The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) originated in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, and soon spread as a pandemic throughout China and many other countries until March 11, 2020.The spread of the disease worldwide was so rapid that it became the biggest public health threat in 2020.COVID-19 has a wide variety of symptoms such as high fever, dry cough, body aches, shortness of breath, and high transmission power, and it has affected the physical health and psychological states of many people in the world.The COVID-19 pandemic has caused fear, stress, and anxiety in many parts of the world.The lack of effective treatment for COVID-19 has posed a difficult challenge to all countries across the world. In this regard, several solutions were proposed, including home quarantine, social distancing, masking, closure of schools, universities, and high-risk jobs by governments to control and prevent the outbreak of COVID-19, but provided that a significant number of people around the world are vaccinated, one cannot expect the global COVID-19 pandemic to decrease dramatically. Finally, after much effort, the Food and Drug Administration licensed Pfizer- BioNTech vaccines from December 11 and Moderna from December 18. According to studies, these two vaccines are 95% effective against COVID-19 for people over 16 years of age.
Background and aims: The incidence of renal failure (RF) is growing in Brazil, resulting in increased public spending and negatively affecting the public health, which can lead to patient death. Identifying factors associated with mortality from this condition can help to characterize susceptible populations; therefore, institutional and governmental measures can be adopted for prevention and treatment. Materials and Methods: Descriptive epidemiological study using secondary data from Brazilian database (DATASUS). Deaths from RF between 2009 and 2019 and characteristics such as color/race, gender, education, region, and age group of the individuals were analyzed. Results: Since 2016, there has been a reduction of approximately 2% per year in the RF case fatality rate. North, Northeast, and Southeast regions had the highest case fatality rate, 13.6%, 13.17%, and 12.84%, respectively, which may be associated with high prevalence of chronic-degenerative diseases. The elderly had the highest case fatality rates, ranging from 9.67% in individuals aged 50-59 years to 27.52% in the elderly over 80 years. Children under 1 year of age had a high case fatality rate of 15.03%. Moreover, the case fatality rate for individuals with education levels above 12 years of schooling was 0.50%, while the case fatality rate for individuals with 1 to 3 years of schooling was 3.52%, which is seven times higher. Case fatality rates of indigenous populations in the South and Southeast regions were 12.0% and 16.5%, approximately 20% higher than other populations. Conclusion: The presence of chronic-degenerative diseases, age above 50 and below 1 (elderly and preterm newborns), low level of education and being indigenous are factors associated with mortality from RF in Brazil.
Background and aims: Cerebrovascular accidents are a major cause of death and disability in many countries. Therefore, the epidemiological indicators are highly important in the case of these patients’ mortality. The present study aimed to determine the epidemiology of mortality due to cerebrovascular accidents in patients admitted to Sina (Farshchian) hospital of Hamadan within 2018-2019. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, data of deceased patients were collected from one-year medical records in the neurology wards of Sina (Farshchian) hospital in Hamadan using the census method and a researcher-made checklist. The exclusion criteria were the cause of death except for cerebrovascular accident and incompleteness of data in patient’s medical record. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods and SPSS 21. Results: Out of the 1196 patients admitted to the neurology wards, 159 cases died, and this rate was nearly equal between men and women. The highest mortality frequency belonged to ischemic type (83%), people over 60 years old (83%), illiterate (77.4%), urban (69.2%), self-employed (42.8%) individuals, and those with a history of underlying disease (73.6%), no history of smoking (90.6%), previous stroke (78.6%), and family history of stroke (99.4%). Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that certain groups such as the elderly, illiterates, urban residents, self-employed, and people with underlying diseases had a higher mortality rate due to cerebrovascular accidents. Thus, special attention to these groups in health planning can be efficient in reducing the mortality of these accidents.
Background and aims: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and its incidence is higher among black folks for reasons yet unclear. Although few risk factors have been linked to the development of PCa among Nigerian men, it remains unclear whether these risk factors modulate the odds of PCa. Methods: The case-control study comprised forty-three cases and one hundred and twenty-nine age-matched controls (± 5 years) without PCa by prostatic specific antigen (PSA) examination. Conditional logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors associated with PCa at P < 0.05 using SPSS 20. Results: Increasing age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.7-4.5) was the strongest risk factor for PCa, followed by increasing age at first sex (AOR: 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1-1.4) and sexual activity (AOR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.9) as a protective risk factor against PCa in this Nigerian Population. Conclusion: The study confirms age as a recognized risk factor and backed evidence for other hypothesized risk factors. The study recommends findings with other confirmatory studies that can help to guide policies for better health care decisions among Nigerian men and interventions centered on routine screening for PSA with an emphasis on the elderly clinic is encouraged.
Background and aims: At least, during the last half-century, the mortality rate in Iran has decreased significantly, and life expectancy at birth has increased. To better understand the mechanisms of improving the health situation in Iran, this study sought to examine the contribution of age groups in improving life expectancy at birth during 1976 -2016. Methods: The required life tables for the years 1976, 1986, and 1996 were taken from previous studies. Furthermore, life tables for 2006 and 2016 were calculated using the data from the registration system of the Ministry of Health. Then, the contribution of each age group in improving life expectancy in Iran by sex was estimated using the Arriaga decomposition method, and data analysis was conducted by creating a template in Excel software. Results: The life expectancy at birth for men and women in Iran has increased by 18.7 and 21.5 years, respectively, during 1976–2016. Infant mortality was the most important factor in increasing life expectancy with 6.5 and 6 years for women and men, respectively. In addition, over time, the share of early deaths has decreased, and instead, old-age deaths have played a more prominent role in improving the life expectancy of men and women in Iran. Conclusion: Today, increasing life expectancy for both sexes is mainly achieved through reducing the mortality of the older population, and achieving more years for life expectancy is mainly due to comprehensive development, especially reducing health inequalities and increasing life expectancy at older ages.
Background and aims: The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) functional and morphometric features mayinfluence children’s body mass index (BMI). Recent evidence, however, suggests that the functionand structure of the NAcc may have different predictive abilities for the BMI for the sub-groups ofchildren from different racial and socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Using the AdolescentBrain Cognitive Development data, this study investigated racial and SES differences in the associationbetween NAcc microstructure (i.e., fractional anisotropy) and childhood BMI. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 9497 children aged 9 and 10. Data were collected from21 sites across 15 states in the United States. Then, the mixed-effects regression model was appliedfor data analysis. The predictor variable of interest was NAcc fractional anisotropy measured usingdiffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). The main outcome of interest was children’s BMI values,which were treated as a continuous variable. Covariates included gender, age, and family structure.Race (White, Black, Asian, and Other/mixed) and family income (<USD 50,000, USD 50,000-100,000,and USD100,000+) were the effect modifiers (moderators). Results: Higher average NAcc fractional anisotropy in dMRI was predictive of lower levels of theBMI, and net of covariates. However, this inverse association between the average intensity of thenormalized T2-weighted image and the BMI was stronger in children from Hispanic, low income, andlow-educated backgrounds compared to non-Hispanic, high-income, and high-educated backgrounds. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that although NAcc fractional anisotropy is linked to children’sBMI, this link is not invariant across racial and SES groups. The issue of whether or not obesogenicenvironments alter the implications of NAcc for childhood BMI needs further investigation. For diversegroups, NAcc microstructures may have different magnitudes of associations with childhood BMI.
Background and aims: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has several types, some of which damage myelin and some others cause axonal damage. Detecting the type of GBS is important in determining the type of treatment and its prognosis. This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of GBS and its variants in patients referred to Sina hospital in Hamadan, Iran, in 2018. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 51 patients who were admitted to Sina hospital and diagnosed with GBS in 2018 were examined. Demographic data, GBS type, disease outcomes, and pre-clinical and clinical findings of patients were collected. Data were then analyzed using the Stata software version 12, and P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 51 investigated patients, 34 (66.66%) were male. The most common variant type was acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) with 27.45% of cases followed by acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) with 19.61% of cases. Further, the highest average hospitalization days (11.1±11.7 days) were for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) patients, while the lowest (6.85±1.91 days) was for AIDP patients (P<0.001). All CIDP cases occurred in spring, and 71.43% of AIDP cases occurred in summer. Moreover, all 7 cases with acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) syndrome and the only case with the miller-fisher syndrome (MFS) occurred in fall (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, most variants of GBS in Hamadan province were AIDP in demyelinating form and AMAN variant in the axonal deterioration form. However, studies with a larger sample size are recommended in the west of Iran to better understand the epidemiology and to ensure common types of GBS.
Background and aims: Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks. Antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) are easily accessible and affordable, producing rapid results. They are an alternative to the limited gold-standard real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) tests. This study assessed the performance of Ag-RDTs for COVID-19 outbreaks in institutional settings with high disease prevalence in Kelantan State, Malaysia. Methods: This study analyzed a total of 303 individuals from five institutional outbreaks with paired nasopharyngeal specimens tested for COVID-19 by Ag-RDTs and rRT-PCR. The diagnostic performance of Ag-RDTs was evaluated through rRT-PCR as the gold standard based on cycle threshold (Ct) value, disease prevalence, and manufacturers. Results: There was a moderate agreement between Ag-RDTs and RT-PCR (κ = 0.603; 95% CI: 0.520- 0.686; P < 0.001). The overall specificity was 97.9% (95% CI: 94.1%-99.6%), sensitivity was 63.3% (95% CI: 55.3%-70.8%), accuracy Ag-RDTs was 81.2% (95% CI: 76.4%-85.5%), while positive and negative predictive value was 96.6% (95% CI: 90.2%-98.9%) and 74.1% (95% CI: 70.0%-77.9%), respectively. Further, lower median Ct was reported in 100 (33.0%) true-positive cases compared to 58 (19.1%) false-negative cases (20.3 vs 31.4, P < 0.001). The sensitivity was higher (P < 0.001) in those with high viral load (Ct value ≤ 25.0) with better performance and a prevalence > 10%. In addition, no significant difference was observed between the studied manufacturers. Conclusion: The Ag-RDTs performed well in diagnosing COVID-19 among outbreaks with higher viral load and disease prevalence. High-risk cases tested negative by Ag-RDTs may have low viral load and require confirmation by rRT-PCR.
Background and aims: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging transmissible infection that can be prevented by proper hygiene measures and vaccination. With the rise and rapid spread of the Omicron variant, vaccines are currently the best protective measure. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess knowledge, practice, and attitude towards COVID-19 virus and vaccines, particularly Sinopharm, among medical students in Mansoura University, Egypt, from July to September 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a 35-item questionnaire covering demographic data. COVID-19 knowledge/practice and knowledge/attitude towards vaccines were distributed on medical students’ university Facebook group. A score was calculated for knowledge (KS), practice (PS), and attitude (AS). A 60% cutoff was considered satisfactory, and the statistical analysis was carried out using one-way ANOVA, linear regression, and Pearson’s coefficient. Results: A total of 837 students participated in this study. The majority (73.12%) of participants showed satisfactory COVID-19 KS and Sinopharm AS (54.77%) but unsatisfactory PS (68.99%) and Sinopharm KS (62.75%). Knowledge had a significant effect on Sinopharm vaccine acceptance. Moreover, females indicated higher COVID-19 KS and PS, whilst males showed higher Sinopharm KS and AS. Gender and year group had a strong correlation with PS. Furthermore, the majority (92.4%) accepted vaccination and believed it should be mandatory (80.41%). The selected vaccines were Pfizer (44.84%) > AstraZeneca (33.86%) > Sinopharm (15.56%) > others. Efficacy, safety, and country of production were the main predictors of vaccine choice. More than half (59.48%) stated that the country in which the vaccine is produced is important when choosing their intended vaccine, and 20.87% stated that their decision is based on vaccine efficacy. Conclusions: COVID-19 was a challenging pandemic; there are several available COVID-19 vaccines, but the most available in Egypt is the Sinopharm vaccine. The results of this study will provide a basis regarding the knowledge and attitude of medical students who play a crucial part in the cycle of infection. These results will help outline the main causes of misunderstandings that can be solved by providing educational needed interventions, implementing protective measures, and distributing scientifically correct data.
Background and aims: According to evidence, a hydatid cyst is one of the most important health issues in most parts of the world. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of human hydatidosis in patients referred to health service centers in Hamadan province in 2019 using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, blood samples were collected from 300 patients referred to medical diagnostic laboratories in Hamadan and evaluated for the presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against hydatid cysts by ELISA. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Out of 300 samples, 16 (5.3%) cases were positive, including 10 (5.6%) cases of the residents of urban areas and 6 (4.9 %) cases from those residing in rural areas. Moreover, of all the positive cases, 8 (50%) cases were males and 8 (50%) cases were females. The highest percentage of infection (45.5%) was observed in the age group 20-30 years. Conclusion: The findings indicated that human hydatidosis is a public health problem in this province. The implementation of control and prevention programs, as well as increasing the knowledge of people, can help in controlling and reducing infection in humans and livestock.
Background and aims: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health disease threat in the world, particularly in Nigeria. The burden of TB infection could have a far-reaching effect on the psychological, physical, and social well-being of patients and consequently deterioration in their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Accordingly, this study examined the HRQOL of TB patients in directly observed therapy (DOT) centers in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods: The survey design was used for the study, and a total of twelve public DOT Centers were chosen as the study sites. A sample size of 310 was obtained using the Taro Yamane formula. A structured and validated questionnaire was applied to collect data. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-BREF tool was employed to assess HRQOL. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software, version 23. Results: Based on the results, the overall status of the HRQOL of the studied TB patients was moderate (average weighted mean = 2.48) on a 4-point scale. The finding of the study also highlighted the significant effect of TB on several domains of HRQOL. The psychological domain had the highest HRQOL score (x̅ = 2.60 ± 0.64), while the environmental domain represented the lowest HRQOL score (x̅ = 2.31 ± 0.63). Conclusion: Overall, the HRQOL of TB patients was at a moderate level. The disease had no negative impact on the HRQOL of TB patients across all domains. This finding calls upon strategies to ensure a healthy lifestyle and a conducive living physical environment.
Background and aims: Fertility is among the major components of the population, the reduction of which can cause irreparable socioeconomic damage to the country. Unfortunately, the fertility rate is declining, and it is lower than the critical level in Iran. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the factors influencing fertility desire in order to reveal more aspects of this issue. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study included all the rural and urban families referring to healthcare centers in Ferdows, Iran, in 2020. The participants were selected using a multi-stage sampling method. Finally, 400 married men and women referring to the centers were assessed by the fertility desire scale (FDS). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as the Mann- Whitney and Spearman tests by SPSS 19.0. Results: In this study, 81.2% of the participants were female, 52.5% of who aged 25-35 years old. The mean scores of fertility desire among urban and rural households were 66.69 ± 9.61 and 65.06 ± 9.08, respectively (P = 0.03). In all dimensions of the questionnaire except for childbearing worries, significant differences were observed between urban and rural households. These dimensions included positive childbearing motivations (P = 0.05), social beliefs (P = 0.04), and preferences (P = 0.004). Conclusion: The results obtained from this study can be used in population policies in order to build culture, support parents, and increase childbearing desire, especially in rural areas.
Background and aims: Due to the widespread prevalence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), to overcome and understand these conditions, it is necessary to survey the physical and psychological implications on individuals within the community to uncover effective solutions. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the level of physical activity and psychological well-being due to quarantine induced by COVID-19 in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study during the first peak of COVID-19 disease (April 10 to May 10, 2020). The International Online Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Short Mood Assessment Questionnaire were used to assess physical activity (before and during outbreak) and mood status (during outbreak), respectively, among 627 people in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Results: The samples consisted of male (20%) and female (80%) subjects. Upon comparing the physical activity before the disease outbreak and during the initial outbreak, it was demonstrated that the intensity (P<0.001), duration (P<0.001), and frequency (P<0.001) of physical activity significantly decreased after the outbreak of COVID-19. However, there was no difference between men and women in intensity, duration, and frequency of physical activity as well as psychological status (P=0.099). Further, no significant relationship was observed between physical activity variables (intensity, P=0.214, duration, P=0.386, and repetition, P=0.122) and psychological status. However, a significant positive relationship was found between adherence to quarantine and mental wellbeing (P=0.001). Conclusion: According to the results, the level of physical activity of the subjects decreased during the COVID-19 outbreak compared to before the outbreak, but the decrease in physical activity did not affect their mental state. However, the individuals who adhered to quarantine conditions experienced a worse negative mood compared to other groups. It seems that in addition to observing social distancing measures and adherence to quarantine, individuals’ overall health and physical activity levels are effective factors that can improve the body’s physiological systems and the psychological state and influence the positive mood of people.
Background and aims: India has seen a two-wave pattern of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. The comparative characteristics of these two waves remain largely unknown. Changing trends in the demographic and clinical characteristics of the deceased COVID-19 patients in these two waves helped to identify the vulnerable population and guide public health interventions to decrease mortality. Methods: We obtained COVID-19 death summaries from the medical records of a large tertiary healthcare centre in North Kerala, India. Two groups of COVID-19 deaths were selected: the first group included patients who died in the first wave between 1 July 2020 and 31 December 2020 (n=311), and the second group included those who died in the second wave between 1 March 2021 and 30 June 2021 (n=431). Results: The mortality in the second wave in young patients (≤50 years) was 2.2% higher (11.8% vs. 9.6%, P=0.346) and that in elderly patients (≥80 years) was 7.7% higher (19.95% vs. 12.2%, P=0.005) compared to the first wave. The average duration from symptom onset to death also significantly decreased in the second wave. Further, there was an increased proportion of COVID-19-related deaths in patients with diabetes in the second wave (59.3% vs. 51.7%, P=0.025). The main cause of death was respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia in both waves. Conclusion: The second COVID-19 wave was different from the first wave with more deaths in the young and elderly, a shorter duration from symptom onset to death, and an increase in the proportion of deaths with diabetes, maternal deaths, and deaths in those without any pre-existing comorbidities.
Background and aims: Children with thyroid disorders may be significantly exposed to a higher likelihood of constipation; however, the cause of this link remains unclear. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypothyroidism in children suffering from chronic constipation. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 380 infants over 30 days old with chronic constipation. All participants were asked for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4 tests. Results: The average age of participants was 64.62 ± 37.28 months. The overall hypothyroidism in the study population was estimated to be 4.2% based on the value of measuring serum TSH and 1.0% based on the value of serum-free T4. Further, abnormal values of both serum biomarkers led to the prevalence rate of 0.02% for hypothyroidism. Conclusion: According to the findings, there was a relationship between hypothyroidism and constipation in children; however, this relationship needs further evaluation.
Background and aims: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are intense public health problems and are precipitated by a variety of pathogens. This study was performed to determine the frequency of bacterial agents of UTIs and the antibiotic resistance pattern of Escherichia coli in urinary culture samples of patients at Shahid Ashrafi Esfahani hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on all urinary tract cultures from January 2021 to January 2022 at Shahid Ashrafi Esfahani hospital in Tehran, Iran. Urine culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Statistical analyses were performed by appropriate descriptive and inferential tests such as the chi-square test using Stata version 17, and the level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: The mean age of patients with E. coli was 50.2 ± 1.8 (confidence interval = 46.6-53.8) years, and their age range was between 6-87 years. The highest prevalence of infection occurred in men over 60 years of age and in women aged 40-60 years. Further, the highest resistance and the highest sensitivity were related to ceftazidime (CAZ) and cefotaxime (CTX), respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the highest resistance and sensitivity belonged to CAZ and CTX, respectively. In addition, CTX is the primary antibiotic prescribed to deal with UTIs in medical practice.
Background and aims: The aim of the current study was to assess the construct validity of the Persian version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) among dentists and burnout rate and its related factors among general dentists in Shiraz during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed among 385 general dentists in Shiraz. Multiple stage sampling was performed for sample selection. In addition to a questionnaire containing demographic and job-related characteristics, the burnout rate was assessed using the MBI-HSS. The MBI-HSS consists of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) dimensions. The Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test, and multiple regression analysis were applied for statistical analysis. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the model’s fitness. Results: A total of 385 dentists participated in the study, including 213 (55.3%) males and 172 (44.7%) females with a mean age of 32.89 (±6.29) years. The mean years of activity, the number of patients per week, and working hours per week were 9.15 years, 31.55 patients, and 39.50 hours, respectively. Most dentists showed low to moderate burnout in terms of EE (86%) and moderate to high burnout with regard to DP (90.9%) and PA (96.6%). Regarding the association between demographic factors and burnout dimensions, EE had a significant association with gender (B=0.26, P<0.001), age (B=-0.04, P=0.044), marital status (B=-0.42, P<0.001), and years of practice (B=-0.26, P<0.001). Further, DP was significantly associated with gender (B=0.13, P=0.043), marital status (B=-0.32, P<0.001), working hours per week (B=0.01, P=0.047), and the number of working clinics (B=-0.17, P=0.047). In addition, PA represented a significant association with marital status (B=-0.34, P<0.001). The three-dimensional model showed appropriate fitness in the current study. Conclusion: Most general dentists in Shiraz demonstrated low to moderate burnout regarding EE, most dentists had moderate to high burnout regarding DP and PA. Accordingly, gender, marital status, years of practice, the number of working clinics, and working hours should be considered burnout-associated factors by policymakers.
Background and aims: The prevalence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was associated with many psychological consequences among personnel of hospitals. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and depression, stress, and anxiety among administrative staff and nurses. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in January 2022. All 100 nurses and administrative staff of a hospital participated in this study. Demographic information questionnaires, Corona Disease Anxiety Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) were employed to collect data. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 24. Results: The mean±standard deviation age of participants was 33.53±6.73 years. The median (interquartile range) disease anxiety in nurses and administrative staff was equal to 7 (4.25) and 10 (8), respectively. Further, COVID-19 anxiety was significantly higher in administrative staff (P=0.001); moreover, a significant relationship was found between the history of COVID-19 disease and disease anxiety (P=0.04). Nurses reported higher stress than administrative staff (P=0.02), and no significant relationship was found between COVID-19 anxiety and components of DASS (P>0.05). Conclusion: In this study, COVID-19 anxiety was significantly higher in administrative staff. Therefore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to pay attention to all jobs. Nurses reported higher stress and depression. Therefore, it is suggested that the necessary psychological measures be taken to improve their psychological states. Increasing the number of nurses, improving working conditions, reducing workload, and training can be effective in improving the mental health of nurses.
Background and aims: Today, with the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, we have witnessed many efforts by different countries to produce a vaccine for this disease. Each vaccine has been marketed with different efficiencies, thus this research was designed to determine the efficacy of different types of these vaccines in 2022. Methods: The present research was a systematic review. Researchers surveyed six international databases, including Medline/PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and the ISI Web of Science, in January 2022. After reviewing the titles and abstracts of articles, 60 articles entered the final stage, and their full texts were reviewed based on the study purpose. All the vaccines included in the study were approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Ministry of Health of the manufacturer country in the third phase of the clinical trial. Results: All current vaccination platforms provide adequate protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARC-CoV-2) infection and significantly reduce the risk of serious infection. In addition, people who receive two vaccine doses have higher efficacy than those who only receive one dose of each vaccine. The results of the studies demonstrated that the effectiveness of vaccines is different in various groups and countries. According to the results of the reviewed studies, the Pfizer vaccine had an overall effect of 100% on the age group of 12-15 years. The overall effect of the Moderna vaccine varied from 78.6% to 97% in different groups. In general, the available vaccines for COVID-19 are less effective in the Omicron variant. On the other hand, it seems that the COVID-19 vaccines had better efficacy on the alpha variant. Conclusion: Overall, the vaccines used in the COVID-19 pandemic have acceptable efficacy. Although serious side effects caused by the injection of the vaccine have been rarely reported in some studies, it seems that the safety of these vaccines is acceptable in general.
Background and aims: Recently, positive psychology has received increasing importance, and research has shown that higher levels of happiness reduce the risk of mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between happiness and health behaviors in adolescents in Shahrekord. Methods: In this cross-sectional-analytical study conducted in 2018-2019, 428 first and second cycle secondary school students were enrolled and filled out the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and Health Behavior Questionnaire. Then, data were analyzed by SPSS. Results: The mean age of the participants was 15.42 ± 1.59 (range: 12-18) years, and 158 (36.9%) of them were boys. The mean score of happiness was 48.34 ± 18.98 out of 87 (range: 0-87), which is high. The mean score of health behaviors was calculated to be 12.21 ± 1.66 out of 16 (range: 8-16), which is moderate. In addition, the mean happiness score was significantly associated with gender (P = 0.001), education level (P = 0.01), family income (P = 0.001), living status with parents (P = 0.015), and personal estimate of happiness status (P = 0.001). Moreover, the mean score of health behaviors had a significant association with gender, educational district, education level, parents’ education level, birth order, income, and personal estimate of happiness (P < 0.05). Further, scores on happiness and health behaviors were positively correlated with each other (r = 0.391, P = 0.001) and negatively correlated with age (r = -0.139, P = 0.004). Conclusion: The levels of happiness among adolescent students were relatively good, their levels of health behaviors were moderate, and both of them were associated with each other and with demographic and socioeconomic variables. Accordingly, happiness should be promoted in society, particularly in students, to achieve a higher level of health-promoting behaviors.
