جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "socioeconomic factors" در نشریات گروه "پزشکی"

The global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) could trigger a food security crisis affecting not only impoverished individuals but also urban residents in low- and middle-income countries.

Given that various strains of COVID-19 impact food security differently, we assessed the food security status of households in Semnan province, Iran, during and after the containment of the omicron variant.

Data from 231 households were gathered using a standard questionnaire that evaluated socioeconomic characteristics, food security based on the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, and vulnerability to food insecurity. A quantitative model was utilized to identify factors associated with food insecurity during and post-pandemic.

The findings indicated an improvement in household food security following the management of COVID-19, with significant differences observed in food security levels, especially concerning severe food insecurity, during versus after the COVID-19 period. The quantitative model analysis revealed that, with the exception of the head of household's occupation status, personal savings, and the number of educated and employed members within a household, all variables significantly correlated with food security (P < 0.05).

These outcomes highlight how the relationship between socioeconomic factors and food security levels may vary depending on the pandemic's timing, environmental conditions, and household resilience, underlining the importance of adaptive policymaking that responds to current circumstances and the evolving links between socioeconomic determinants and food security.

The use of mental healthcare services in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients can depend on socioeconomic status (SES). The current study aimed to evaluate socioeconomic inequality in the perceived need for mental healthcare in patients with T2DM in Hamadan, Western Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and July 2023 in Hamadan, Western Iran. The study included T2DM patients who were referred to the Diabetes Center of Hamadan. The variables included in the study were demographics, SES, health insurance status, social support, and self-rated mental health. The outcome of interest was the perceived need for mental healthcare. The socioeconomic inequality was evaluated using concentration index and decomposition analysis.

A total of 393 patients (mean age: 56.48±10.65, 62% female and 88% urban inhabitants) were enrolled. The prevalence of perceived need for mental healthcare was 43%, and 50.30% of the patients (85) had delay/avoidance of mental healthcare services. The concentration index (95% confidence interval) of perceived mental healthcare needs was -0.24 (-0.18, -0.30), indicating that perceived needs are more concentrated in the socio-economically disadvantaged patients. Decomposition analysis revealed that low economic status and illiteracy were the main contributors to the inequality (approximately 50%). Cost, minimization, and stigma were the most frequently reported reasons for avoidance/delay of mental healthcare services, respectively.

There was a pro-poor socioeconomic inequality in perceived need for mental healthcare among T2DM patients. Healthcare policies and facilities to reduce socioeconomic inequality should mainly focus on disadvantaged T2DM patients.

 The social causation hypothesis suggests that health is influenced by various social factors, including childhood living conditions and mobility pathways, and individual life satisfaction is primarily derived from the subjective sense of mobility and social class.

 Adverse changes in social factors and their negative effects on health have been observed in numerous studies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between life satisfaction and subjective social mobility status in women from Rasht.

 Conducted between 2020 and 2021, this cross-sectional correlational study examined 800 married women residing in Rasht who met the inclusion criteria. Participants were selected using a cluster random method from various areas of the city. Data collection tools included demographic characteristics, the Ferrans and Powers Quality-of-Life Questionnaire, and the MacArthur Scale to measure participants' socioeconomic status (SES). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and parametric statistical tests.

 The samples generally comprised individuals with intermediate socioeconomic status, and most participants indicated that their current living situation was better than that of their parents. The lowest average life satisfaction score was observed in the low socioeconomic status group, with participants experiencing downward mobility reporting the lowest life satisfaction scores. However, the results showed no significant difference in the satisfaction levels among different social mobility groups of women (P = 0.60).

 Our findings underscore the importance of researchers reflecting on and being sensitive to experiences related to social class and mobility. The study confirmed that individuals with downward social mobility tend to have lower life satisfaction. Social factors are strongly associated with health outcomes, emphasizing the need for the modern healthcare system to consider the impact of social factors on individuals' well-being.

People with disabilities (PWD) typically face a range of obstacles when accessing healthcare, particularly when compared with the general population. This challenge becomes more pronounced for PWDs in lower socioeconomic groups. This study aimed to assess the socioeconomic-related disparity in financial access to rehabilitation services among Iranian PWDS.  

A total of 766 Iranian PWDs aged ≥18 years participated in this cross-sectional study. We employed the concentration index (C) to estimate socioeconomic inequality in accessing rehabilitation services.  

In this study, 766 Iranian adults aged 18 to 70 took part, with a mean age of 36.50 (SD, ±10.02) years. The findings revealed that 72.15% (n = 469) of participants had to borrow money to cover the costs of rehabilitation services. The concentration index (C = -0.228, P = 0.004) demonstrated a notable concentration of inadequate financial access to rehabilitation services among individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES). Decomposition analysis identified the wealth index as the primary contributor to the observed socioeconomic disparities, accounting for 309.48%.  

Our findings show that socioeconomic inequalities disproportionately impact PWDs in lower socioeconomic groups. It is recommended that efforts be made to enhance the national capacity for monitoring the financial protection of PWDs and to develop equitable mechanisms that promote prepayment and risk pooling, thus reducing reliance on out-of-pocket payments at the time of service utilization.

 The use of herbal drugs for treating neonatal jaundice is a common practice in many societies despite the potential complications. However, little is known about the individuals or groups who typically recommend the use of these drugs for affected neonates.

 This study aims to investigate the main recommendations of herbal drugs for treating neonatal jaundice.

 The format of the present cross-sectional study was designed and implemented based on interviews with parents of infants who have infantile jaundice who used herbal drugs for their neonates during 2019 and 2022 and were admitted to the Children’s Medical Center of Tehran, Iran. Along with baseline data, the socioeconomic situation of families was also evaluated.

 Regarding the role of people in recommending the use of herbal drugs, in 52.1% of cases, the main recommenders to use this substance to treat infant jaundice were the patient's relatives, while the role of parents in recommending the consumption of this compound was 25.5%. Also, 6.4% of the neighbors of the patients’ family were the main recommenders to use herbal drugs for the affected neonates. Interestingly, 4.3% of doctors and 11.7% of pharmacists had the leading role in recommending the use of herbal drugs to treat infant jaundice. Parents who recommended using herbal drugs for their neonates were more likely to be smokers and less affluent.

 Relatives, parents, grandparents, and even neighbors play a significant role in recommending the use of herbal drugs in the treatment and control of neonatal jaundice. The role of doctors and pharmacists in recommending the use of this compound in the treatment of jaundice, especially considering the potential side effects, should not be underestimated.

This study aimed to evaluate infertile women’s treatment-seeking behavior and to determine the factors that impact the treatment method choices while assessing patients’ views regarding infertility management.

This cross-sectional survey was distributed anonymously online and targeted infertile females seeking infertility treatment and included participants from all the 12 governorates in Jordan. An electronic questionnaire was designed, which was then distributed on several social media platforms during January 2021. This study included 429 participants seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF), and 52 were seeking intrauterine insemination (IUI) as a treatment modality. The study aimed to examine the aspects that influence infertile women’s treatment-seeking behavior and technique selection.

A total of 481 infertile females aged 21-50 years were included in the study. There was a statistically significant relationship between treatment modality and the number of children (P = 0.012), years of trying to conceive (P = 0.006), and causes of infertility (P = 0.017). Participants who wanted to use the IUI method had a significantly higher average number of children (IUI vs. IVF: 0.88 ± 1.11, 0.46 ± 0.96). Calculating the binary logistic regression to predict the selection of a treatment method based on prior trials of IVF and IUI indicated that the IVF prior trial is a significant predictor method of treatment selection (P < 0.001).

The decisions regarding infertility treatment should be shared between the patient and the treating physician. Socioeconomic status, past gynecological, and infertility history should be evaluated to better understand the patient’s preference.

In recent decades, family and their stability as an important social institution have changed significantly.

This study aimed to investigate the marriage trends, childbearing, and divorce changes in Yazd province from 2016-2021 to estimate the effect of socioeconomic factors on divorce.

Cross-sectional study was done in 2 phases. In first phase, an ecological (time trend) was conducted to investigate the 5 yr trend in the occurrence of marriage, childbearing, and divorce, as well as the factors affecting the occurrence of divorce in second phase. For second phase of study 600 participants were selected. 300 divorce and 300 married applicants were chosen between 2016 and 2021. Binary logistic regression model was used to find the related factors affecting the occurrence of divorce.

The results showed a declining marriage (p = 0.05) and childbearing trend (p = 0.84), as well as an increasing trend in divorces (p = 0.02) in Yazd. Logistic regression analysis showed that college education (OR = 0.22, CI: 0.116-0.430, p < 0.001) and being self-employed (OR = 0.48, CI: 0.255-0.934, p = 0.03) could reduce the odds of divorce. In addition, nonresidents (OR = 2.1, CI: 1.314-3.562, p < 0.001), with > 10-yr age differences (OR = 3.8, CI: 1.803-8.213, p < 0.001) or the woman being older than her husband (OR = 3.4, CI: 1.981-5.848, p < 0.001) could increase the odds of divorce.

Our results confirmed that a combination of socioeconomic characteristics affects the stability of family institutions.

Maternal health is the mother’s state of well‑being before, during, and after conception. Studies have suggested that the increasing maternal mortality rate is preventable provided maternal health services are accessible during pregnancy. This study explored the association between socioeconomic status and the utilization of maternal health services in the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State.

This study is a cross‑sectional survey. One hundred and eighty‑eight pregnant women from the antenatal unit of a tertiary hospital in Southwestern Nigeria were selected using a convenience sampling technique. Data were collected via a pretested, self‑designed questionnaire. The descriptive statistics were used to analyze the resulting data, and the hypotheses were tested using the Pearson product‑moment correlation at 0.05 level of significance.

From the study, 72 (38.30%) and 58 (30.90%) agreed that their income and occupation influence their maternal health services utilization. Significant relationship (p </em>< 0.05) existed between maternal health service utilization and age and between socioeconomic factors (occupation and income level) and utilization of maternal health services of pregnant women.

Overall, this study revealed that the level of utilization of maternal health services among expectant women attending FMC is moderate. As this study has shown that socioeconomic factors influence the utilization of maternal health services, we recommend that interventions by health workers targeted at improving the utilization of maternal health services should consider these factors when designing such interventions. It is hoped that this will contribute to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in this state.

More than 15% of the world's population live with some form of disability. Assessing socioeconomic inequalities in disability and monitoring its change over time can help policymakers to design and implement targeted interventions to reduce these inequalities. This study aimed to assess the change in socioeconomic inequality in disability in Iran from 2000 to 2010.  

Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from 2 waves of Iran’s demographic and health surveys (2000 and 2010). The Wagstaff normalized concentration index was used to measure the socioeconomic inequality of disability. Contributing factors to the inequality in 2000 and 2010 were investigated by concentration index decomposition. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method was used to determine contributing factors of change in disability inequality. All analyses were conducted in Stata14.   

The negative and statistically significant concentration indices (–0.132 in 2000 and –0.165 in 2010, P < 0.001) suggested more concentration of disability among poor people. The absolute value of inequality was increased by 0.034 between the 2 points of time (P = 0.025). Level of education (123.5%), household size (12.9%), age (–35.1%), and residency (in terms of Iran's provinces) (–19.3%) were the contributing factors to the measured disability inequality in 2000. In 2010, level of education (105.8%), household size (30.5%), and urban residency (–46.3%) explained the measured inequality. Change in disability inequality was explained by household size (99.4%), province of residence (54.8%), education (36.9%), socioeconomic status (20%), urban residency (–90.3%), and age (–47.7%).  

Iran suffers from significant socioeconomic inequality in disability, and it significantly increased over time. Interventions such as increasing health literacy and providing suitable job opportunities for people with low education level, improving the socioeconomic status of extended households, and paying more attention to the balanced development in the provinces and urban and rural areas, and attending to prevention, treatment, and mitigation of disability adversities among poor young and elderly people could be recommended to tackle increased socioeconomic inequality in disability and its unfavorable consequences in Iran.

Mental health is integral to public health in adolescents. Although previous studies have shown that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with mental disorders (MD), it is unclear which mental health domains are most important. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the associations between 5 domains of mental disorder and SES inequality in adolescents. 

We conducted a cross-sectional study among adolescents (N = 1724). Associations between SES inequality with mental disorders, such as emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior, were examined. We used the concentration index (CI) to determine inequality. The gap between the low and high socioeconomic groups was decomposed into its determinants using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method.  

Mental health's overall CI was –0.085 (P ˂ 0.001). The emotional problem was primarily caused by SES inequality (–0.094 [P = 0.004]). Decomposition of the gap between the 2 economic groups showed that physical activity, school performance, exercise, parents' smoking status, and gender were the most important determinants of inequality.  

SES inequality plays a vital role in adolescents' mental health. It seems that the emotional problem domain of mental health might be more amenable to interventions than other domains.

Gastric cancer (GC), one of the most common cancer worldwide, remains the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The etiology of GC may arise from genetic and environmental factors. This study aimed to determine the association between GC incidence and socioeconomic status in Iran.

An ecological study was designed to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the risk of GC incidence. The data of socioeconomic variables such as income changes, unemployment rate, urbanization ratio, inflation rate, and air pollution changes in 31 provinces were collected from the Statistical Center of Iran, and the data of GC of 31 provinces were provided from the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry (INPCR). Data from 2014 to 2017 was analyzed using panel data analysis, the fixed effects model by EViews software.

Panel data model was suitable for the present study. Results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between GC incidence and socioeconomic factors including income changes (P≤ 0.001), unemployment rate (P≤0.01), inflation rate (P≤ 0.05), and air pollution changes (P≤ 0.001). The urbanization ratio showed a negative relationship and was not statistically associated with GC incidence (P> 0.05).

Our findings suggest a positive and significant association between socioeconomic status and GC incidence, proposing a GC risk factor. The key public health policies and welfare policies' priority should therefore be to schedule for the GC management.

Helicobacter pylori infection is a major risk factor for gastric cancer in Iran, but the impact of socioeconomic factors on its prevalence is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the socioeconomic inequalities and risk factors associated with H. pylori infection in Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted based on the PERSIAN cohort study. A total of 20 460 individuals aged 35 to 70 years in Ardabil, Iran were included in the study. H. pylori infection was determined based on stool tests and clinical records. Multilevel logistic regression models with random intercepts at household and community levels were used to identify risk factors associated with H. pylori prevalence. The concentration index (CIn) and concentration curve (CC) were employed to assess socioeconomic-related inequality.

In this study, 70.4% (CI 69.6–71.0) of the participants were infected with H. pylori, with a higher prevalence in women (71.2%) than men (69.6%). Age (OR: 1.37, CI: 1.17-1.61), sex (OR: 1.20, CI: 1.12-1.28), level of education (OR: 1.33, CI: 1.17-1.49), cardiac disease (OR: 1.32, CI:1.18-1.46), and BMI groups (OR: 2.49, CI: 1.11-5.58) were significantly associated with H. pylori infection based on the multivariable logistic regression. The results of the CIn and CC indicated that H. pylori were more prevalent among economically disadvantaged groups (CIn: -0.1065; [-0.1374 to -0.0755]).

The prevalence of H. pylori in Iran is higher than in other developing countries, and significant socioeconomic inequality exists between the poor and the rich. To reduce the rate of gastric cancer, socio-economic and demographic factors, especially the poor and people with low levels of education, should be considered.

Despite the implementation of the Health Transformation Plan in recent years, the cesarean section (CS) rate has increased in private and public centers in Iran. Accordingly, Iran is the first among the four countries in the world with the highest CS rate.

The present study aimed to investigate the non-obstetric causes of CS in mothers who were referred to the Medical Services Commission of Alborz province, Iran, to review their requests for CS.

In this cross-sectional study, 312 subjects were selected based on a census of all clients by the Midwifery Office of Alborz province, whose requests for CS for non-obstetric reasons were submitted to the Medical Services Commission in 2020. The information in this study was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire containing 26 items in two sociodemographic and medical sections.

The highest frequency of sociodemographic factors was observed for the age range of 20 - 30 years (n = 163, 52.2%), the educational level of diploma and higher (n = 236, 75.6%), urban residence (n = 274, 87.8%), and no complementary insurance (n = 258, 82.7%). The frequency distribution of the non-obstetric reasons of the participants was reported as 83 (26.6%), 60 (19.2%), 25 (8%), 24 (7.7%), 20 (6.4%), 14 (4.5%), and 86 (27.6%) for lumbar disc disease, eye diseases, repeat CS, genital warts, in vitro fertilization, fear of childbirth pain, and other causes, respectively. There was a significant association between the reason for requesting CS and the age group (P < 0.001), the type of insurance (P = 0.043), and the mother’s educational level (P < 0.001).

In the present study, mostof thewomenin the youngeragegroupandnon-employees requested aCS for non-obstetric reasons.

COVID-19 has had many negative consequences in all aspects of human life, especially physical and mental health. This study aims to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people with a history of hospitalization with COVID-19 and its relationship with socio-economic status (SES).

The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive study and the statistical population of the study included all people with a history of being infected with COVID-19 and subsequent hospitalization in Shohada Hospital of Sarpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah Province, Iran. The sample members were randomly selected from the list of hospitalized patients. A total of 479 people were evaluated face to face using the PTSD Checklist Scale (PCL-S) questionnaire to examine PTSD, as well as the Ghodrat Nama et al.’s SES questionnaire to determine the SES. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 21 and by Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient (P≤0.05).

The prevalence of PTSD was 31.10%. No significant relationship was observed between socioeconomic status and the prevalence of PTSD (P=0.97). Among the demographic variables, only gender had a significant relationship with the prevalence of this disorder (P=0.00) and the prevalence was higher in women than in men.

The prevalence of PTSD is high in people with a history of hospitalization with COVID-19. Getting infected with COVID-19 and subsequent hospitalization hurts people’s mental health. Maintaining the mental health of this group of people should be considered.