HAYAT
Year:2013 | Volume:19 | Issue:1|Papers Count:11

During several years of cooperation with scientific journals in Iran as referee, member of editorial boards and editor in chief, I have faced with multiple non-ethical behaviors in publication. These days, I am witnessed to submitting articles to two or more journal simultaneously. Due to the growing pattern of this illegal action, this editorial will assess its dimensions and consequences.The Article 1, Chapter VI of the National guidelines on Ethics of Publishing Medical Research has clearly stated: "If a manuscript is published or is being considered for publication in print or electronically, re-publishing in or submitting to other journals is not allowed. This statement is so important that the editors of the scientific journals have mentioned it in the author guidelines of the journals. However, what make authors, especially beginners, to submit their articles to more than one journal are perhaps requirements of the Institutes for defending a thesis, annual and/or academic ranks promotions.Republishing articles in scientific journals, especially in the same language, result in spending cost and taking time of the scientific and executive teams of the Journals and has no added value. The negative effects of this action are more highlighted when the role of scientific journals in promoting health care quality through publishing new and valid scientific evidences and limited spaces of the journals are noticed.

Background & Aim: There is little information regarding relationship between maternal dietary pattern and infant anthropometric parameters at birth. This study was carried out to determine relationship between dietary patterns in pregnancy with infants' anthropometric parameters.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 94 pregnant women (GA: 37-40 weeks) referred to Ahvaz Razi hospital were selected. Anthropometric parameters were measured. The dietary intakes were assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns.Statistical analysis was done in the SPSS.Results: In this study, three major dietary patterns including "healthy", "traditional" and "western" dietary patterns were identified. After adjusting of confounders (age, physical activity, energy intake, pregnancy weight gain and infant sex), the relationship between dietary patterns with birth weight, height and head circumference were exhibited in three models. The relationship between healthy dietary pattern and infant weight, height and head circumference at birth was significantly positive in all models (P<0.05). Western dietary pattern had significant negative relationship with head circumference in the model 1 and 2. Moreover, it had negative relationship with birth weight in the model 1 (P<0.05). Traditional dietary pattern did not show any significant relationship with anthropometric parameters at birth.Conclusion: The present study found significant relationship between maternal dietary patterns with anthropometric parameters at birth.Further prospective studies are suggested to confirm the findings.

Background & Aim: Vascular events and strokes are third leading causes of death worldwide. There are also major causes of human morbidity. Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments are proposed to patients with stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine effect of foot reflexology, as a nonpharmacological procedure, on systolic and diastolic blood pressures in patients with stroke.Methods & Materials: In this clinical trial, 68 patients with stroke were selected and divided randomly into two experiment (n=34) and control (n=34) groups. Each patient in the experiment group received foot reflexology for 30 minutes. Data were recorded in the demographic and blood pressure record form. Data were analyzed using t-tests and ANOVAs in the SPSS-20.Results: There were no significant differences between the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures of patients in experiment and control groups at baseline. The blood pressure was significantly reduced among the experiment group after receiving the foot reflexology (P<0.05). The mean systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced in the experiment group after 10 and 30 minutes of massage; and the diastolic blood pressure was reduced significantly in all measured times (P<0.05).Conclusion: Results showed positive effects of foot reflexology on reducing blood pressure in patients with stroke. Foot reflexology should be recommended as a supplement treatment in patients with stroke.

Background & Aim: Cervical cancer is the fourth common cancer worldwide. Pap smear is a usual test to screen cervical cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine factors associated with Pap smear screening among married women aged 15-49 years in Lamerd health centers based on the Protection Motivation Theory.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 220 married women aged 15-49 years were selected. Data were gathered using a questionnaire designed based on the Protection Motivation Theory. The questionnaires were completed via individual interviews with the participants. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were approved. Data were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis, U-Man Whitney test and c2 in the SPSS-16.Results: Most of the participants (40%) had a high school diploma and 70% of them were housewives. Most of the participants (65.6%) had used the test once at least. There were statistically significant relationships between the use of Pap smear with the protection motivation against cervical cancer (P<0.001), perceived self-efficacy (P=0.002), perceived response efficacy (P=0.007) and perceived costs (P<0.001).Conclusion: Regarding the statistically significant relationships between the constructs of the Protection Motivation Theory and the use of Pap smear screening test among women, it is recommended to design educational programs based on the Protection Motivation Theory to encourage married women for using Pap smear screening test.

Background & Aim: The effect of perceived stress on students’ health depends on their coping abilities. Resilience is a coping strategy for dealing with the stress. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the perceived stresses with resilience in undergraduate nursing students.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 309 undergraduate nursing students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were selected during the first semester of 2012-2013 using the stratified sampling method. Data were collected using the Perceived stress scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC).The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in the SPSS-14.Results: Findings revealed that most of the students (99.3%) had a moderate or high perceived stress. There was a statistically significant relationship between the perceived stress with the resilience (P£0.001, r=-0.38).Conclusion: The school of nursing should provide facilities and opportunities for students in their 4-year educational program to learn stress management strategies including increasing resilience ability.

Background & Aim: Access to quality care is important in delivering health services. Patients' safety and satisfaction are indicators of quality of care evaluation. Competent nurses may deliver quality care. This study aimed to investigate the impact of using competent nurses on patients’ safety and satisfaction.Methods & Materials: In this interventional study with nonequivalent control group, we selected 120 patients admitted to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini hospital in 2012 using convenience sampling method. Nursing care for the experimental group (n=40) was provided by nurses who had high competency scores and in the control group (n=80), nursing care was provided by usual emergency department nurses. Data were collected using the patient satisfaction with nursing care quality (PSNCQ), and patient safety inventory. Data were analyzed in the SPSS v.16 using descriptive and inferential statistics. The significance level for all statistical tests was considered at P<0.05.Results: Mean age of the intervention and control groups were 48.1 (±12.5) and 40.5 (±16.7), respectively (P<0.018). There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of employment (P<0.009).The two groups were similar in terms of other variables such as gender, marital status, level of education, having health insurance, and the reasons for seeking admission. The results showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in patients’ safety and satisfaction with nursing care (P<0.001). Regression test was used to eliminate the effects of age and job satisfaction; the results showed effect of intervention on the patients’ safety and satisfaction with nursing care.Conclusion: These findings indicated that using competent nurses in providing nursing care promotes patients’ safety and satisfaction with nursing care. Training nurses focusing on the level of competency is required in scheduling, staffing, and implementing nursing care to enhance safety, patient satisfaction, and quality of care.

Background & Aim: Hysterectomy is a common gynecologic surgery leading to great concerns in women. This study aimed to determine the effect of foot massage on anxiety level after hysterectomy.Methods & Materials: In this double-group randomized clinical trial, 60 women undergone hysterectomy were selected using convenience sampling method and were randomly allocated into two intervention or control groups. Patients in the intervention group received foot massage three sessions during three consecutive days (every session lasted 20 minutes). In the control group, the researcher was only beside the women for 20 minutes. The Spilberger anxiety questionnaire was used to measure the anxiety level. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and independent t-test.Results: The mean of the anxiety score was not significantly different between the two groups before the intervention (P=0.21). After the intervention, there was significant difference between the two groups in the anxiety scores (P<0.001). There was also significant difference between the two groups in the anxiety scores one week after the surgery (P<0.001).Conclusion: Foot massage can reduce anxiety in patients who underwent hysterectomy.

Background & Aim: Reducing maternal anxiety has a critical role in maternal and fetal mental and physical health. This study aimed to assess the effect of two anxiety reducing techniques including relaxation and maternal-fetal attachment training on anxiety in third trimester and postpartum depression among primipara women.Methods & Materials: In this clinical trial, 126 pregnant women were randomly selected and divided into three groups including relaxation training, maternal-fetal attachment skills training, and control group. The participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Spillberger and Beck questionnaires and written consents at baseline. The participants completed the questionnaires after the intervention too. The one way ANOVA and pairedt -test were used to analyze the data.Results: At baseline, the mean total anxiety, state and trait anxiety and depression scores were not significantly different between the groups.The ANOVA showed differences in the mean score of anxiety after the intervention (P=0.03) in the intervention groups. There were statistically significant differences between the attachment and control groups (P=0.01); and the relaxation and control groups (P<0.001) in terms of the mean score of state anxiety. The ANOVA showed a reduction in the mean score of state anxiety after intervention in the attachment (P=0.02) and relaxation groups (P=0.01). There was significant difference after the intervention in the mean score of maternal depression (P=0.002) between the attachment and relaxation groups with the control group (P=0.01, P=0.01; respectively).Conclusion: Attachment and relaxation trainings can reduce maternal anxiety and post-partum depression. Pregnancy visit is an important opportunity to screen maternal anxiety and prevent post-partum depression using simple and non-expensive training programs.