Search

BackgroundRegenerative medicine plays a major role in biomedicine, and given the ever-expanding boundaries of this knowledge, numerous ethical considerations have been raised.Main textRapid 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.ConclusionThis 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.

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. Key messages: Economic conditions such as inflation, high food prices, low household purchasing power are among the most significant factors impacting the dietary habits of Iranian pregnant women.Inadequate taste, dietary habits, and inappropriate dietary patterns have been mentioned, including the preference for food taste and flavor over its healthiness, which can impact the quality of pregnant women's diets.Participants in this study also encountered strategies such as resource allocation, providing additional budgets for food procurement, obtaining inexpensive and sustaining food, resilience, rationing of food items, and using food substitutes when facing food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): The pre-marriage education program started in Iran in 1993. The present study had several main goals, and this article deals with the results of two objectives, including the assessment of pre-marriage education centers and assessment of the instructors' satisfaction with the program. Methods: The study was cross-sectional. Ninety-six centers were selected by simple random sampling, and instructors of selected centers included in the study by census method. Data were analyzed using SPSS-18 software. Results: The mean of overall satisfaction score of instructors with the "pre-marriage education program" was 20.56 (SD=3.753). The instructors were satisfied or very satisfied, including 88.4% with the content of textbooks, 70.1% with the regular holding of retraining courses, 96.2% with the cooperation with the center, 98.2% with the behavior of colleagues, and 98% with the center authorities management for holding classes. The instructors were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied, including 60.6% with the paid amount for instruction and 51% with the timely payment. There was no significant relationship between the overall satisfaction with age, gender, marital status, education, and duration of the instruction experience. A significant relationship was between overall satisfaction with the level of education (p=0.012), employment relationship with the center (p=0.014), and the type of class (p<0.001). Thus, instructors with master education were the most, and instructors with bachelor education were the least satisfied with the program. Official instructors had the least, and contract instructors had the most satisfaction. The instructors of the "reproductive and sexual health course" were the least, and the instructors of the "ethics and laws course" were the most satisfied with the program. The results of the evaluation of centers showed that more than 80% of the centers were in good condition in terms of lighting, heating system, and the appropriate seat numbers for participants in each class. About 70-80% of centers were in favorable condition in terms of the appropriate number of classes, adequate ventilation, the fitness of educational facilities with needs, and adequate physical space for classes. Only 50-70% of the centers were in good condition in terms of cooling system, and access to the necessary infrastructure for online classes. Conclusion: The promotion of the pre-marriage education program requires the development of the necessary infrastructure and the improvement of the welfare conditions of the instructors. We hope that the results of the present study can help the policy-makers of the health system to improve the monitoring of program. [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.)

The knowledge and attitude of researchers can affect the validity of laboratory animal (LAN) research. However, studies show that not all researchers possess the required knowledge and appropriate attitude for performing valid research on animals. This may have several reasons, such as high heterogeneity in the educational backgrounds of researchers in animal trials. In this study, we hypothesized that properly designed intensive educational intervention could improve the knowledge and attitude of a mixed population of researchers, regardless of their heterogeneity. We delivered 10 country-wide two-day LAN workshops for academic members, postgraduate students and members of the ethics committees of the medical universities in Iran. Using pre-/post-intervention design, we found that the intervention highly significantly (p < 0.001) improved the knowledge score (from 2.96 ± 1.483 to 4.63 ± 1.548 mean ± SD; range: 0–8; n = 236) and attitude score (from 62.65 ± 5.160 to 65.57 ± 4.716; range: 14–70; N = 229). We also found that the educational intervention was significantly (p = 0.035) more effective to improve the knowledge of participants with more years of experience in LAN science. Unexpectedly, our younger participants (overall age range: 19–67 years old; mean ± SD: 37.96 ± 9.55) had lower initial attitude score. However, education was significantly (p = 0.002) more effective to improve the attitude score of younger participants. The knowledge and attitude improvements were not related to educational background, gender, history of prior attendance in LAN courses and amount of animal use. Attendees’ performance in the final assessment showed that they require more education on the ‘anesthesia/analgesia’ topic. They also declared a high interest in learning more on the design of LAN studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract 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 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.