Showing 19 results for Karimi
A Karimi Zarchi , K Holakouie Naieni ,
Volume 1, Issue 4 (8 2003)
Abstract
Sulfur mustard is the most widely used chemical agent in the Iran-Iraq war .In a retrospective cohort study of 1337 soldiers with a history of sulfur mustard exposure, factors such as age, smoking habits, number of exposure episodes and the use of gas masks were determined, together with an assessment of their relationship with the occurrence of long-term pulmonary complications. The models suggested by Szklo,BresIow & Kahn were used to determine rates, rate ratios and confidence intervals. The mean age of the victims was 25.5 years (standard deviation = 9.1 years), and more than 96% had experienced only one exposure episode.
15.1% were cigarette smokers, and the majority (94.5%) had used protective gas masks at the time of exposure.
Cumulative incidence of lung complications was 31.6% the lowest rate was noted during the first year of follow-up (7.5/10000), and the highest in the 7th year (769/10000). Estimated rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals for various age groups were as follows: 1.12 (0.88-1.46) for those aged 21-25 years, 1.49 (1.1-2.01) for ages 26-30, 1.7 (1.2-2.4) forages 31-35, and 2.09 (1.55-2.77) for subjects aged 36 and above. Rate ratios with regard to other factors, i.e. more frequent versus single exposure, smoking vs non-smoking and unprotected exposure vs protective mask use were 0.69 (0.42-1.12), 1.08 (0.80-1.45) and 3.04 (2.20-4.20) respectively. Therefore, the estimated rale ratios were significant only for three out of four age groups and for those who had not worn gas masks (p<0.05). Therefore gas mask and age groups of veterans must be considered in assessing the potential consequences of a chemical attack.
F Asghari , A Fotouhi , A Sharifian , A Karimi ,
Volume 2, Issue 1 (2 2004)
Abstract
Hearing loss is a controversial occupational disease in fire fighters because exposure to hazardous levels of noise in this job is so variable and unpredictable. In this study, audiometric assessments were performed on 117 fire fighters to evaluate their hearing loss. The results showed that the average fire fighter has a characteristic noise-induced threshold shift, with maximum hearing loss occurring at 6000 Hz. The hearing loss at the test frequencies was related to age, although the association exceeded that of general population only in 6000 Hz frequency in left ear (p=0.021). Despite finding a pattern of threshold shift typical of occupational hearing loss, it must be noted that after controlling for age, there was no strong relation between length of time on the job and the degree of hearing loss. It seems that more extensive studies are needed to evaluate this relationship.
M Yahya Pour , F Razjoo , Gh Karimi ,
Volume 2, Issue 2 (4 2004)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of hepatitis B vaccination on the results of surface antigen tests in blood donors. In this research, eighteen non-immunized volunteers (ten male, eight female) aged 21 to 58 years received 20 ug of the recombinant B vaccine (Heberbiovac-HB) intramuscularly. Blood samples were drawn from all volunteers before the first vaccine dose (day 0) and on days 1,2,3 and 7 after vaccination. HBSAg assessment was done by six different kits (Behring, organon, Diasorin, Equipar, Trinity, Radim ). In this study, seven (39 %) of the eighteen volunteers showed a positive HBSAg reaction, confirmed by the duplicate samples. The most positive reactions were obtained by trinity kit on day 5 and 7. We conclude that individuals recently vaccinated against hepatitis B may have positive tests for HBSAg and it is recommended that such persons defer all blood donations for at least 7 days.
A Ghareh Baghian, A Zaghal, M Farhadi Langerudi , G Karimi,
Volume 4, Issue 4 (4 2006)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8), also known as Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus, is believed to be the infectious trigger for Kaposi sarcoma. HHV-8 transmission takes place via different routes such as saliva, sexual intercourse, mucosal contact and possibly blood transfusion. The objective of this study was to determine HHV-8 seroprevalence in otherwise healthy blood donors as immunocompetent hosts, in HIV positive individuals (immunocompromised hosts), and in hemodialysis patients as multi-transfused patients. This is the first time that research of this magnitude on HHV-8 prevalence is conducted in Iran.
Material and Methods: The study method was analytic-observational. We measured HHV-8 antibody levels in 118 hemodialysis patients, 35 HIV positive subjects and 256 healthy blood donors. The primary test method was ELISA positive results were confirmed by IFA (immunofluorescence assay). Subjects with positive results on both ELISA and IFA were regarded as HHV-8 cases.
Results: Overall, 20 hemodialysis patients (16.9%), 16 HIV individuals (45.7%) and 5 blood donors (2%) had HHV-8 antibodies. Analysis with χ2 tests did not show any significant association with sex (p=0.24), blood transfusion or the number of transfused blood units (p=0.36 and 0.73, respectively). But there was positive correlation between age and the presence of antibodies (P=0.01).
Conclusion: Serologic prevalence of HHV-8 in blood donors (as apparently healthy individuals) proved to be lower than in other studies and, in some cases, equal to the figures from other countries. The high prevalence of HHV-8 antibodies in HIV positive individuals may be partly attributed to high-risk sexual behavior and repeated exposure to pathogenic agents. The higher prevalence of HHV-8 antibodies in hemodialysis patients as compared to blood donors (normal individuals) may be related to specific dialysis procedures or multiple transfusions with the resulting potential for infection.
Z Zamanian Ardakani, H Kakooei, M Ayattollahi, Sm Karimian, G Nasle Seraji,
Volume 5, Issue 4 (5 2008)
Abstract
Background and Aim: There are no occupational health data concerning the prevalence of mental disorders in Iranian hospital nurses. Such information may be a prerequisite for efficient occupational mental health interventions. The aim of this study was to determine mental health status among shift work hospital nurses.
Materials and Methods: This paper reports the findings of a cross-sectional survey that was part of a larger quasi-experimental study. We selected and evaluated 1195 nurses in 12 general hospitals in Shiraz (capital of Fars Province), using the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). We used structured observations in accordance with an occupational health checklist to assess working environment during the work period.
Results: Results indicated that 28.7% of nurses were in poor mental health. Mental disease was more common among females than males (p<0.05). Prevalence rates for anxiety and somatic symptoms were 42.2% and 35.5% respectively. The prevalence of depression was 11.9% and social dysfunction, 79.5%. There was a significant relationship between shift work and anxiety as well as sleep disorders (p< 0.05). Associations were also found between marital status and depression and between gender and social dysfunction (p< 0.001).
Conclusion: Prevalence figures for mental disorders are similar to those from nationwide surveys but it seems that social dysfunction and anxiety disorders are more common in nurses compared to the general population aged 15 and over. More attention must be paid to the health of shift work nurses (especially female staff). This can take the form of shift work health education programs, occupational health counseling, and periodic examinations.
J Adl, M Jahangiri, M Rismanchian, H Mary Oriad, A Karimi, Mr Ghaderi,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (14 2011)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Safety climate is a psychological phenomenon and a sub-component of safety culture, which is usually reflected in the shared workforce's perceptions about the state of safety at any particular time. It can provide an indication of the priority of safety in an organization with regard to other priorities such as production or quality. The objective of this study was to assess the safety climate profile in a steel manufacturing plant in Iran and using the results to improve the level of safety.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the UK Loughborough University Safety Climate Assessment Toolkit was used to assess the safety climate in a steel-manufacturing industry in Iran. Information was collected through interviews and questionnaires, focus group discussions, and direct observations in the filed. Safety climate scores were calculated in 17 themes.
Results: A graphic representation of the safety climate scores obtained showed that safety climate in the company is at the medium level (4.80 ± 2). The highest and lowest scores were for dimensions of personal priority and need for safety (8.6± 0.8) and accidents and incidents (1±0.00). A non-significant correlation was found between worker's education and work experience on the one hand and their attitude towards safety on the other hand (p>0.05). Both management commitment and personal priority were associated with the workers' age (p= 0.03 and 0.02, respectively), while work environment was associated only with employment status (p = 0.04).
Conclusion: Safety climate assessment can be a proactive safety performance indicator used to improve the level of safety in an organisation.
Marzieh Javadi, Saeed Karimi, Ahmadreza Raiesi, Maryam Yaghoubi, Asadollah Shams, Maryam Kadkhodaie,
Volume 9, Issue 4 (13 2012)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Responsiveness is of extreme importance in every health system, especially for policy-makers and health managers. Responsiveness relates to how the health system responds to legitimate expectations of the patients regarding non-clinical aspects of health care. Furthermore, justice in an organization requires fair treatment of the patients on the part of the health personnel. In other words, organizational justice relates to how to treat the personnel so that they feel they are treated fairly. The objective of this study was to investigate the responsiveness of hospital as perceived by patients and nurses and the relationship between the responsiveness rate and organizational justice as perceived by nurses in the hospitals.
Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study aiming at determining the correlation between responsiveness and organizational justice in 8 elected hospitals (4 private and 4 public) in Isfahan, Iran. The study population was patients and nurses. A total of 320 individuals (160 patients and 160 nurses), selected by stratified random sampling, participated in this study. Two questionnaires, namely the adjusted WHO Responsiveness Questionnaire (for patients and nurses) and the Equity Questionnaire (for nurses), the validity and reliability of both of which had been determined, were used to collect data. The software used for data analysis was SPSS
Results: The overall score (out of 4) of organizational justice was 1.9 0.77, while the mean score of responsiveness as perceived by the nurses and the patients was 2.32 0.54 and 2.48 0.58, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to responsiveness, but there was a positive association between responsiveness and organizational justice as perceived by nurses (r = 0.2, p = 0.03).
Conclusion: The variables in the hospitals studied are generally at an intermediate level and there are no statistically significant differences between private and public hospitals. There is no difference in organizational justice between private and public hospitals, but responsiveness is higher in private hospitals as compared to public ones. Thus, the public sector needs to attempt to create more incentives in health professionals in the health sector in order to guarantee higher-quality services and better responsiveness.
Saeed Karimi, Marzieh Javadi, Mina Iravani, Elham Chavoshi,
Volume 11, Issue 1 (8-2013)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Global growth in the elderly population for both health care providers and families and also the community is an important challenge . Elders are the largest and fast factor for increasing hospital admissions in Society . Increasing costs of aging is the most concern to elders and their families. This study aimed to investigate the health team s approach about cost–effective alternatives for aging health services.
This study is a qualitative research which was done through content analysis.
18 people consisting of five faculty members , 6doctors , 3 nurses and 4health public health expert were participated. Samples were selected based on purposive sampling . Data were collected through interviews .
Results: Four core themes derived from this study which included: 1- Emphasis on training for aging care ( including training doctors, nurses , health professionals , public health experts, elder sand their family caregivers). 2- Emphasis on proper implementation of primary health care for the elderly. 3- Emphasis on home care for elderly.4-attntion to mental health of elderly.
Conclusion: It seems effectiveness of tree alternatives emphasis to training, home care and mental health for elderly are obvious and evident, so implementing and applying these suggestions would be helpful.
But the second alternative emphasis on proper implementation of primary health care for the elderly must be performed based on a comprehensive needs assessment in elders population. Finally it is stressed that calculating and comparing actual costs of each alternative in elders caring must be measured through quantitative researches.
Hamid Reza Safabakhsh, Gharib Karimi, Hossein Hatami,
Volume 11, Issue 4 (3-2014)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus (Type I) is the cause of two major diseases : Adult T cell Leukemia-Lymphoma and Tropical Spastic Paraparasia and Myelopathy associated with HTLV-I. Disease transmission is possible during unsafe sexual contact, blood transfusion and vertical transmission method. Blood safety and minimizing the risk of transfusion transmitted infections are the main goals of blood transfusion organization. Mashhad is located in an endemic area and it is essential to investigate about the virus epidemiology.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study from 1388 to 1389. all the blood donation volunteers, who were eligible for blood donation but had HTLV serum positive results in both screening and confirmatory tests with Elisa and Western Blot method, respectively, were considered as HTLV infected individuals. The infected group was compared with a group of healthy blood donors as a witness group. The data were analyzed by SPSS-17 software.
Results: Out of all 432 infected donors, 353(% 81.7) were male and 79 (% 18.3) were female. The prevalence rate in two years of study was %0.26 and %0.25 Respectively . There was a significant relation between age, sex, marital status, education levels and history of blood donation with HTLV-1 seropositivity.
Conclusions: Because of the improvements in donor screening and laboratory methods , the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection among blood donors has currently decreased. According to the low rate of infection among younger blood donors, regular blood donors and donors with higher educational levels ,it should be considered to select donors from these groups.
Masoud Keimasi, Ozhan Karimi, Hossein Rastian Ardestani,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (3-2015)
Abstract
Background and Aim: This study was conducted to assess customers’ perceptions of the quality of services in clinical diagnostic laboratories
Materials and Methods: Based on the SERVEIMPERF model, different dimensions of quality of services in terms of performance (current situation) and importance (weight) of each of the dimensions were assessed. A sample of 328 persons consulting Tehran clinical diagnostic laboratories, selected by stratified random sampling, was included in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire.
Results: The customers’ scores for perceptions of the quality of services and its dimensions were higher than average. Dimensions of reliability with a mean score of 3.49 and that of empathy with a mean score of 2.73 were considered to be the highest and lowest dimensions, respectively. As regards importance of dimensions of service quality, the customers’ perceptions of assurance with a mean score of 4.448 was assessed to be higher than other dimensions, while the dimension of tangibility with a mean score of 3.983 was considered to be lower than other dimensions.
Conclusion: In can be concluded that different customers do not have the same perception of the various dimensions of quality of services and do not evaluate them in the same way. Thus, the differences should be taken into consideration when designing plans to improve the quality of services and deciding about priorities. It seems that the dimension of trust in the customers’ perceptions of the quality of services in clinical diagnostic laboratories is the most important and the first priority.
Parivash Nooraliey, Ahmadreza Dorosti Motlagh, Seyed Mostafa Hosseini, Javad Karimi, Reyhaneh Nooraliey,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (6-2015)
Abstract
Background an d Aim : Overweight and obesity are one of the most serious health and social problems in the world today. The fact that obesity is highly prevalent among adolescents is particularly alarming, considering that the disease has many undesirable physical and mental consequences. This study examined the relationship between overweight and obesity and the quality of life.
Materials and Methods : A total of 400 high school girl-students, selected by the two-stage cluster sampling, completed the demographic and sf-36 quality of life questionnaires. Their weights and heights were measured using the Seca scale (precision 100 g) and non-elastic tape (precision 0.5 cm) by the researcher, respectively.
Results : The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the sample was 21.8%. The mean scores of general health, physical health, physical limitations, and social functioning were significantly lower among overweight and obese, as compared to normal, subjects. Dissatisfaction with physical fitness, not living with both parents, poor economic conditions and skipping breakfast were factors associated with a lower quality of life.
Conclusion : Considering the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among high school girls and their significant correlations with the physical dimensions of quality of life, attention to obesity as a major health and social problem on the part of health planners and policy-makers is of utmost importance.
Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, Saeed Karimi, Marzieh Javadi, Alireza Jabbari,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (6-2016)
Abstract
Background and Aim: In 1995 the new plan (system) of hospital administration plan/scheme (fee for service) was communicated. According to this plan a proportion (percentage) of the hospital income would be allocated to the hospital staff as a fee for service; the remaining would, after deducting other expenditures, be allocated for the autonomy of the hospital. Based on the plan/scheme, the Supervisory Board will consist of two main committees, namely, the High Supervisory Board and the Supervisory Board for the Centers (hospitals). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Supervisory Board in the new system of hospital administration plan in selected teaching hospitals of Esfahan, Iran in 2014.
Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative research. Eleven individuals were selected by targeted sampling and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data.
Result: Based on the thematic analysis results, the main source of weakness in the underlying and structural factors (developing programs and the implementation phase) was the Hospital Administration Supervisory Board in the new system.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that the most notable findings in this study are weaknesses in the underlying and structural factors (developing the program) and weak underlying and structural factors (implementation of the program). The findings will help health policy-makers to develop suitable strategies and a plan of action to minimize weaknesses of the new fee for service scheme/plan.
Zahra Karimian, Fatemeh Atoof, Razieh Maasoumi, Mohammad Ali Besharat, Effat Sadat Merghati Khoei,
Volume 15, Issue 2 (9-2017)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Considering that the knowledge of, and attitude towards, sexuality is a key factor influencing sexual behavior, the main objective of this survey was to determine the bases of sexual knowledge and formation of attitude towards sexual script in women of reproductive age in Kashan City, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 500 women of reproductive age referring to all health centers in Kashan Iran, selected by simple random sampling,. The data collection tool was the Sexual Knowledge and Attitude Scale (SKAS). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression model.
Results: The age range of the majority of the participants (51.9%) was 26-35 years, and the educational level of 39.9 % of them was high school education. The majority of them had a high level of sexual knowledge and attitude (51.4% and 62.9% respectively). The Pearson correlation test showed a significant positive correlation between knowledge and attitude of the women (p<0.05), and based on the multivariate regression analysis their knowledge score correlated with education and economic status and their sexual attitude scores with age and education.
Conclusion: The participating women were young and educated and their knowledge and attitude scores were high. However, they had erroneous attitudes and ideas, such as a feeling of shame and anxiety at intercourse, considering initiation in sexual relation responsibility of the man, and considering childbearing as the main purpose in sexual relations. It is essential to design and implement appropriate educational programs to help the women change their attitudes and ideas.
Bahareh Karimi, Sahar Khanaki, Leyla Ma’mani, Seyed Mostafa Khezri, Asghar Karami,
Volume 15, Issue 4 (3-2018)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Agricultural poisons are one of the most important groups of pollutants in agricultural industries that cause environmental pollution. The main objective of this research was to remove imidacloprid from contaminated water by using modified magnetic-silica core-shell nanoparticles.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at the laboratory scale and batch system. The physical and structural characteristics of the synthesized adsorbent were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, the effects of various parameters such as pH, initial concentration of imidacloprid, adsorbent dose, and contact time were investigated in order to determine the equilibrium isotherms and adsorption kinetics. The potential of the adsorbent for removal of imidacloprid showed no significant change after four runs of the reaction.
Results: The highest efficiency was found to be 97.85 %, achieved at the following conditions: a contact time of 67 minutes, an adsorbent dose of 0.06 g/l, an initial concentration of 15.6 mg/l and a pH of 6.5. The correlation coefficient of Langmuir isotherm (R2=0.9843) was higher than that of Freundlich (R2=0.8). Therefore, the Langmuir isotherm model is hereby introduced to be used for predicting the adsorption behavior of imidacloprid onto the nano-adsorbent from an aqueous medium. The reaction kinetics fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model.
Conclusion: A modified magnetic-silica core-shell nanoparticle is a cost-effective and recoverable adsorbent for efficient removal of imidacloprid from contaminated water.
Maryam Yaghoubi, Marzieh Javadi, Saeid Karimi, Vahid Pirasteh,
Volume 16, Issue 2 (9-2018)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Iran's Health Sector Evolution Plan (HSEP) is one of the most important national health reform plans. HSEP has attracted many criticisms. An important criticism is about its service costs. This article reports the results of a project conducted to compare the costs of normal and caesarian section delivery before and after implementation of the HSEP.
Materials and Methods: This was an applied research project using hospital accounting records as data. A total of 120 delivery files (60 normal delivery and 60 caesarian section) were selected randomly from the accounting software of a large hospital in Isfahan before and after May, 2014.The data in each subject’s file ─ paid shares of the hospital, patient and insurance ─ but not hoteling, inpatient and other costs was extracted. The health service providers’ incomes based on the annual tariffs of the services and changes in payments for each service for gynecologist and anesthesiologists were calculated. Data were analyzed using the excel software.
Results: The costs of normal delivery and caesarian section after implementation of the National HSEP had increased by 193% and 226%, respectively. In addition, of the treating physicians (gynecologists and anesthesiologists) had also increased by 257% for the normal and by 130% for caesarian section. Changes in the sums of money involved in service delivery indicates shifting of parts of the costs from the patients to the health subsidy and insurance systems.
Conclusion: The health System Evolution has not lead to real reductions in the out-of-pocket money paid by the patients. Higher cost of services will imply the need for better cost management. Increased costs of services will be to the benefit of neither patients nor the health system. This would mean that in designing and implementation of the Health Sector Evolution Plan economic aspects should be taken into consideration more carefully.
Neda Karimi, Shahrzad Saadat Gharin, Azar Tol, Roya Sadeghi, Mehdi Yaseri, Bahram Mohebbi,
Volume 17, Issue 3 (12-2019)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Since many of the healthy behaviors are adopted and develop during adolescence, proper choice of such behaviors is very important in this period of life. In addition, paying attention to the health of girls is crucial because they will transfer such behaviors to the next generation. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the role of health literacy and demographic variables in determining health-promoting behaviors among second-grade high school girl students in the City of Tehran, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study was conducted on 370 female students using cluster sampling method in 2018. Data were collected using demographic, Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents (HELMA) and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII) questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS25.
Results: The results of multivariate regression analysis revealed that there were statistically significant direct associations between health-promoting behaviors and the following variables: one’s health literacy (β= 0.39, p<0.001), interest in health topics (β= 1.35, p<0.001), reading of journals and newspapers (β=0.76, p= 0.007), father's education (p= 0.002), body mass index (p= 0.022), field of study (p<0.001), the first source of health information (p<0.001) and place of residence (p = 0.023). Further analysis of the data showed an indirect association between health-promoting behaviors and age (β= -1.69, p<0.001) and health assessment (β=-1.67, p<0.01).
Conclusion: Based on the findings it is concluded that the subjects’ health literacy and health-promoting behavior scores were “not sufficient” and “intermediate”, respectively. It is recommended to design and implement appropriate training/intervention programs aiming at increasing the heath literacy and promoting health behaviors of female students.
Ensiyeh Babaie, Fereshteh Bakhshian, Aram Karimian, Reza Saadatmehr,
Volume 17, Issue 3 (12-2019)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Considering that a person’s identity in formed during adolescence and that such identity formation is of particular importance in this period and the many factors that play important roles in it, the present study was conducted to determine the factors related with identity formation among high school students in Mazandaran Province, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study. The participants were 394 high school students in Mazandaran Province, Iran selected by random cluster sampling. Data were collected using 3 questionnaires, namely, the Benion and Adams Identity Scale Questionnaire (EOM-EIS-2), the Identification Factors Questionnaire and a Demographic Questionnaire. For data analysis, Wilcoxon, Spearman correlation and linear regression tests were used.
Results: Over half (51.8%) of the participants were girls and 48.2% boys. The results of regression analysis showed that the factors studied (family, personality, school, community and culture and media) could explain 22.7%, 11.2%, 10.5% and 21.2% of the variance in turbulent, early, delayed and advanced self-identification in adolescents, respectively.
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to organize parenting and student training courses and make the school environment more favorable for the students, as well as include extracurricular activities in the school to help students identify themselves more easily.
Ali Mohammad Mosadeghrad, Rahim Khodayari, Mehdi Abbasi, Fereshte Karimi,
Volume 19, Issue 2 (9-2021)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The health financing system is the process of collecting, pooling and managing financial resources to purchase health services. Sustainable financing of the Iranian health system is crucial for achieving universal health coverage. The purpose of this study was to identify strategies for sustainable financing of the Iranian health system.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using the scoping review in 2020. The following databases and search engines were searched systematically between 21.03.2002 and 21.09.2020 to find studies related to sustainable financing strategies for the Iranian health system: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase, Magiran, Iranmedex and SID databases, and two search engines; i.e., "Google" and "Google scholar”. Finally, 47 studies were selected and analyzed using the MAXQDA software and the framework analysis method.
Results: A total of 40 strategies were identified for strengthening the sustainability of Iran's health financing system, which were grouped into three categories: collecting funds, pooling funds and purchasing health services. The most frequently cited strategies for sustainable financing of the Iranian health system were the following: increasing the health share of gross domestics product, expanding tax revenues, pre-payment methods of health financing, strengthening public-private partnership, increasing the efficiency of the health system, reducing health system costs, consolidating insurance funds, eliminating insurance overlaps, value-based health service tariffs, optimizing health services support packages, and fixed payment methods based on the performance of the health service providers.
Conclusion: The Iran's health financing system must be strengthened in such a way as to make it possible to collect, pool and manage sufficient financial resources to be used to purchase health services for the people to ultimately ensure universal health coverage leading to the promotion of the public’s health.
Arezu Amirali, Ameneh Elikaei, Roxana Mansour Ghanaie, Idesbald Boone, Abdollah Karimi, Tim Eckmanns, Andreas Lutz Jansen, Fatemeh Fallah, Noushin Marhamati, Niloofar Pashaei, Shahriar Janbazi, Ahmad Reza Shamshiri, Hamid Reza Baradaran, Mohammad Hossein Rostami, Masoud Alebouyeh,
Volume 19, Issue 4 (3-2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the seroepidemiological history of SARS-CoV-2 infection among asymptomatic children in Tehran.
Materials and Methods: Blood samples of children younger than 14 years old were collected during the period autumn-winter 2020 and spring 2021 and tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody using the EUROIMMUN ELISA kit. In addition, questionnaires were used to collect demographic and infection status information in the participants. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software.
Results: Out of the 1142 children collected from the children with no COVID-19 symptoms, 33.3% (381/1142) were found to have had a history of SARS-CoV-2. The positive samples in girls and boys were 34.1% and 33.03%, respectively. Analysis of the data showed no statistically significant differences between the infection rate on the one hand and age, family size, underlying diseases, gender or occupations of the family members on the other hand. In addition, the infection rate was significantly lower in autumn 2020 than in winter 2020 and spring 2021.
Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection can occur in children with no clinical symptoms. In addition, the infection rate is in direct correlation with an increase in age of the children.
