Estimation of the Frequency of Intravenous Drug Users in Hamadan City, Iran, Using the Capture-recapture Method

Salman Khazaei,Jalal Poorolajal,Hossein Mahjub,Nader Esmailnasab,Mohammad Mirzaei 한국역학회 2012 Epidemiology and Health Vol.34 No.-

OBJECTIVES: The number of illicit drug users is prone to underestimation. This study aimed to use the capture-recapture method as a statistical procedure for measuring the prevalence of intravenous drug users (IDUs) by estimating the number of unknown IDUs not registered by any of the registry centers. METHODS: This study was conducted in Hamadan City, the west of Iran, in 2012. Three incomplete data sources of IDUs, with partial overlapping data, were assessed including: (a) Volunteer Counseling and Testing Centers(VCTCs); (b) Drop in Centers (DICs); and (c) Outreach Teams (ORTs). A log-linear model was applied for the analysis of three-sample capture-recapture results. Two information criteria were used for model selection including Akaike’s Information Criterion and the Bayesian Information Criterion. RESULTS: Out of 1,478 IDUs registered by three centers, 48% were identified by VCTCs, 32% by DICs, and 20% by ORTs. After exclusion of duplicates, 1,369 IDUs remained. According to our findings, there were 9,964 (95% CI, 6,088 to 17,636) IDUs not identified by any of the centers. Hence, the real number of IDUs is expected to be 11,333. Based on these findings, the overall completeness of the three data sources was around 12% (95% CI, 7% to 18%). CONCLUSION: There was a considerable number of IDUs not identified by any of the centers. Although the capture-recapture method is a useful and practical approach for estimating unknown populations, due to the assumptions and limitations of the method, the results must be interpreted with caution.

Factors associated with in-hospital death in patients with nosocomial infections: a registry-based study using community data in western Iran

Salman Khazaei,Erfan Ayubi,Ensiyeh Jenabi,Saeid Bashirian,Masud Shojaeian,Leili Tapak 한국역학회 2020 Epidemiology and Health Vol.42 No.-

OBJECTIVES: Determining the predictors of in-hospital death related to nosocomial infections is an essential part of efforts made in the overall health system to improve the delivery of health care to patients. Therefore, this study investigated the predictors of in-hospital death related to nosocomial infections. METHODS: This registry-based, longitudinal study analyzed data on 8,895 hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Hamadan Province, Iran from March 2017 to December 2019. The medical records of all patients who had been admitted to the hospitals were extracted from the Iranian Nosocomial Infections Surveillance Software. The effects of the type and site of infection, as well as age group, on in-hospital death were estimated using univariate and multivariable Cox regression models. RESULTS: In total, 4,232 (47.8%) patients with HAIs were males, and their mean age was 48.25±26.22 years. In both sexes, most nosocomial infections involved Gram-negative bacteria and the most common site of infection was the urinary tract. Older patients had a higher risk of in-hospital death (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38 to 3.69 for males; aHR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.29 to 4.62 for females). In both sexes, compared with urinary tract infections, an increased risk of in-hospital death was found for ventilator-associated events (VAEs) (by 95% for males and 93% for females) and bloodstream infections (BSIs) (by 67% for males and 82% for females). CONCLUSIONS: We found that VAEs, BSIs, and fungal infections were independently and strongly associated with increased mortality.

Global Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates According to the Human Development Index

Khazaei, Salman,Rezaeian, Shahab,Ayubi, Erfan,Gholamaliee, Behzad,Pishkuhi, Mahin Ahmadi,Khazaei, Somayeh,Mansori, Kamyar,Nematollahi, Shahrzad,Sani, Mohadeseh,Hanis, Shiva Mansouri Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.8

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of death, especially in developed countries. The human development index (HDI) and its dimensions seem correlated with incidence and mortality rates of PC. This study aimed to assess the association of the specific components of HDI (life expectancy at birth, education, gross national income per 1000 capita, health, and living standards) with burden indicators of PC worldwide. Materials and Methods: Information of the incidence and mortality rates of PC was obtained from the GLOBOCAN cancer project in year 2012 and data about the HDI 2013 were obtained from the World Bank database. The correlation between incidence, mortality rates, and the HDI parameters were assessed using STATA software. Results: A significant inequality of PC incidence rates was observed according to concentration indexes=0.25 with 95% CI (0.22, 0.34) and a negative mortality concentration index of -0.04 with 95% CI (-0.09, 0.01) was observed. Conclusions: A positive significant correlation was detected between the incidence rates of PC and the HDI and its dimensions including life expectancy at birth, education, income, urbanization level and obesity. However, there was a negative significant correlation between the standardized mortality rates and the life expectancy, income and HDI.

Global Incidence and Mortality Rates of Stomach Cancer and the Human Development Index: an Ecological Study

Khazaei, Salman,Rezaeian, Shahab,Soheylizad, Mokhtar,Khazaei, Somayeh,Biderafsh, Azam Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.4

Background: Stomach cancer (SC) is the second leading cause of cancer death with the rate of 10.4% in the world. The correlation between the incidence and mortality rates of SC and human development index (HDI) has not been globally determined. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between the incidence and mortality rates of SC and HDI in various regions. Materials and Methods: In this global ecological study, we used the data about the incidence and mortality rate of SC and HDI from the global cancer project and the United Nations Development Programme database, respectively. Results: In 2012, SCs were estimated to have affected a total of 951,594 individuals (crude rate: 13.5 per 100,000 individuals) with a male/female ratio of 1.97, and caused 723,073 deaths worldwide (crude rate: 10.2 per 100,000 individuals). There was a positive correlation between the HDI and both incidence (r=0.28, P<0.05) and mortality rates of SC (r=0.13, P = 0.1) in the world in 2012. Conclusions: The high incidence and mortality rates of SC in countries with high and very high HDI is remarkable which should be the top priority of interventions for global health policymakers. In addition, health programs should be provided to reduce the burden of this disease in the regions with high incidence and mortality rates of SC.

Effects of Human Development Index and Its Components on Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality: a Global Ecological Study

Khazaei, Salman,Rezaeian, Shahab,Khazaei, Somayeh,Mansori, Kamyar,Moghaddam, Ali Sanjari,Ayubi, Erfan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.no.sup3

Geographic disparity for colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality according to the human development index (HDI) might be expected. This study aimed at quantifying the effect measure of association HDI and its components on the CRC incidence and mortality. In this ecological study, CRC incidence and mortality was obtained from GLOBOCAN, the global cancer project for 172 countries. Data were extracted about HDI 2013 for 169 countries from the World Bank report. Linear regression was constructed to measure effects of HDI and its components on CRC incidence and mortality. A positive trend between increasing HDI of countries and age-standardized rates per 100,000 of CRC incidence and mortality was observed. Among HDI components education was the strongest effect measure of association on CRC incidence and mortality, regression coefficients (95% confidence intervals) being 2.8 (2.4, 3.2) and 0.9 (0.8, 1), respectively. HDI and its components were positively related with CRC incidence and mortality and can be considered as targets for prevention and treatment intervention or tracking geographic disparities.

Effect of Fennel-Valerian Extract on Hot Flashes and Sleep Disorders in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Trial

Ensiyeh Jenabi,Salman Khazaei,Soodabeh Aghababaei,Shirin Moradkhani 대한폐경학회 2023 대한폐경학회지 Vol.29 No.1

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effect of a mixture of fennel and valerian extracts on hot flashes and sleep disorders of postmenopausal women in Iran. A randomized trial was conducted.Methods: A total of 76 postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either of the two groups: fennel-valerian extract or control. One 500 mg fennel-valerian extract capsule was given twice, daily for 8 weeks. The 500 mg oral placebo capsule (starch) was given the same way. Results: The mean duration of hot flashes increased in both the groups over time (P < 0.001). The mean frequency and severity of hot flashes in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group, in the first and second months after intervention (P < 0.050). Women in the fennel-valerian extract group had a significantly lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score than the control group 2 months after intervention (P = 0.030). Conclusions: This study found that fennel-valerian extract was effective for relieving sleep disorders as well as the severity and frequency of hot flashes compared with a placebo.

Human Development Inequality Index and Cancer Pattern: a Global Distributive Study

Rezaeian, Shahab,Khazaei, Salman,Khazaei, Somayeh,Mansori, Kamyar,Moghaddam, Ali Sanjari,Ayubi, Erfan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.no.sup3

This study aimed to quantify associations of the human development inequality (HDI) index with incidence, mortality, and mortality to incidence ratios for eight common cancers among different countries. In this ecological study, data about incidence and mortality rates of cancers was obtained from the Global Cancer Project for 169 countries. HDI indices for the same countries was obtained from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) database. The concentration index was defined as the covariance between cumulative percentage of cancer indicators (incidence, mortality and mortality to incidence ratio) and the cumulative percentage of economic indicators (country economic rank). Results indicated that incidences of cancers of liver, cervix and esophagus were mainly concentrated in countries with a low HDI index while cancers of lung, breast, colorectum, prostate and stomach were concentrated mainly in countries with a high HDI index. The same pattern was observed for mortality from cancer except for prostate cancer that was more concentrated in countries with a low HDI index. Higher MIRs for all cancers were more concentrated in countries with a low HDI index. It was concluded that patterns of cancer occurrence correlate with care disparities at the country level.

The association between preeclampsia and autism spectrum disorders among children: a meta-analysis

Ensiyeh Jenabi,Manoochehr Karami,Salman Khazaei,Saeid Bashirian 대한소아청소년과학회 2019 Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics (CEP) Vol.62 No.4

Purpose: In this meta-analysis, relevant case-control and cohort studies were pooled to evaluate the association between preeclampsia and the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children. Methods: A search for relevant studies in major databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, was performed up to May 2018. The odds ratios (ORs) or rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from eligible studies to determine the association among studies. Results: The pooled estimates of ORs and RRs indicated a significant association between preeclampsia and ASD [(OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.12–1.60) and (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.20–1.41)]. Conclusions: Despite existing controversy, our findings indicated that preeclampsia was associated with an increased risk of ASD among children.

Correlation between Health Literacy and Quality of Life in Iranian Menopausal Women

Ensiyeh Jenabi,Behzad Gholamaliee,Salman Khazaei 대한폐경학회 2020 대한폐경학회지 Vol.26 No.1

Objectives: Understanding the factors that promote quality of life (QOL) in menopausal women is essential for establishing educational strategies and health policies. Studies on the relationship between health literacy and QOL in menopausal women in Iran are rare. Therefore, we aimed to determine health literacy in menopausal women and its relationship with QOL. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was performed on 177 menopausal women referred to comprehensive health services in Hamadan City, Iran. Health Literacy for Iranian Adults and Menopause-Specific QOL questionnaires were used to collect information. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between health literacy and QOL. Results: The majority of menopausal women included in this study were married housewives, and 44.6% of them were 50–55 years old; furthermore, only 6.2% had adequate or good health literacy. Health literacy was significantly correlated with total QOL score and vasomotor, psychology, and physical domains (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Health literacy was associated with various domains of QOL. Therefore, health providers should pay more attention on improving health literacy by holding educational promotional programs for menopausal women to enhance their QOL.

Is meconium exposure associated with autism spectrum disorders in children?

Jenabi, Ensiyeh,Ayubi, Erfan,Khazaei, Salman,Bashirian, Saeid,Khazaei, Mojtaba The Korean Pediatric Society 2021 Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics (CEP) Vol.64 No.7

Background: The results differ among published studies regarding exposure to meconium and the risk of developing autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Purpose: The present study pooled all of the epidemiologic studies retrieved from broader databases on the association between meconium exposure and risk of developing ASD in children. Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched without language restrictions for articles published between their inception to February 20, 2020, using relevant keywords. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as random-effect estimates of the associations among studies. A subgroup analysis was conducted to explore any potential sources of heterogeneity among studies. Results: The pooled estimate of OR reported a weakly significant association between meconium exposure and ASD development in children (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.24). There was low heterogeneity among the articles reporting risk for ASD among children (I²=19.3%; P=0.259). The results of subgroup analysis based on meconium exposure showed a significant association between a meconium-stained neonate and ASD development (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11-1.24). Couclusion: Meconium exposure was weakly associated with an increased risk of ASD. However, more evidence based on large prospective cohort studies is required to provide conclusive evidence about whether meconium exposure is associated with an increased risk of ASD development.