Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences
Year:2021 | Volume:20 | Issue:5|Papers Count:9

Background and Objectives: The localized and referral pain of lumbar disc herniation can lead to compensatory strategies to reduce perceptual pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the foot pressure distribution pattern, symmetry index, and center of pressure sways in people with and without low back pain due to lumbar disc herniation. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive study was performed in Razi University Sports Rehabilitation Laboratory in 2019, Iran. Thirty-four people were purposefully divided into two groups: low back pain due to disc herniation (n=17) and healthy (n=17). Study variables were evaluated by PT scan. The indexes of anterior-posterior sways (SDy), medial-lateral sways (SDx), sways velocity, the center of pressure path length, sway area, length of the minor axis, length of the major axis, and symmetry index (SI) were evaluated during quiet stance. Independent t-test was used to compare the means across the two groups. Results: The results of this study showed a significant increase in the center of pressure path length (p=0. 001), sways velocity (p=0. 001), and SDy (p=0. 001), and a significant decrease in SI (p=0. 001) in the lumbar disc herniation group compared to the control. Conclusion: According to the findings of the study, people with lumbar disc herniation have a unilateral plantar pressure distribution that can be a result of delayed muscles activation of the spine due to the pain and can cause knee and ankle joints injuries. As a result, using neuromuscular exercises, with the aim of timely activation of spinal stabilizers, is a good way to reduce subsequent injuries.

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent quarantine have had various effects on the psychological and social aspects of society. Therefore, the aim of this study was to predict the level of anxiety, depression, and stress during the COVID-19 outbreak based on personality traits. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 170 adults living in Kashan from March to April 2020 were selected by convenience sampling method and answered the online questionnaires. The research tools included Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and NEO Personality Trait Questionnaire (Big Five Inventory-10). Data were analyzed using the Pearson’ s correlation test and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The results showed that each of the psychological components had a positive relationship with the characteristic of neuroticism and a negative relationship with the characteristic of agreement (p<0. 001), and also the characteristic of conscientiousness was negatively related to depression, and positively correlated with anxiety and stress (p<0. 001). In addition, the results of regression analysis showed that the predictor variables (neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreement) predict 30. 4%, 20. 3%, and 45. 1% of changes in depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. Also, according to the values of Beta index, it can be said that neuroticism has a stronger role in predicting all three variables of depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion: According to the study findings, it can be concluded that the number of psychological problems of people during the outbreak of COVID-19 can be predicted by the characteristics of neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreement. Given the stronger role of neuroticism, it seems necessary to provide more psychotherapeutic services in organizations for people with this characteristic.

Background and Objectives: Hopelessness, belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness are important risk factors for suicidal ideation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the interaction of hopelessness, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness in suicidal ideation and behavior. Materials and Methods: The method of the present study was descriptive and modeling. The study population included all students of Mohaghegh Ardabil University in the academic year 2020; out of which 650 people were selected using convenience sampling method and completed the questionnaires of Hopelessness, Depressive Symptom-Suicidality Subscale, Suicidal Behavior, and Interpersonal Needs in an online way. Data were analyzed using Pearson’ s correlation and Hayes' macro PROCESS tests. Results: The results showed a significant positive relationship between negative hopelessness and belongingness (r=0. 45, p<0. 001), burdensomeness (r=0. 37, p<0. 001), idea (r=0. 32, p<0. 001), and suicidal behavior (r=0. 26, p<0. 001). There was also a significant positive relationship between positive hopelessness and belongingness (r=0. 32, p<0. 001), burdensomeness (r=0. 37, p<0. 001), idea (r=0. 25, p<0. 001), and suicidal behavior (r=0. 26, p<0. 001). The results also confirmed the interaction of hopelessness, belongingness, and burdensomeness in suicidal ideation and behavior. Conclusion: In general, this study supports the interpersonal theory and the interaction among hopelessness, belongingness, and burdensomeness concerning suicidal ideation and behavior. Based on these findings, it is suggested, to reduce suicidal ideation and attempt, holding skills and motivation training courses can increase hope in people.

Background and Objectives: Education is always one of the ways to increase people's skills in life. Quality of life is also one of the most important issues in the life of people, especially the elderly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of healthy lifestyle education on the quality of life of elderly people in Rafsanjan. Materials and Methods: This research is a quasi-experimental study on elderly people. Using the multi-stage random sampling method, 84 elderly people were selected and randomly divided into intervention and control groups by random allocation method. In the intervention group, a 4-session training course was conducted to increase the quality of life, and no special action was taken in the control group. Using demographic information questionnaire and standard 36-item questionnaire, the quality of life of individuals in the two stages before and after the intervention was assessed. Data were analyzed using paired t-test, independent t-test, chi-square, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The mean age of the patients in the intervention group was 64. 26± 3. 05 and in the control group 63. 64± 2. 82 which was not statistically significant (p=0. 338). There was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups before the intervention in terms of the studied variables (p>0. 05), but there was a significant difference in overall quality of life (p=0. 037) after intervention so that the training intervention improved the elderly’ s quality of life. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, teaching a healthy lifestyle to older people can improve their quality of life. Therefore, it should be a priority in the plans of the authorities.

Background and Objectives: Happiness is a positive psychological variable that can affect the lives of the elderly. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the relationship between happiness and social support and appreciation in older women. Materials and Methods: The present study is descriptive. For this study, 384 elderly women in districts 3, 4, and 5 of Tehran in 2020 were selected as the sample by the available sampling method. Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Item Form, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Oxford Happiness Inventory were used to collect data. Finally, after 54 times referring to the parks in the 3 rd th, 4, and 5 th districts of Tehran, the researchers were able to collect the data of the present study and the participants answered the research questionnaires. Pearson’ s correlation coefficient and stepwise linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: Mean and standard deviation of the variable of happiness were 26. 08± 7. 38, social support 25. 90± 7. 05, gratitude 22. 66± 6. 30, brief examination of mental status 26. 85± 2. 62, and age 63. 75± 2. 71. The results of Pearson’ s correlation test showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between happiness and support Social (r=0. 78, p<0. 001) and gratitude (r=0. 44, p<0. 001). The results of stepwise regression analysis also showed that social support (β =0. 716, p<0. 001) and after that gratitude (β =0. 213, p<0. 001) were able to predict 65% of happiness changes. Conclusion: Gratitude and social support are directly related to happiness and can positively predict happiness. Therefore, it appears that paying attention to the concept of gratitude and social support in the treatment and counseling programs as an effective method to increase the happiness of older women will be useful.

On 21 December 2019, the Chinese government reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) a number of cases that looked like a common cold. On 6 January 2020, Chinese authorities reported sixty suspected cases, of which seven were very serious. On 9 January, the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified the virus genome sequence of the disease and made it available to the scientists worldwide. On 11 February, the disease was called novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by WHO, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause damage to various parts of the respiratory tract. Despite all efforts, at the time of this writing, the official number of cases was more than 209, 876, 613, and the number of victims exceeded 4, 400, 284 persons. to date, 4, 562, 256, 778 doses of vaccine have been injected against this disease. The case fatality rate of Covid-19 has varied from 0. 08% to 10. 8% in the world, but fortunately the number of patients who have recovered is very promising and more than 66 million people have recovered. Considering the great importance of this disease and its increasing spread, the purpose of this article is to review the most important scientific evidence regarding the epidemiology of the disease and some strategies to cope with it.

Background and Objectives: The attitude of health care providers towards the elderly has an important effect on the quality of service delivery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of health staff in Gorgan towards the elderly. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 395 health care providers in Gorgan in 2019 were selected by census sampling method and completed a questionnaire on demographic information and attitudes towards the elderly. Data were analyzed by independent t-test, Pearson’ s correlation coefficient, and one-way analysis of variance. Results: 73 participants (18. 5%) had a good attitude towards the elderly, 319 (80. 8%) had a moderate attitude, and 3 (0. 8%) had a weak attitude. There was a statistically significant relationship between the overall score of attitude towards the elderly and job background (p<0. 001). Conclusion: There was a moderate attitude towards the elderly in most of the participants. Designing and implementing more interventions is necessary to promote a positive attitude towards the elderly.