Psychosocial factors associated with the self-reported frequency of cell phone use while driving in Iran

Cell phone use while driving is a common contributing factor in thousands of road traffic injuries every year globally. Despite extensive research investigating the risks associated with cell phone use while driving, social media campaigns to raise public awareness and a number of laws banning phone use while driving, this behaviour remains prevalent throughout the world. The current study was conducted in Iran, where road traffic injuries are the leading causes of death and disability, and where drivers continue to use their cell phones, despite legislative bans restricting this behaviour. A total of 255 drivers in the city of Mashhad (male = 66.3%; mean age = 30.73 years; SD = 9.89) completed either an online or a paper-based survey assessing the self-reported frequency of using a cell phone while driving. Psychosocial factors contributing to cell phone use while driving and support for legislation restricting this behaviour, as well as the Big Five personality traits, were also measured. Overall, the results showed that almost 93% of drivers use their cell phones while driving at least once a week, with 32.5% reporting they always use their cell phones while driving. Ordinal logistic regression revealed that the presence of a child passenger, age, perceived benefits and risks of using cell phones while driving, as well as the perceived ability to drive safely while using a cell phone, were strongly associated with the frequency of cell phone use while driving. As for personality traits—extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness significantly predicted the frequency of cell phone use in this sample of Iranian drivers

The International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS): A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the last decade's significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, this area of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namely the need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that shows cross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studies on this phenomenon. METHODS: An initial 16-item questionnaire, developed within an addiction framework, was administered alongside job stress, job satisfaction, and self-esteem measures in a total sample of 31,352 employees from six continents and 85 cultures (63.5% females, mean age of 39.24 years). RESULTS: Based on theoretical premises and psychometric testing, the International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS) was developed as a short measure representing essential features of work addiction. The seven-item version (IWAS-7), covering all seven components of work addiction, showed partial scalar invariance across 81 cultures, while the five-item version (IWAS-5) showed it across all 85 cultures. Higher levels of work addiction on both versions were associated with higher job stress, lower job satisfaction, and lower self-esteem across cultures. The optimal cut-offs for the IWAS-7 (24 points) and IWAS-5 (18 points) were established with an overall accuracy of 96% for both versions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The IWAS is a valid, reliable, and short screening scale that can be used in different cultures and languages, providing comparative and generalizable results. The scale can be used globally in clinical and organizational settings, with the IWAS-5 being recommended for most practical and clinical situations. This is the first study to provide data supporting the hypothesis that work addiction is a universal phenomenon worldwide.fals

Organizing palliative care in the rural areas of Iran: are family physician-based approaches suitable?

Hossein Jabbari,1 Saber Azami-Aghdash,2 Reza Piri,3 Mohammad Naghavi-Behzad,4 Mark JM Sullman,5 Saeid Safiri6,7 1Department of Community Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 2Iranian Center of Excellence in Health Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 3Students’ Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 4Medical Philosophy and History Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 5School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus; 6Managerial Epidemiology Research Center, Department of Public Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran; 7Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Introduction: The provision of palliative end-of-life care (P/EOLc) for patients, wherever they live, is an increasingly important service, particularly given the increasing rates of cancer and other life-threatening diseases in Iran. However, unfortunately, those living in the rural areas of Iran are greatly disadvantaged with respect to this type of care. Therefore, the present study explored the feasibility of organizing P/EOLc in the rural areas of Iran. Methods: In this qualitative study, two focus group (FG) discussions were held in Tabriz (Iran) with rural family physicians (FPs, n=23) and key P/EOLc stakeholders (n=13). The FG sessions were recorded, transcribed, and the transcriptions checked by participants before the data were subjected to content analysis. Results: While most FPs indicated that they did not have sufficient involvement in providing P/EOLc, they emphasized the necessity of providing P/EOLc through four main themes and 25 subthemes. The four main themes were labeled as “structures and procedures,” “health care provider teams,” “obstacles,” and “strategies or solutions.” Furthermore, according to the main themes and subthemes identified here, the key stakeholders believed that the Iranian health system and the FPs’ team have the potential to provide P/EOLc services in rural areas. Conclusion: The most feasible strategy for providing P/EOLc in Iranian rural areas would be to use the current health care framework and base the process around the FP. Keywords: palliative end-of-life care, rural areas, family physician tea

The burden of osteoarthritis in the Middle East and North Africa region from 1990 to 2019

Objective: We aimed to report the most current data on the prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) associated with osteoarthritis (OA) for the 21 countries and territories located in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from 1990 to 2019 by age, sex, cause, and sociodemographic index (SDI). Methods: Publicly available data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study were used to report the OA-related burden. Estimates are reported as counts and age-standardized rates, along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results: In 2019, the age-standardized prevalence of OA in MENA was 5,342.8 per 100,000 (95% UI: 4,815.9–5,907.8), which is 9.3% higher than in 1990 (8.1–10.5%). Similarly, the age-standardized annual incidence of OA per 100,000 was 430.4 (382.2–481.9), demonstrating a 9.4% increase since 1990 (8.3–10.5). OA was the cause of 185.4 (92.8–370.2) age-standardized YLDs per 100,000 in 2019, which was 10% higher than in 1990 (8.7–11.4). Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran had the highest OA burden in MENA, while Yemen, Afghanistan, and Sudan had the lowest burden. In all MENA countries, OA affected more women than men, had an increasing burden with increased age, and had the highest impact on the knee, hip, and hand joints, respectively. OA was also positively associated with the SDI. Conclusion: The burden of OA increased over 1990–2019 in the MENA region. The study emphasizes the importance of early preventative approaches in order to control any future health, economic, and quality of life crises imposed by OA in this region

The burden of stroke and its attributable risk factors in the Middle East and North Africa region, 1990-2019

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity across the globe. Providing comprehensive data on the burden of stroke in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) could be useful for health policy makers in the region. Therefore, this article reported the burden of stroke and its attributable risk factors between 1990 and 2019 by age, sex, type of stroke, and socio-demographic index. Data on the point prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), due to stroke, were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019 for the 21 countries located in the MENA region from 1990 to 2019. The counts and age-standardised rates (per 100,000) were presented, along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). In 2019, the regional age-standardised point prevalence and death rates of stroke were 1537.5 (95% UI: 1421.9–1659.9) and 87.7 (78.2–97.6) per 100,000, which represent a 0.5% (− 2.3 to 1.1) and 27.8% (− 35.4 to − 16) decrease since 1990, respectively. Moreover, the regional age-standardised DALY rate in 2019 was 1826.2 (1635.3–2026.2) per 100,000, a 32.0% (− 39.1 to − 23.3) decrease since 1990. In 2019, Afghanistan [3498.2 (2508.8–4500.4)] and Lebanon [752.9 (593.3–935.9)] had the highest and lowest age-standardised DALY rates, respectively. Regionally, the total number of stroke cases were highest in the 60–64 age group and was more prevalent in women in all age groups. In addition, there was a general negative association between SDI and the burden of stoke from 1990 to 2019. Also, in 2019, high systolic blood pressure [53.5%], high body mass index [39.4%] and ambient particulate air pollution [27.1%] made the three largest contributions to the burden of stroke in the MENA region. The stroke burden has decreased in the MENA region over the last three decades, although there are large inter-country differences. Preventive programs should be implemented which focus on metabolic risk factors, especially among older females in low SDI countries

Prevalence, deaths and disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs) due to type 2 diabetes and its attributable risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019

Aim: To report the point prevalence, deaths and disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs) due to type 2 diabetes and its attributable risk factors in 204 countries and territories during the period 1990-2019. Methods: We used the data of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 to report number and age-standardised rates per 100 000 population of type 2 diabetes. Estimates were reported with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results: In 2019, the global age-standardised point prevalence and death rates for type 2 diabetes were 5282.9 and 18.5 per 100 000, an increase of 49% and 10.8%, respectively, since 1990. Moreover, the global age-standardised DALY rate in 2019 was 801.5 per 100 000, an increase of 27.6% since 1990. In 2019, the global point prevalence of type 2 diabetes was slightly higher in males and increased with age up to the 75-79 age group, decreasing across the remaining age groups. American Samoa [19876.8] had the highest age-standardised point prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes in 2019. Generally, the burden of type 2 diabetes decreased with increasing SDI (Socio-demographic Index). Globally, high body mass index [51.9%], ambient particulate matter pollution [13.6%] and smoking [9.9%] had the three highest proportions of attributable DALYs. Conclusion: Low and middle-income countries have the highest burden and greater investment in type 2 diabetes prevention is needed. In addition, accurate data on type 2 diabetes needs to be collected by the health systems of all countries to allow better monitoring and evaluation of population-level interventions

Burden of anemia and its underlying causes in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Anemia is a common disease which affects around 40% of children and 30% of reproductive age women and can have major health consequences. The present study reports the global, regional and national burden of anemia and its underlying causes between 1990 and 2019, by age, sex and socio-demographic index (SDI). Methods Publicly available data on the point prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) were retrieved from the global burden of disease (GBD) 2019 study for 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019. The point prevalence, YLD counts and rates per 100,000 population were presented, along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals. Results In 2019, the global age-standardized point prevalence and YLD rates for anemia were 23,176.2 (22,943.5–23,418.6) and 672.4 (447.2–981.5) per 100,000 population, respectively. Moreover, the global age-standardized point prevalence and YLD rate decreased by 13.4% (12.1–14.5%) and 18.8% (16.9–20.8%), respectively, over the period 1990–2019. The highest national point prevalences of anemia were found in Zambia [49327.1 (95% UI: 46,838.5–51,700.1)], Mali [46890.1 (95% UI: 44,301.1–49,389.8)], and Burkina Faso [46117.2 (95% UI: 43,640.7–48,319.2)]. In 2019, the global point prevalence of anemia was highest in the 15–19 and 95+ age groups in females and males, respectively. Also, the burden of anemia was lower in regions with higher socio-economic development. Globally, most of the prevalent cases were attributable to dietary iron deficiency, as well as hemoglobinopathies and hemolytic anemias. Conclusions Anemia remains a major health problem, especially among females in less developed countries. The implementation of preventive programs with a focus on improving access to iron supplements, early diagnosis and the treatment of hemoglobinopathies should be taken into consideration