Health and Development Journal
Year:2013 | Volume:2 | Issue:3|Papers Count:8

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common gastrointestinal cancers accounting for about 10 percent of cancer-related mortalities. The present study was performed in order to investigate the relationship between nutritional factors and colorectal cancer risk in the population of Yazd, Iran.Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 60 patients with colorectal cancer and 120 healthy individuals in Yazd city. Data were collected by using a researcher-made questionnaire and based on interviews with patients and controls. Data analysis was done through SPSS16 and using Chi-square test and Logistic regression.Results: The mean age of subjects in case and control groups was respectively 58.4±16.4 and 58.3±16.4 years. According to the results of logistic regression, high consumption of red meat, fried foods and low consumption of fruits were the significant predictors of colorectal cancer; so that consumption of red meat or fried food 4 times or more per week and consumption of 1 unit or less fruit per day increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 7.4, 17.8 and 8.3 times, respectively.Conclusion: Results showed that dietary factors such as consumption of fried foods and red meat and also inadequate consumption of fruit can act as risk factors for colorectal cancer. Therefore, adequate dietary planning should be considered for the prevention of colorectal cancer.

Background: Hemodialysis is a life-saving process used as a treatment for many patients sufferimg from renal failure. Because of the large amount of water used in this process, contamination of hemodialysis water with microbial and harmful chemical pollutants is possible. Therefore, considering standards of dialysis water is critical. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbiological and chemical indicators of water used in hemodialysis centers of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences and the efficiency of water treatment systems in these centers.Methods: This cross - sectional study was performed in two hospitals of Zahedan from March to June 2012. A total of 15 hemodialysis devices were selected through convenient sampling and 34 samples were taken from their input water. Experiments were performed according to the book of standard methods. Data analysis was performed through SPSS16 and using descriptive statistics and t-test.Results: Except for calcium that its mean concentration (19.4±5.4) was higher than the AAMI standard, mean concentrations of cations and other compounds were significantly less than the standard levels. None of the samples had microbiological contamination. Conclusion: The water used in hemodialysis centers of Zahedan hospitals has no microbiological contamination and has AAMI standards.

Background: To increase safety of patients and staffs in hospitals, safety standards and regulations must be considered. This study was conducted to evaluate safety conditions in hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in various wards and units of four hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using a standard questionnaire of Iran Ministry of Health and was filled through interviews and observations of different wards. Based on the achieved scores, hospitals’ safety conditions were categorized into three groups including favorable, relatively favorable, and unfavorable.Results: Mean score of safety conditions in the studied hospitals was 66.8±15.1 None of the hospitals had a favorable safety condition. Overall, the safety condition was favorable in 27.8% of all wards and units, 12.5% of diagnostic wards, 13.3% of inpatient wards, 30.4% of logistic units and 72.7% of special wards. The best safety condition was in intensive care units. None of the obstetric and genecology wards, infant wards, oncology wards, emergency wards and drug storage and fire control units had a favorable safety condition.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, safety condition is not favorable in most wards and units of the hospitals. As a result, this poor safety condition can lead to a lot of risks for patients and hospital staffs. Therefore, to reduce these risks and promote safety condition, it is necessary to do some necessary interventions.

Background: Disability is the most important determinants of disease course, treatment and rehabilitation outcomes and consequently the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship of disability and quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 325 patients referred to the physiotherapy unit of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Iran (Tehran). Data collection tools were MSQOL-54 questionnaire for evaluating quality of life and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) for assessing the degree of disability. Data analysis was performed through SPSS16 and using t-test, chi-square test and linear regression.Results: Mean age of patients was 39.1±10.4 years. Among 14 domains of quality of life, the highest score was related to pain (67.8±25.7) and the least was related to role limitations due to physical problems (31±17.1). Linear regression model showed significant negative effect of disability on both physical and mental health domains of quality of life (P<0.001).Conclusion: The present study showed the association between disability and factors such as age of disease onset and gender and quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. Therefore supportive care to reduce disability and maintain patients’ functions at the highest possible level, particularly in women and patients with later age of disease onset, in order to improve the quality of life is recommended.

Background: Entrepreneurship support, at all hierarchy levels, is a crucial issue for increasing performance and enhancing competition in large organizations. The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between staff’s emotional intelligence and organizational entrepreneurship in Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was performed in a cross-sectional form in 2012. A total of 285 employees of Kerman University of Medical Sciences were evaluated in regard to their emotional intelligence using Shring standard questionnaire and organizational entrepreneurship using Neghabi & Bahadori questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Spearman test and through SPSS18 software package.Results: Among three components of organizational entrepreneurship, that is risk of entrepreneurship, pioneering and innovation, the first two components showed significant relationship with emotional intelligence. There was no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational entrepreneurship based on sex, age group, job experience and educational level except for bachelor and above degrees.Conclusion: We might benefit from the relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational entrepreneurship for educational purposes; for example, by improving emotional intelligence, organizational entrepreneurship can be enhanced.

Background: Economic evaluation includes evaluation of costs and benefits of screening. One of the economic evaluation methods is cost-effectiveness analysis. The aim of this study was cost-effectiveness analysis of type 2 diabetes screening in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: The target population of this cross-sectional study consisted of all Shiraz population over 30 years old. A total of 171067 persons old who had been referred for diabetes screening to 69 government health centers, 30 health stations of Shiraz and 10 clinics affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were included. In this study, costs included screening, surveillance and effectiveness costs of averted disability-adjusted life years due to diabetes (DALYs).Results: The lost disability-adjusted life years due to diabetes, in the absence of screening diabetic patients was equal to 871.9327 years in research popoulation. This rate was equal to 10.3886 for diabetic retinopathy, 29.5624 for diabetic neuropathy, 0.0343 for diabetic foot and 83.8728 for diabetic nephropathy. The obtained ICER was 49111444 Rials per each DALY averted.Conclusion: The plan saved 871.9327 years of the individual lives covered by the program and according to the World Health Organization threshold this screening is costeffective.

Background: Occupational hazards are one of the most important issues in developing countries. Meanwhile, hospitals are the most risky health provision centers, and nursing is one of the stressful jobs. Therefore, the present study aimed to study occupational hazards and their influential factors among nurses.Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Sirjan and Baft hospitals in 2011. Two hundred nurses were included in this study using stratified random sampling. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Data analysis was conducted through SPSS 19 software and using chi-square test, Fisher’s Exact test and descriptive statistics.Results: The frequency of awareness and observing safety measures were respectively 98.5% and 86.0%. The Staff perception of safety was 99.5%. The rates of incurred physical and mental injuries to nurses were respectively 95.0% and 88.6%. The rate of physical invasion to the personnel was zero. There was a significant relationship between somatic injuries and variables of gender, education, working years and hospital. Also, a significant relationship was observed between the rate of awareness and type of employment. The awareness of nurses in emergency wards was less than others and the most mental injuries were seen among nurses working in CCU (100%) and emergency wards (94.1%).Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate psychosomatic injuries in a high number of the personnel. Therefore, it is recommended to spend a proper budget to provide the required equipment, in order to decrease occupational hazards to nurses.

Background: Because of the close relationship between economic growth and welfare of the societies many economists have been seeking to identify the sources of economic growth. Human capital through enhancing workforce skills and quality, increases the amount of workforce income which consequently leads to economic growth.Methods: This study is based on data from the Social Accounting Matrix of Iran in 2006 and is performed using structural path analysis. The study population is comprised of all Iran’s economic sectors and households. SIMSIP_SAM software was used to analyze the data.Results: A billion Rial increases in human capital would lead to income increases which are: 0.087 in energy, 0.083 in services, 0.082 in agriculture, 0.064 in industry sector, and 0.052 billion Rial in mining sectors. Among households' quintiles, the urban fifth quintile, with 0.15 billion Rial increase, is the most affected by human capital growth. In whole, household income showed 1.23 billion Rial increase.Conclusion: The development of human capital increases households’ quintile income almost equally. Thus these increases would prevent the increases of class differences and makes adjustments to it. Hence, increasing free provision of health and education services increase household welfare, economic growth and economic development.