Depiction of Health
Year:2018 | Volume:8 | Issue:4 |Papers Count:8

Background and Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between lifestyle and life expectancy with psychological well-being in patients with multiple sclerosis.Material and Methods: The research method was correlational. The study population consisted of all 19-40 year olds MS patients living in Tehran. Among them, 234 patients were selected based on convenience sampling from the MS Society of Tehran and Sina hospital.Results: The results of regression coefficients showed that life style coefficient alone was 0.666 and with the emergence of the second variable in the second stage, the share of lifestyle variable was 0.617 and life expectancy variable was with a coefficient of 0.522. All independent variables of the research also had a significant (P≤0.01) confidence in the prediction of the dependent variable with 99% confidence. Also, there was a positive relationship between lifestyle and psychological well-being between the two variables.Conclusion: According to the results of the current study, lifestyle and life expectancy can predict psychological well-being in patients with MS.

Background and Objectives: Nowadays, with the appearance of competitive environment, quality of services is important. The sector of health has a special status compared with other sectors of services. Patients determine the quality of services that are provided by hospitals which are regarded as large and complex service organizations within the health system. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived service quality, perceived services value, patients’ satisfaction, word of mouth advertising and tendency to patients’ return.Material and Methods: This study was a descriptive and functional and from aspect of results, is practical and was done by one cross-sectional and fieldwork. The sample of study of 135 health care receivers, who were referred at least once from Feiz eye clinic in Isfahan were selected by using Cochran formula and stratified with random sampling. The data collected with a questionnaire which its reliability and validity were confirmed. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS and Smart PLS2 software.Results: The findings showed that all indices have acceptable load factor. Perceived service quality had a significant positive impact on perceived value (0.57) and patient satisfaction (0.28). Perceived value had a significant positive effect on patients’ satisfaction and patients’ return. Also, patients’ satisfaction had effect on word of mouth advertising and word of mouth advertising had effect on the patients’ return.Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that perceived value and patients’ satisfaction meditate between the relationship of perceived service quality and patients’ return. In addition, the indirect effect of perceived value on patients’ return, with changeable mediation of patients’ satisfaction is more than direct effect. Also, among the variables, patients’ satisfaction had greatest effect on patients return.

Background and Objectives: Infectious diseases are still a major health problem in the world. Thus, this study was conducted to describe and determine the most prevalent infection sites in patients admitted to the infectious ward of Imam Reza hospital in Kermanshah.Material and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by referring to 385 clinical records of patients between 2014 and 2015. Data were collected through a data review check list including demographics and clinical information.Results: The most common diagnoses of admitted patients were infections of lower respiratory tract 118 (30.60%), sepsis with unknown source 72 (18.7%), and skin and soft tissue infections 59 (15.3%), respectively.Conclusion: The lower respiratory tract infections and sepsis are relatively more prevalent than other infectious diseases in this study.

Background and Objectives: Due to the rapid growth of tourism industry, appropriate management and supervision of tourism centers by improving the sanitary, welfare and security situation of these centers is essential. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate sanitary and welfare status of tourism centers in Lorestan province.Material and Methods: This research is a qualitative study conducted through semi-structured Interview with tourists. Data analysis was done using content analysis. After collecting and analyzing data, findings were classified into themes and sub-themes.Results: The findings were categorized into 6 main themes and 24 sub-themes. The main themes were general sanitary conditions, welfare facilities, transportation, healthcare services, security, and management and supervision.Conclusion: According to the findings and participants’ points of view, tourists are not satisfied with health care status of tourist centers. Therefore, in order to minimize the health problems of tourism centers and maximize attracting tourists, short-term and long-term plans should be put on the agenda of tourism managers and stakeholders of the Lorestan province.

Background and Objectives: The borderline personality disorder includes a cluster of syndromes and symptoms characterized by instable and impulsive behaviors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of alexithymia in people with borderline tendencies with impulsivity, self-harm and borderline personality traits.Material and Methods: In a descriptive-correlational and cross sectional research approach, 350 students from Tabriz University were selected using random cluster sampling. From this sample, 115 people with a borderline score higher than the cut-off point were chosen and labeled as people with borderline tendencies. Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, STB, and SHI questionnaires were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation and simultaneous multiple regression by SPSS software v.21.Results: The findings indicated that alexithymia has a positive and meaningful relationship with borderline personality traits (r=0.36, p<0.01), impulsivity (r=0.87, p<0.01), and self-harm (r=0.67, p<0.01). The general linear model results showed that the alexithymia variable and problems in identifying feelings subscale can predict borderline personality traits. Also, alexithymia and problems in identifying feelings subscale can predict impulsivity. Alexithymia and problems in identifying feelings and problems in describing feelings subscales can predict self-harm.Conclusion: Based on these findings, we can conclude that alexithymia and problems in identifying feelings are the main determinants of borderline personality traits and impulsivity. Also, alexithymia and problems in identifying feelings and problems in describing feelings subscales are the main determinants of self-harm.

Background and Objectives: Most of the children suffering autism have problems in gross motor skills in daily activities. The present research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of aquatic exercises on gross motor skills in a selected group of autistic children, aging 6 to 13 years.Material and Methods: The research was conducted in a quasi-experimental framework with pre- and post-test. Doing so, 14 children with autism were selected among children in Autism Charity Foundation Tehran, Iran) 2014). The subjects were divided into two experimental (8 applicants) and control (6 people) groups after being assessed based on their growth of motor skills through Broninx-Ozeretski test of gross motor skills. Afterwards, experimental group experienced 12 aquatic exercises while control group received no treatment. After that, both groups took the post-test. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data.Results: The results showed that the mean score of the experimental and control gropus are not significantly different in pre- and post-test. The results indicated that selected treatments had no significant influence on gross motor skills of autistic children with a=0.05.Conclusion: According to the results, it can be concluded that aquatic exercises had no significant influence on gross motor skills, speed, coordination and strength in autistic children.

Background and Objectives: Breastfeeding in the first six months of life reduces mortality and childhood diseases. The aim of this study was to compare growth index in exclusive breastfeeding and infant formula feeding in six-month-old infants in East Azerbaijan province, northwest of Iran.Material and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on a sample of 1088 infants in East Azerbaijan, Iran during 2007-2009. Information was collected through household health records and interviews. Measurement of growth indexes including weight and height was performed in health centers. Data analysis was performed using logistic regression and independent t-test using Stata11 software.Results: The exclusive breastfeeding group consisted of 944 cases and the infant formula group was 144. In this study, mothers with university education, employment, multiparty up to 3rd and twin infants, fed their children with infant formula, significantly. At the age of six months, the mean height and weight of exclusive breastfeeding newborns were higher than infant formula group but were not statistically significant.Conclusion: At the age of six months, the mean height and weight of exclusive breastfeeding newborns were higher than infant formula group.

Considering spiraling costs of management and delivery of health services, using principles of health economics is inevitable. World Health Organization in a report in 2000 emphasized on the use of strategic purchasing as a main strategy for achieving objectives of health system. Therefore, investigating strategic purchasing in context of health system in Iran to understand implementation possibility seems to be necessary. Having this in mind, researchers outlined infrastructures of implementation of strategic purchasing in Iran. Strategic purchasing and regionalization in health system, universal health coverage which is a main objective for health systems, reform plan of health system, family physician plan and reforms in health system were analyzed with an orientation to strategic purchasing and applicable recommendations were offered. Considering high costs of health services delivery and infinite needs of people, using strategic purchasing is a mandatory approach. In this regard, infrastructures like health information management, comprehensive and up-to-date electronic health records should be developed by planners.