Background and Objective: Hepatitis B is one of the most common health problems in the world, especially in developing countries. It is necessary to understand and be aware of what infected people experience in their lives with this phenomenon. The purpose of the present study was to determine the experiences of concealment of the disease perceived by these patients.
Methods: This study was a qualitative content analysis. The data was collected through 18 unstructured and in-depth interviews with hepatitis B carriers in healthcare centers and consultation centers for liver and digestive diseases in Amol, Babol and Tabriz, during 2014-2015. The sampling was purposive and all of the interviews were recorded, transcribed word by word and analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis.
Findings: The data analysis led to extraction of concealment of disease, as the major theme, along with three sub-themes, including feigning normal social behavior, minimization of the disease and disease concealment (living with secrets). Analysis of participants’ experiences showed that one of the common and important experiences among them was concealment of disease to persist their interactions, which existed as different forms in various states and situations of their lives.
Conclusion: According to the results, patients infected by hepatitis B virus have to hide their diseases from other people in order to continue their normal lives and protect themselves against the negative and humiliating glances of others. Consequently, it should be emphasized on the necessity of educational and consultation programs regarding the different aspects of this disease, as well as appropriately informing the society.

Abstract

Background and Objective: According to suitable ecological conditions and being endemic of Mazandaran province for many parasitic agents, present study was done  for determination of rate of parasitic infections in patients referred to Ayatollah Rohani hospital in 2015.   

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive- analytical study was performed on 4478 fecal  samples were collected from patients referred  to Ayatollah Rohani hospital between  April 2015 and  March 2016. The samples were examined with direct wet mount and formalin-ether concentration methods. The data were analyzed using Chi-square tests and SPSS.

Findings: Of  the 4478 samples studied, 370 (8.26%) were positive for parasitic infection. Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba coli and Giardia lamblia were the most common causes with the prevalence of 2.56%, 1.6% and 1.45%, respectively. The infection rate in male was higher than from female (p<0.05). Rate of infections in rural areas in comparison to urban regions did not showed any significant differences. Most of the infections were seen in autumn compared with other seasons (p=0.02). Infection rate was more common in 31-49 age group and lower infection rate was observed in age group of less than 11 years (p=0.025).

Conclusion: According to prevalence of parasitic infection in Babol, which are important in terms of medical and clinical aspects, thus using an effective controlling systems is proposed for decreasing food and water contaminations.