JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND CARE
Year:2015 | Volume:17 | Issue:3|Papers Count:8

Background & objectives: Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder that puts trouble for many people worldwide. The impact of epilepsy on the self-efficacy and quality of life of patients is greater than the limitations imposed by the seizures alone. Worry, uncertainty and stigma associated with epilepsy may affect the self-efficacy and quality of life. The present study aimed to identify the relationship of worry, uncertainty and stigma with the self-efficacy and quality of life in the patients with epilepsy.Methods: A descriptive-correlational design was used to conduct the study. Through the convenience sampling method, 60 patients with epilepsy admitted to the neurology unit of Alavi hospital affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences were involved in the study during 2014. Data were collected by administering the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Epilepsy Stigma Scale, Epilepsy Self-Efficacy and Epilepsy Quality of Life Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson s correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis in SPSS v.20.Results: Findings indicated that quality of life of patients with epilepsy negatively correlated with reported worry, uncertainty and stigma (p=0.000), also self-efficacy negatively correlated with the social stigma (p=0.008). Regression analysis also showed that 44 percent of the variance in quality of life and 21% of the variance of self-efficacy in these patients is predicted by uncertainty, fear and social stigma.Conclusions: According to the findings, patients with epilepsy suffer from stigma, uncertainty and worry; and consequently the sense of self-efficacy is decreased among them so they need support from the community and family.

Background & objectives: Sleep plays an important role in development of children. Sleep affects physical growth, behavior, emotion and cognitive function. Also, learning activities and attention are affected by sleep quality. This study aimed to determine the sleep disorders and related factors among preschool children in the health centers affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, 2013.Methods: This was a descriptive-cross sectional study carried on 400 children selected by cluster sampling method. At first, health centers divided to zones of North, South, West and East; then two centers from each zone were selected. Data were collected by Questionnaire included two sections of demographic characteristics and the Children’s Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ). Additionally factors including age, BMI, being unwanted or wanted child, job and education of parents were included. Data were analyzed by SPSS v.16 and descriptive statistics and Chi-square test was used. P-values under 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: Mean age of children was 64.3±9.3 months. Prevalence of sleep disorders was 36.3%. Sleep disorders were associated with age, body mass index of children, mother’s diseases, father’s drug abuse and marital status of parents (p<0.05).Conclusion: Sleep disturbances threaten growth and development of children, and should be considered as important and effective agent in their health. Nutritional problems leading to obesity, high risk behaviors of parents, disease of mother and marital conflict of parents may lead to sleep disorders in children. We suggest parents must be diligent in making safe and conflictless environment.

Background & objectives: Anxiety is defined as an unpleasant and vague feeling and often is associated with a sense of uncertainty about an unknown factor. Students who are trained in the hospital settings like operating rooms are affected by stressful factors. Problem-solving is a short-term intervention that can be used to treat psychological problems. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of problem-solving skill training on anxiety among operating room students.Methods: This quasi-experimental study with a pre-and post-test design was conducted on operation room students of Ahvaz-Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, 2013. Data was collected by the demographic information form and Spielberger’s questionnaire. After an initial screening of 90 students, 60 person who had high level of anxiety were randomly divided into experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The experimental group obtained 8 sessions (one session per week) problem solving training and two months later, the test repeated. The control group only followed-up without any intervention. Data were analyzed using chi-square and t-test in SPSS (v.19).Results: The results showed that problem solving training significantly decreased state anxiety (p<0.001), but did not decreased the trait anxiety.Conclusion: In general, problem solving training course has positive effect on decreasing the anxiety in operating room students. Therefore this training course is suggested for students as a low-cost and simple method.

Background & objectives: Providing the health care service accompanies with a degree of risk. Since attaining comprehensive safety requires a preliminary evaluation of the present situation, this study aimed to determiner the safety status of children admitted to the hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was performed in the medical and surgical wards of the Mofid children Hospital in Tehran during 2013-2014. A researcher made observation-based checklist about children’ safety was used to collect the data about equipments’ safety, physical environment and nursing cares. Based on the achieved scores, hospital’s safety conditions were categorized into three groups of favorable, relatively favorable, and unfavorable.Results: Data analysis showed the adherence of children settings to safety measures. Regarding equipment’s safety, 77.6% was favorable, 45.6% of physical environment scored as relatively favorable, and 66.5% of nursing cares graded as favorable.Conclusion: This study showed that the safety state of pediatric wards of the Mofid hospital affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences was desirable in equipments and the safety status of the physical environment; nevertheless nursing care measure was moderate which can lead to problems and hazards for patients. Finally, reinforcing the safety measures in the three criteria is necessary to decreas the risks and subsequently improvement of safety in hospital.

Background & objectives: Thalassemia accompanies with serious side effects in children and can make them fatigue, weak and afflicted during childhood and adolescence. Besides increasing the complexity and difficulty of patients condition, self-efficacy would be decreased. Storytelling is a method of observational learning that can promote self-efficacy. This study was performed to determine the effect of storytelling on self-efficacy in children with Thalassemia aged 7-12 Years.Methods: In this randomized clinical trial 60 children with thalassemia referred to pediatric clinics in the city of Mashhad, Iran in 2014 was randomly allocated to control and intervention (storytelling) groups. In the intervention group, stories were read for one hour in eight sessions. Control group did not receive any intervention. Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) was completed by the children in three stages: before, after and 1 month after the intervention. Data were analyzed by independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS (v.16).Results: Based on data analysis, self-efficacy and its dimensions were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001); and self efficacy in storytelling group increased significantly.Conclusion: The results emphasized on the effectiveness of storytelling on general self-efficacy in children with thalassemia. This study introduces storytelling as an interesting technique to improve self-efficacy of children in the child friendly hospitals.

Background & objective: Epilepsy is a chronic neurologic condition that includes a group of disorders characterized by recurrent seizures and neurobiological, psychosocial and psychological consequences for people who suffer from it. Generally patients with epilepsy do not receive enough social support in the community. In addition, information is the basic requirement for patients who suffer from epilepsy; but they have a moderate to weak information about the disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and self-management with quality of life in patients with epilepsy.Methods: A descriptive-correlational design was used to conduct the study. Through the convenience sampling method 60 patients with epilepsy admitted to the neurology unit of Alavi hospital affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences were involved in the study during 2014. Data were collected by administering the Social Support Scale, Epilepsy Self-Management Scale and Epilepsy Quality of Life Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson s correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis in SPSS v.20.Results: The results showed that social support and self-management have significant positive correlation with quality of life (p=0.002).This means that by increasing social support and improving self-management education to patients, their quality of life can be enhanced. Regression analysis showed that %18.5 of variance in quality of life was determinated by friends support.Conclusion: According to the results, the need for correct and proper support from the community and the family is essential; and also self-care strategies should be taught to patient to be able to live in the community with higher quality of life.

Background & objectives: Self-control supposed to be one of the basic and fundamental characters of personality that plays important role in overcoming unhealthy desires or impulses and as well doing sociable and normal behaviors. Prior studies have shown the role of religion as preventive and protective for drug addiction in the adolescences. This research aimed to study the role of religious orientation and self-control in prediction of drug addiction potential.Methods: One hundred and ten female students of Kharazmi University in Iran living in dormitory were selected using convenience sampling method during the first semester (fall semester) in 2014. Research tools included Alport Religious Orientation, short form of Tanjeni self-control and Weed & Butcher drug addiction potential scale. Data were analyzed by Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression Analysis (stepwise).Results: Result of data analysis showed there was a meaningful relation between intrinsic religious orientation, self-control and risk of drug addiction. Based on multiple regression analysis (stepwise), intrinsic religious orientation and self-control can predict the changes in drug addiction potential up to 19%.Conclusion: Because of the special and important role of religious beliefs in daily life of people, they play an important role in confronting with deviant behaviors. Moreover, risky and deviant behaviors such as addictions can be prevented through reinforcing self-control skills.

Background & objectives: Women with a high quality of life are the bases of healthy families and happiness. Quality of life is related with different aspects of health, physical safety, mental and social life of the people and influenced by many factors. The purpose of this study was to predict the quality of life of married women based on sexual attitude and knowledge and personality traits.Methods: The design of this study was correlational and statistical population comprised of all married women in Rasht, Iran. From this population, 150 married women were selected using convenience sampling method. The used tools were Quality of life Questionnaire of World Health Organization, Marital Sexual Function Scale and Five-Factor Personality Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed through Pearson’s correlation coefficient and regression analysis.Results: The findings showed a positive significant correlation between sexual attitude and knowledge with quality of life of married women and there was positive correlation between personality dimensions of extraversion, openness, conscience and pleasant with quality of life. Also there was negative correlation between personality dimensions of neuroticism with quality of life. The results of regression analysis also revealed that 45% of the total variance of quality of life can be explained by sexual knowledge, attitude and personality traits.Conclusion: Hence, it can be concluded that with increasing the level of knowledge and sexual attitude of married women, the quality of life increases. On the other hand, having the features such as extraversion, flexibility, agreeableness and accountability can increase women’s quality of life; and in contrast, the characteristic of neuroticism decreases the quality of life among married women. Therefore, considering the importance of quality of life of married women and role of knowledge and sexual attitude and personality traits to predict it, attention to women's awareness about sexual knowledge and attitude and breeding desirable personality traits would be necessary.