Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences
Volume:17 Issue: 9, 2013

Hemodialysis patients، due to their underlying disease، remain patient during their lives. Perceiving the illness by the patients can influence health-relating behavior in disease management، and also، can affect the outcomes of the disease. This study aims to explore the influence of the illness perception interventions on laboratory markers and clinical outcomes in Hemodialysis patients. In a randomized clinical trial، 80 Hemodialysis patients were allocated randomly into two groups، Intervention and Control. In order to collect data، a three-part checklist consisting of socio-demographic data، disease perception questionnaire، and clinical outcomes was used. The patients of the Intervention group individually received the intervening perception of disease during 6 sessions within a month and a half، while the Control group just received the routine care. Both groups were evaluated 8 weeks after receiving the interventions. The data was analyzed by independent and paired T-test using SPSS software. the findings indicated a significant increase in Interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) (P=0. 001) and Blood phosphorus (P= 0. 02) in Intervention group compared to the Control group. The interventions that increase the level of the perception of disease result in increasing the Blood phosphorus level and also IDWG in Hemodialysis patients. Further strategies should be taken in order to improve following and maintaining treatment as well as clinical outcomes.

The correlation between blood levels of Thyroid hormones with lipid metabolism still seems controversial. Some studies have shown the relationship between low levels of T3 with cardiovascular diseases. This study was conducted in order to examine the relationship between Thyroid hormones (T3، T4)، Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and the level of serum lipids as a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. The data were collected from the medical examination results in the records and medical history of the 200 individuals who، during 2010 and early 2011، did thyroid hormones and serum lipids (cholesterol، triacyglycerol، HDL، LDL، and VLDL) tests simultaneously. The data later were analyzed using ANOVA and Pearson correlation tests by SPSS 16 software. The sample included 200 patients with average age of 38. 29±14. 408 years old of which، 59 (29. 5%) were males with average age of 39. 05±16. 663 and 141 (70. 5%) were females with average age of 37. 97±13. 406. The results indicated that both Triglyceride (P=0. 01) and، VLDL (P=0. 05) are negatively correlated with T4. Also، a negative correlation was found between serum T4 level and cholesterol in male subjects (P=0. 06). Moreover، a negative correlation was observed between T4 and VLDL in female subjects (P=0. 046). In addition، the levels of HDL-C in female subjects were more than in male subjects (P<0. 001). to conclude، it was found that VLDL، triglyceride، cholesterol in men، and VLDL in women are negatively correlated with serum T4 level.

Shifting paradigms regarding the ways to assess the support needs of people with intellectual disability in 1980 necessitates the design and development of appropriate tools more than ever. In this regard، American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) developed Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) to respond the lack of an appropriate measurement tool. The aim of this study is the cultural adaptation and evaluation of psychometric properties of Supports Intensity Scale in adults with intellectual disability.

Validity of Persian version of SIS was assessed by Content validity. The reliability of the scale was evaluated using Cronbach''s alpha and test–retest reliability with a 3-week interval. In this study، the sample contained 43 adults (29 men and 14 women) with intellectual disability.

The content of the Persian version of SIS was approved by the experts. The Cronbach''s alpha reliability coefficients for the subscales ranged between 0. 80 and 0. 99. Also، Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0. 90 and 0. 99 (P<0. 001). Furthermore، all Pearson correlation coefficients among the SIS subscales ranged between 0. 63 and 0. 98 (P<0. 01).

The results of this study indicated that the validity and reliability of the equivalent Persian version of SIS for identifying pattern and required supports intensity in adults with intellectual disability is acceptable.

Self-immolation is one of the most violent methods of suicide، which is spreading in Iran. The highest rate of deaths due to committing suicide and self-immolation in Iran is observed in Kermanshah province. This research was conducted to study the survival rate and the factors that influence survival among the ones who commit self-immolation in Kermanshah province. In this study، all the cases who did not survive، as well as all the ones who were hospitalized due to self-immolation in Kermanshah province during 2010 and 2011 were examined. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival function، and in order to do the comparisons، Logrank test and Cox Regression were employed using Stata 12 software. The results indicated that during 2010 and 2011، 343 individuals committed self-immolation in Kermanshah Province، while، 288 (84%) were women. Also، it was found that 184 (53%) did not survive، the mean and median of survival time in those who committed suicide deliberately، were 33±2. 6 and 11±2 days respectively. Estimation of survival rate using Logrank test indicated that survival rate had a significant relationship with age، mental disorders، drug addiction، and TBSA (Total Body Surface Area)، while it did not suggest a statistically significant relationship with gender، marital status and cause of injury. After multivariate analysis using Cox regression، only two variables of age and TBSA could remain in the model and the other variables were excluded from the model. The death toll due to self-immolation is very high and the mean and median of survival time among the people who committed self-immolation is very low. Therefore، it is recommended that remedial action be performed quickly without wasting time.

Stopping and discontinuation of contraceptives plays an important role in unwanted pregnancies and abortion. This study examines the reasons of switching and stopping contraceptive methods among married women between 15 and 49 years old in Mahabad city of Iran. Data were taken from a sample of 700 households in late March and April 2012 in the city of Mahabad using a standard questionnaire. This research was a cross-sectional study. The sampling method was a combination of multi-stage cluster sampling، random and systematic random sampling. the results indicated that among the women who use contraceptive methods، 54. 3% changed the used methods، while، 10. 85% of the women stopped using contraception although they were required to use them. On the other hand، 1. 3% of the sample stopped using contraceptives due to unwanted pregnancies caused by the failure of the contraceptive method. The main reason to switch and stop using contraceptives methods stated by the participants was being concerned of the impacts and side effects of these methods. The results of Logistic regression revealed that women’s knowledge of the methods، women’s autonomy، childbearing desires and women’s perceptions of the costs of preventing pregnancy have the greatest impact on the probability of discontinuation of contraceptive use. Considering that the main reason for the contraception discontinuation and switching is the concerns regarding the impacts of the contraceptive methods and their side effects، increasing women’s knowledge of the benefits of contraceptive methods، especially، the modern methods seems necessary.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is known as one of the world health issues، which is considered endemic in about 98 countries in the world including Iran. Regarding the remarkable increase of this disease in Kermanshah province، this study was conducted to evaluate the current situation of CL in Kermanshah province during 2011 and 2012. In this analytical-descriptive study، all of the CL Patients in Kermanshah province during 2011 and 2012 were examined. The patients’ data were collected using questionnaire، and the microscope slides containing the smears of the serous fluids of their wounds were stained with Giemsa stain and examined using light microscope. Collected data were later analyzed using SPSS-19 and Pearson correlation. during 2011 and 2012 totally 287 cases of CL were reported in Kermanshah province. The overall prevalence of the disease between 2011 and 2012 were about 5. 6 and 3. 8 cases per 100،000 persons، respectively. Most of the CL cases were seen in Qasr-e-Shirin district، which were approximately 47% of totall cases of the province. The prevalence of CL in males and females was 56. 8% and 43. 2% respectively. Most of the CL cases were seen in housewives (32. 1%) and in addition، the most CL cases were seen in the patients between 20 and 29 years old (19. 9%). Also، most of the cases were seen in winter (41. 8%) and fall (28. 9%). Findings suggest that CL has increased remarkably in the province during these two years، and since Qasr-e-Shirin is the most infected district of the province، it seems important to concentrate on it more seriously and specifically.

The aim of this study was to determine the predictive power of physical and psychological disorders by occupational self-efficacy and safety consciousness among the staff. This research is a correlation study، in which 189 individuals of Isfahan Steel Company in 2011 and 2012 were selected based on the stratified random sampling method. The data were collected using questionnaire، containing questions regarding demographic characteristics، safety consciousness، occupational self-efficacy، and physical and psychological disorders. Later the data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and Multivariate regression analysis. The results showed that both safety consciousness and occupational self-efficacy were significantly related to physical and psychological disorders (p<0. 01). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that safety consciousness variable significantly predicted respectively، 9% and 17% of the variance of physical and psychological disorders (p<0. 05). Also، occupational self-efficacy variable significantly predicted respectively، 21% and 12% of the variance of physical and psychological disorders (p<0. 05). These results emphasize the importance of psychological variables in order to predict reporting physical and psychological disorders among workers.

One of the most important inequalities of providing health services is misdistribution of human resources، especially physicians. Many factors contribute to the distribution of physicians in different regions. The present study was aimed to explore the effective factors in distributing physicians in different countries.

This study is a systematic review، in which the data were gathered through literature review، online searches in multiple databases and relevant organizations’ websites. Later، the collected data were classified using content analysis method، and consequently، they were illustrated in comparative matrix.

The factors that influence the dispersion of the physicians are divided into 4 main groups. Firstly، Geographic and Demographic factors of the region such as، population، age، gender and climate. Secondly، Health factors of the region and the country such as، the number of hospitals، health centers and health indicators. Thirdly، Economic، Social and Political factors of the region such as، economic growth، culture and believes. And finally، the factors related to physicians'' characteristics and motivation such as، age، gender and the compensation system.

There are different reasons why physicians spread in different countries’ geographical regions. Regarding the unequal distribution of physicians in Iran، identifying these influential reasons and also the factors affecting the distribution of physicians، and the impact of each one of these، can lead to a fair and equal distribution of resources of the health sector.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) influences the patient’s quality of life. The aim of this study is to examine the demographic factors associated with quality of life in women with MS. In this study، 132 women referred to the MS Society and filled the MSQOL-54 questionnaire and also responded to the demographic and medical history questionnaires. Data were analyzed and the relationships between variables examined by Pearson correlation، ANOVA and Scheffe’s test. The results revealed that the mental and physical health components of quality of life correlate with ability، economic situation، the patients’ education as well as their husbands’. Physical health also had statistically significant negative correlations with age (P=0. 003)، disease duration (P=0. 042)، duration of medication (P=0. 037)، duration of marriage (P=0. 001) and husband’s age (P=0. 014).