Ali Asgari

Iranian Voice Quality of Life Profile (IVQLP): Factor Analysis

OBJECTIVES An important domain in health-related quality of life evaluations is quality of life perceptions due to having a voice disorder. The objective of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Iranian Voice Quality of Life Profile (IVQLP) based on Exploratory Factor Analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. METHODS The study sample consisted of 280 patients (174 males and 106 females) diagnosed with MTD, benign organic disorders such as polyps and nodules, and unilateral vocal fold paralysis and cancer. To evaluate the different dimensions of the IVQLP, a principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to investigate the fitting of extracted dimensions and construct validity of the IVQLP. RESULTS The results showed that the IVQLP has a 4-factor structure. The first factor has 17 items and refers to Emotions. The second factor has 12 items and refers to Individual/Social Relations. The third factor with 6 items refers to Occupation, and the forth with 5 items relates to Psychosomatic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS The conclusion of this study is that the concept of quality of life in Iranian patients with voice disorders is somewhat different from that of Western patients. This difference can be seen in. the large number of items related to an Emotional factor and the identification of a Psychosomatic factor.

Multiple dimensions of work-related risk factors and their relationship to work ability among industrial workers in Iran.

Objectives. The present study was designed to investigate the simultaneous effects of physical, psychosocial and other work-related risk factors on the work ability index (WAI) score among industrial workers. Methods. This study used a cross-sectional design with a questionnaire survey. A total of 280 workers were included in the study. Data were collected using three questionnaires including the Persian version of the WAI, the Persian version of the job content questionnaire and an author-developed measure (to assess work-related factors, health-related factors and socio-demographic characteristics). Results. The majority of the participants were young, but they had poor WAI scores (mean 37.3 ± 6.4) and 44.3% of them had poor or moderate work ability. Occupational accidents and injuries were found to be the strongest predictors of WAI scores. Additionally, there was a strong association between WAI scores and supervisor support, skill discretion, occupational training, sleep quality, work nature and educational level. Conclusions. Intervention programs should focus on improving supervisor support, sleep quality, job skills and knowledge and on decreasing physical and mental work demands. Additionally, implementing a comprehensive occupational health and ergonomics program for controlling and reducing hazardous working environments and occupational injury rates should be considered.

Brain regions involved in swallowing: Evidence from stroke patients in a cross-sectional study

Background: Limited data available about the mechanisms of dysphagia and areas involving swallow after brain damage; accordingly it is hard to predict which cases are more likely to develop swallowing dysfunction based on the neuroimaging. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between brain lesions and dysphagia in a sample of acute conscious stroke patients. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 113 acute conscious stroke patients (69 male mean [standard deviation (SD)] age 64.37 [15.1]), participated in this study. Two neurologists and one radiologist localized brain lesions according to neuroimaging of the patients. Swallowing functions were assessed clinically by an expert speech pathologist with the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA). The association of brain region and swallowing problem was statistically evaluated using Chi-square test. Results: Mean (SD) MASA score for the dysphagic patients was 139.61 (29.77). Swallowing problem was significantly more prevalent in the right primary sensory (P = 0.03), right insula (P = 0.005), and right internal capsule (P = 0.05). Conclusion: It may be concluded from these findings that the right hemisphere lesions associated with occurring dysphagia. Further studies using more advanced diagnostic tools on big samples particularly in a perspective structure are needed.