Iran Journal of Nursing
Year:2008 | Volume:21 | Issue:54|Papers Count:17

Background and Aim: Breastfeeding is a health-promoting and disease-preventing activity of mother with acceptable cost-effectiveness. Successful breastfeeding depends on various physiological and psychological factors such as maternal breastfeeding self efficacy and perceived stress. The aim of this study is to determine exclusive breastfeeding self efficacy and perceived stress in primipara mothers.Materials and Methods: The data collection instrument was a questionnaire consisted of the demographic characteristics items, and breastfeeding self efficacy and perceived stress scales. Three hundred and thirty one primiparous women, referred to Shahid Akbarabadi Hospital in Tehran, were selected continuously (within three months) to complete the questionnaire.Results: The results of this study showed that less than half of the subjects (46.5%) had high perceived stress level. In addition, more than 51.1% of mothers had high breastfeeding self efficacy. Therefore, according to the study findings and recent reports regarding reduced rate of breast feeding in Iran, it is necessary for health care responsible to provide appropriate strategies in order to increase breastfeeding self efficacy and stress management, especially in less experienced primipara women.Conciusion: Accoding to findings and with due attention to recent decrease in breast-feeding in Iran, it is necessary to develop proper strategies in order to improving breast feeding self efficacy and effective stress management, especially in primiparous mothers.

Background and Aim: Stress is one of the factors that upset body regulation by changing internal stability. Today, stress is considered as inseparable part of life that has a negative effect on functional competence and health of the person. The purpose of this study was to identify midwifes occupational stressors from the viewpoints of midwifery students studying at medical sciences universities of Tehran in 2006.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study a number of 260 midwifery students, studying at Tehran medical sciences universities were selected through census. Data were collected by a questionnaire consisting two parts: demographic characteristics and stressors. The data were analyzed by SPSS program (Pearson correlation coefficient and ANOVA). Results: The majority of students rated stressors as intermediate or high and the most important stressor were crisis during working (dangerous situations for mother and fetus) and exposure to blood and its products. There was positive correlation between interest to the career and rating stressors and there were significant relationship between mother's occupation and father's education with rating the stressors.Conclusion: Regarding the findings of this study it can be concluded that improving standards and increasing manager supports of staff may have a crucial influence on reducing stressors.

Background and Aim: Intratracheal suctioning is a standard method of nursing care for intubated patients with the aim of cleaning airway for good oxygenation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intratracheal suctioning on blood pressure, heart rate, and arterial oxygen saturation.Materials and Methods: This was a semi-experimental research in which the patients admitted to intensive care unit of Kashani teaching center of Shahr-e-kord University in 2005. The data were collected by a questionnaire form 35 patient by observation and measurement of blood pressure, heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation.Results: The findings showed that during suctioning, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and heart rate increased and arterial oxygen saturation decreased significantly, when compared with pre-suctioning period. The same occurred when these parameters were compared between pre-suctioning period and I minute post-suction, except for arterial oxygen saturation that had not statistically significant decline, I minute after suctioning. The parameters under study remained increased (including arterial oxygen saturation that decreased during suctioning) 3 minutes after suctioning, but this increase was not statistically significant when compared with pre-suctioning period. The study showed that parameters in I and 3 minutes after suctioning were also significantly different from those of suctioning period.Conclusion: The finding of this research showed that the maximum changes of blood pressure and heart rate (increase) and arterial oxygen saturation (decrease) occurs during suctioning and maximum changes of blood pressure and heart rate (decrease) and arterial oxygen saturation (increase) occurs 3 minutes after suctioning. Therefore, hyper oxygenation, hemodynamic and SpO2 monitoring before, during and after suctioning are recommended.

Background and Aim: Hematocrit is defined as the relationship between the volume of cells and the volume of blood separated by a centrifuge. Evaluation of hematocrit is one of the routine tests during pregnancy. Researchers have shown that there is a significant relationship between both high and low levels of hematocrit and adverse outcomes of pregnancy. This study aimed at examining the relationship between first and third trimester hematocrit, and birth weight and preeclampsia.Materials and Methods: A descriptive and analytic research was performed on 322 pregnant women who referred to health centers in Esfahan during research period. Data were collected by questionnaire through interview with subjects and medical records. Data were analyzed with T-test and one-way ANOVA .Results: A statistically significant relationship between first and third trimester hematocrit and preeclampsia was found (P<0.001 and P<0.04, respectively), but, there was not a statistically significant association between first and third trimester hematocrit and birth weight (P>0.05).Conclusion: It seems that there is a V-shaped relationship between hematocrit level and preeclampsia, so, further study is suggested.

Background and Aim: Fruits and vegetables are essential part of healthy diets. Increasing evidence indicates that they may help to prevent major diseases such as heart diseases, some types of cancers, type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke and etc. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of girl students' participation on consumption of fruit and vegetables in the family.Materials and Methods: This study had a quasi-experimental research design with two groups (experimental and control) and was carried out in 10 middle- schools in Tabriz during the year 2006. A number of 200 students participated in this study. The students in the experimental group (n=100) taught to research objectives (healthy diets, fruit and vegetable consumption, the methods of washing and disinfecting fruit and vegetables, importance of fruit and vegetables and the role of students in planning of fruit and vegetable consumption in the family). Then they began to assess and evaluate the amount of fruit and vegetable consumption in their family and encouraged their family members to increase or correct of fruit and vegetable consumption patterns. Questionnaires and checklists were data collecting tools, which were completed 2 times by students: before and 1 month after intervention.Results: Findings showed that girl students' participation made an increase in their family consumption of fruits and vegetables (P< 0.001).Conclusion: Based on these findings, the research hypothesis was supported. It means that girl Students' participation can increase fruit and vegetable consumption in the family.

Background and Aim: There are some reasons for doing qualitative researches: the importance of the health as a fundamental concept, the adolescence as an important period, lots of age-related special risk factors, and the uniqueness of adolescents in their perspectives to the society are some examples. The aim of this content analysis study was exploration of perspectives on health among adolescents of Lore ethnicity as an important Iranian ethnic minority.Materials and Methods: Twenty-five adolescents have been interviewed deeply and openly considering to ethical issues until data saturation. A Qualitative Content Analysis has been carried out for data analysis.Results: Content analysis on explanation of adolescents showed four categories: experiencing educational difficulties, the role of internalized religious beliefs in adolescents' health, economical problems, and social resources and supports. Adolescents pointed out on educational and socio-economical factors as well as the crucial role of religious behaviors and social participations. Some related factors for the sense of not being healthy were: the experience of discrimination, lack of educational facilities, motiveless teachers, exam stress, economical problems, exhausted busy parents, and lack of social facilities. Adolescents' health promotions are among priorities of national development program. Therefore, social facilities like job opportunities, cleaning society of cigarette, alcohol and addictive materials play a crucial role in adolescents' health from their points of view.Conclusion: Providing adolescents' health is the milestone of national development. Promotion of social services, especially job opportunities, controlling alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking and providing teaching can promote adolescents' health.

Background and Aim: Hypertension is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in elderly with high cost of treatment and care modalities. This study examines the effect of slow-stroke back massages on hypertension in elderly hypertensive clients.Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in Kahrizak charity foundation for elderly, in 2007. A quasi-experimental quantitative design conducted the study in which blood pressure of two groups of patients before and immediately after the intervention was compared. One hundred and two patients were randomly assigned to either massage or control group. The intervention consisted of slow-stroke back massage (SSBM) with five minutes duration for five consecutive days at time interval 3-7 the afternoon. Data were collected by demographic characteristics form, blood pressure recording form, calibrated mercury sphygmomanometer, and stethoscope.Results: The findings showed that there was no statistically significant difference between groups in average systolic and diastolic blood pressure before implementation of SSBM (P>0.05), but were observed statistically significant difference between two groups after intervention (P<0.05). Friedman test and repeated measures analysis of variance indicated there was statistically significant difference in blood pressure measures day by day. Conclusion: The authors suggest SSBM as an effective nursing intervention for reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients; therefore, it can be used as a component of current and complementary treatment of hypertension.

Background and Aim: Intestinal obstruction is one of the important diseases in children that need to be diagnosed and treated appropriately to prevent complications. The present study was conducted to identify the most common causes of intestinal obstruction, age and sex prevalence, complications and associated anomalies in Iranian children.Materials and Methods: One hundred children aged under 12 years old with manifestation such as vomiting; abdominal pain, no fecal and gas passage and abdominal distention indicative of intestinal obstruction were studied. Different etiologies of obstruction were documented by of radiologic procedures or during surgery. Sixty and three patients were less than 1 month, 27 between 1-12 months and 10 had 1-12 years. Most of the patients (73) were male. Results: The most common causes were Hirschprung disease, invagination and imperforated anus with relatively equal prevalence. The most common age of hirschprung disease and imperforated anus was in neonatal period. Imagination was more prevalent during infancy. Intestinal perforation occured in 6 patients, mostly in small bowel atresia obstruction.Hirschprung disease and imperforated anus were most common causes of mortality. Associated anomalies were cardiovascular, urologic, genital and gastrointestinal abnormalities, especially in imperforated anus and hirschprung disease.Conclusion: The results of this study are largely confirming the findings of previous similar studies in other countries.

Background and Aim: Clinical education is fundamental to nursing science. One of the most important domains in clinical education is clinical evaluation. Today, new methods in evaluation such as "BARS" can measure expected behaviors in specific job better than old methods, because of their structure that focus on specific behaviors of job. So, they may be effective for quality improvement in clinical teaching. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of implementing "BARS" method on student nurses' managerial skills in nursing management practicum.Materials and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. All students (n=60) was randomly assigned to either experimental or control group. At first, the students in control group were trained and evaluated by their instructors. The next semester, the same instructors applied "BARS" method for experimental group. This method works based on critical events or special behaviors in nursing management practicum. At the end of practicum, students' managerial skills in two groups were measured by checklist. The data were analyzed by SPSS. Results: The findings showed that managerial skills was significantly different between experimental (X-=113.41) and control (X-= 83.83) group (P=0.005). Therefore, implementing "BARS" evaluation method is effective on improving managerial skills of nursing students. Conclusion: "BARS" as an evaluation method could evaluate specific and expected behaviors of student nurses in management practicum better than the old ones. Also, it could improve the quality of clinical teaching.

the health of mothers and their fetus. So, prevention of these complications through providing mothers with natural diet vitamins during pregnancy is very important. The aim of this study was to examine relationship between consumption of diet rich in vitamin E and preeclapsia/ eclampsia in pregnant women.Material and Method: This was a case-control study. Data were collected through interview and filling up questionnaires. One hundred and fifty four women with age between 18-35 years were selected through continuous sampling method (75 women in case and 79 in control group). Case and control groups were matched according to the gravida and vitamins supplement consumption.Results: Finding indicated that there was statistically significant relationship between preeclampsia/ eclampsia and consumption of foods rich in vitamin E. This relationship was significant according to the number of servings and also amount of vitamin E received, for the number of serving for both nuts and unsaturated vegetable oil (P=0.000), mayonnaise cream (P=0.012), and for the amount of vitamin E received from diet (³15mg/day) (P=0.000). Consumption of these diets in case group was less than control group. The consumption of saturated vegetable oil in case group were higher than control group (P=0.009). Conclusion: As the results showed there were direct relations between preeclampsia/ eclampsia and insufficient consumption of food full of vitamin E. Proper educational programs about nutrition during pregnancy, particularly during first trimester in the first pregnancy, is recommended. Prospective studies are suggested in order to confirm the existed findings.

Background and Aim: In patients with a chronic disease such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), for which cure is not a realistic goal, maximizing patients' function and well-being should be a primary objective of care. However, quality of life in dialysis patients is lower than normal. This study is aiming to examine the effect of self-care educational package programs on physical problems and quality of life in dialysis patients.Material and Method: The study was conducted by quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design in educational hospitals of Iran and Tehran medical science universities in 2004-2005. Thirty one patients were selected on the basis of a non-randomized sampling. Each patient was assessed before starting the dialysis treatment by questionnaires about educational requirements, quality of life (SF-36) and checklist. Laboratory variables were recorded as the average for last two months prior to the education. After implementing an educational program on the basis of existing problems it was recorded. This movie was shown to the patients during one month once a week while they were on the dialysis. At the end of educational period, laboratory variables (average for last two months) were recorded and quality of life questionnaire and checklist were completed. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Paired T Test, Independent T, Macknemar and wilcoxon tests.Results: Findings showed that there was a significant decrease in serum urea (P=0.020), serum uric acid (P= 0.002), serum phosphate (P= 0.002), interdialytic weight gain (P= 0.000), systolic blood pressure (P= 0.045), diastolic blood pressure (P= 0.004), edema (P= 0.000), skin itching (P=0.000),local vascular problems (P= 0.031) and increase in Ca (P= 0.000) and improvement in quality of life score (P= 0.002).Conclusion: Providing dialysis patients with self- care educational package programs had a positive influence on decreasing the problems and improving the quality of life.

Background and Aim: Pregnancy and Postpartum is the best period for gaining health behaviors, including exercise, to promote quality of life is pregnancy and postpartum. The aim of the present study was to examine the trend of exercise activities before, during and after pregnancy.Material and method: This was a retrospective longitudinal study, in which 225 women were enrolled by continuous sampling.Result: The most frequent exercise, before, during and after pregnancy was walking. The result of Repeated measure test showed that trend of exercise before pregnancy to 3 months after that was negative.Conclusion: This study showed that the trend of physical activity decreased from the period before pregnancy to 3 month after that, so it is suggested that professional care in prenatal ward, vaccination clinic and family planning clinic focus on encouraging women to continue their activity, during and after pregnancy.