Insights into determinants of health-seeking behavior: a cross-sectional investigation in the Iraqi context.

Background: Health-seeking behavior (HSB) is a choice taken by an individual to maintain, achieve, or restore good health and prevent diseases. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of HSB among the Iraqi population.

Methods: This cross-sectional study in the Rusafa and Karkh districts of Baghdad investigated determinants of HSB from 2022 to 2023.

Socioeconomic inequality in unmet outpatient healthcare needs among people living in urban informal settlements in Sanandaj city, Iran.

Background: The growing trend of informal settlements is a serious humanitarian crisis. Unmet need for health care services is an indicator to measure the state of equality and access to healthcare services. This study, for the first time in Iran, examined the prevalence of unmet needs for outpatient healthcare services and related socioeconomic inequalities among residents of informal settlements in Sanandaj city.

Barriers to implementing health programs based on community participation: the Q method derived perspectives of healthcare professional.

Background: Community participation in implementing health programs leads to positive organizational, social and individual consequences. This study aimed to investigate the prospects of a sample of Iranian healthcare professionals about their perceived barriers to implementing health programs based on community participation.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that employed a Q-methodology approach.

The effect of COVID-19 on utilization of chronic diseases services.

Objectives: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on utilization of chronic diseases services.

Methods: Interrupted time-series design was used to examine the utilization of chronic diseases services before and during the Covid-19 pandemic among hospitals in Iran. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chemotherapy were selected as a proxy to indicate the impact of Covid-19 on utilization of chronic diseases services.

Has Iran achieved the goal of reducing the prevalence of households faced with catastrophic health expenditure to 1%?: A national survey.

Background And Aims: One of the goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to reduce the prevalence of catastrophic health expenditures among Iranian households to 1% by the end of the sixth 5-year development plan (2016-2021). This study was conducted to evaluate the level of access to this goal in the final year of this program.

Methods: A national cross-sectional study was conducted on 2000 Iranian households in five provinces of Iran in 2021.

Unmet health care needs among pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic and its determinants in Kurdistan province, Iran: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: The aim of this study was to assess unmet needs for health care and its determinants during COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women in Iran.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed among pregnant women in Kurdistan province in 2020 with a sample size of 800 people who were selected by multistage sampling method. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that was completed through interviews.

Influenza incidence overlapped with COVID-19 or under COVID-19 control measures.

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic caused infection when influenza was still prevalent. This study was conducted to examine influenza incidence overlapped with COVID-19 and the effect of the COVID-19 measures on influenza incidence as a proxy.

Methods: The routine sentinel surveillance data on COVID-19 and influenza was obtained from the national integrated care electronic health record system.

The relationship between health literacy and empowerment in pregnant women: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Maternal health literacy is defined as the acquisition of required cognitive and social skills to enable women to access, understand, appraise, and use the information needed to maintain and enhance their health conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) proposes health literacy and women empowerment as two pivotal components of maternal health improvement programs. In this regard, providing women with education and training in various fields is a key factor for their empowerment, prosperity, and well-being.

The Dehgolan Prospective Cohort Study (DehPCS) on non-communicable diseases in a Kurdish community in the west of Iran.

The Dehgolan Prospective Cohort Study (DehPCS) was conducted to examine and identify risk factors for the most prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In addition, in order to examine participants' health status, socioeconomic status, behavioral factors, nutritional status, and environmental exposures, the DehPCS collected, analyzed, and stored blood, urine, nail, and hair samples to conduct genetic studies and identify biomarkers and other biological determinants of NCDs. In total, 3,996 adults aged 35 to 70 from the general population participated in the study from February 2018 to March 2019.

Catastrophic health expenditures for children with disabilities in Iran: A national survey.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the percentage of households with disabled children aged 0-8 years who had faced catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) due to the health costs of these children in Iran.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 2000 households with disabled children aged 0-8 years in five provinces of Iran in 2020. Data were collected using the World Health Survey questionnaire and face-to-face interview.

Persistence assessment of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibody in recovered COVID-19 individuals and its association with clinical symptoms and disease severity: A prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Antibodies play an important role in neutralizing invading pathogens and protecting the host against re-infection. Thus, the accurate assessment of antibodies during a pandemic can provide important evidence for monitoring pathogen exposure, understanding the role of antibodies in protective immunity, and helping vaccine development.

Methods: In this study, 96 west Iranian recovered COVID-19 subjects were recruited and, based on clinical symptoms and disease severity, categorized into three different groups: mild, moderate, and severe.

Comparing the properties of the EQ-5D-5L and EQ-5D-3L in general population in Iran.

Background: Little information exists on properties of EQ-5D-5L (the 5L hereafter) compared to the EQ-5D-3L (the 3L hereafter) measures in the context of Iran. This study aims to compare the measurement properties of the two versions of the EQ-5D (the 3L vs. the 5L) using data obtained from general population in Iran.

Evaluating the quality of care for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus based on the HbA1c: A national survey in Iran.

Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the quality of care for type2 diabetic patients based on the HbA1c in Iran.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 among patients with type 2 diabetes in Iran. The data were collected through a three-part questionnaire including demographic information, disease-related records, and HbA1C status of patients.

Exploring socioeconomic inequalities in the use of medicinal herbs among Iranian households: evidence from a national cross-sectional survey.

Background: Association between socioeconomic status and medicinal herbs (MH) are rarely documented in Iran. Our goal was to measure and decompose socioeconomic inequalities in MH use among Iranian households.

Methods: The data used in this cross-sectional study were extracted from the 2018 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) (N = 38,859).

Incidence and Intensity of Catastrophic Health-care Expenditure for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Care in Iran: Determinants and Inequality.

Background: The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and intensity of catastrophic health-care expenditures (CHE) relating to type 2 diabetes mellitus care and inequality in facing such expenditures in Iran.

Methods: A total of 1065 type 2 diabetes patients were included in this cross-sectional study. A multistage sampling method was used to select the samples.

The burden of preventable hospitalizations before and after implementation of the health transformation plan in a hospital in west of Iran.

Background: Increased number of preventable hospitalizations (PHs) for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) represents less efficiency and low access to outpatient and primary health care, leading to waste of health system resources.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of outpatient and primary health care using the rate of PHs for ACSCs and to estimate the economic burden of ASCS before and after the implementation of the health transformation plan (HTP) in Iran.

Methods: This research was a before-after quasi-experimental study.

Global prevalence of HCV and/or HBV coinfections among people who inject drugs and female sex workers who live with HIV/AIDS: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Coinfections of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and/or hepatitis B virus (HBV) with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are associated with high morbidity and mortality and poor prognosis. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HCV and/or HBV coinfections among people who inject drugs (PWID) and female sex workers (FSWs) who live with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Data sources were searched from January 2008 to October 2018 in different databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Ovid.

Can judgments according to case fatality rate be correct all the time during epidemics? Estimated cases based on CFR in different scenarios and some lessons from early case fatality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 in Iran.

The new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first identified in China in 2019. Case fatality rate (CFR) indicator of the disease is one of the most important indices noticed by experts, policymakers, and managers, based on which daily evaluations and many judgments are made. CFR can change during epidemics.

Estimating utility value for female genital mutilation.

Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a clear violation of women's rights and can have adverse and irreversible health effects as well. Worldwide, more than 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM/C. Utility value of FGM/C has not been estimated yet, so we designed this study to extract the health utility value of FGM/C for the first time in the world.