Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Year:2014 | Volume:32 | Issue:274|Papers Count:6

Background: This study aimed to determine the relation of physical activity levels and mental health among staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive-interpretive research, the statistical society was formed by all staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences consisting the professors in 2012. They were 1647 persons, and the sample size was computed as 332 persons using Cookeran formula, which were selected via classificatory random sampling method. The measurement instruments included physical activity questionnaire with 16 and standard mental health questionnaire with 28 questions; the validity of the questionnaires was proved according to the professors' and researchers’ opinions and the reliability via Cronbach coefficient (0.76 and 0.86, respectively). To analyze data, single-variance t-test, regression analysis, and correlation coefficient were used.Findings: The mean level of the staff's physical activity at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences was less than the intermediate level; and the status of their mental health was suitable status. There was positive and meaningful inter-relation between the sport physical activity level and spare times with the mental health status. However, no meaningful inter-relation was seen between the work physical activity level and mental health status.Conclusion: Regarding the importance of physical activity in increasing the employees' productivity in an organization, increasing physical activity more than the current working activities in the working place, expanding of sport physical activity, creating of sport conditions and facilities for the employees, and, involving the staff in physical activity in their recreation time is suugested.

Background: There are contradictory results of different studies about the effect of periodontal treatment on metabolic control of diabetes. Due to the importance of management of the patients, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of periodontal therapy [scaling and root planning (SRP)] with doxycycline on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods: In this double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial, 40 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had moderate periodontitis were treated with scaling and root planning + placebo (SRP; n=20) or with scaling and root planning + doxycycline 100 mg/day, for 21 days (SRP + Doxy; n=20). Periodontal parameters including bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), plaque index (PI), and probing depth (PD), also metabolic parameter (HbA1c) were recorded at baseline and 3 months after the treatment.Findings: After 3 month, all periodontal parameters and HbA1c showed significant improvement in both groups (P<0.001). The reduction of all periodontal parameters and HbA1c was not significantly different between the groups in this study (P for BOP=0.799; P for CAL=0.667; P for PI=0.253; P for PD=0.989; and P for HbA1c=0.301).Conclusion: Periodontal treatment with the adjunctive systemic doxycycline may influence the systemic conditions of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, but no statistical differences was observed between the control and treatment groups. Therefore, confirmatory studies with controlled diabetes are necessary.

Background: Since, hair loss can be accompanied by worries about general appearance and can cause feeling of being bad looking and low self-esteem and although it can produce anxiety, it has effects on social functions. This study was designed to assess psychological and behavioral impacts of hair loss on patients.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on two groups of case and control (98 person in each group). Both groups were matched for age, marital status and education. Then, the two groups were given four self-administrate questionnaires, Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), Rosenberg self-esteem scale, World health organization quality of life instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), and Body image disturbance questionnaire (BIDQ). Finally, the results were compared using independent t-test.Findings: There were no significant differences between the case and control groups in anxiety and depression, quality of life, and self-esteem. Nevertheless, there was significant difference between the two groups in body image disturbance (P<0.001).Conclusion: Patients with hair loss clearly suffer from feeling of being bad looking and this can affect their social functions and their presence in community.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of extract of Eriobotrya japonica flower on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the hippocampus of Parkinsonian rats after 12 weeks of voluntary exercise on a running wheel.Methods: 43 rats were divided into six groups of healthy control, Parkinsonian control, training group, Parkinsonian training, extract Parkinsonian, and training-extract Parkinsonian. Training group exercised on running wheels for 12 weeks. Training-extract group exercised on running wheels and received 200 mg/kg extract of Eriobotrya japonica intraperitoneally three times per week during study period. To induce Parkinson, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) (dissolved in saline) was administered intracerebrovenricular (ICV) by a stereotaxic apparatus. BDNF level were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. SOD and MDA levels were measured using spectrophotometric method. Data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least significant difference (LSD) post-hoc tests.Findings: Exercise in Parkinsonian-training and extract in Parkinsonian-extract group could not prevent decrease of BDNF and difference between healthy control and training-extract group was significant (P=0.001). Voluntary wheel running and extract significantly prevented SOD level to decrease in Parkinsonian rats (P=0.001). Differences of SOD level between training-extract and healthy group were not significant (P=0.125). Training and extraction could not prevent MDA level to increase compared with healthy control group (P=0.918). The difference of MDA level between extract-Parkinsonian and healthy group was not significant (P=0.904).Conclusion: Pre-treatment with voluntary exercise and extraction of Eriobotrya japonica increase oxidative protection capacity of hippocampus against 6-OHDA toxicity but they cannot prevent significant decrease of BDNF level against 6-OHDA. Possibly, along with increase of SOD and decrease of MDA there would be no need to BDNF increase in order to counteract oxidative stress induced by exercise.