JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN HEALTH SCIENCES (JRHS)
Year:2012 | Volume:12 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

Background: People with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) constitute the high-risk group for transmission of HIV. The present study was planned to estimate the prevalence of HIV and syphilis in patients attending STI Clinic and to assess the socio-demographic determinants of the study subjects.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study of three-month duration was under-taken from January to March 2011 in STI clinic in an Urban Health Center. Meth-od of sampling was universal sampling i.e. all patients attending the STI Clinic were included as subjects. After obtaining their informed consent subjects were interviewed face to face using pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. Questionnaire included information about clinical history, socio-demographic characteristics, and details regarding high-risk behavior and contact history. All subjects were clinically examined for presence of any ulcer or discharge, etc. Participants were subjected to HIV, VDRL and microscopic examination for vaginal discharge. Subjects and partners were managed as per National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) guidelines. Symptoms of subjects were again evaluated after 14 days at the time of follow up visit.Results: Prevalence of HIV was 8.5% while that of syphilis was 5.9% and that in transgender was 25% and 12.5% respectively with majority in 20-40 yr age group and marital status and education playing significant role. Bacterial vaginitis was the most common infection found in 41 (42.3%) subjects. Significant association was observed between number of sexual partners, homosexual and bisexual behavior, as well as sero-positivity for HIV and syphilis (P<0.001).Conclusion: There is a need of scaling up of efforts for high-risk groups to dis-courage their high-risk behavior and thus bring down the prevalence of HIV and syphilis amongst them.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum infection is endemic in most tropical coun-tries and will definitely infect Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive patients living in this region at one time or the other during the course of their infection. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of malaria infection in HIV-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Benin City, Nigeria.Methods: A total of 285 (84 males and 201 females) adults attending the hospital were enrolled in this study between July 2010 and June 2011. Blood specimens were collected from each participant and processed for CD4 counts, P. falciparum detection and hemoglobin concentration using standard procedures. The software INSTAT (GraphPad Software Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA) was used for all statistical analyses.Results: A total of 6 (2.11%) out of 285 HIV infected patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral therapy (HAART) treatment had malaria and anemia. CD4 count <200 cells/ml was significantly associated with P. falciparum infection with odd ratio estimate of 11.61 (95% CI: 2.06, 65.48; P<0.004). Anemia was significantly associated with asymptomatic malaria infection among HIV patients on HAART with an odd ratio of 16.47 (95%: CI: 0.919, 295.5; P=0.021).Conclusion: The study reveals a low prevalence of asymptomatic malaria among HIV patients on HAART. Measures to reduce malaria infection and anemia among HIV patients on HAART are advocated.

Background: Kernel smoothing method is a non-parametric or graphical method for statistical estimation. In the present study was used a kernel smoothing method for finding the death hazard rates of patients with acute myocardial infarction.Methods: By employing non-parametric regression methods, the curve estimation, may have some complexity. In this article, four indices of Epanechnikov, Biquadratic, Triquadratic and Rectangle kernels were used under local and k-nearest neighbors' bandwidth. For comparing the models, were employed mean integrated squared error. To illustrate in the study, was used the dataset of acute myocardial infraction patients in Bushehr port, in the south of Iran. To obtain proper bandwidth, was used generalized cross-validation method.Results: Corresponding to a low bandwidth value, the curve is unreadable and the regression curve is so roughly. In the event of increasing bandwidth value, the distribution has more readable and smooth. In this study, estimate of death hazard rate for the patients based on Epanechnikov kernel under local bandwidth was 1.011×10-11, which had the lowest mean square error compared to k-nearest neighbors bandwidth. We obtained the death hazard rate in 10 and 30 months after the first acute myocardial infraction using Epanechnikov kernelas were 0.0031 and 0.0012, respectively.Conclusion: The Epanechnikov kernel for obtaining death hazard rate of pa-tients with acute myocardial infraction has minimum mean integrated squared error compared to the other kernels. In addition, the mortality hazard rate of acute myocardial infraction in the study was low.

Background: There are few published studies that use real data testing to examine the performance of outbreak detection methods. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of the Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) in real time detection of a local outbreak in Mashhad City, eastern Iran.Methods: The EWMA algorithms (both EWMA1 with l=0.3 and EWMA2 with λ=0.6) were applied to daily counts of suspected cases of measles to detect real outbreak which has occurred in the city of Mashhad during 2010. The performances of the EWMA algorithms were evaluated using a real data testing approach and reported by correlation analysis.Results: Mashhad outbreak was detected with a delay of about 2 to 7 days using EWMA algorithms as outbreak detection method. Moreover, the utility of EWMA2 algorithm in real time detection of the outbreak was better than EWMA1 algorithm.Conclusion: Applying the EWMA algorithm as an outbreak detection method might not be useful in timely detection of the local outbreaks.

Background: Most people start smoking during teenage years. There is an in-creasing trend in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among children and adolescents in recent years. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of cigarette smoking and associated risk factors among high-school students.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2010 in Hamadan City, west of Iran. A random sample of 1161 high-school students was en-rolled voluntarily. The data collection tool was a self-administered questionnaire including demographic characteristics as well as questions about knowledge and attitude toward cigarette smoking. Stata version 11 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA) was employed for data analysis.Results: The prevalence of cigarette smoking was 10.2% (95% CI: 8.4%, 11.9%; SD=0.30) with an increasing trend toward older ages. Of the 118 smokers, 70% were boys, 93% were 15-20 years old, 80% had experienced smoking before age of 15 yr, 80.3% used less than five cigarettes per day, and 39% started smoking out of curiosity. Students' mean scores of knowledge and attitude to-ward smoking were 53% and 74%, respectively. Odds ratio estimate of becoming a smoker was 4.44 for those who lived with people other than their parents, 5.68 for those who had siblings who smoke, 10.74 for those who had friends who smoke, 12.56 for those who were frequently offered cigarettes by their friends.Conclusion: The current study revealed the effect of several social variables on adolescents' smoking status. The results of our study thus provide information on possible areas of intervention, which should be the focus of special attention by policymakers when planning tobacco control preventive programs among adolescents and young adults.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection, with increased morbidity and mortality at birth. The risk of intrauterine infection largely depends on the time of maternal infection during pregnancy. Currently, no national screening test for CMV infection is available during pregnancy in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of CMV infection in pregnant women in the east region of Iran.Methods: In this descriptive study, conducted from February to April 2011, 240 serum samples were collected from pregnant women in the third trimester to measure CMV-specific immunoglobulin G (CMV-IgG) and CMV- specific immunoglobulin M (CMV-IgM) markers using ELISA test. IgG avidity test was used for all patients whom were positive CMV-IgM and positive CMV-IgG to distinguish primary and recurrent CMV infection. All positive CMV-IgM of pregnant women were monitored until birth.Results: The majority of women (72.1%) were positive CMV-IgG in pregnancy. The rate of positive CMV-IgM, primary and recurrent infection was 2.5%, 0.83%, and 1.67% respectively. There was significant relation between history of abortion (P=0.013) and residential place (P=0.017) with IgG seropositive rate. Two subjects with positive CMV-IgM were faced with preterm labor and low birth weight.Conclusion: The findings of our study indicated high prevalence rate of CMV seropositivity in this part of eastern region of Iran. A national screening of CMV-IgM serological is suggested for pregnant women who are at risk of CMV infection.

Background: Hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) is an important contaminant in surface and groundwater and its removal from contaminated water and wastewater has received interest in recent years. This study aimed to explain the removal process of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution using nano hydroxyapatite (n-HAp) as an adsorbent material.Methods: Cr (VI) removal experiments with the prepared n-HAp were carried out as the batch test in 100 ml flask while agitating on the shaker. The influence of pH (3 to11), contact time (3-60 min), Cr (VI) concentration (1 to 2 mg/L) and adsorbent dosage (0.025 to 1 g/L) were explored. Three isotherms models and eight kinetics models were used to evaluate the experimental data, respectively. For validation of kinetic and isotherm data, correlation coefficient, sum of square errors (SSE) and normalized deviation were used.Results: The removal efficiency of Cr (VI) was improved an increase in Cr (VI) and n-HAp concentration. The results best fitted with Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order rate reaction. Analysis of data with Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm showed that the adsorption of Cr (VI) onto synthetic n- HAp is a chemisorption process.Conclusion: The n-HAp as an ecofriendly compound is effective adsorbent for the removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution. Accordingly, n-HAp is feasible and promise adsorbent for treating polluted Cr (VI) groundwater.

Background: Drug abuse is one of the important challenges in the field of mental health and adolescence health promotion. Because of the social and medical cost of drug abuse and its consequences among youth people, it is necessary to intervene effectively. This theoretical based study explained predictability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on drug abuse related behaviors among adolescents.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Hamadan City, western Iran, in 2011 among 650 male high school students, recruited randomly. All data were gathered by using self-report written questionnaires include attitudes, subjective, norms, perceived behavioral control and intention not to use drugs as theoretical constructs of TPB and drug abuse related behaviors.Results: According to the logistic regression analysis, attitude and subjective norms were the most influential predictors of intention to drug abuse. There was a significant relationship between drug abuse smoking experience (OR=27.24 95% CI: 10.25, 72.40; P=0.001), having parents of drug users (OR=8.63 95% CI: 3.42, 21.81; P=0.001), and having friends who had experienced drug (OR=11.06 95% CI: 4.24, 28.85; P=0.001).Conclusion: Drug abuse preventative programs need to apply comprehensive theoretical based efforts for drug abuse preventative manipulations in school settings. Theory of planned behavior can be used properly and effectively for planning and implementing drug abuse prevention programs in adolescents.