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Background and Aim Anxiety, stress, and depressive disorders as common mental health problems have adverse effects in different populations. Holy Quran recitation and listening can help reduce these disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the Holy Quran on anxiety, stress, and depression. Materials and Methods To retrieve eligible studies, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The articles were screened and chosen by three researchers. The selection of studies and the data extraction from the studies were done by three researchers using the data collection form based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Disagreements were resolved by consulting the third and fourth researchers. To report scoping review, we used the PRISMA cheklist. Results A total of 174 articles were retrieved from three databases and after removing irrelevant and repetitive articles, 15 articles were included in the current review. All studies were performed in Asia countries. Most studies have examined the effect of Holy Quran recitation and listening on anxiety (45%), stress (30%), and then depression (25%), respectively. The Beck Depression Inventory was the most widely used tool to evaluate the effect of Holy Quran recitation and listening on reducing anxiety, depression and stress. “Reducing the level of anxiety, stress, and depression” and “Simple, affordable, practical and cost‐effective treatment to reduce depression and anxiety” were the most important outcomes of holy Quran recitation. Conclusions Based on the results of this study, Quran recitation and listening can be applied as a useful nonpharmacological treatment to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.

Childhood obesity is an important predisposing factor for most non-communicable diseases. The aim of this review was to provide evidence on the prevalence and trends of childhood obesity and overweight in Iran. Multiple international and Iranian scientific databases were searched for relevant literatures. Two independent reviewers identified relevant papers in several steps. Separate meta-analyses (using fixed- or random-effect models) were performed to estimate the overall, age, sex, and age–sex specific prevalence of obesity and overweight. Stratified analysis based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, International Obesity Task Force, and World Health Organization definition criteria and study year also were performed. We included 107 studies in the meta-analysis (49 English and 58 Persian). Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition criteria, the overall prevalence of obesity and overweight remained relatively constant in the 2000s and are estimated to be about 5.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.4–5.8) and 10.8% (95% CI, 10.2–11.4), respectively. The meta-regression analysis showed that the prevalence of obesity and overweight did not vary significantly with respect to sex and age of study participants. Girls had a lower prevalence of obesity and higher prevalence of overweight than boys. This review, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, suggests that although the trend in the prevalence of childhood obesity in Iranian children is not considerably high, but the escalating trend of excess weight among young children is alarming and should be considered by providers of interventional preventive programs at national and regional levels.

Background Updated knowledge on the prevalence of infertility is essential for designing effective preventive measures. This study aims to estimate the period prevalence of 12 and 24-month primary and secondary infertility and explore their geographic distribution in Iran. Methods This is a nationwide cross-sectional population-based survey conducted in Iran. The study included more than 30,000 married women aged between 15 and 49, recruited using a multi-stage sampling method. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted in 2019, from November to December. Self-reported information on socio-demographic data, pregnancy history, and time to pregnancy was collected. The retrospective time-to-pregnancy approach was employed to estimate the period prevalence of 12 months, following the clinical definition (6 months for women aged 35 and older), and 24 months, according to the epidemiologic definition of primary and secondary infertility. Multiple logistic regression applied to identify the predictors of the infertility. Results The prevalence of 12-month primary infertility was 11.8 (95% CI: 10.9, 12.8), and for 24-month primary infertility, it was 6.9 (95% CI: 6.4, 7.3). Additionally, the prevalence of 12-month secondary infertility was 15.7 (95% CI: 13.6, 18.0), and for 24-month secondary infertility, it was 9.0 (95% CI: 7.5, 10.8). Conclusions In this study, the 12 and 24-month prevalence of primary infertility and secondary infertility has been estimated for Iran, and the provinces have been categorized as low, middle, middle-up, and high according to the estimated prevalence. These measures are crucial for health managers to tailor interventions and allocate health resources based on the actual needs of the population, enabling more effective planning in each province.

Background Premarital sex can increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in adolescents, and lack of premarital sex can be considered as a reliable policy for STD prevention, which is used by some countries such as Iran. Since the success of this policy is related to the concept of virginity, the present study was conducted to determine the concept of virginity from the perspective of Iranian adolescents. Methods In this qualitative study with phenomenological approach, the research team visited public places, including parks and coffee shops, and interviewed a number of 15–19-year-old adolescents. The data were collected using in-depth interviews with semi-structured questions and analysed using thematic analysis method. Results Several themes, including virginity as the lack of emotional relationship with the opposite sex, lack of physical contact, nonpenetrative relationship, virginity as a myth, virginity as a commitment, having an intact hymen, and not knowing the meaning of virginity, were extracted from the data. Conclusion The most reliable policy on STD prevention is the lack of premarital sex. The success of this policy is related to the concept of virginity. The findings of this study showed that the participants did not consider physical contact as the breach of virginity. This may indicate that the policy of not having sex before marriage or lack of premarital sex is not enough and Iranian adolescents are at risk of STDs. Therefore, policymakers must take steps towards modifying the concept of virginity in the adolescents’ value system and provide and implement educational programs on sexual health for adolescents.

Oral cavity cancers (OCCs) are the sixth most prevalent cancers in the world. There are strong evidences showing the risk of the cigarette smoking, alcohol use, poor oral hygiene and some types of diets in OCCs; however, few studies explored the relationship between opium and its derivatives (O&D) use and OCCs incidence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between consumption of O&D and the incidence of OCCs. In a case-control; 133 patients with OCCs and 266 healthy controls matched by age, sex, and place of residence were included. Data, including cigarette smoking, O&D, alcohol and others tobacco (Nass, pipe and hookah) use and diet, were collected using a structured questionnaire. The relation between the use of O&D and OCCs was evaluated using conditional logistic regression. Opium ever-use was associated with an increased risk of OCCs (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) =2.36, 95 % CI: 1.16–4.78). A dose-response relation was observed between the amount of daily O&D use and OCCs; and the relation was stronger in high users (AOR for low users = 1.38, 95 %CI: 0.58–3.24 and AOR for high users = 4.85, 95 % CI:1.79–13.11). Those who used opium for more than 18 years were highly at risk of OCCs (AOR= 5.04, 95 % CI, 2.00–12.68). Also, OCCs was higher among subjects starting the use of O&D at younger ages (≤ 50 years old vs never users AOR = 3.32, 95 % CI: 1.19–9.23). The smoking method of consuming O&D increased the odds of getting OCCs more than twice (AOR= 2.02, 95 % CI, 1.03–3.94), and using both smoking and oral consumption simultaneously, increased the odds of getting OCCs more than 8 times (AOR= 8.57, 95 % CI, 1.68–43.70). Also, the use of other tobacco products (Nass, pipe and hookah) increases the odds of getting OCCs by 4 times (AOR= 3.90, 95 % CI, 1.12–13.57) The results showed that opium use is probably a dose related risk factor for oral cavity cancers. Therefore, it is necessary to implement preventive policies to control the use of opioids. [Display omitted] •The results of the present study showed that opium consumption strongly increases the risk OCCs.•There was a dose-response relationship between O&D use and the occurrence of OCCs.•The theory of opium being carcinogenic was confirmed.•Considering the increasing medical and non-medical use of opioids, the future consequences of these substances on oral cavity cancers should be considered.

Background Households exposure to catastrophic health expenditure is a valuable measure to monitor financial protection in health sector payments. The present study had two aims: first, to estimate the prevalence and intensity of catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) in Iran. Second, to investigate main factors that influence the probability of CHE. Methods CHE is defined as an occasion in which a household’s out-of-pocket (OOP) spending exceeds 40% of the total income that remains after subtraction of living expenses. This study used the data from eight national repeated cross-sectional surveys on households’ income and expenditure. The proportion of households facing CHE, as a prevalence measure, was estimated for rural and urban areas. The intensity of CHE was also calculated using overshoot and mean positive overshoot (MPO) measures. The factors affecting the CHE were also analyzed using logistic random effects regression model. We also used ArcMap 10.1 to display visually disparities across the country. Results An increasing number of Iranians has been subject to catastrophic health care costs over the study period in both rural and urban areas (CHE = 2.57% in 2008 and 3.25% in 2015). In the same period, the overshoot of CHE and the mean positive overshoot ranged from 0.26% to 0.65% and from 12.26% to 20.86%, respectively. The average absolute monetary value of OOP spending per month has been low in rural areas over the years, but the prevalence of CHE has been higher than urban areas. Generally put, rural settlement, higher income, receiving inpatient and outpatient services, and existence of elderly people in the household led to increase in CHE prevalence ( p  < 0.05). Interestingly, provinces with more limited geographical and cultural accessibility had the lowest CHE. Conclusions According to the findings, Iran’s healthcare system has failed to realize the aim of five-year national development plan regarding CHE prevalence (1% CHE prevalence according to the plan). Therefore, revision of financial health care protection policies focusing on pre-payments seems mandatory. For instance, these policies should extend the interventions that target low-income populations particularly in rural areas, provide more coverage for catastrophic medical services in basic benefit packages, and develop supplementary health insurance.

ObjectiveThe HIV trend among female sex workers (FSWs) is understudied. We assessed the prevalence and trend of HIV and five other STIs among FSWs in Iran.MethodsWe recruited FSWs (1337 in 2015, 1005 in 2010) from 21 sites in 13 cities in two cross-sectional biobehavioural surveys. Eligible FSWs were women aged ≥18 years who reported selling sex to more than one male client in the past 12 months. Consenting FSWs were interviewed using a behavioural questionnaire and tested for HIV and five other STIs. We considered study sites as clusters in the analysis and two-sided Fisher’s exact test to compare the HIV prevalence between the two survey rounds.ResultsHIV prevalence was 2.1% in 2015 (vs 4.0% in 2010, p=0.007). Lifetime drug injection was reported by 6.1% of participants in 2015 (vs 14.6% in 2010, p=0.003). In 2015, among FSWs with history of lifetime drug injection, HIV prevalence was 8.6% (vs 9.8% in 2010, p=0.425). The prevalence of other STIs in 2015 was 0.4% (95% CI 0.2 to 1.0) for syphilis, 1.3% (95% CI 0.8 to 2.1) for gonorrhoea, 6.0% (95% CI 4.8 to 7.4) for chlamydia, 11.9% (95% CI 8.5 to 16.5) for trichomoniasis and 41.8% (95% CI 39.2 to 44.5) for human papillomavirus.ConclusionsHIV prevalence among FSWs in Iran decreased, but remains considerably high. The decrease in HIV prevalence compared with 2010 might be explained by a decrease in drug injection. Other STIs are also high in this population. Harm reduction programmes need to be continued and scaled up among this underserved population in Iran.

Background Disease-related malnutrition is associated with adverse outcomes such as increased rates of morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospital stay, and extra costs of health care. This study was conducted to assess nutritional status among patients and to determine the risk factors for malnutrition in Iran university f. Methods Persian Nutritional Survey In Hospitals (PNSI) was a cross-sectional study that conducted in 20 university hospitals across Iran. All the patients with age range of 18 to 65 years, who were admitted or discharged, were assessed by subjective global assessment (SGA). Results In total, 2109 patients were evaluated for malnutrition. Mean values of age and body mass index were 44.68 ± 14.65 years and 25.44 ± 6.25 kg/m 2 , respectively. Malnutrition (SGA-B & C) was identified in 23.92% of the patients, 26.23 and 21% of whom were among the admitted and discharged patients, respectively. The highest prevalence of malnutrition was in burns (77.70%) and heart surgery (57.84%) patients. Multivariate analysis presented male gender (OR = 1.02, P  < 0.00), malignant disease (OR = 1.40, P  < 0.00), length of hospital stay (OR = 1.20, P  < 0.00), and polypharmacy (OR = 1.06, P  < 0.00) as independent risk factors for malnutrition. Malnutrition was not associated with age ( P  = 0.10). Conclusion This study provides an overall and comprehensive illustration of hospital malnutrition in Iran university hospitals, finding that one out of four patients were malnourished; thus, appropriate consideration and measures should be taken to this issue.

The present study investigates different scenarios to project the chance of achieving SDG 3.4 in Iran. In this study, the Iranian Death Registry System data was employed to estimate the Unconditional Probability of Dying (UPoD) for the four major categories of NCDs; then, the Bayesian model averaging was used to project the UPoD at the national and sub-national levels. Also, the prevalence of the risk factors was projected by 2030 based on STEPs as well as some other study data. Plus, UPoD and the possibility of achieving the target were estimated once again based on the assumption that the global reduction in risk factors proposed by WHO would be adopted in Iran. The UPoDs for the four NCDs in Iran were 17.5% (95% UI: 16.3–19.2) and 14.7% (13.3–16.2) in 2010 and 2015 respectively and if the current trend continues, 2030 will mark the UPoD of 10.8% (7.9–14.3). However, If the risk factors are reduced to the WHO target level by 2030, the UPoDs will be reduced to 5.44% (3.51–7.39) and 6.55% (5.00–8.13) of the 2010 and 2015 baseline scenarios, respectively, to enable some provinces to meet SDG 3.4. If the current trend continues, Iran will and will not achieve the SDG 3.4 in 2010 and 2015 baseline scenarios, respectively. However, if the global target set for reducing risk factors is achieved, Iran will meet all expectations in SDG 3.4 except in Asthma and COPD. Therefore, effective interventions are recommended to be designed and followed to reduce Asthma and COPD.

Background Urban primary health care (UPHC) seeks to address the growing health needs of urban populations and improve public health outcomes. However, its implementation faces significant barriers, particularly in financing mechanisms, which often hinder the attainment of key policy goals. This study aims to identify these challenges and propose solutions. Methods This qualitative study collected data through semi-structured interviews with twenty-six key informants between November 2023 and May 2024. A purposive sampling strategy, supplemented by snowball sampling, was used to identify participants. Data were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach guided by Kutzin’s framework on health financing sub-functions. All the data coding processes were conducted using MAXQDA 2020. Results Challenges in health financing were categorized under three core sub-functions: resource collection, pooling, and allocation and purchasing of healthcare services. Key issues included unsustainable financial resources, limited budgetary allocations for primary and preventive care, and an overall shortfall in available funds. Additionally, inefficiencies in basic health insurance systems, poorly regulated tariff structures, weak resource management, and non-strategic purchasing practices were identified as significant barriers. Addressing these challenges requires a prevention-oriented approach and the application of systems thinking to financing reforms. Conclusion Strengthening UPHC depends on aligning financial reforms with preventive health priorities. policy actions are recommended to include securing dedicated funding through earmarked taxes for preventive services, reforming the basic health insurance structures, expanding coverage for preventive interventions, and adopting outcome-based purchasing models. These strategies can support the expansion of access to urban primary health care (UPHC), promote universal health coverage, and enhance population health outcomes.