Background: Infant mortality rate (per 1000 live births) is a vital index to monitor the standard of health and social inequality which is related to human development dimensions worldwide. Human development index (HDI) includes basic social indicators such as life expectancy, education and income. Objectives: The current study aimed to find the correlation between human development index and infant mortality rate. Patients and Methods: This descriptive study that represents the relationship of infant mortality rate with human development index and human development index dimensions was performed on the profiles of 135 countries worldwide [Africa (35 countries), America (26 countries), Asia (30 countries), the Pacific (2 countries) and Europe (42 countries)]. Two databases were used in the study: the world health organization (WHO) database (2010) and human development database (2010). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation test by SPSS software. Results: The study found that socio-economic factors or human development dimensions are significantly correlated with risk of chance mortality in the world. The per capita income (r = -0.625), life expectancy (r = -0.925) and education (r = -0.843) were negatively correlated with the infant mortality rate; human development index (r = -0.844) was also negatively correlated with the infant mortality rate (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Human development index is one of the best indicators and predictors to perceive healthcare inequities. Worldwide improvement of these indicators, especially the education level, might promote infant life expectancy and decrease infant mortality. Keywords: Infant Mortality Rate; Education; Income; Life Expectancy; Human Development Index

Health literacy is important for health behavior engagement. Therefore, it is important to have a good instrument assessing health literacy with a theoretical framework. The present study aimed to examine the measurement invariance and differential item functioning (DIF) of a newly developed health literacy instrument; that is, the Health Literacy Instrument for Adults (HELIA). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch models were used to examine the data collected from a large Iranian sample (N = 9775; 67.3% females; mean age = 36.44 years). All the participants completed the HELIA. CFA was used to examine if the HELIA had a five-factor structure (including reading, access to information, understanding, appraisal, and decision making/behavioral intention factors) and multigroup CFA to examine if the five-factor structure of HELIA was invariant across gender, educational level, accommodation, and age subgroups. Rasch models were used to examine whether each factor of HELIA was unidimensional and DIF contrast in Rasch to examine if the HELIA items were interpreted similarly across the aforementioned subgroups. The CFA results supported the five-factor structure of HELIA, and the Rasch models verified that each HELIA factor is unidimensional. Additionally, multigroup CFA supported the measurement invariance of HELIA across the following subgroups: male vs. female; highly educated vs. poorly educated; city residents vs. suburban residents; and younger age vs. older age. The DIF contrasts in the Rasch models additionally showed that there are no substantial DIF items in the HELIA across aforementioned subgroups. Therefore, the HELIA is a feasible and comprehensive instrument assessing health literacy across different populations in Iran.

Evaluation of the Quality of Health Service Providers: The Iranian People Perspective 2014

Social and economic indicators of countries at the global level can reveal both weak and strong achievements concerning specific countries on a wide range

There were some errors in the original publication in the Abstract and Results sections

Background and aim Numerous self-report measures have been developed to assess gaming disorder (GD) among children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 years old, but not for children below the age of 8 years. Because young children aged 5–7 years cannot reliably complete self-report surveys, assessment should be based on parent/guardian reports. Therefore, the present study developed and psychometrically evaluated a new instrument, the Parent Proxy Measure for Gaming Disorder Among Young Children (PPM-GD-YC). Methods The study was conducted from June to November 2023 in Qazvin province, Iran using two-stage quota random sampling. A preliminary version of the scale was developed based on the components model of addiction comprising items assessing salience, conflict, tolerance, relapse, withdrawal, and mood modification. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Rasch analysis. Results A total of 5630 parents (mean age: fathers 39.0 years, mothers 34.2 years) participated. Parents reported that their children spent an average of 1.5 h daily on gaming. Six of 11 initial items were retained. The final six-item version demonstrated a unidimensional factor structure supported by EFA, CFA, and Rasch analysis. CFA fit indices were satisfactory (CFI = 0.976, TLI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.048). Rasch analysis showed acceptable item fit (infit MNSQ = 0.91–1.16; outfit MNSQ = 0.90–1.12). Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s α = 0.759). However, person separation reliability was modest (0.57), indicating the scale is suitable for group-level screening rather than individual clinical diagnosis. Importantly, the construct validity evidence presented is preliminary, as discriminant validity, known-groups validity, and criterion validity have not yet been established. Conclusion The PPM-GD-YC is a promising screening tool for epidemiological research and large-scale screening studies, but it should be used exclusively for group-level comparisons. It should not be used for individual clinical diagnosis without further validation against clinical interviews and establishment of cut-off scores, as the low person separation reliability (0.57) limits its capacity to differentiate individuals reliably. Individual scores should be interpreted with extreme caution, and future research should prioritize establishing discriminant, known-groups, and criterion validity, as well as developing a longer version to improve person separation reliability.