Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences
Volume:16 Issue: 2, Apr 2024

 Cancer is a leading cause of death globally and poses a significant obstacle to increasing life expectancy in every country, including Iran, where it is a major health threat.

 This study aimed to assess the cancer situation in Maragheh County, Iran, from 2015 to 2019.

 Data from Maragheh County for the years 2015 - 2019 were obtained from the Iranian National Population-Based Cancer Registry and the Statistical Center of Iran. The age-standardized rate (ASR) was calculated using the population model suggested by the WHO, with STATA software for data analysis.

 During the study period, Maragheh recorded a total of 1,700 cancer cases, with males accounting for 970 (54%) of these cases. The average age of cancer patients was 62.4 ± 22.2 years. The ASR for cancer in females ranged from 101.5 to 165.5 per 100,000 people, and for males, it ranged from 128.3 to 150.3 per 100,000 people.

 The incidence rate of cancer in Maragheh was slightly different from that in Iran and East Azerbaijan province but remained below the global average. The most common cancers in men were stomach, lung, bladder, colorectal, and prostate cancer, while in women, they were breast, colorectal, stomach, leukemia, and thyroid cancer.

 Maternal near miss (MNM) is defined as any life-threatening event during pregnancy, delivery, or within six weeks after the termination of pregnancy.

 This cross-sectional study aimed to assess sexual function in women with (n = 140) and without MNM (n = 246).

 Eligible participants were women with MNM and basic literacy who had given birth at least 8 - 12 weeks prior to the study. Participants were recruited from Imam Khomeini and Taleghani hospitals, while women without MNM were recruited from two public health centers in Ahvaz. Data collection commenced in December 2020 and concluded in March 2021. A demographic questionnaire and the Female Sexual Function Index were used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and multiple linear regression.

 The predominant mode of delivery among MNM women was cesarean section (70%, P < 0.05). The most common causes of MNM were preeclampsia (41.43%) and placenta accreta (24.29%), followed by hypertension and diabetes (17.86%). Women without MNM reported significantly higher scores in sexual satisfaction (β = 0.355, 95% CI: 0.019, 0.690, P = 0.035), lubrication (β = 0.707, 95% CI: 0.435, 0.980, P < 0.0001), sexual arousal (β = 0.394, 95% CI: 0.116, 0.522, P = 0.007), sexual desire (β = 0.319, 95% CI: 0.116, 0.522, p = 0.002), and total sexual function score (β = 1.768, 95% CI: 0.306, 3.230, P = 0.018). Women who had undergone cesarean section reported lower scores in sexual satisfaction (β = -0.646, 95% CI: -0.983, -0.309, P < 0.0001), orgasm (β = -0.620, 95% CI: -0.965, -0.275, P < 0.0001), sexual arousal (β = -0.473, 95% CI: 0.159, 0.439, P = 0.001), and total sexual function score (β = -3.181, 95% CI: -4.655, -1.707, P < 0.0001). Older women scored significantly lower in all components of sexual function except for pain.

 The study results indicated that all components of sexual function, except pain, were lower in women with MNM. A significantly higher number of women who had undergone cesarean section experienced MNM and sexual dysfunction. Health policymakers should focus not only on the causes of MNM, particularly cesarean sections, but also on assessing the sexual function of women affected by MNM.

 Identifying the main factors that affect body image (BI) is of utmost importance within the realm of marital relationships. In light of this, the present study investigated the relationship between BI, marital offense-specific forgiveness (MOF), and marital happiness (MH) among married women aged 20 - 35, living in urban and rural areas in the city of Jahrom, Fars Province, Iran.

 This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 608 married women aged 20 - 35, residing in urban and rural areas and referring to the comprehensive community health centers in the city of Jahrom, Fars province, Iran, selected by stratified-cluster sampling. For this purpose, the statistical population was divided into two groups, viz., the urban and rural women, and sampling was done in keeping with their population. The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), the Marital Happiness Scale (MHS), and the Marital Offense-Specific Forgiveness Scale (MOFS) were further applied to collect the data, which were then analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software package.

 Comparing the MHS mean scores showed a statistically significant difference between urban and rural women (P < 0.001). Additionally, a statistically significant difference was observed in the BI mean scores of the study groups, particularly in the appearance evaluation (AE) subscale (P < 0.001). The regression analysis results also demonstrated that MH could affect BI (P < 0.001)

 The study results revealed that MH and MOF could lead to a positive BI in married women.

 The prevalence of obesity among older individuals has significantly increased in recent years, potentially doubling the risk of postural imbalance and falls. Controlled whole-body vibration (CWBV) training is considered an alternative/complementary therapy for fall prevention, but its mechanisms still require further investigation.

 This study aimed to investigate the effects of CWBV on balance and fall risk among older adult women with obesity.

 Fifteen adult women over the age of 60 (mean age 68.55 ± 4.86, BMI: 30.57 ± 2.97) participated in this quasi-experimental study. They underwent CWBV training three times weekly for six weeks. Gait stability and balance were assessed using a gait analysis system before and after the intervention.

 The results indicated a significant decrease in both static and dynamic balance parameters, except for the variability of velocity index (P = 0.9) and fear of falling (FES-I score, P = 0.56), after the intervention.

 CWBV training appears to be an effective method for improving static and dynamic balance parameters in older adult women. However, further research is necessary to explore different dosages and protocols of vibration training, incorporating more challenging/specialized proprioceptive exercises to potentially improve the fear of falling in this population.

 Hospitals are primary centers providing services during unexpected events and should maintain their operational capabilities during and after disasters. Therefore, continuous evaluation of the safety status of these centers is vital.

 This study investigated the functional, non-structural, and structural safety status in selected hospitals in Ahvaz and determined the most significant safety challenges across three dimensions.

 This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted in three hospitals in Ahvaz. The World Health Organization's (WHO) “Hospital Safety Index” checklist was used to collect data across three dimensions: Functional, non-structural, and structural safety. Descriptive statistics, such as mean percentages and frequency distribution tables, were utilized to investigate the quantitative objectives.

 The safety level of the studied hospitals was estimated at 30.81% in the functional dimension, 59.17% in the non-structural dimension, and 71.69% in the structural dimension. According to the WHO classification, they were categorized in levels C, B, and A, respectively. The overall safety was 52.48% and was placed in category B. In the functional safety dimension, the highest score was related to hospital 2 at 35.24%, and the lowest score was related to hospital 3 at 24.59%. In the non-structural safety dimension, the highest score was related to hospital 3 at 66.66%, and the lowest was related to hospital 1 at 48.55%. In the structural safety dimension, the highest score was related to hospital 2 at 84.61%, and the lowest was to hospital 1 at 50%. Regarding overall safety, hospital 2 obtained the highest score at 57.61%, and hospital 1 obtained the lowest at 43.90%.

 The results revealed a moderate safety status in the three investigated hospitals. Although the safety status of these hospitals is not critical regarding disaster preparedness, there is a need for better planning and implementation to improve their safety levels.

 Addressing the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a significant challenge for healthcare systems globally. Despite the absence of a proven cure, ivermectin has been proposed as a potentially effective agent against it.

 This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of ivermectin compared to a placebo group in non-critically ill confirmed COVID-19 patients.

 A double-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted on 110 patients with moderate-to-severe (non-critical) confirmed COVID-19 infection. The patients were equally divided into two groups, with one group receiving ivermectin tablets (14 mg every 12 hours for three days) and the other group receiving a placebo. The efficacy and safety of ivermectin were assessed in both groups.

 A total of 110 patients, including 62 (56.4%) men and 48 (43.6%) women, with an average age of 53.36 ± 15.10 years, were enrolled in our double-blind, randomized clinical trial. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. The findings demonstrated that ivermectin significantly reduced the need for Intensive Care Unit admission (32.7% vs. 5.5%; P < 0.001), hospitalization duration (six vs. four days; P < 0.001), and median time to symptom resolution period (P < 0.05) in COVID-19 patients compared to the placebo group, without any serious side effects (P > 0.05).

 Ivermectin appears to be a potentially effective and safe medication for COVID-19 patients with moderate disease.