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Background: Previous researches conducted in both developed and developing countries have demonstrated a rising trend in the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine. The World Health Organization has underscored the importance of studying the prevalence and determinants of such alternative practices. This study delves into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Iranian adults towards Persian medicine, a distinct form of complementary and alternative medicine, through a national survey for the first time. Methods: A total of 2882 Iranian adults (aged ≥ 15 years) were randomly chosen from all regions. Data were gathered through structured door-to-door interviews using a survey questionnaire, wherein cases were selected randomly based on postal codes, and interviewers completed the forms at the participants' residences. Results: Approximately 46% of the subjects exhibited familiarity with Persian Medicine. The study revealed that the primary sources of knowledge about Persian Medicine were family, relatives, and friends, with only 2.9% indicating medical staff as their source of information. Furthermore, the study indicated that 21% of participants expressed a strong interest in using Persian Medicine, while 30.3% did not. When comparing Persian medicine to modern medicine, respondents indicated that Persian medicine is more cost-effective and has fewer side effects, yet modern medicine is more widely used globally; although, the majority responded "I don't know" to other questions. The results also demonstrated that approximately 37% of the participants had a history of Persian Medicine utilization in their lifetime. Conclusion: This study revealed that Iranian adults have low reliable knowledge (from medical staff, Persian medicine books and other publications) and limited familiarity with Persian medicine, with about one third of the participants expressing disinterest (attitude) and over half of them having not utilized this form of medicine (practice). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food security status of pregnant women not only affects their current health status and that of their newborn, but also plays an important role in the health status of children and adults in the future. Food security is a complicated and multidimensional concept. In pregnant women, it is the result of several complex individuals, family, social, cultural, economic, and political factors such as lack of health services, gender inequality, and lack of resources. Public instruments that mainly measure food insecurity at the household level have been used to investigate the food security status of pregnant women. Therefore, we aimed to define the concept of food security based on the experience of both pregnant women and experts, and then develop and validate the assessment tool for assessing food security in pregnant women. In this article, only the protocol of this study is discussed. This research is a mixed-method study with a sequential-exploratory approach, which will be conducted in two phases. In the qualitative phase, the concepts and dimensions of food security will be explained based on the experiences of pregnant women by using inductive content analysis. Data integrity will be guaranteed with five criteria of validity, verifiability, reliability, transferability, and authenticity. In the second phase, the primary tool will be developed based on Waltz and Basel's approach, and then it will be validated. The design of a specific tool for pregnant women, taking into account the cultural, economic, and social conditions of Iran, can be a practical solution to scientifically assess the food security status of pregnant women, so that the country's policymakers and planners can take accurate and long-term steps towards improving the food security of Iran pregnant women, their health and that of the future generations by implementing basic policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study aimed to generate a model that would provide a conceptual framework for linking disparate components of knowledge translation. A theoretical model of such would enable the organization and evaluation of attempts to analyze current conditions and to design interventions on the transfer and utilization of research knowledge. Methods: This research, performed in 2006-2007 at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), utilized two distinct methodologies: a narrative review to identify existing knowledge transfer models and frameworks and focus group discussions to determine the views and opinions of researchers and decision makers regarding barriers to knowledge translation within the health system. Results: A knowledge translation cycle is described, with five domains: knowledge creation, knowledge transfer, research utilization, question transfer, and the context of organization. Discussion: The knowledge translation cycle offers a theoretical basis for identifying basic requirements and linking mechanisms in the translation of knowledge for research utilization. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Summary Objectives" Iron-deficiency anaemia is a major nutritional problem in Iran. A programme of flour fortification with iron was launched in 2001. A mid-term evaluation was conducted in 2004 to determine the effectiveness and coverage of this programme. Methods: To determine the effectiveness of the program, a field trial was conducted in which blood hemoglobin and ferritin levels were measured in a sample population from Bushehr (intervention) and Fars (control) provinces. The target population was women aged 15-49 years. The coverage of the programme was determined using a cross-sectional study that measured iron content in samples of flour and bread from Bushehr province. Results: Five hundred and sixty-seven and 296 women were studied in the intervention and control provinces, respectively. Women in the intervention province had a lower prevalence of tow ferritin levels compared with women in the control province (P = 0.04). Women from the two provinces did not differ in terms of haemoglobin levels and iron-deficiency anaemia. The coverage of fortified flour and bread was 100% and 99.7%, respectively. Conclusions: This mid-term evaluation found that the iron fortification programme in Iran has only had a beneficial effect on the prevalence of tow ferritin levels. The final evaluation is likely to provide more useful information regarding the effect of this programme on a number of anaemia indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many women in Iran have a relatively high body mass index. To investigate whether the condition contributes to excess breast cancer cases, a case-control study was conducted to assess the relationships between anthropometric variables and breast cancer risk in Tehran, Iran. Methods: All incident cases of breast cancer in the Iranian Centre for Breast Cancer (ICBC) were identified through the case records. Eligible cases were all postmenopausal women with histological confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer during 1996 to year 2000. Controls were randomly selected postmenopausal women attending the ICBC for clinical breast examination during the same period. The body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on weights and heights as measured by the ICBC nursing staff. Both tests for trend and logistic regression analysis were performed to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals as measures of relative risk. Results: In all, 116 breast cancer cases and 116 controls were studied. There were no significant differences between cases and control with regard to most independent variables studied. However, a significant difference was observed between cases and controls indicating that the mean BMI was higher in cases as compared to controls (P = 0.004). Performing logistic regression analysis while controlling for age, age at menopause, family history of breast cancer and parity, the results showed that women with a BMI in the obese range had a three fold increased risk of breast cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 3.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15--8.47]. Conclusion: The results suggest that obesity in postmenopausal women could increase risk of breast cancer and it merits further investigation in populations such as Iran where it seems that many women are short in height, and have a relatively high body mass index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) can be prevented with appropriate vaccination programs. The prevalence rates of rubella and CRS in Iran are unknown; therefore, the risk of exposure in pregnant women is not clear. The prevalence of CRS in the pre-vaccine period can be estimated by evaluating the proportion of children in the population with sensorineural hearing loss attributable to rubella. Methods: This was a case-control study to estimate prevalence of CRS in Tehran (Iran) by evaluating the proportion of children with sensorineural hearing loss attributable to rubella. The study used rubella antibody titer as an indicator, and compared the prevalence of rubella antibody between children with and without sensorineural hearing loss. Using these findings, the proportion of cases of sensorineural hearing loss attributable to rubella was estimated. Results: A total of 225 children aged 1 to 4 years were entered into the study (113 cases and 112 controls). There was a significant difference between cases and controls with regard to rubella antibody seropositivity (19.5% vs. 8.9%, respectively, odds ratio = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.04—5.97). The proportion of sensorineural hearing loss cases attributable to rubella was found to be 12%, corresponding to a CRS prevalence of 0.2/1000. Conclusion: The prevalence of CRS was approximately 0.2/1000 before rubella vaccination in Iran, Moreover; the results suggest that implementation of appropriate rubella vaccination programs could potentially prevent about 12% of cases of sensorineural hearing loss in Iranian children. This data could potentially be used as baseline data, which in conjunction with an appropriate method, to establish a surveillance system for rubella vaccination in Iran. An appropriate surveillance system is needed, because the introduction of a rubella vaccine without epidemiological data and an adequate monitoring program could result in the shifting of rubella cases to higher ages, and increasing the incidence of CRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regenerative medicine plays a major role in biomedicine, and given the ever-expanding boundaries of this knowledge, numerous ethical considerations have been raised. Main text: Rapid advancement of regenerative medicine science and technology in Iran, emerged the Iranian National Committee for Ethics in Biomedical Research to develop a comprehensive national ethical guideline. Therefore, the present ethical guideline which comprises eleven chapters was developed in 2019 and approved in early 2020. The titles of these chapters were selected based on the ethical considerations of various aspects of the field of regenerative medicine: (1) ethical principles of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine; (2) ethical considerations for research on stem cells (embryonic stem cells, epiblast stem cells, tissue-specific stem cells, stem cells derived from transdifferentiation, induced pluripotent stem cells [iPSCs], germline pluripotent stem cells, germline stem cells, and somatic cell nuclear transfer [SCNT] stem cells); (3) ethical considerations for research on somatic cells in regenerative medicine (adult somatic cells, fetal tissue somatic cells, and somatic cells derived from pregnancy products [other than fetus]); (4) ethical considerations for research on gametes in regenerative medicine; (5) ethical considerations for research related to genetic manipulation (human and animal) in regenerative medicine; (6) ethical considerations for research on tissue engineering in regenerative medicine; (7) ethical considerations for pre-clinical studies in regenerative medicine; (8) ethical considerations for clinical trials in regenerative medicine; (9) ethical considerations for stem cells and regenerative medicine bio-banks; (10) ethical considerations for privacy and confidentiality; and (11) ethical considerations for obtaining informed consent. Conclusion: This article discusses the process of developing the present ethical guidelines and its practical points. We hope that it can play an important worldwide role in advancing ethics of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security during pregnancy is crucial for safeguarding the health of expectant mothers and optimizing prenatal outcomes. Food insecurity can manifest in varying degrees, ranging from moderate disruptions to the quality and diversity of diet to severe cases that disrupt dietary patterns and reduce overall food intake. Limited information exists regarding food security among pregnant women in Iran. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to investigate food security during pregnancy from the perspectives of pregnant women (n = 17) and experts in food security (n = 6). Data were collected through purposeful sampling and 23 semi-structured interviews. The data analysis process occurred concurrently with data collection, employing a conventional content analysis approach. The findings underwent rigorous evaluation based on credibility, confirmability, dependability, transferability and authenticity. The results revealed that access to quality foods in pregnancy depends on the sustainability of food resources, economic access to food, the family's food budget, pregnant women's utilization of food due to pregnancy conditions, their nutritional literacy and cultural practices. Pregnant women employ various strategies to cope with food insecurity and require social and governmental support to manage it effectively. Therefore, it is suggested that health care authorities initially assess the level of food security among pregnant women and subsequently, through equitable food distribution, reform culture and increase food literacy, providing practical and informative educational programmes, and structured support, improve their food security., (© 2024 The Author(s). Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Health literacy and mental health are among the most important issues in the modern health and era of public health. This study aimed to investigate the association between health literacy and mental health status. This was a national cross-sectional study that was conducted in Iran. A sample of literate individuals aged 18-65 was entered into the study using multistage sampling. The data were collected by the Health Literacy Instrument for Adults (HELIA) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Logistic regression and path analysis were used for data analysis. A total of 20,571 individuals completed the questionnaires. The mean(± SD) age of participants was 34.9(± 11.8) years old, 51% were female, and 38.1% had higher education. The mean(± SD) health literacy score was 68.3(± 15.2), and 29.8% of the respondents reported some mental health problems. Logistic regression analysis showed that limited health literacy was associated with poor mental health status (OR 2.560, 95% CI 2.396-2.735, P = 0.001). The path analysis showed that an increase in health literacy could reduce psychological and social dysfunction (the effect of health literacy on reducing psychological distress is more profound). It is recommended to carry out interventions that strengthen adult's cognitive and communication skills to improve their ability to access and use health information to make healthy choices., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To determine the reliability and acceptability of the Uniscale., Methods: Two studies were conducted from December 2000 to February 2001 in Iran. In the first study, weights of subjects were obtained using the Uniscale and compared with weights obtained from the currently used scale. The sample comprised pregnant women and children under 5 years old. The main measure was reliability, which was assessed by two indicators: intra-instrument error for each of the two scales, and inter-instrument error. The second study was a descriptive study designed to test providers' perceptions of acceptability of Uniscale measurements., Results: In the first study, a total of 458 subjects participated in the study. Overall, mean values of repeated measurements using each of the scales (intra-instrument error) were not significantly different. There was no significant difference between the weight measurements of the two scales (inter-instrument error) when weighing children, but a significant difference was detected when weighing pregnant women (p < 0.001). In the second study, 54 providers were included. The proportions of providers who recommended use of the Uniscale for children under 2 years, children 2-5 years and pregnant women were 57%, 75% and 80%, respectively., Conclusions: The Uniscale had the same accuracy as the current scale when weighing children. However, for use with adults, we suggest additional studies be conducted with increased training of providers because we found that measurements were influenced by individual variation in use. It is recommended that new versions of mother-child scales be developed that are more user friendly.