Zeinab Alizadeh, Hamidreza Roohafza, Awat Feizi and Nizal Sarrafzadegan
This study aimed to examine the association of shift work with depression and anxiety in a large sample of formal and contractual employees of a mill steel company, Isfahan, Iran.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to examine the association of shift work with depression and anxiety in a large sample of formal and contractual employees of a mill steel company, Isfahan, Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional study was performed in 2014 among 3,060 formal and contractual employees of a mill steel company Isfahan, Iran, randomly selected from 16,000 people. Data gathering was done by some validated Iranian version of self-administered questionnaires including, International Physical Activity – Short Form, Effort–Reward Imbalance, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Logistic regression was used as the main statistical method.
Findings
The results showed individuals in the rotating shift compared with day shift had a higher risk of depression (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.12–1.84). Whereas after adjustment for various confounders, this relationship was not significant (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 0.81–1.76). Anxiety was not associated with shift work, both in crude and adjusted models (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.81–1.44) and (OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.67–1.19), respectively.
Research limitations/implications
Owing to the cross-sectional design of this study, cause–effect relationships could not be inferred from our findings. All the data used in the present analysis were collected by self-administered questionnaires.
Practical implications
Although our findings did not show significant association between shift work and mental health, further studies are suggested for obtaining informative data worldwide in this regard among workforce particularly among industrial employees.
Originality/value
Few studies have addressed the effects of shift work on mental health among industrial employees worldwide, and there is no study in developing countries.
Details
Keywords
Abbas Saadatmandi and Zeinab Sanatkar
The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient method for solving the magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer flow of an upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) fluid over a porous…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient method for solving the magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer flow of an upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) fluid over a porous isothermal stretching sheet.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper applied a collocation approach based on rational Legendre functions for solving the third-order non-linear boundary value problem, describing the MHD boundary layer flow of an UCM fluid over a porous isothermal stretching sheet. This method solves the problem on the semi-infinite domain without transforming domain of the problem to a finite domain.
Findings
This approach reduces the solution of a problem to the solution of a system of algebraic equations. The numerical values of the skin friction coefficient are presented and analyzed for various parameters of interest in the problem. The authors also compare the results of this work with some recent results and show that the new method is efficient and applicable.
Originality/value
The method solves this problem without use of discrete variables and linearization or small perturbation. Also it was confirmed by the theorem and figure of absolute coefficients that this approach has exponentially convergence rate.
Details
Keywords
Aida Malek Mahdavi and Zeinab Javadivala
This systematic review aims to gain the studies regarding the effect of Nigella Sativa (N. sativa) on adipokines including leptin, adiponectin and resistin.
Abstract
Purpose
This systematic review aims to gain the studies regarding the effect of Nigella Sativa (N. sativa) on adipokines including leptin, adiponectin and resistin.
Design/methodology/approach
Search was carried out using databases Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar with no restriction on language or date until February 2023 and alert services were applied to identify any paper after the primary search.
Findings
Eighteen animal and human studies were eligible for the current systematic review. Leptin and resistin levels showed a downward tendency after consuming N. sativa and its ingredients [e.g. oil, thymoquinone (TQ) and thymol] as well as its extracts (e.g. water extract). Furthermore, considering 4 of 8 animal research studies and 2 of 5 human studies that evaluated adiponectin levels, a significant increase was observed after using N. sativa and its ingredients (e.g. oil, TQ and thymol).
Originality/value
The present paper collates evidence from animal and human studies regarding the effect of N. sativa on adipokines including leptin, adiponectin and resistin.
Details
Keywords
Marjan Mahdavi-Roshan, Arsalan Salari, Eshagh Mohammadyari, Tofigh Yaghubi Kalurazi, Aydin Pourkazemi, Azin Vakilpour, Morteza Rahbar Taramsari and Zeinab Ghorbani
It is argued that COVID-19 patients show various neuropsychiatric symptoms, including fatigue, depression and anxiety. On the other hand, epidemiological and experimental evidence…
Abstract
Purpose
It is argued that COVID-19 patients show various neuropsychiatric symptoms, including fatigue, depression and anxiety. On the other hand, epidemiological and experimental evidence indicated that green tea could potentially have antiviral effects and ameliorate psychiatric disorders. However, there is a lack of clinical evidence. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether drinking green tea can clinically improve psychiatric complications of COVID-19 infection.
Design/methodology/approach
This study included 40 patients with laboratory confirmed mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disorder in the current randomized open-label controlled trial. Patients were instructed to include three cups/day of green tea (intervention) or black tea (control) to their usual diet for four weeks immediately after diagnosis of the disease. At the study baseline and after the intervention, the enrolled patients’ fatigue, depression and anxiety were assessed by the Chalder Fatigue Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires.
Findings
A total of 19 COVID-19 cases in the intervention group (mean age = 52 years) and 14 cases (mean age = 50 years) in the control group completed the study. Analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline levels, and confounders revealed that those who consumed three cups/day of green tea compared to the patients who received black tea experienced significantly lower fatigue, depression and state and trait anxiety levels (adjusted means for fatigue = 12.3 vs 16.2 (P = 0.03), depression = 0.53 vs 1.8 (P = 0.01), 37.4 vs 45.5 (P < 0.01) and 37.9 vs 45.2 (P < 0.01)).
Research limitations/implications
The open-label design may bias the evaluation of the self-reported status of fatigue, depression or anxiety as the main outcomes assessed. Moreover, as this study did not include patients with severe COVID-19, this might affect the generalizability of the present results. Thus, the recommendation of daily drinking green tea may be limited to the subjects diagnosed with mild-to-moderate type of infection or those with long-term neuropsychiatric complications owing to COVID-19. Besides, considering the ethical issues, this study could not exclude the drug therapy’s confounding effects; thereby, this point should be considered when interpreting the current results. Besides, it is worth noting that Guilan province in the north of Iran is recognized as a tea (and particularly green tea) producing region; thereby, it is an available and relatively inexpensive product. Considering this issue, the recommendation to consume this medicinal plant in adjunct to the routine treatment approach among patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 based on its beneficial effects may be widely accepted.
Practical implications
Green tea consumption could be considered an option to combat COVID-19 associated psychological complications, including fatigue, depression and anxiety among patients suffering from mild-to-moderate type of this viral infection.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, in this study, for the first time, the effects of green tea compared to black tea on COVID-19 associated fatigue, depression and anxiety status within an open-label controlled trial have been investigated.
Details
Keywords
Shadi Ariyanfar, Soodeh Razeghi Jahromi, Nasim Rezaeimanesh, Mansoureh Togha, Zeinab Ghorbani, Ebrahim Khadem, Milad Ghanaatgar, Morvarid Noormohammadi and Zahra Torkan
Diet is recognized as a possible potential factor in migraine pathogenesis. Limited evidence exists on the effect of diet on pediatric migraine, so this paper aims to investigate…
Abstract
Purpose
Diet is recognized as a possible potential factor in migraine pathogenesis. Limited evidence exists on the effect of diet on pediatric migraine, so this paper aims to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and odds of migraine in children.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a case-control study in tertiary Sina hospital, Tehran, Iran. A hundred children with migraine as case group and 190 sex-matched healthy controls were included in this study. Definite diagnosis of migraine was based on 2018 international classification of headache disorder 3 (ICHD3) criteria. Demographic and anthropometric characteristics were collected. Common dietary intake of participants was obtained using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.
Findings
Children in the migraine group had significantly higher BMI and age compared with the control group (p-value = <0.01). After adjustment for age, gender, BMI and total energy intake, a significant association between higher intake of vegetables in second tertile (OR: 0.47; CI: 0.24-0.92), fruits in third tertile (OR: 0.31; CI:0.14-0.69) and fiber in fourth quartile (OR:0.28; CI:0.095-0.85) was obtained. Controlling for all confounders in Model 3, the odds of migraine, decreased by 50 per cent and 70 per cent as the consumption of vegetables and fruits increased, in the second tertile of vegetables (p-value = 0.04) and the third tertile of fruits (p-value = <0.01).
Originality/value
The findings confirm a plausible protective role of dietary fruits and vegetables against the risk of migraine in children, which can be attributed to the probable effect of dietary fiber.