Iranian Journal of War and Public Health
Year:2015 | Volume:7 | Issue:3|Papers Count:9

Aims: This article is written in “Letter to the Editor” format in response to the article entitled “Comment on incidence of cancer in Iranian sulfur mustard (SM) exposed veterans” (Inhalation Toxicology; 2013, Volume 25, Issue 11, Page 651).

Aims: Disability due to the spinal cord injury has the potential of complication in different systems of the body. These expanded complications affect the quality of life of victims in different aspects. One aspect of the quality of life is sleep quality in patients with spinal cord lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of sleep in spinal cord injury patients.Instrument & Methods This descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014. The population study was all patients with spinal cord injuries who were admitted to Khatamolanbia Hospital, Iran, 100 of them were selected by simple random sampling method. The data was collected by demographic information and Pittsburgh Standard Sleep Quality questionnaires and was analyzed by SPSS 19 software using independent T, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient tests.Findings: 82 patients were male and 88 patients were married. 64 patients were veterans and 48 patients had pectoral injury. The mean score of sleep quality was 11.90±2.35. The most prevalent components were sleep disturbances and subjective sleep quality in men and subjective sleep quality and delays in falling asleep in women. In general, sleep disorders was more common and disorder in daily function was rarer. Quality of sleep were different significantly (p<0.05) in patients based on gender, marital status, body mass index, underlying disease and the neck size.Conclusion: Sleep disorders and poor sleep quality are highly prevalent in patients with spinal cord injury.

Aims: One of the main ongoing activities of the Veterans Service Organizations in all countries is need-assessing and identifying the mechanisms for satisfying the needs of war veterans and their families. This study aimed to prioritize the needs of less than 25% injured veterans on their own and their spouses’ viewpoints in Guilan Province, Iran.Instrument & Methods This combined research with exploratory-need assessment design was performed in 2 stages. At first, a qualitative research design was used in order to develop an assessment scale and mechanisms for satisfying the needs and then a cross-sectional descriptive research was employed. 384 less than 25% injured veterans and 141 of their spouses were randomly selected as study samples. A researcher-developed scale, designed in the first stage, was used for data collection. Data were analyzed in SPSS 21 software by Friedman test.Findings: Veterans were emphasized on psychological, educational, occupational, physical, and medical needs, respectively. Based on their spouses’ view, occupational need is the first priority and economical, psychological, educational, medical, and physical needs were positioned after it.Conclusion: Revising the level of injury and helping them to find jobs is the satisfying mechanism of less than 25% vetrans of Guilan Province, Iran, and their wives.

Aims: Mustard gas is a toxic chemical agent that was repeatedly used by the Iraqi army against Iranian civilians and non-civilians during 8 years of war. The aim of this study was to assess the variety of mental disorders in chemically eye injured.Instrument & Methods: In a cross-sectional study in 2010 in Mashhad City, Iran, 148 sulfur mustard exposed veterans who suffered severe ocular injury were evaluated. The diagnostic examination was conducted by a psychiatrist in a 20-minute interview. Psychological problems were assessed in 5 axes using DSM-IV (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders; 4th edition). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 22 software and Pearson correlation coefficient and Chi-square tests.Findings: 92 samples (62.2%) had abnormal temper, 62 samples (41.9%) had depression and 61 samples (41.2%) had irritability. 86 samples (58.1%) were affected by mental disorders; 50 samples (33.8%) by anxiety disorder and 45 samples (30.4%) by types of depression. Post-traumatic stress disorder and dysthymic were, respectively, the most common anxiety and depression disorders. 3 subjects (2/0%) had symptoms of dementia and one case (0.7%( suffered from schizophrenia. Family problem was the most common environmental stress. 18 new patients (12.2%) were identified. A significant relationship was observed between the number of children and types of mental disorders (p<0.001(.Conclusion: Rates of psychiatric disorders among veterans with severe chemical eye injuries are several times more than Iranian population and almost twice the frequency of these problems is non-chemical warfare victims.

Aims: One of the consequences of exposure to the ravages of war is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Variety of treatments has presented to help these patients. The target of this paper was to study the effectiveness of emotional schema therapy on cognitive emotion regulation strategies of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder veterans.Material & Methods: In this experimental study with single subject multiple based line method, 6 post-traumatic stress disorder patients were selected through available sampling, matched together and then divided into 3 groups (emotional schema therapy combined with medications, cognitive behavioral therapy combined with medications & medications). Tools of the study were Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS) and the Short Form of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-18) and the Persian versions of the Impact of Event Scale-Revise (IES-R). Data analysis was done by indexes of effect size, Cohen’s d, process changes, slope and interpretation of ups & downs in charts.Findings: Scores of patients who received emotional schema therapy decreased in negative emotional schema (rumination, guilt, uncontrollability) and scores of some positive emotional schema (higher values, acceptance, comprehensibility, and consensus) were increased. In addition, emotional schema therapy increased the scores of some adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (especially acceptance) and decreased some maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (self-blaming, rumination, catastrophizing).Conclusion: Emotional schema therapy that directly targets the basic mechanisms of treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is appropriate choice for treatment of this disorder.

Aims: Recognizing the causes of mortality is one of the most important issues that take the mind of policymakers and the health systems’ managers. Aging, alone, is the most important predicting parameter of death in populations. Subsequent injuries of war can affect life expectancy and reduce it. The object of this study was determining the causes of death in middle age and elderly in Iranian veterans in 2008.Instrument & Methods This descriptive study was done on medical files of more than-40 year old veterans who have died in 2008 and their files were analyzed in article No. 15 commission of Martyrs and Veterans Foundation. Data were entered to SPSS 18 statistical software and were analyzed.Findings: The mortality rate of more than 40-year old veterans was 4.67 in 1000 persons. 8 main causes of death were cardiovascular diseases in 483 cases (34.9%), unintentional injuries in 289 cases (20.9%), cancers and tumors in 224 cases (16.2%), respiratory diseases in 46 cases (3.3%), gastrointestinal diseases in 41 cases (3%), infectious diseases in 32 cases (2.3%), pulmonary diseases in 30 cases (2.2%) and urinary tract diseases in 29 cases (2.1%), respectively.Conclusion: Mortality rate of veterans is lower than general population and deaths from accidents among veterans are more common than deaths from cancers and tumors.

Aims: Physical and mental health is important for the whole groups of society, especially veterans. The purpose of present research was the comparison of body dimensions satisfaction and sociophysical anxiety between veteran athletes of team and single sports.Instrument & Methods: The present causal postevent study was done in 2014. Statistical samples included 70 men veteran athletes which were selected randomly from team (35 athletes) and single (35 athletes) sports. Instruments of research were questionnaires of body dimensions satisfaction and sociophysique anxiety. Data analysis was performed using independent T test in SPSS 19 software.Findings: The mean age of participants was 42.04±2.52 years. Veteran athletes of team sports had significantly more body dimensions satisfaction and less sociophysique anxiety in comparison with veteran athletes of single sports (p≤0.05).Conclusion: Veteran athletes of team sports have more body dimensions satisfaction and less sociophysique anxiety in comparison with veteran athletes of single sports.

Aims: Pain and limitation of motion due to amputation of victims, especially children, cause irreversible long-term mobility problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of pain and its relationship with limb problems in adolescent victims of landmines and unexploded ordnances.Instrument & Methods: In a cross-sectional study in 2009, 76 adolescent victims of landmines and unexploded ordnances (between 6-18 years old) living in five border provinces (West Azerbaijan, Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan & Khuzestan) were evaluated in two heath recreational camps. Demographic data was collected by questionnaire. The limbs, joint and limb pain were evaluated using physical examinations and history taking by a specialist in physical medicine. The data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software using Chi-square test.Findings: The average age of the victims at the time of the study was 16.11±2.00 years and (85.5%) 65 were male. 23 of the total 41 amputees (56.1%), had upper limb amputations. Pain was reported in all amputees and was significantly higher in lower limbs of 15-18 year old adolescents (p<0.05). Then, contractures (19.7%) and tendinitis and bursitis (18.4%) were the most common complications. Trauma and wounds were the least abundant (2.6%).Conclusion: The most common problem due to amputation in landmines and unexploded ordnances in adolescent victims is pain, particularly back pain and despite of the higher frequency of upper extremity amputations, pain is more prevalent in the lower limb amputees.