Health Science Monitor
Volume:3 Issue: 1, Winter 2024

Noise exposure can impact nurses' performance and may result in disruptions to their tasks. This study aimed to examine the correlation between the average equivalent sound level and the occurrence of medication errors.

This cross-sectional study involved 150 nurses in Iran in 2020. First, two medical and two surgical wards were randomly selected using a coin toss method. Second, the nurses who worked in those wards were sampled using the convenience method. Nurses' medication errors were assessed using a questionnaire. A sound level meter was used to measure the sound level in decibel. Data were analyzed using analytical tests, including Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman correlation coefficient, and Poisson model.

The mean sound equivalent level in the cardio-respiratory internal ward (58.94 ± 1.88) was higher than the same level in the other internal and surgical wards (p < 0.001). An increase in the mean sound equivalent level in the wards was accompanied by an increase in the mean number of medication errors among unmarried individuals (e0.22 = 1.25), which was 1.25 times more than the errors made by married individuals. Finally, an increase in age and the mean sound equivalent level resulted in the occurrence of medication errors (p < 0.002).  

The results showed that there was no relationship between the sound pressure level and nurses’ medication errors in the research environment. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct more studies to investigate the factors that increase the incidence of medication errors.

The increasing focus on physical appearance is the primary motivator for women's desire to undergo cosmetic surgery. This study aimed to examine the associations between fear of negative social evaluation, negative body image, and the inclination towards cosmetic surgery among women.

In this descriptive-correlational study, the statistical population included all girls and women referring to cosmetic surgery clinics in Karaj in 2022. Moreover, a sample of 200 participants was conveniently selected based on the Green sample size formula. The research tools were the standardized questionnaires of Henderson-King Tendency to Cosmetic Surgery, Littleton et al.’s Negative Body Image, and Leary’s Fear of Negative Evaluation. After collecting the data, analysis was performed in two sections of descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software.

The findings showed that the standardized coefficients (β) of negative body image (43.3%) and fear of negative social evaluation (23.8%) can predict the tendency for surgery among women candidates for rhinoplasty (β = 0.434, p < 0.01; β = 0.382, p < 0.01).

The results of this study showed that by conducting a psychological assessment of cosmetic surgery volunteers before any action, identifying psychological factors before surgery, and providing psychotherapy, can help individuals become aware of their distorted perception of reality in order to take action to resolve it.

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a curative treatment for various hematological malignancies. In standard survival models, the possibility of a cure has not been considered. Mixture cure models, which account for the possibility of a cure, can provide valuable insights into patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to apply a smooth semi-nonparametric analysis for the mixture cure model to determine risk factors for survival and effective factors for the cure in bone marrow transplant patients.

Data from BMT patients treated at Taleghani Hospital in Tehran were analyzed using a Weibull mixture cure model and an accelerated failure time mixture cure (AFTMC) model with an exponential kernel. The goodness-of-fit of each model was assessed using Akaike's information criterion (AIC).  

The Weibull mixture cure model indicated that non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and acute leukemia were significantly associated with time to death. Age, recurrence after transplant, and hemoglobin levels were associated with the cure probability. The AFTMC model confirmed the prognostic effects of age, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and acute leukemia on time to death and further revealed that age and recurrence after transplant also influenced the cure probability.

The smooth semi-nonparametric approach to mixture cure models provides a comprehensive analysis of BMT patient outcomes, identifying both prognostic and curative factors. This information can guide treatment decisions and improve patient survival.

Dear Editor-in-Chief
The complex process of learning, with all its principles, theories, actions, and reactions, is a continuous, necessary, and unavoidable phenomenon, not only for an educational system but also for human life. Learning is a process that, although many factors are involved in it (1), and some of these factors are known to us, the way information processing leads to learning, and, as a result, the way of learning itself is still not completely known. One of the debatable components related to learning is the generalization process.
Generalization is a process that causes learning, and according to the opinion of behavioral psychologists, the learner desires to respond to related and similar stimuli; therefore, it is a factor that can cause learning in humans (2). The process of generalization occurs abundantly throughout human life, and although this generalization is not always positive and can be misplaced, it also has a significant role in learning. The fact is that generalization will happen (3), and the teacher must organize and design the teaching process in such a way that positive generalization leading to optimal learning occurs in the learner's mind and behavior. It seems that generalization also plays a significant role in creating mental schemas. Schemata are cognitive frameworks for organizing information (4) that help us save information for learning.
The importance of its generalization becomes more apparent when we know that the majority of learning processes contribute, albeit a small one, to generalization. In other words, ultimately, it is the generalization that causes learning. With a broader view and expansion of the subject, we realize that what Ausubel stated in his meaningful learning theory (5) results from generalization. In other words, meaningful learning occurs when the learner can combine the new learning with the old learning and create a result or concept or new principles from it (5), which is possible without generalizing these events and learning. Therefore, it seems that learning about any subject in any way has streaks of generalization in it. The problem can arise when the educational system and subsequently the teacher ignore the generalization process in students' learning. It is suggested that teachers in their specialized fields, during or before the instructional design, compile some of the content of the courses that include various generalizations in that field and use it in their teaching so that a sequence and pattern of generalizations are formed in the student’s mind. The student can form the rest of the sequences in his mind according to what he/she has learned. As an example, the learner, by knowing how the splint works, in situations where a standard splint is not available, uses cardboard as a splint, and his generalization can include other cases as well. By being in a managerial structure, a person enters any other administrative structure, and he can learn about the administrative procedures and processes by making generalizations. By raising and educating one child, parents generalize from its sequence and educate their other children more easily and correctly. Also, parents’ anxiety and fear caused by care are eliminated or reduced. It becomes easy for a student to understand the subjects of medical physics when he has completed the physics course. Knowing a drug’s mechanism enables the pharmacy student to make generalizations and learn the mechanisms of all drugs belonging to that drug family more easily. Even the competency and skill acquired by a medical student from practicing on a simulator or mockup in clinical training and transferring it to the real environment and on the patient's bed, in the first place, requires the occurrence of a generalization process. For policymakers and managers of the health system, generalization can help them apply the changes or events that they have experienced in a past situation in new situations that are created for them, in other words, to learn from it.
One of the cases worth mentioning is the use of generalization at the beginning of programs or training courses or the beginning of academic courses so that if the educational course is not held in a standard, attractive, and effective way, or if unpleasant events occur, the audience and learners of this course make incorrect generalizations and generalize these events to the entire course, teachers, and participants of the course. Of course, the reverse is also true.
These are just some examples of generalization in medical sciences. Medical teachers must explain this fact to their students and learners and explain its logic and scientific reason. From this point of view, it is clear why students should study gradually and continuously throughout the course and not postpone it to the days, nights, or final weeks of the semester. This important matter should be taken into consideration in educational courses and faculty development programs for the empowerment of faculty members in universities of medical sciences (6).
It can be stated that making and constructing more generalizations in lessons by the learner, in addition to facilitating his learning, can also reduce his anxiety and stress. From this point of view, the anxiety of studying on the night of the exam can be justified, and one of its causes is the student's reduced generalization during the course.
With these words, six basic and effective roles for generalization in medical education processes can be listed, including the role of generalization in:1. Creating positive cognitive schemata
2. Creating new and meaningful learning (in basic sciences and clinical education)
3. Facilitating and strengthening hidden learning and making it explicit
4. Reducing the exam anxiety and stress of learners
5. Normal processes of human life (students and faculty members of medical sciences)
6. Beginning of programs, educational courses, or training courses in medical sciences
Finally, it can be concluded that although generalization is not all learning and various components are involved, we can see the shadow of generalization over the majority of learning processes, especially in medical education during learners’ learning. This serious issue should be considered by decision-makers in the educational system, faculty members, and students. Although these generalizations may occur unconsciously, the knowledge and understanding of teachers and students about the generalization process and its examples can increase the level of awareness and, subsequently, apply and consider it to facilitate learning.

Improving quality of life has a significant role in the health of personal and social life. This study aimed to investigate the quality of dormitory life in students living in Jahrom University of Medical Sciences.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 344 Students living in dormitories in Jahrom University of Medical Sciences. The data collection instrument was the 26-item World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Stratified sampling was used to select samples. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS 21 and using descriptive statistical methods (frequency, percent, mean, standard deviation, Independent t- test, and ANOVA).

The average age of the participants was 21.08 ± 1.2 years. The mean of the total quality of life was (93.73 ± 5.93), and 162 people (47.09%) were in a good level of quality of life. The highest mean was related to the physical health dimension (23.97 ± 2.16) and the lowest mean was related to the social relationship dimension (5.15 ± 1.27). The data showed that there is a significant relationship between mean of quality of life and marital status (p = 0.01) and gender (p = 0.00).

The results showed that most of the students experienced a good level of quality of life. The findings suggest paying more attention to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and planning for the promotion of students' HRQOL.

There are variables whose influence on the risk of tuberculosis (TB) recurrence change over time. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the time-dependent effects of these variables on the hazard of TB recurrence.

In this historical cohort study, data were collected from 4,564 TB patients who were referred to the TB research center of Dr. Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, from 2005 to 2015, in order to evaluate factors affecting the hazard of TB recurrence in terms of time dependency or time constancy. Data were analyzed in STATA 14 software using a statistical test based on Schoenfeld residuals, the time-dependent effects method, and the time-varying effects model (considering time function as f (t) = t).

The results showed that only the impact of the variables of drug adverse effects and passive smoker were inconstant over time and had time-dependent effects, and they also influenced the hazard of TB recurrence. Also, the effect of the two mentioned variables on the hazard of TB recurrence displayed a decreasing and increasing trend with time, respectively.

Using the time-varying effects model in the study of the hazard of TB recurrence allows evaluating the time-dependent effects of the studied variables and also can differentiate them from the time-independent variables.

Observing public health protocols for COVID-19 has been documented as one of the key strategies to prevent the spread of this contagious condition and mitigate its impact. The present study investigated public participation in terms of adopting preventive health behaviors during this pandemic.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in the city of Urmia, Iran, in 2020. Two statistical populations, viz., the general population and public places, were recruited. Employing the ratio estimate formula, the sample size of the general population was determined as 2,398 individuals. Additionally, eight public places were selected from the 30 neighborhoods in the city of Urmia, via convenience sampling. The data collection tool was a researcher-made 47-item questionnaire, whose face and content validity and reliability were confirmed. The questionnaire was then completed upon visiting the selected public places in person by naturalistic concealed observation. The data were finally analyzed using the SPSS Statistics-16, with descriptive statistics.

Face mask use was at a good level in seven public places, except for restaurants and diners. Also, social distancing practices were at a moderate level in bakeries, electronic government services offices, beauty salons, public transport vehicles, and banks.

Based on the results, there is a dire need to strengthen and maintain public participation by paving the ground through running advertising campaigns, designing and implementing educational interventions for various trade guilds and jobs, conducting advisory activities, and exploiting social media to inform and train the general population.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has a detrimental impact on the quality of life (QoL) for both patients and their families. Our investigation delved into the correlation between the severity of the disease and the QoL experienced by individuals with AD.

This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study included AD children, between 0 to 16 years of age, along with their parents. The influence of childhood AD on parents' QoL was studied using several questionnaires, which measures four areas of physical health, mental health, social relations, and environmental health.

Of 100 AD children, 52% were boys and 48% were girls with a mean age of 5.96 ± 4.72 years. Ninety percent of children had moderate AD. The mean score of QoL for children aged 5-16 years (CDQOL questionnaire) was 17.51, and for children aged 0-4 years (IDQOL questionnaire) was 15.80. The mean score of parents' QoL, according to the FDLQI questionnaire, was 13.90, and according to the DFI questionnaire, it was 6.39. The mean scores of health and QoL in four areas of physical health, mental health, social relations, and environmental health were 20.79, 17.75, 9.72, and 25.9, respectively. There was a significant correlation between disease severity and scores obtained from CDQOL and IDQOL questionnaires (p < 0.001).  

Childhood AD had a greater impact on QoL of parents in the areas of social relationships and psychological well-being. The influence of AD on the QoL of family members is significant, and this should be taken into account in the therapeutic process.

Headache has been a common problem for humans since ancient times. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ear, nose, and throat diseases in patients with headache.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we reviewed medical records of 100 patients presenting with headache to the ENT clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia, Iran, between 2019 and 2021. The type of headache (primary or secondary) was diagnosed based on medical history, clinical examinations, and paraclinical examinations (CT scan) and completion of a checklist for each patient. Chi-square and independent t-tests were used to analyze data. The p value < 0.05 was considered significant.

Of 100 patients, 58 (58%) had primary headaches with a mean age of 1.72 ± 4.77 years, and 42 (42%) had secondary headaches with a mean age of 5.57 ± 1.43 years (p < 0.01). There was a significant difference in the type of headache and location of pain in patients except for the back of the head and the top of the head (p < 0.05). Of the 58 patients with primary headaches, 26 (44.8%), and of the 42 patients with secondary headaches, 10 (23.8%) woke up from sleep due to headache (p < 0.03). Of the 58 patients with primary headaches, 38 (65.5%), and of the 42 patients with secondary headaches, 12 (28.6%) had their headache worsened by light and noise (p < 0.001).

Of all patients, 42% had secondary headaches, which most commonly had symptoms of sinus pain. These patients were treated by an otolaryngologist. Patients with non-sinus headaches were referred to a neurologist.

Due to the fact that cardiovascular diseases are one of the most important causes of death and disability worldwide, including Iran, and considering the importance of this issue, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the distribution of heart disease risk factors and related factors in Urmia city.

The study sample included 10,000 people over 30 years of age in Urmia city, who were examined in terms of the risk of cardiovascular diseases in 2023. A multi-stage cluster sampling method was used to select the samples. Descriptive statistics, frequency, and percentage were used to describe the findings, and data analysis was performed using SPSS 22 software.

The average age of the subjects studied was 49.19 ± 13.21 years. Furthermore, 91.2% had a risk level of less than 10%, 8.2% had a risk level between 10% and 20%, and 0.3% had a risk level between 20% and 30%, and 0.3% had a risk level above 30%. The average levels of cholesterol and FBS of risk assessed people were 177.72 ± 32.6 and 99.3 ± 32, respectively. The prevalence of people with high blood pressure was 17.2%, and diabetes was 12.2%. The average waist circumference and body mass index were calculated as 91.36 ± 10.7 and 27.8 ± 4.3, respectively.

In this study, people who were at risk of heart diseases were reported to be less than 10%, which requires the use of up-to-date and efficient models to accelerate appropriate intervention for high-risk people.