Payesh
Year:2017 | Volume:16 | Issue:3|Papers Count:13

Objective(s): Currently, about 70% of the Iranian population are living in cities. Considering the increase in population of the cities and outskirts, the need to improve health indicators in an equitable way in this complex environment is more crucial than ever. The aim of this study was to design a guideline for health ranking of Iranian cities.Methods: This study was a system design with qualitative approach. The data were collected from three sources: literature review, interviews with experts and stakeholders, and focus group discussions. Intentional sampling method was chosen. Based on a thematic analysis, the results were summarized into the guideline and a table of indicators for ranking.Results: A total of 12 interviews were conducted and a consensus was reached on three subjects in two group discussions: 1) the conceptual model and designing principles 2) the table of indicators for health ranking 3) the charter of accreditation and health ranking system for cities. Eventually 43 indicators were determined in three components including city, citizens and urban management.Conclusion: The results of this study were rectified in the fourteenth session of the Supreme Council for Health and Food Safety. By implementation of the results of this study, it can be expected that a positive movement occur among municipalities and urban councils, and the accountability of mayors and responsible authorities will be increase.

Objective(s): Self-rated health is a well-known indicator for measuring health in different populations. The aim of this study was to investigate factors that are considered by Iranians when they assess their own health.Methods: This was a qualitative study. The data were drawn from 73 semi-structured interviews conducted from June 2015 to August 2015. The participants were selected in a manner that maximum variations could achieve and continued until saturation. The data were analyzed by conventional content analysis approach.Results: Three categories were extracted: factors directly affect health; factors indirectly affect health and health as compared with their own previous health conditions and other people.Conclusion: Iranians are mainly concerned with physical health while they rate their own health. They assess their health conditions with reference to their peers in the similar age groups and their own previous health conditions.

Objective(s): Pedestrians are one of the most vulnerable and important road users. This study aimed to identify the current situations and present a clear picture of epidemiological pattern of road traffic injuries among pedestrians in Iran in 2014.Methods: This was a secondary analysis study using the traffic police data. Differences of selected variables and type of road traffic injuries were examined. To test the related risk factors for severity of injuries the univariate regression analysis was performed. The injury information extracted from a special form called COM that provided by traffic police of Iran.Results: There were 50518 accidental injuries among Iranian pedestrian in 2014. Qom province with 108.81, Zanjan with 91.21, Golestan with 89.09, and Khorasan Razavi with 87.49 had the highest rates of pedestrian injuries per 100000 populations versus 3.97 in Char-Mahal O Bakhtiari with the lowest rate. Results showed that age, sex, safety facilities for pedestrian for crossing roads, unsafe behaviors and the anatomical site of injury had a statistical significant association with the severity of injuries. Majority of injuries occurred between 3: 00 to 6: 00 PM (22.9%) and 6: 00 to 9: 00 PM (24.7%).Conclusion: The great number of pedestrian injuries in Iran in 2014 in this study and other studies shows that pedestrian safety is poor. Scientific approach using descriptive and analytical epidemiological studies might help to implement preventive measures for reducing pedestrian injuries in Iran.

Objective (s): Due to the increasing elderly population in the world, need to access accurate data for planning and action to protect and promote the health of the elderly is more attention. Choosing right tools with good psychometrics properties is a prerequisite for access accurate data. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the common tool used measuring quality of life.Methods: A comprehensive search of databases of Pubmed, Medline, and Science Direct was conducted, using the related keywords to development and psychometrics of older quality of life instruments.Results: In all a total of 342 papers were included in this review. Most commonly used quality of life measures in elderly were generic instruments (81.3%). Among generic measures the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was widely used (26.8%), while only specific tools to measure quality of life in elderly people accounted for 18.7%. Among specific measures the World Health Organization Quality of Life - OLD was widely used (9.6%).Conclusion: The results revealed that CASP-19, OPQOL-BRIEF and WHOQOL-AGE are the best specific measures that can be recommended for measuring quality of life in elderly populations.

Objective(s): Due to an increase in smoking among students, this study aimed to determine factors associated with smoking using the health belief model (HBM) among students living in a medical university dormitory in Tehran, Iran.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out on a sample of 340 undergraduate students. A designed questionnaire based on the health belief model (HBM) was used to collect data. The Data were analyzed by SPSS using appropriate statistical tests.Results: About one in four (n=81, 23.8%) of students were current smoker, 17.1% (n=58) had experienced cigarette smoking, and 59.1% (n=201) were non-smoker. T- test results showed a statistically significant difference in perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits and perceived self-efficacy (p<0.001) between smokers and nonsmokers, but there was no statistically significant difference between two groups of smoker and non-smoker students in terms of the scores of perceived barriers (p=0.08).Conclusion: The results showed that health belief model could predict factors that associated with smoking among students. Indeed the model might be applied in smoking preventing programs.

Objective(s): Dysmenorrhea is a common problem among young girls and leads to several limitations for this age group including limitations in daily activities and failure to attend to school. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with dysmenorrhea among young girls in Iran.Methods: All research conducted on the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in Iran, regardless of timeframe were examined. Dysmenorrhea, prevalence, incidence and menstrual disorders were used as key words for search strategy.Results: In all 310 studies were identified and after excluding irrelevant papers 9 papers included in this review. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was found to be conducted 70% [59%-82%]. Studies showed that increased fluid, sweets, fruits and vegetables intake was reduced dysmenorrhea. Two studies also showed significant relationship between the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and family history.Conclusion: There was no consistent reporting of prevalence of dysmenorrhea among Iranian girls. Due to lack of sufficient knowledge on the prevalence and pattern of dysmenorrhea, the topic deserves further investigation.

Objective(s): Improving maternal and neonatal care is a priority. In early pregnancy body mass index is an important predictor of pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between BMI and pregnancy outcomes among vulnerable women in Tehran, Iran.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through cluster sampling. Nine hospitals randomly selected from five regions of Tehran including north, south, east, west and the city center. Four hundred pregnant women with low socio-economic status attending to these selected hospitals were included in the study. Data were collected using a valid questionnaire and medical records.Results: In all 31% percent of vulnerable pregnant women were overweight (BMI=25-29.9 kg/m2) and 13% were obese (BMI³30 kg/m2). The adjusted odd ratio for diabetes was higher in obese [OR: 6.68, 95% CI: 2.36-18.63] and overweight women [OR: 2.29, 95% CI: 0.51-10.14] compared to mothers with normal BMI. Also compared to women with normal BMI the adjusted odd ratio for pregnancy hypertension was higher in obese [OR: 4.63, 95% CI: 1.40-15.38] and overweight [OR: 2.31, 95% CI: 0.38-12.65] women.Conclusion: The finding suggests that to improve pregnancy outcomes in vulnerable women, there is need to pay special attention to life style issues in this population during prenatal care.

Objective(s): Data collection is one of the important stages of research process and requires valid and reliable instruments. The aim of this article was to introduce important steps of translation and construction process of a questionnaire. Furthermore, the present study considers two psychometric properties evaluation including face and content validity.Methods: This is a documentary that accounts for instructions and methods in translating and validating a health-related questionnaire.Results: The most known procedure to translate a standard questionnaire from original language into a different language is forward-backward procedure. This includes several steps including forward translation, review and reconciliation of forward translation, back translation, back translation review, pre-testing and cognitive interviewing and providing the provisional version. Main steps for instrument development include definition of concept and its domain, explication of objectives for the measure, development of a blueprint; and construction of the measure, including administration procedures, item set, and scoring rules and procedures. Then content and face validity could be performed to provide the final version.Conclusion: Translation or development of a health-related measure and its psychometric properties should methodologically be robust and follow standard procedures.

Objective(s): Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. This study was performed to design and assess the psychometric characteristics of a health literacy instrument for breast cancer patients.Methods: According to existing health literacy measures, a primary questionnaire in five domains of reading, access, understanding, assessment and decision-making was designed. The qualitative and quantitative content validity of the questionnaire were evaluated with the relevant experts and after the necessary modifications, content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) were calculated. Qualitative and quantitative face validity of the questionnaire were evaluated by a number of patients and according to their views, revisions were made and the impact factor (Impact Score- IS) were calculated for each of the items. Next, the questionnaire was completed by 225 women with breast cancer and in order to assess construct validity, exploratory factor analysis was performed. Finally, the reliability was tested by Cronbach's alpha.Results: A 36-item questionnaire in five domains of reading, access, understanding, assessment and decision-making/behavior was designed. In the qualitative content validity, 2 items were removed and necessary corrections were made for other items. The CVI and CVR of the items were calculated. All items achieved the optimum values and were maintained in the final version of the questionnaire. Also after qualitative face validity, impact factors were calculated for each items and they were all at optimal levels. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that the breast cancer health literacy containing 34 items and five subscales accounted for 64.9% of variance observed.Conclusion: The breast cancer health literacy (HELBA) is a valid measure and now can be used to assess health literacy in women with breast cancer.

Objective(s): Health literacy is an important competency to maintain health. Schools are a key setting in which health literacy can be promoted. However this depends on the teachers' health literacy that is not always adequate. The present study describes the development of a health literacy curriculum for pre-service teachers using dialogue education approach.Methods: A normative inquiry was applied to develop the components of a dialogic health literacy curriculum. The method included two focus groups with teacher candidates, 13 face-to-face interviews with an expert panel and a survey with 228 professional teachers in 2015. In addition we examined the content of “Theoretical Premises of the Fundamental Reform of the Formal General Education System of the Islamic Republic of Iran” in relation to health education. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. They were coded and categorized in predetermined themes.Results: Eight themes emerged as components of a dialogic health literacy curriculum: 1. Characteristics of the learners and educator; 2. Situation that calls for the learning; 3. Ultimate changes; 4. Time frame; 5. Site for the learning events; 6. Content; 7. Learning objectives and 8. Learning tasks. These will be explained in details.Conclusion: We have developed a dialogic health literacy curriculum to improve health literacy among future teachers to help them to play their critical role in improving health literacy of their future students. An evaluation of the impact of the curriculum is needed.