OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating pattern on cardiometabolic risks in type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A randomized crossover clinical trial was undertaken in 31 type 2 diabetic patients. For 8 weeks, participants were randomly assigned to a control diet or the DASH eating pattern. RESULTS: After following the DASH eating pattern, body weight (P = 0.007) and waist circumference (P = 0.002) reduced significantly. Fasting blood glucose levels and A1C decreased after adoption of the DASH diet (−29.4 ± 6.3 mg/dl; P = 0.04 and −1.7 ± 0.1%; P = 0.04, respectively). After the DASH diet, the mean change for HDL cholesterol levels was higher (4.3 ± 0.9 mg/dl; P = 0.001) and LDL cholesterol was reduced (−17.2 ± 3.5 mg/dl; P = 0.02). Additionally, DASH had beneficial effects on systolic (−13.6 ± 3.5 vs. −3.1 ± 2.7 mmHg; P = 0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (−9.5 ± 2.6 vs. −0.7 ± 3.3 mmHg; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Among diabetic patients, the DASH diet had beneficial effects on cardiometabolic risks.

Background: The increasing prevalence of COVID-19 affected all aspects of life, including education. Communication and interaction are vital in any form of education. This study explained health profession educators’ and students’ experiences regarding the challenges of communication and cooperation in exclusively online classrooms during the COVID-19 era.Methods: The present descriptive explanatory qualitative study examined health profession educators’ and students’ experiences with exclusively online classrooms during the COVID-19 era. They were included in the study by purposive sampling. In-depth and semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted to collect data. The content analysis presented by Graneheim and Lundman was used to analyze the data. The present study employed four strength criteria: credibility, confirmability, transferability, and dependability.Results: The results of the present study included communication and cooperation challenges in exclusively online classrooms related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two themes emerged from 400 open codes: lack of students’ socialization and communication-related concerns, which each had subcategories.Conclusions: Lack of students’ socialization and communication problems were identified as the participants’ main experiences. Defects in teacher training due to the sudden transition to virtual education, acquiring a professional identity that is possible in in-person education was also flawed. The participants experienced challenges in their class activities, leading to a decrease in trust, a lack of motivation to learn from students, and teachers’ teaching. Policymakers and authorities should adopt new tools and techniques to improve exclusively virtual education outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy is an important variable in the promotion and improvement of the health of all social groups, especially the elderly people. It indicates cognitive and social skills that specify the individuals’ motivation and ability to access and perceive information using methods for health retention and improvement. The present research aimed to study health literacy and its relevant dimensions in a population over 60 years of age in Farsan city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study on 384 older people in Farsan city was conducted, using a standard health literacy questionnaire including 33 items and 5 dimensions on a 5-point Likert scale for collecting data. Data analysis was done using descriptive and analytical statistics, using the multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the dimensions, the highest and lowest scores belonged to decision-making and reading skill dimensions, respectively. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that among the demographical variables, education level, age, sex, and job were the best predictors of total scores of health literacy (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The health-related institutions should make effort to improve the elderly people's health literacy based on general literacy, using suitable methods with less need to read and paying attention to personal characteristics.

Background: The use of long-term care services has risen and this trend is expected to continue as the population reaches old age. Objectives: This study was performed to assess the caring conditions in nursing homes. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted with a qualitative approach using conventional qualitative content analysis. The study was conducted on 23 Iranian participants including 14 elders and 9 caregivers. Data was collected with unstructured interviews and continued to the point of data saturation. Analysis of data was performed continually and concurrently with data collection through a comparative method. Results: Three themes emerged from 595 open codes including care as unpleasant task, sustained care and insufficient resources. Ten subthemes indicated participants’ experiences and understanding of caring conditions in a nursing home. Conclusions: The prevailing given care was the routine one with a focus on physical aspects, although there was some psychological care given to the older people. The findings of this research are guidelines for managers and care planners in nursing homes who should pay attention to physical and psychological care needs of older people. In addition, it is important to pay close attention to the needs of caregivers and provision of instructions for treatment, supervision and education of caregivers and medical students to provide a better care. Keywords: Aging; Nursing Home; Qualitative Research

Multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults are prevalent and affect their quality of life. This study investigates the interrelationship between potentially inappropriate medication use, comorbidity, and quality of life among older adults in Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 older adults in Isfahan City, Iran. The Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults, a health-related quality-of-life questionnaire for older adults, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index were used to gather data. Our findings related to older adults living in the Isfahan community showed that the prevalence of PIM was 61.6%, and the most common drug category was painkillers. The average quality of life score was (0.86 ± 0.08), and the worst category was related to sleep status. The average score of the CCI was 3.63 ± 1.40, with the most frequent diseases being hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. After adjusting for confounding variables, a negative relationship between CCI (B = -0.009 [SE = 0.0027], P < 0.001) and PIM (B = -0.03 [SE = 0.007], P < 0.001) with quality of life was observed. Potentially inappropriate medication uses and comorbidities are high in our older population, and these variables are negatively associated with quality of life in this population. There are few family physicians trained in geriatrics in Iran. Policymakers should pay attention to these issues.

Background and Aim: A comprehensive understanding of the current state of geriatric care in Iran is necessary in order to strengthen and align it for responding to the current and future needs of the elderly in the country. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and barriers in ...