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Background & Aims: Empathy plays an important role in patient’s relationship with his/her dentist or doctor. One of the most used tools for evaluation of empathy is the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Health Professionals Version (JSPE-HP). The aim of this study was to validate the JSPE-HP for use among Iranian population.Methods: The English original version of the JSPE-HP questionnaire was translated into Persian language by a forward–backward translation method. Reliability was tested on 30 Dental and Medical students. Then validity and internal consistency were tested on 554 students.Results: The reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) of the JSPE-HP was excellent (alpha: 0.83). The coefficient of test re-test reliability measured by ICC (Intra class correlation coefficient) was 0.82 (CI 95%: 0.80-0.87). Freshman students had higher scores than other students and this difference was significant (P=0.03). There was no significant difference on empathy scores between Dental and Medical students.Conclusion: The overall findings of this study indicate that the Persian version of the JSPE is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating physician-patient empathy in Iranian Population.

Dental diseases in children have high prevalence the purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of oral Health game on brushing skill and plaque score of school children. A Quasi-experimental study was carried on 220 subjects randomly and sampling was done on the fourth grade's girl students. A checklist was used to measuring the brushing skill and plaque score. t. test showed that there is a significant statistical difference between two groups brushing skill (P= 0.000) and plaque score (P= 0.000). The effectiveness of oral Health game was 96.9% in brushing skill and the plaque score to 14.7%.  

Introduction: The development and empowerment of any society depend on the sound Health conditions of the individuals living in that society. In fact, the two factors of Health and development are interrelated in a sense that the existence of one gives rise to the other. That is why the present study aims at assessing some physical Health indexes among secondary-school male students ranging from twelve to fourteen years old in Gachsaran, Iran. The study was carried out during the academic year of 2009-2010. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive research study. The variables assessed in this study include:  physical growth like height and weight, Health status of vision, hearing, mouth and tooth, as well as that of the vertebral column. For the purpose of this study, 1000 boys with the age range of twelve to fourteen years old, i.e. from the first to the third grade of secondary high school, were randomly selected for the assessment. The selection was based on multistage sampling. The instruments used for data collection include a questionnaire and observation record sheets. As for the physical examinations, several instruments were utilized as follows: measuring tape, weighing scale, Snellen chart, tuning fork, flashlight, spatulas and disposable gloves.Results: Regarding the assessment of physical growth, the median values for weights and heights of the subjects in all age groups were lower than the median point of NCHS. Generally, the weight of 4.6% of the students was below the third percentile of the NCHS chart, 29.2%, fell between the third and the fiftieth percentiles, 54.3% between the fiftieth and the ninety seventh percentiles and 11.9% of their weight was found to be higher than the ninety seventh percentile of the NCHS chart. As for the findings related to the height, 3.2% of the students were shorter than the third percentile of the NCHS charts, 32.6%, fell between the third and fiftieth percentiles, 52.3% between the fiftieth and ninety seventh percentiles and 11.9% were taller than the ninety seventh percentile of the NCHS chart. The results of assessing visual conditions show that 25.8% of the students with glasses had at least one eye with less than 0.9 visual acuity. Regarding the hearing status, the findings show that 8.4% of the students subjected to whisper test were found to have hearing loss in either one or both ears. In relation to Health status of teeth, the findings indicated that 72% of the students participating in the present study had decayed permanent teeth. Concerning the vertebral column, the results indicate that 6.8%, 2.4% and 3.9% of the students in this research had scoliosis, lordosis and kiphosis, respectively. As for demographic specifications, it was found that there was a significant correlation between DMFT index and the fathers’ education as well as the number of children in the familyConclusion: The results of the present study show the importance of paying more attention to students’ dental Health, nutrition, physical education and Health status of visual, hearing and skeletal systems.