Publications by authors named "Nazila Shahbal"

Background: Chronic diseases, such as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), remain significant factors in the healthcare burden in Iran. Healthcare systems must have comprehensive data on the current usage, costs, and quality of care to tackle these challenges and formulate strategic plans effectively.

Methods: The study included 209 patients with a mean age of 58 years (SD = 16.

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Background: Assessment of quality and cost of medical care has become a core health policy concern. We conducted a nationwide survey to assess these measures in Iran as a developing country. To present the protocol for the Iran Quality of Care in Medicine Program (IQCAMP) study, which estimates the quality, cost, and utilization of health services for seven diseases in Iran.

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Introduction: Due to insufficient data on patient experience with healthcare system among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly in developing countries, this study attempted to investigate the journey of patients with COPD in the healthcare system using nationally representative data in Iran.

Methods: This nationally representative demonstration study was conducted from 2016 to 2018 using a novel machine-learning based sampling method based on different districts' healthcare structures and outcome data. Pulmonologists confirmed eligible participants and nurses recruited and followed them up for 3  months/in 4 visits.

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Aims: To investigate the journey of patients with diabetes in the healthcare system using nationally-representative patient-reported data.

Methods: Participants were recruited using a machine-learning-based sampling method based on healthcare structures and medical outcome data and were followed up for three months. We assessed the resource utilization, direct/indirect costs, and quality of healthcare services.

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Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are one of the greatest threats to public health, and have been related to poor quality dietary patterns. This study was conducted to determine the distribution of dietary risk factors in Iran.

Methods: Cross-sectional data was gathered between April and November 2016 from 30,541 eligible adults (out of 31 050 individuals who were selected through systematic proportional to size cluster random sampling) living in urban and rural areas, using the WHO-based STEPs risk factor questionnaire.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates under-five mortality rates due to nutritional deficiencies in Iran between 1995 and 2015, using death registration data to assess trends and specific rates by age and sex.
  • - Findings reveal a significant decline in mortality rates, with national figures dropping from 8.53 per 100,000 in 1995 to 0.37 in 2015, and the highest provincial rate decreasing from 17.7 to 1.1 in the same period.
  • - The primary cause of these deaths was found to be protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), highlighting ongoing public health challenges despite overall improvements in mortality rates for this age group.
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Obesity, particularly in the upper part of the body, is a major health problem. Measuring the neck circumference (NC) and wrist circumference (WrC) is a relatively new method of differentiating between normal and abnormal fat distributions. This study aimed to evaluate the association of NC, hip circumference (HC), and WrC with different phenotypes of obesity and their metabolic status.

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Obesity is a medical situation in which excess body fat has gathered because of imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. In spite of the fact that the variety of studies are available for obesity treatment and management, its "globesity" still remains a big challenge all over the world. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of effective herbal medicines in the management and treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome in human.

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Background: Insufficient physical activity (IPA) is one of the leading causes of premature mortality through the increased burden of non-communicable diseases. From 1990 to 2017, the percentage of low physical activity attributable disability-adjusted life years (DALY) increased globally by 1.5 times and 2-fold in Iran, causing more than 1.

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