Background: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the Iranian community is very high. Women and older people are at the higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. Aim: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Iran by combining the results of various studies. Methods: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Separate strategies were developed for search in national databases (Irandoc, Magiran, SID) and international databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) using the keywords of "vitamin D deficiency," "Iran," and "prevalence." The titles and abstracts of the articles were screened and related full texts were appraised. Those articles that met inclusion criteria were selected for meta-analysis. The heterogeneity of the articles was assessed via the Chi-square test. They were combined using the random-effect approach. In addition, the groups were categorized and analyzed in terms of age and gender. Results: Of 639 articles, 30 articles with a sample size of 26,042 people were included for data analysis. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was reported as 0.56. Subgroup analysis showed that 0.64 of women and 0.44 of men were suffering from vitamin D deficiency. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the age groups under 20, 20-50, and over 50 years was 0.56.4, 0.72.4, and 0.59.8, respectively. Conclusions: The Iranian Ministry of Health is expected to design strategies to improve the status of vitamin D at the national level.

BackgroundNurses professional duty mean that nurses must care for patients without gender discrimination. Meanwhile, the intrinsic differences between men and women and the need for personal contact with the patients during care procedures can create challenges for male nurses in the process of caring for a female patient.AimsThe present study aims to understand the challenges of male nurses in the care of female patients in Iran.MethodsA descriptive qualitative study was conducted with 20 male nurses selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected through unstructured and semi‐structured interviews as well as observations and were analysed using conventional content analysis, based on the Graneheim and Lundman model.FindingsThe findings revealed two main themes, including ‘religious‐cultural restrictions’ and ‘inappropriate organizational context’.Discussion/ConclusionMale nurses are faced with a combination of religious‐cultural and organizational challenges in providing patient care without discrimination in clinical settings. In addition to negatively affecting the quality of nursing care and satisfaction for female patients, these problems also create a stressful work environment for male nurses.Implications for health practice and policyThese problems can be alleviated in clinical settings by trying to ensure same‐gender nurses and patients, especially when performing personal care. In addition to the efforts made by nurses to present a positive and real image of themselves in caring for female patients, health policy‐makers should also attempt to improve society’s attitude towards male nurses caring for female patients through the media.

Background:The imbalance in nurse-to-patient ratio and limited physical space may lead to care provision by a nurse of the opposite gender. On the other hand, the relationship with the opposite gender in Iran is limited due to cultural and religious beliefs. The aim of this study was to investigate patients' attitudes toward receiving care from the opposite gender nurse. Material and Method:This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 patients admitted to different hospital wards. The patients were recruited using convenience sampling. Data collection tools comprised of a demographic questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 16) and running descriptive statistics (i.e., χ 2 , independent t test, and linear regression analysis).Results: Male and female patients had 31.8% and 42.6% negative attitudes toward receiving care from the opposite gender, respectively, indicating a statistically significant difference (p = .05). Patients' attitudes had a significant and positive relationship with age, level of education, and experience of receiving care from a nurse of the opposite gender. Conclusion:A significant percentage of patients had a negative attitude toward receiving care from the opposite-gender nurse. Since people's attitudes affect their relationships, it is necessary to provide conditions for assigning the same gender nurse for patients and improving patients' attitudes toward nurses of the opposite gender.