Social health components, such as education and health literacy, access and use of basic health services, health care and social protection, etc., have a greater role than biological factors in human health and well-being. The Social Determinants of Health Research Center was formed, considering the importance of these components, the target of research, as well as the discovery of the scientific facts and its benefits in solving the problems of health and medical issues, also in line with the objectives of the university's research deputy, to accomplish its core mission, which is to pay attention to these determinants and basic needs, to carry out various research in the community, and to generate the knowledge needed to preserve and promote the general health of the community.

The Social Determinants of Health Research Center was officially established, in June 2012, with the completion of its Founding Board members, and with the adoption of principled and significant plans for its agenda.
It is also reminded that the center welcomes the cooperation with other organizations, research centers and interested individuals in the field of factors affecting health and promoting it. The center so far has had four research-based students.
 

• Head of the Social Determinants of Health Research Center

Dr. Seyed Reza Hosseini (MD, MPH)
- Social Medicine fellowship and professor of Social Medicine (Email: hosseinirezaseyed@gmail.com)

• Center Research Activities

• Research priorities

1. Healthy lifestyle (physical activity, nutrition, stress, tobacco)
2. Social factors in determination of health, attitude and practice of people, against diseases, and health risk factors
3. Risk factors of health, abnormalities, injuries
4. The quality of life of patients and family members in diseases
5. Research priorities, development and empowerment of community-based research
6. Intergovernmental co-operation, public participation
7. Determine health needs
8. Empowering people to maintain and improve their health

• Get a Grant

Since the establishment, the center has used regional and national resources from projects ranging from 500 million Rials to 2 billion Rials with research grants.

• Scientific Journal

The magazine Caspian Journal of Social Medicine, was directed to the director of the office of Dr. Mostafa Javanian, and the head secretary Dr. Mina Matlabnejad, that unfortunately, was not published regularly.

• Books

Publishing Books "Globalization of Nursing Services" (2012), and "Care for Kidney Care for People with Diabetes" (2013) are two other scientific products of this research group.

Elderly Cohort study

• Introduction of the scheme

The Amirkola Health and Ageing Project (AHAP), is a cohort study that began in 2010 with the Sampling of all individuals aged 60 and older in Amirkola. According to statistics, in 2010, the population of the city was about 26,000, of which about 2,200 people had inclusion criteria to participate in the plan.

5. The first phase

The first phase of the project began in February 2011 and completed in July 2012 and included 1616 elderly people in the first phase of this study (the percentage of participation was more than 70%).

Two sets of questionnaires were used to collect information from:

- Self questionnaire

- Clinic questionnaire

The questioners completed the first questionnaire by referring to the homes of the elderly and, if they wished, and so we asked them to come to the Fellowship Research Center by the next morning, with the use of prescription drugs, doctor's dossier, national card, etc. Healthy social life in the city of Amirkola while fasting.

Blood samples were collected from all elderly people for biochemical, hormonal and other tests, then clinical evaluations were performed to complete the following questionnaires by expert questioners. The time required to complete the two questionnaires was estimated to be between 2 and 2.5 hours.

- IADL

- IPSS

- The strength of the muscles and the quadriceps

- Anthropometric measurements

- Measuring the balance situation/test

- Blood pressure measurement

- Physical Activity (PASE)

- Depression (GDS)

- Cognitive impairment (MMSE)

- Social support

- ADL

• Tests performed include Biochemical tests:
• FBS, TG, Chol, HDL, LDL, BUN, Cr, Uric acid, Fe, TIBC, Ca, P, CBC, T3, T4, TSH, Vit D, PTH, Testosterone, Ferritin, PSA,

- DNA extraction

- Measurement of heavy metals

Also, some serum was stored and kept in storage, in the 80 ° C freezer, for further studies.

Complete eye examination and bone scan were performed in this study. The results of all tests and screening questionnaires were delivered to the patients within one to two weeks and, if necessary, were referred to the specialized centers of the university to be treated. It should be noted that all these steps were carried out free of charge.

In order to follow-up, a phone call was made with the elderly every six months, and a related questionnaire, which included events that took place over the past six months, was completed. Data is entered into the SPSS and records are kept at the research center.

The profile of this project has been published in the "International Journal of Epidemiology", and so far more than 50 other articles have been published in the domestic and foreign journals. see the link below:

Cohort Profile: The Amirkola Health and Ageing Project (AHAP)

5. The second phase

The second phase of the project began in April 2016, with the presence of 2,206 elderly people in the city of Amirkola, and was completed on November 6, 2017, this phase included all examinations, questionnaires and first-stage trials, oral health examinations and Dentistry (by faculty members of the dentistry), as well as eye examinations (by the faculty members of the eye group), performing bone densitometry, examining and analyzing the balance, and walking and examining the nutritional status of the elderly at the Research Center .

• The questionnaires completed at this stage included:

SQFFQ

- Frailty

- Sleep

- Incontinence

- Knee osteoarthritis

- Traditional Medicine