays, the largest part of the world's population in all age groups is burdened with the non-specific chronic low back pain (NS-CLBP), as a serious health condition, which might develop from a pool of bio psychosocial (BPS) factors. Against this background, the present study initially aimed to design some interventions, and then deliberate their effectiveness with reference to the BPS Model (BPSM), to relieve LBP and its resultant disabilities among students.

This study was a two-group pretest-posttest randomized clinical trial (RCT).

This study was conducted on the statistical population of the female students enrolled at the first-stage secondary school in the city of Hamadan, Iran. Applying cluster sampling, 200 students were accordingly selected, and then randomized into two groups, viz. intervention and control. The primary evaluation was also performed by the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), the 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-S), the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS), and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Upon developing and implementing the BPSM-based interventions for 10 weekly two-hour sessions, the secondary evaluation was fulfilled, and the extracted data were analyzed, using the IBM-SPSS Statistics (v.21) software package.

The independent-group t-test results revealed that the mean scores of quality of life (QoL) and physical activity significantly elevated in the intervention group, compared to those in the controls. As well, the mean value of disabilities, the amount of disorder in the lumbar region, and the VAS scores in the intervention group substantially declined, compared to those in the control one.

The significant variations in the BPS factors demonstrated that the development of some interventions based on the BPSM could help manage the NS-CLBP and its ensuing disabilities. Therefore, the BPSM-based interventions could be exploited to minimize the musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in students.