Health, Spirituality and Medical Ethics
Year:2019 | Volume:6 | Issue:4|Papers Count:8

Background and Objectives: Preeclampsia is a multifactorial disease which is the main cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in many countries. Spiritual wellbeing plays a vital role in coping stress and has a positive effect on improving the individuals' health. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of spiritual wellbeing with perceived stress and perceived social support in women with preeclampsia. Methods: This descriptive study was carried out using convenience sampling on 112 pregnant women with preeclampsia referring to selected hospitals in Shiraz within 2018. Demographic and midwifery questionnaire, spiritual wellbeing questionnaire, and stress and perceived social support questionnaire were used in the current study. In addition, Pearson correlation test, one-way ANOVA and independent t-test were used for data analysis. P-value less than 0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Based on the obtained results, 60. 7% of women had high spiritual wellbeing score. There was a significant inverse correlation between spiritual wellbeing and perceived stress (P<0. 001). In addition, there was a positive and significant correlation between spiritual wellbeing and social support (P<0. 001). Conclusion: With an increase in the spiritual wellbeing score, perceived stress was significantly reduced and social support score directly and significantly increased. Therefore, the positive role of spiritual wellbeing and social support in pregnancy guidelines should be considered.

Background and Objectives: The attitudes to the professional dress code as well as the level of adherence to this code are of utmost importance in clinical settings. This study aimed to investigate the students' attitudes and adherence regarding the professional dress code at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Methods: This descriptive analytical study was conducted on 368 students of medical sciences at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. The data were collected using two researcher-made questionnaires asking for students' attitudes and adherence regarding the professional dress code. The data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 18) through descriptive statistics and analytic tests. Results: According to the results of this study, the mean scores of female and male students' attitudes and adherence regarding professional dress code were obtained at 74. 04± 13. 49 and 74. 12± 10. 77, respectively. Moreover, this result indicates that students have positive attitudes toward professional dress code. In addition, the participants believed that 75% of the other students dress professionally. Conclusion: Given the positive attitudes of participants regarding professional attire, and the fact that 75% of the other students adhere to this issue, it is necessary to maintain and reinforce the positive attitudes of the students to encourage the professional attire values and impress the views of patients who refer to the health care centers.

Background and Objectives: Marital infidelity can endanger the mental health of the victims and cause them to hate the cheating spouse; accordingly, it is necessary to identify and reinforce the factors that help relive this painful experience. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of spiritual-religious interventions on increasing the sense of calmness and forgiveness in women who have experienced marital infidelity. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted based on a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The study population consisted of all women who had experienced infidelity in district 2, Tehran, Iran, in2019. In total, 32 women who experienced marital infidelity were selected through convenience and snowball sampling methods. Subsequently, they were divided randomly into intervention and control groups. Furthermore, the intervention group was subjected to spiritual-religious interventions. The data were collected using a positive psychological states questionnaire. In addition, the data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) through analysis of covariance. Results: The results showed that spiritual-religious interventions had significant effects on increasing the sense of calmness (F= 99. 47, P<0. 05) and forgiveness (F= 94. 98, P<0. 05). Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, the spiritual-religious intervention can be used as an effective clinical method to increase the sense of calmness and forgiveness in women who have experienced marital infidelity. The results of this study can have several practical implications.

Background and Objectives: Spiritual well-being is one of the most important aspects of the quality of life that affects women's health and development. The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive role of spiritual well-being for optimism and life expectancy among women who referred to health centers. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted based on a correlational research design. The study population included all women who referred to health centers in Mahabad, Iran. In total, 200 women were selected based on the convenience sampling method. The data were collected using an optimism questionnaire designed by Nori and Janbozorgi, Miller Hope Scale, and spiritual well-being scale developed by Paloutzian and Ellison. In addition, the data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 20) through the Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression test. Results: The results of the present study revealed that optimism (r=0. 21) and life expectancy (r=0. 28) correlated significantly with the spiritual well-being of women (P<0. 01). Moreover, the obtained standard coefficients indicated that life expectancy (Beta=0. 26) and optimism (Beta=0. 21) are the first and second most determinative variables in predicting the spiritual well-being of women, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, spiritual well-being plays a predictive role for life expectancy and optimism, respectively. Therefore, skill-based training, such self-attribution, hopefulness, and optimism is essential to improve the spiritual well-being of women.

Background and Objectives: Justice is one of the basic principles of medical ethics which indicates rightful, fair, impartial, and equitable care. The present study aimed to introduce patient favoritism, a phenomenon that undermines justice. Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted based on some data derived from another qualitative study titled “ Investigating the process of achieving justice in nursing care delivery” using content analysis. The data were extracted from semi-structured interviews with 22 participants (i. e., 16 clinical nurses and nurse managers from all over the country and 6 healthcare policymakers). The interviews were in-depth, semi structured, and face-to-face, with open-ended questions. Results: Based on the data, the concept of patient favoritism can be divided into three themes in the healthcare system of Iran. These themes are as follows: 1) types of patient favoritism with three sub-themes of prioritized patients, patients who receive high-quality services, and those who are exempt of the hospital rules and regulations, 2) reasons for accepting patient favoritism with three sub-themes of the lack of trust in the healthcare system, misuse of public services, and scarce medical resources, and 3) reasons for receiving favored patients with four sub-themes of the sense of entitlement among healthcare workers, inability to defy the commands of superiors, inability to refuse the request of colleagues, and a win-win deal. Conclusion: The phenomenon of patient favoritism, irrespective of its type, is a barrier to justice in health care and threatens medical ethics. Accordingly, this issue can seriously harm the healthcare system.

Background and Objectives: Considering the importance of spiritual health as one of the significant dimensions of health, the present study aimed to investigate and identify the status of spiritual health in young people. Furthermore, this study examined the social and cultural components associated with spiritual health from a sociological perspective. Methods: In the present study, young people in Shiraz, Iran, were considered the statistical population, and the sample size was determined as 600 subjects based on the Lin Table. The data were collected using a questionnaire designed according to a combination of standard and researcher-made scales through multi-stage sampling and analyzed by SPSS software (Version 21). Results: Obtained results of the study showed that most (41. 3%) of the respondents were at a moderate level in terms of spiritual health, and only 24% of the participants were reported with a high level. According to the findings, all the examined hypotheses were confirmed, and there was a statistically significant relationship between age, gender, marital status, cultural and social capital in all dimensions and separately in each dimension (i. e., ontological and religious health)with spiritual health (P=0. 000). Conclusion: Cultural and social capital has an important role in spiritual health, as it has a significant role in other aspects of health, including general, mental, and social health. Therefore, the reinforcement and improvement of cultural and social capital lead to the promotion of spiritual health.

Background and Objectives: Employee’ s perception of spirituality in all aspects of organization management is called "spiritual climate". On the other hand, employees’ active presence in the workplace, rather than their mere physical presence, is referred to as "Presenteeism". The current study aimed to localize these variables and study the relationship between them. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on the employees of a car manufacturing company in Tehran, Iran, 2018. In addition to the demographic form, the spiritual climate was assessed using Spiritual Climate Survey (SCS). On the other hand, Stanford Presenteeism scale was implemented to measure work attendance. Among 216 participants, 154 subjects attended work despite musculoskeletal pain, and performed their duties; therefore, they entered the analytical phase. The validity and reliability of the instruments and relationship analysis were performed by Partial Least Squares path modeling method. Results: The results of validity and reliability tests confirmed the suitability of the instruments. Work presenteeism was reported as 71. 2%. The mean spiritual climate score was measured at 58. 07± 11. 38. The mean work presenteeism score was obtained as 17. 50± 4. 66. Pathway of spiritual climate to presenteeism at work is statistically significant. On the other hand, the ratio of the spiritual climate variable to the presenteeism was reported to be significant. Moreover, the ratio of spiritual climate to presenteeism indicated that 17. 5% of presenteeism alterations were ascribed to the spiritual climate. Conclusion: The Persian versions of the SCS and Stanford Presenteeism questionnaire can be applied as new and valid measurement instruments. In addition, it was found that the spiritual climate in organizations is one of the variables that can positively affect employees’ health, as well as work presenteeism, and increase organizational productivity.

Background and Objectives: Surrogacy is a legal solution to infertility treatment. However, the lack of a clear and rational law has created challenges in the application of this solution. The purpose of this study was to investigate the legal practices and gaps in terms of infertility treatment with surrogacy in Iran. Methods: This review study utilized documentary method carried out through the assessment of books, articles, uniform judicial precedent votes, and valid judicial procedures. Results: Use of a surrogacy contract is permissible under civil law. However, the existence of uncoordinated and sometimes unreasonable judicial procedures has caused many problems in practice. According to the evidence, the establishment of commercial or noncommercial contracts, based on the agreement of the infertile couple and the surrogate mother, has resulted in the emergence of a black market and uterine brokers, as well as unusual costs. Failure to issue a certificate for a genetic mother is another legal anomaly that can lead to crime commitment genetic parents can only register by providing evidence regarding their biological relationship with the neonate. On the other hand, the number of surrogacy applicants is higher than surrogate mothers. This results in the use of surrogate mothers over the age of 35 years, which increases the risk of high-risk pregnancy for the mother and fetus. Other challenges in this domain include alimony payment, pregnancy expenses, and the possibility of extortion. Conclusion: Therefore, the adoption of the same law and procedure, adherence to ethical principles, and rejection of any out-of-contract changes can facilitate infertility treatment, reduce costs for applicants, and satisfy both parts of the surrogacy contract.