Journal of Research in Health Sciences
Volume:23 Issue: 1, Winter 2023

Home-based exercise (HBE) and patient education (EDU) have been reported as beneficial additions to usual knee osteoarthritis (KOA) rehabilitation. However, previous trials mostly examined the effects of HBE and EDU separately. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of a structured combined HBE and EDU program in addition to usual KOA rehabilitation on pain score, functional mobility, and disability level. Study Design: A parallel-group, single-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Eighty adults with KOA were randomly allocated to experimental (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. All participants underwent their usual physiotherapy care weekly for eight weeks. The experimental group received a structured HBE + EDU program to their usual care, while the control group performed home stretching exercises to equate treatment time. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) for the disability level, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, and timed up-and-go test (TUG) for mobility were measured pre-post intervention.

After eight weeks, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in the KOOS (all subscales), pain VAS, and TUG scores compared to baseline (P < 0.001); meanwhile, only KOOS (activities of daily living and sports subscales) was significant in the control group. Relative to the control, the experimental group presented higher improvements (P < 0.001) by 22.2%, 44.1%, and 15.7% for KOOS, pain VAS, and TUG, respectively.

Integrating the HBE + EDU program into usual KOA rehabilitation could reduce pain and disability, while it improved functional mobility. The finding of this study suggests a combination of a structured HBE and EDU program to be considered as part of mainstream KOA management.

Despite the increase in the age of marriage, early marriage and subsequent adolescent pregnancy remain a serious problem in many regions and societies. Due to low evidence in this regard, this study was conducted to determine the health consequences of adolescent pregnancy. Study Design: This was a case-control study.

The present study was performed on pregnant women who were referred to Ayatollah Mousavi hospital of Zanjan for delivery in 2021. Pregnant women with gestational age less than 19 years were considered as the case group and those with gestational age between 19-35 years as the control group. The pregnancy outcomes on the mother and the neonate were obtained through the researcher-made checklist. Chi-square test and student’s t-test were used to compare variables between the two groups.

In this study, 169 adolescent and 258 adult mothers were compared as the case and control groups, respectively. The mean age of cases and controls was 17.41 ± 1.22 and 30.66 ± 6.46 years, respectively. Cesarean delivery (34.5% vs. 23.67%, P = 0.017) and anemia during pregnancy (16.28% vs. 10.7%, P = 0.005) were significantly higher in the control group, while mood disorder after delivery was significantly higher in the case group (11.24% vs. 5.84%, P = 0.04). The Apgar score 5 minutes after birth and birth weight were significantly higher in mothers of the control group (P < 0.05).

The results demonstrated that adolescent mothers are more prone to postpartum depression, and babies born to these mothers are more prone to low birth weight and a low Apgar score. Therefore, adolescent pregnancy should be managed as a high-risk pregnancy.

Tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are major public health challenges globally, and the number of TB infections and death caused by HIV are high because of HIV/ TB co-infection. On the other hand, CD4 count plays a significant role in TB/HIV co-infections. We used a joint model of longitudinal outcomes and competing risks to identify the potential risk factors and the effect of CD4 cells on TB infection and death caused by HIV in HIV-infected patients. Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study.

The current study was performed on 1436 HIV + patients referred to Behavioral Diseases Counseling Centers in Kermanshah Province during 1998-2019. In this study, joint modeling was used to identify the effect of potential risk factors and CD4 cells on TB and death caused by HIV.

The results demonstrated that the decreasing CD4 cell count was significantly associated with an increased risk of death, while it had no significant relation with the risk of TB. In addition, patients with TB were at a higher risk of death. Based on the results, a significant relationship was found between CD4 count and sex, marital status, education level, antiretroviral therapy (ART), time, and the interaction between time and ART. Further, people infected with HIV through sexual relationships were at higher risk of TB, while those with a history of imprisonment who received ART or were infected with HIV through drug injection had a lower risk of TB.

The findings revealed that the decreasing CD4 count had a significant association with an increased risk of death caused by HIV. However, it was not significantly related to the risk of TB. Finally, patients with TB were at higher risk of death caused by HIV.

If colorectal cancer (CRC) is diagnosed in the early stages, the patients will have higher survival rates. Although some other factors might affect the survival rate, the type of treatment available based on existing health and therapeutic facilities is extremely important as well. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the best type of treatment for CRC patients. Study Design: This study employed a retrospective population-based cohort design.

The data of 335 patients with CRC in Kurdistan province were collected through a populationbased cancer registry system from March 1, 2009 to 2014. Demographic and clinical-pathologic data of the patients were gathered through their medical records, pathology reports, and reference to patients’ homes. The survival rate was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier curve, log-rank test, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression. The data were analyzed using Stata 14 software.

In this study, the mean age ± standard deviation at diagnosis was 61.7 ± 1.05 in men and 60.5 ± 1.12 in women, respectively, and 203 (60.5%) patients were males. There was less mortality rate among the patients who received both surgical and chemotherapy treatments compared to those who did not receive any treatment (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.24-0.93).

When CRC patients are treated using both surgical and chemotherapy treatments, they will exhibit a higher survival rate. Therefore, it is suggested to use both treatments for CRC patients.

This study was conducted to determine the mortality rate and years of life lost (YLL) due to homicide in Fars province. Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

All data related to deaths due to homicide in Fars province were obtained from the Populationbased Electronic Death Registration System. Crude and age-standardized mortality rate, YLL, and YLL rate data were calculated and joinpoint regression was used to examine the trend.

During 2004-2019, 2148 deaths due to homicide occurred in Fars province, and (1782 cases (83.0%) were men. The crude mortality rate in men decreased by 44.0% from 2004 to 2019, but a stable trend was observed in women. The total YLL due to homicide during these 16 years was 43 230 (1.37 per 1000 people) in men and 8931 (0.29 per 1000 people) in women. According to the joinpoint regression analysis, the 16-year trend of the YLL rate due to premature mortality in men was decreasing, and the annual percent change (APC) was -4.00% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -6.60 to -1.20, P = 0.008). However, women demonstrated stable trends in this respect, and APC was -0.50% (95% CI: -3.10 to 2.20, P = 0.704).

The crude and standardized mortality rates and the number of YLL due to homicide in the study period had a significant decreasing trend in men but a stable trend in women. To control this issue, officials and policymakers should identify the areas of homicide and control its risk factors such as economic and social issues, drug addiction, and the state of violence.

With the increasing watching of programs such as Mukbang, the study of eating behaviors and anthropometric parameters and their relationship with Mukbang should be considered to prevent chronic diseases and eating disorders. This study investigated the relationship between watching Mukbang with eating behaviors and anthropometric parameters in female students at Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran. Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

In this study, 114 female students aged 18 to 31 years were selected using simple random sampling. General information, watching Mukbang status, and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) were administered to the participants online. Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

The prevalence of Mukbang watching in female students of the present study was 60.5%. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the frequency of Mukbang watching and emotional or restrained eating behavior (P > 0.05), while there was a significant relationship between external eating behavior and the frequency of watching Mukbang (P = 0.0001). It was found that with increasing watching time, external eating also increased. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, the external eating chance was 27% lower in students who watch Mukbang rarely than those who have never watched such a show. However, this chance was 0.31 and 9.58 times higher in students who occasionally and always watch Mukbang, respectively.

There is a significant relationship between external eating behaviors and watching Mukbang.

Maternal, fetal, and neonatal complications of brucellosis in pregnant women are probably higher than those in the general population. This comparative study aimed to survey the mentioned complications in pregnant women with positive and negative Brucella serologic tests. Study Design: This is a prospective cohort study.

In this study, 2160 pregnant women residing in the rural area of Hamadan province were screened for Brucella infection by agglutination test. Then, 106 (4.90%) pregnant women with a positive test (exposed group) were compared with 210 subjects (non-exposed group) who were randomly selected from more than 2000 pregnant women with a negative serological test in terms of maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes from October 2018 to March 2020. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software at a 95% confidence level.

The mean age of mothers in both exposed and unexposed groups was 27.84 ± 6.13 and 38.71 ± 6.85 years, respectively. Past medical history of brucellosis, animal contact, and the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products were reported to be 14 (13.2%), 63 (59.4%), and 82 (77.4%), respectively, in the exposed group. The mentioned measures were 3 (1.5%), 109 (51.9%), and 54 (26.9%) in the unexposed group, respectively. Among exposed and unexposed groups, the incidence of abortion was 9 (8.6%) and 5 (2.4%) with P = 0.005, intrauterine fetal death was 2 (1.9%) and zero with P = 0.211, low birth weight was 10 (10.6%) and 7 (3.4%) with P = 0.012, and premature birth was 15 (15.2%) and 18 (8.8%) with P = 0.066, respectively.

Brucella infection in pregnant women appears to be associated with the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, and premature birth.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a source of airborne bacterial contamination that can pose health risks to staff. The aim of this study was to evaluate seasonal variations in the health risks of exposure to Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosols using the quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) approach in a WWTP in Hamadan, Iran. Study Design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study.

This study determined the emission concentrations of S. aureus bioaerosols in summer and winter. Then, the health risks of three exposure scenarios (the worker, field engineer, and laboratory technician) were evaluated using the QMRA approach. The bioaerosol samples were collected every 12 days in both summer and winter of 2021 with a nutrient agar using a single-stage cascade impactor (Quick Take 30, SKC Inc.) in both outdoor and indoor environments.

The results demonstrated that in both seasons, S. aureus bioaerosol concentrations in outdoor and indoor environments were below the standard established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (500 CFU/m3). While in summer, the annual infection risks and the disease burden for the three exposure scenarios in both outdoor and indoor environments were higher than the United States Environmental Protection Agency (≤ 10-4 pppy) and the World Health Organization (WHO) (≤ 10-6 DALYs pppy-1) benchmarks, respectively.

The findings provided high health risks for staff in the three exposure scenarios of an indoor environment, which should not be ignored, as well as emphasizing the use of the QMRA approach to estimate health risks caused by occupational exposure to bioaerosols and taking executive measures to protect staff working in the WWTPs.