Background and aims: Dyslipidemia is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, it can be prevented and controlled via observing and adherence to a diet. This study aimed at determining the effect of nutrition education based on BASNEF model on decreasing blood lipid profile. Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 150 people with a high blood lipid profile who referred to Shahrekord laboratories in 2020. The samples were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. In order to measure blood lipids such as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC), 15 mL of venous blood samples were collected after 12 hours fasting before the intervention and again 2 months after the intervention. The intervention group received nutrition education based on BASNEF model, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic variables. TG levels in the intervention group decreased significantly after the intervention (P<0.001). In addition, TC and LDL levels decreased significantly in the intervention group after the intervention (P<0.001), while the level of HDL index in the intervention group increased significantly after the intervention. Nonetheless, there was no significant difference in these indices in the control group after the intervention (P>0.05). Conclusion: The significant decrease in blood lipids after a short period indicates the effect of nutrition education based on BASNEF model and adherence to proper diet on controlling blood lipids. Therefore, recommending people to adhere to a proper diet can help raise people’s nutritional awareness and reduce blood lipids.

Background and aims: Mental health problems are considered as important public health issues. This study aimed, firstly, to investigate the epidemiology of mental disorders’ symptoms among the students of Bojnord University and examine the role of demographic characteristics in the prevalence of the given symptoms; and, secondly, to explore and compare the predictive role of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies in identifying symptoms of different mental disorders. Methods: A total of 351 students from Bojnord University completing their 2018-2019 academic year were recruited using cluster sampling method and responded to Symptom Checklist-SCL90 and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage, as well as multiple regression analysis. Results: According to the findings from this epidemiological study, 33% of the students suffered from moderate symptoms of mental disorders, while 14% of them suffered from severe symptoms. Demographic characteristics of gender, marital status, and place of origin (i.e., being indigenous/non-indigenous) were not found to exert a significant effect on the prevalence of symptoms of mental disorders. The results of multiple regression analysis also indicated that cognitive emotion regulation strategies were capable of predicting all nine dimensions of mental disorder symptoms. In this regard, the maladaptive strategies were discovered to play a stronger role in predicting mental disorders compared to adaptive strategies. Conclusions: Mental disorders were very common among university students. No significant relationship was detected between the prevalence of mental disorders’ symptoms and gender, marital status, and place of origin. The study findings were also found to support the trans-diagnostic role of the emotion regulation in mental disorders.

Background and aims: Prostate neoplasms have various geographical distribution in the world as well as in Iran. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of prostate neoplasms in Maragheh due to the lack of literature on the subject in this city.Methods: This study is a descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study in which the epidemiological status of prostate neoplasms was investigated in Maragheh during 2014-2019. All available records in the form of a census were included in the study. A checklist made by the researcher was used as a special tool for collecting data from prostate neoplasms medical records. The collected data were analyzed by statistical tests of chi-square, unpaired t test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Cohen’s kappa coefficient using SPSS 25 software. Results: By way of explanation, 107 medical records on prostate neoplasms were recorded between 2014 and 2019. The mean and median ages were 71.33 ± 9.37 and 70 years. The highest frequency was observed in the 60-70 age group with a frequency of 41.1% (44 cases). All patients had been undergoing clinical examination (first) and pathological examination (after prostatectomy). For 12.1% of individuals, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) had been diagnosed in the clinical diagnosis, and cancer and prostatitis had been diagnosed in the pathological test. Cohen’s kappa coefficient was obtained 20.4%, which was statistically significant (p ≤0001). The results showed a significant relationship between the number of prostate neoplasms and age groups (p ≤0001).Conclusion: Taking the results of this study into account, it is recommended that more attention be paid to other laboratory and radiological tests such as the PSA test, ultrasound, etc. In addition to clinical examination, it is also suggested that screening programs be particularly developed for the age group ≥50 using a specific prostate antigen against this cancer.

Background and aims: Patient information leaflets (PILs) are the best form of written information transfer. The aim of this study was to investigate the sources of drug information and the reading rate of PILs among medical sciences students. Methods: Three hundred students were entered in this cross-sectional study via simple random sampling at the Faculty of Paramedical, Nursing and Midwifery of Guilan University of Medical Sciences in 2018. Results: The participants considered the physician as the most reliable source for receiving drug information. Pharmacists, PILs, and the Internet were mentioned as the next sources, respectively. About 15.3% of people always read PILs. Students used PILs along with other sources of drug information. Conclusion: The type of medication and the individuals’ need for the type of information, along with the structure and presentation of the materials in the PILs, are all contributing factors.

Background and aims: Pediculosis is one of the most common parasitic diseases that affect a wide range of age groups. The prevention of head lice infections promotes the physical and mental health of people in the community. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of head lice infections and the factors affecting them in those who referred to health centers in Gerash County from 2011 to 2018. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on patients suspected with head lice infections in health centers in Gerash. These infections were diagnosed by observing adult lice, nymphs, or nits on the head with the help of a magnifying glass. The collected data were then analyzed using SPSS software, version 22 and P˂ 0.05 was considered as the significance level. Results: In general, 66410 patients suspected with head lice were examined, of whom 2,547 cases (3.83%) were reported with confirmed infections including 2395 female (94.03%) and 152 male (5.97%) cases. The highest levels of infections were reported in the age group of 6-10 years while the lowest levels of infections were found in children less than 6 years of age. A significant statistical relationship was observed between head lice and gender, age, season, and the place of residence, and year of infection (P<0.05). Conclusion: Due to the increasing trend of head lice infections in recent years, pediculosis is still considered a health problem. Therefore, training on personal hygiene, adequate access to health services, and early diagnosis and treatment can play an important role in the prevention and elimination of head lice.

Dear Editor, Methods that people use to overcome problems are called coping strategies. The concept of coping was first introduced by Lazarus in 1966. He believed that stress involves three stages. First, there is the initial assessment, which is to observe a risk. The second stage involves the evaluation, which is the search for an answer in the mind, and the third stage is to find the answer to the problem, which is called a coping strategy.1,2 Numerous studies have examined the causes of dangerous behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and self-harming behaviors in individuals; however, many people who are exposed to difficult psychological distress do not tend to engage in such dangerous behaviors. These people have abilities that other people do not.3 Therefore, the differences between people who engage in dangerous behaviors and those who do not show such reactions in facing the problems can be traced to the coping methods used by these individuals when faced with difficult psychological conditions. However, if the coping strategies that a person uses to face with problems are effective, it creates a sense of self-control and therefore the person can finally solve the problem or cope with it, and if the strategies are ineffective, it will eventually lead to the use of ineffective coping strategies and sometimes dangerous behaviors.4 In a study on COVID-19 in China, researchers found that many people who confronted with COVID-19 pandemic have experienced high levels of psychological distress and that many people have used negative coping strategies for adapting to this crisis.5 Finally, it can be stated that the occurrence of dangerous behaviors in such critical situations is not a behavior without introduction. Therefore, some of the characteristics of people could be deduced such as their inability to find solutions to the problems, lack of coping strategies to manage stressors, and inflexibility and limitation of the number of solutions provided by them. To conclude, strengthening effective defense mechanisms by mental health professionals can reduce the incidence of such destructive behaviors in community members.

According to the sponge hypothesis, compared to men's self-rated health (SRH), women's SRH is more likely to reflect conditions other than chronic medical conditions (CMCs) such as psychiatric disorders (PDs). As a result, poor SRH is a weaker predictive factor for mortality risk for women than men. Most of this literature, however, is done in samples that are predominantly middleclass White. To test the sponge hypothesis among economically disadvantaged African Americans (AAs), this study compared low-income AA men and women for the effects of the number of PDs and CMCs on SRH. This cross-sectional study recruited a non-random sample (n = 150) of economically disadvantaged AA adults with PD(s). Structured face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. SRH was measured using a single-item measure. PDs and CMCs were also self-reported. We applied linear regression models to test the interactions between SRH and the number of PDs and CMC as well as gender. The number of PDs and CMCs were associated with SRH in the pooled sample of low-income AA adults with PD(s). However, we found a significant interaction between the number of PDs and gender. This interaction suggested a stronger association between PDs and SRH for AA women than AA men. Gender did not alter the association between the number of CMCs and SRH. The number of PDs is a determinant of SRH for low-income AA women but not AA men, supporting the sponge hypothesis.

Background and aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which involves the rectum and colonic mucosa, and is often constantly expanding. Few data are available on risk factors in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between potential risk factors and UC in Shahrekord. Methods: A case-control study was conducted on patients diagnosed with UC. Overall, 27 new cases of UC and 54 healthy controls in the age range of 20–80 years were studied. Participants were recruited from Pathologic Centers in Shahrekord in 2018. Chi-square test and t test and were used. Logistic regression model was employed to analyze the association between risk factors and UC disease. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 41.74 years (SD: 7.16 years) and 44.94 years (SD: 6.67 years) for case and control subjects, respectively. Moreover, univariate and multiple odds ratio (OR) showed that there was no significant association between UC and any of the risk factors including gender, marital status, education, diastolic blood pressure, history of diabetes, history of hypertension, permanent use of piped water, night shift work, history of thyroid diseases, depression, history of fatty liver disease, history of kidney stones, and sleep time and wake-up time in the morning. Conclusion: Generally, no significant association was observed between UC and the variables in the present study. Thus, further studies with larger sample size are necessary to better understand the other risk factors and environmental determinants of UC.

Background and aims: Color blindness is a disease that remains undiagnosed in some cases. The diagnosis of the disease during schooling is necessary to take the required measures for the future life of adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of color blindness among the students of secondary schools in Shahrekord. Methods: In this descriptive study, 4074 students of secondary schools across Shahrekord were included by the cluster sampling method. Ishihara color blindness test plate was used to diagnose color blindness. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and percentage) by SPSS 18. Results: In general, 362 (88.8%) patients had color blindness. Out of 2052 male students and 2022 female ones, 343 (16.71%) and 19 (0.93%) cases were diagnosed with color blindness, respectively. In both genders, most students had deuteranopia or deuteranomalia, while other types of color blindness, including tritanomaly, were not detected in the students. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the number of color blind people in the studied region was higher compared to the results of studies in the other regions of Iran. Moreover, the prevalence of color blindness was more in males compared to females. In addition, the prevalence of other kinds of color blindness mainly belonged to deuteranopia or deuteranomalia.

As suggested by the Minorities' Diminished Return theory, the association between socioeconomic status and health is weaker for racial and ethnic minorities compared to Whites. The current study compared Blacks and Whites in terms of the association between marital status and physical health. The State of the State Survey (2017) included 881 adults (92 Blacks and 782 Whites) generalizable to the state of Michigan, the United States. The marital status and self-rated physical health (SRPH), which was measured using a single item, were considered as independent and dependent variables, respectively. In addition, age, gender, education, and employment were covariates. Race/ethnicity was regarded as the moderating factor. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. Based on the results, being married was associated with better SRPH, the net of all confounders. A significant interaction was found between race and marital status on SRPH, suggesting a larger association for Blacks compared to Whites. In race stratified models, marital status was related to better SRPH for Whites and Blacks, but the magnitude of this link was larger for Blacks compared to Whites. Overall, marital status was differently linked to SRPM for Whites and Blacks. Accordingly, policymakers should be cautious while not assuming that diverse racial and ethnic groups with similar economic resources have similar health status.