Is the surge in cesarean section rates during the COVID-19 pandemic truly substantiated?

Background: Cesarean section (C-section) rates, deemed a critical health indicator, have experienced a historical increase. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare patterns including delays or lack of follow-up in treatment and an increased number of patients with acute problems in hospitals. This study aimed to explore whether the observed surge is a genuine consequence of pandemic-related factors.

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.

Socioeconomic Inequality in Screen Time, Phone, and Tablet Use among Iranian Adolescents: Results of A National Study.

Background: Excessive screen time has been associated with a variety of negative health outcomes. We aimed to evaluate screen time and phone and tablet use in Iranian adolescents and their relation to the socioeconomic status of adolescents' families in 2018.

Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 10-12-year-old adolescents from Kurdistan, Fars, and Markazi provinces.

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.

An assessment of the relationship between national rates of Covid-19 incidence and mortality as reported to an international comparison database: An ecological study.

Background And Aims: Making a judgment only based on formal national reports can be misleading. We aimed to assess the relationship between countries' development indicators and reported coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)-related incidences and death.

Methods: Covid-19 related incidence and death cases were extracted from the updated Humanitarian Data Exchange Website on October 8, 2021.

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.

Burden of COVID-19 disease in Kurdistan province in west of Iran using disability-adjusted life years.

Background And Aims: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, about seven million people were infected with the disease, of which more than 133,000 died. Health policymakers need to know the extent and magnitude of the disease burden to decide on how much to allocate resources for disease control. The results of this investigation could be helpful in this field.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions for nine diseases in Iran: insight from an interrupted time series analysis.

Background: Associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and hospitalizations have not been studied Iran. This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions for nine categories of disease in seven public hospitals in Kermsnahah city, the capital of Kermsnahah province, in the west of Iran.

Methods: Data on monthly hospitalization rates (number of hospitalizations per 100,000 population) were collected for nine categories of disease for a period of 40 months (23 months before and 17 months after the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran) from the health information systems of all seven public hospitals in Kermanshah city.

Prevalence of prediabetes, diabetes, diabetes awareness, treatment, and its socioeconomic inequality in west of Iran.

We aim to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes, and diabetes mellitus (DM). We estimated awareness, treatment, plasma glucose control, and associated factors in diabetes, as well as, socioeconomic-related inequality in the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes. Data for adults aged 35-70 years were obtained from the baseline phase of the Dehgolan prospective cohort study (DehPCS).

Prevalence of elective cosmetic surgery and its relationship with socioeconomic and mental health: A cross-sectional study in west of Iran.

Background And Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and desire towards performing elective cosmetic surgery and its relationship with socioeconomic, mental, and spiritual health in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province in the west of Iran.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was performed on 492 subjects in Sanandaj using multistage sampling method. Data collection tools included two checklists and two questionnaires.

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.

The Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Kurdistan Province, Iran, from 2011 through 2017.

Calculating the burden of diseases is essential for their monitoring. The burden of cardiovascular diseases in Kurdistan Province has not been reported. This study aimed at calculating the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the Kurdistan Province from 2011 through 2017.

The Burden of Cancer in a Sample of Iranian Population.

Background: We aimed at estimating the burden of cancer in Kurdistan Province, western Iran during 2011-2017.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, incidence data extracted from the cancer registry system and death data were extracted from the system of registration and classification of causes of death of Kurdistan Province. We applied the WHO' methods to calculate the disability-adjusted life year (DALYs).

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.

Physician induced demand for knee replacement surgery in Iran.

Background: The structure of the Iranian health system has raised this hypothesis that a part of the Knee Replacement Surgery (KRS) services are provided due to Physician-Induced Demand (PID).

Methods: This paper used an unbalanced individual panel data covering the steady-state 15,729 KRSs performed by 995 surgeons provided by the Armed Forces Insurance Organization at the provincial level over the 60 months (2014-2018). We use a generalized method of moment's system (GMM-SYS) to obtain consistent and asymptotically efficient estimates, which provide a vital instrument for our dynamic panel data.

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.

The health-related quality of life in Iranian patients with COVID-19.

Background: COVID-19 is a public health emergency with a high mortality rate and it reduces the patient's Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) significantly. This effect is measured in the current study.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study in Iran, 320 randomly selected treated patients from COVID-19 were studied.

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.

The Burden of Stroke in Kurdistan Province, Iran From 2011 to 2017.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to calculate the burden of stroke in Kurdistan Province, Iran between 2011 and 2017.

Methods: Incidence data extracted from the hospital information system of Kurdistan Province and death data extracted from the system of registration and classification of causes of death were used in a cross-sectional study. The World Health Organization method was used to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

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.

The prevalence of physical inactivity in Iranian adolescents and the impact of economic and social inequalities on it: results of a National Study in 2018.

Background: This study aims to determine the prevalence of physical inactivity in Iranian adolescents aged 10-12 years and the impact of socioeconomic inequality on it.

Methods: In this descriptive study, the study population consisted of 10-12 years old adolescents from an Iranian population from Kurdistan, Fars and Markazi provinces in 2018. The sample size was 1590 individuals.