Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar mainly affects children in endemic areas. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of VL using direct agglutination test (DAT) in children living in rural districts of Alborz Province located 30 km from Tehran capital city of Iran. Multi-stage cluster random sampling was applied. Blood samples were randomly collected from 1,007 children under 10 years of age in the clusters. A total of 37 (3.7%) of the studied population showed anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies with titers of > or =1:800. There was a significant association between positive sera and various parts of the rural areas of Alborz Province (P<0.002). Two children with anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies titers of > or =1:3,200 indicated kala-azar clinical features and treated with anti-leishmaniasis drugs in pediatric hospital. The findings of this study indicated that Leishmania infection is prevalent in rural areas of Alborz Province. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the awareness and alertness among physicians and public health managers, particularly in high-risk rural areas of the province in Iran.
Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Iran/epidemiology ; Leishmania infantum/immunology/isolation & purification/physiology ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral/blood/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Male ; *Rural Health ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

OBJECTIVES: Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify, for the first time, subgroups of university freshmen in Iran on the basis of substance abuse behaviors. Moreover, it examined the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup. METHODS: Data for the study were collected cross-sectionally in December 2013 and January 2014 from 4 major cities in Iran: Tabriz, Qazvin, Karaj, and Khoramabad. A total of 5,252 first-semester freshmen were randomly selected using a proportional cluster sampling methodology. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify subgroups of students on the basis of substance abuse behaviors and to examine the effects of students' socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup. RESULTS: The LCA procedure identified 3 latent classes: the healthy group; the hookah experimenter group; and the unhealthy group. Approximately 82.8, 16.1, and 2.1% of students were classified into the healthy, hookah experimenter, and unhealthy groups, respectively. Older age, being male, and having a family member or a close friend who smoked increased the risk of membership in classes 2 and 3, compared to class 1. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 2.1% of freshmen exhibited unhealthy substance abuse behaviors. In addition, we found that older age, being male, and having a close friend or family member who smoked may serve as risk factors for substance abuse behaviors.
Friends ; Humans ; Iran* ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Substance-Related Disorders*

OBJECTIVES: Surgical menopause can influence women's quality of life in many aspects. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a multi-dimensional group counseling program based on the great clients, ask clients, tell clients, help clients, explain how to use, return for follow up (GATHER) approach, on quality of life in the surgically menopausal women.METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted using two groups. The study comprised 78 women meeting inclusion criteria who had visited 4 healthcare centers in Tehran from December 2017 to September 2018. The participants were selected through simple random sampling (39 in each group). The intervention group underwent 6 consecutive weekly group counseling sessions based on GATHER approach, whereas the control group received no interventions. Data were collected using the Menopause-specific Quality of Life questionnaire at 4 time-points (i.e., baseline, immediately after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, and 3 months after the intervention).RESULTS: The trend of changes at four time-points obtained on the basis of repeated measures test results showed significant betweengroup differences in vasomotor (P = 0.001), psychosocial (P = 0.025), and physical (P = 0.001) domains. Friedman test showed significant between-group differences in the mean score trend of changes at 4 time-points in sexual (P = 0.002) and overall quality of life (P = 0.004) domains.CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the study results, implementation of this approach with less expenditure in healthcare centers aimed at improving quality of life in surgically menopausal women is highly recommended.
Counseling ; Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Menopause ; Quality of Life

OBJECTIVES: Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify, for the first time, subgroups of university freshmen in Iran on the basis of substance abuse behaviors. Moreover, it examined the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup.METHODS: Data for the study were collected cross-sectionally in December 2013 and January 2014 from 4 major cities in Iran: Tabriz, Qazvin, Karaj, and Khoramabad. A total of 5,252 first-semester freshmen were randomly selected using a proportional cluster sampling methodology. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify subgroups of students on the basis of substance abuse behaviors and to examine the effects of students' socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup.RESULTS: The LCA procedure identified 3 latent classes: the healthy group; the hookah experimenter group; and the unhealthy group. Approximately 82.8, 16.1, and 2.1% of students were classified into the healthy, hookah experimenter, and unhealthy groups, respectively. Older age, being male, and having a family member or a close friend who smoked increased the risk of membership in classes 2 and 3, compared to class 1.CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 2.1% of freshmen exhibited unhealthy substance abuse behaviors. In addition, we found that older age, being male, and having a close friend or family member who smoked may serve as risk factors for substance abuse behaviors.
Friends ; Humans ; Iran ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Substance-Related Disorders

OBJECTIVES: Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify, for the first time, subgroups of university freshmen in Iran on the basis of substance abuse behaviors. Moreover, it examined the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup. METHODS: Data for the study were collected cross-sectionally in December 2013 and January 2014 from 4 major cities in Iran: Tabriz, Qazvin, Karaj, and Khoramabad. A total of 5,252 first-semester freshmen were randomly selected using a proportional cluster sampling methodology. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify subgroups of students on the basis of substance abuse behaviors and to examine the effects of students' socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup. RESULTS: The LCA procedure identified 3 latent classes: the healthy group; the hookah experimenter group; and the unhealthy group. Approximately 82.8, 16.1, and 2.1% of students were classified into the healthy, hookah experimenter, and unhealthy groups, respectively. Older age, being male, and having a family member or a close friend who smoked increased the risk of membership in classes 2 and 3, compared to class 1. CONCLUSIONS Approximately 2.1% of freshmen exhibited unhealthy substance abuse behaviors. In addition, we found that older age, being male, and having a close friend or family member who smoked may serve as risk factors for substance abuse behaviors.