Iranian Journal of War and Public Health
Volume:1 Issue: 2, 2009

Physical activity has two important therapeutic goals including providing health and prevention of secondary diseases for chemical victims. Identification of the effective factors on physical activity specifically factors decreasing physical activity and caring them by patients & care providers can effective in chemical victim’s health promotion. In this study, the self reported physical activity of chemical victims, 20 years after sulfur mustard exposure, and its potential association with BMI was investigated Patients and In this research, that was a cross-sectional study, self-reported physical activity in 338 people of the chemical victims was studied. Sampling was in systematic model. Physical activity was measured using the global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ) that evaluate work, recreational, transport and sitting activities with interview method. BMI studied in three groups include <25, 25-30, & >30 and the physical activity compared between them. 38.1 percent of study samples have BMI < 25, 46.5 percent have BMI 25-30 and 15.4 percent have BMI >30 kgm2. Metabolic equivalent in the obese group significantly decreased compared with other groups (p=0.04). A significant difference was found in terms of transport related physical activity min/week in BMI > 30 kg/m2, but there was no significant difference in work & recreational activities. In all section, physical activity decreased in obese peoples. Considering the association between physical activity & body mass index and it’s important in chemical victim's health, discover solutions that in addition to weight control, promoting those physical activities.

SM affects on multiple organs in the long term that causes different complications especially in eyes, skin and lung. It seems immune and inflammatory responses are involved in clinical manifestations. Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the important molecules in inflammation. The purpose of the study was to assess the serum levels of NO in chemical victims 20 years after exposure to SM in compare with unexposed group. This research has been carried out as historical cohort on 500 participants including 372 participants exposed to SM from Sardasht and 128 participants from Rabat. All participants of two groups have been examined by ophthalmologist, dermatologist and internist and then divided to normal group and with eye, skin, and lung problems groups. At the same time a specimen of peripheral venous blood was collected to evaluate serum level of NO by Greiss reaction. Nine patients of control and 76 patients of exposed have had eye problems, 114 patients of control and 257 patients of exposed have had skin problems, 39 patients of control and 157 patients of exposed have had lung problems. This study showed that there was not any statistically significant difference between exposed and control groups in the average serum level of NO. There was not any relationship between serum level of NO and lung and eye problems and assessment showed that serum level of nitric oxide in exposed group without eye or lung problems was more than control group without eye or lung problems. In the assessment of skin problems there was a relationship between serum levels of NO and skin problems. The serum level of NO in the exposed group with skin problems was more than exposed group without skin problems. it has been found that by increasing of serum level of NO, the severity of skin lesions in chemical victims has been increased. As noticed by several complications in the chemical victims, more evaluation for the role of nitric oxide and changing of its systemic and local level in presenting different complication should be done.

Health issues on chemical exposure and chronic, multi-symptom health problems have been a concern for nearly two decades. In this study the health related problems in Iranian chemical warfare survivors with severe ophthalmologic complications were surveyed. Data were collected from 149 survivors using a questionnaire. About half of the cases 49.7% (n=75) had other war related injuries. The average time of hospitalization during the preceeding year of study was 1.5 (SD=1.7). The most health related problems reported by the survivors in order of importance were included: 1)Co morbidity 69.7% (n=104) 2) Drug 69.1% (n=103) and 3) rehabilitation problem s 54.3% (n=81). The most common co morbity was related psychological problems, and lack of drug was considered the most important problem regarding the drug problems.

In this study, for the first time, tactile detection of an artery in tissue and distinguishing it from the tumor has been modeled by finite element method. In this modeling, three 2D models of tissue have been created: tissue, tissue including a tumor, and tissue including an artery. After solving three models with similar boundary conditions and loadings, first, the 2D tactile mappings and stress graphs for upper nodes of models, which have the role of transferring tactile data, have been explored. Comparing these results, if stress values of nodes are equal and constant, tissue is without tumor or artery. In addition, it was concluded that if stress graph includes a peak, the tissue has a tumor or an artery and that the stress graph of tissue including artery is time-dependent in comparison with the tissue including the tumor. Then, effect of variation of model's different parameters including tissue thickness, artery diameter and elastic module, and indentation of tactile finger on artery detection was studied.

As a result of Iraq-Iran war, thirty-five female live through spinal cord injury (SCI) in IRAN. The purpose of this study was Insight in (1) the changes in participation in vocational and leisure activities (2) life satisfaction following spinal cord injuries and (3) the effect of their disability on marital status (SCI) after reintegration in society. In this cross sectional study all subjects were invited for the interview and twenty-one subjects participated. Information about their level of sport-recreation activity, employment and marriage along with other demographic data were recorded using a questionnaire. They were aged between 17 to 62 year old (mean: 41.95) at the time of survey and average time passed after injury was 21.4 years (range: 7-30 years). 57.7% of subjects were single and 28.6% were married. 19% were injured at upper cervical spines and were quadriplegic. Paraplegia and paraparesia accounted for the rest (no=17). At the time of survey just 2 persons were employed. Among 21 subjects, 23.8% (no=7) participated in sport activities, recreation participation in 52/4% (no=11) was less than 2 hours/week and just4.8% (no=1) recreated more than 6 hours/week. 52.4% believed that their families are satisfied of their role and 66.7% reported good or very good family supports for their activities. 42.8% of the veterans expressed that SCI had few effects on their social relations while 33.3% believed that it deeply affects their interaction with community. considering that Levels of physical activities, employment and marriage rate decreased after injury, evaluation of their quality of life and physical health state to making effective policies and promote their social and physical situation is recommended.

The objective of this study was to determine ADL (Activity of daily living) in survivors of the Iran-Iraq war with bilateral lower limb amputation. The cross-sectional survey 335 amputees participated in the study (response rate = 58 %) and ADL (KATZ) questionnaire were used. The average age of the patients was 42.05 (SD = 6.33). The majority of the cases 97.6 % (n = 327) were married. The most common type of amputation was both below-knee 37.6 % (n = 126). Two hundred and six subjects (61.5 %) were prosthetic ambulates. Shell and landmine were the most common cause of amputation. The most dependency in ADL was related to transport 26.4% (n=90) which was followed by taking shower 19.6% (n= 67). The results of this study suggest a rehabilitation programs to improve the independency in amputees.

The blindness makes specific kind of locomotion with characteristic bending of body, stepping gate and short steps. These changes in blind locomotion originate stress on musculo skeletal tissue and different musculo skeletal dysfunctions. The aim of these study is determining the epidemiology of musculo skeletal pain in blind veterans. in this cross sectional study we have collected data by questionnaire and have examined from all of 385 blind veteran who have participated in therapeutic and sportive camp of Iranian blinds veterans. (Mashhad, Iran 2005) this study show high prevalence of musculo skeletal pain in blind veterans. Other finding of our study was high prevalence of postural deformities in blind veterans. according to the result, the prevalence of musculo skeletal pain in blinds veteran is more than normal population and they should be educated and treated for prevention, care and treatment of musculo skeletal pain.