Pajouhan Scientific Journal
Year:2024 | Volume:22 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

Background and Objectives: Social anxiety disorder in children and adolescents is associated with some psychological problems that require effective treatment. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy on emotion regulation and sleep habits of children with social anxiety. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest control group design. The research population included primary school students in the fourth to sixth grades in Qom City, Iran in 2019 academic year. In total, 46 students whose scores were higher than 29.5 in the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, were selected and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The participants answered the pre-test Emotion Regulation Checklist and Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Afterward, the intervention group participated in 16 sessions of therapy and the control group remained on the waiting list. Finally, the participants were evaluated at the post-test stage and the collected data were examined by analysis of covariance and SPSS software. Results: Based on the results of multivariate analysis of covariance, after the control of pre-test effects, there was a significant difference in the linear combination of emotion regulation and sleep habits variables of the two groups (Wilks' lambda=0.063, F10,23=34.182, P=0.001). The tests of univariate analysis of covariance also showed a significant increase in emotion regulation and a significant decrease in emotional lability/negativity and sleep disorders (except the sleep onset delay) in the intervention group after the therapeutic sessions. Conclusion: Emotion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is an important and effective treatment for emotion regulation and sleep habits in socially anxious children who are referred to mental health professionals.

Background and Objectives: Parents of children with hearing disorders use various coping strategies, including hope. Spiritual attitude can affect the level of hope in individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between spiritual attitude and hope in parents of children with hearing disorders. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was performed on 100 parents of children with hearing disorders referred to welfare centers in Hamedan, Iran, in 2021. The participants were selected by the census method. Data were collected using a demographic survey questionnaire, a Questionnaire of Spiritual Attitude, and the Miller Hope Scale. Moreover, data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16) and statistical tests. Results: The results of the present study indicated that the mean spiritual attitude and hope in parents of children with hearing disorders were 172.76 ± 20.21 and 184.24 ± 54.23, respectively. A direct and significant relationship was observed between spiritual attitude and hope (P<0.001). The spiritual attitude was significantly associated with birth order, history of hearing disorders in other siblings, maternal occupation, and a number of children. Furthermore, the level of hope was significantly associated with birth order, number of children, accompanying parent, economic status of parents, and educational level of the child (P<0.05). Conclusion: The spiritual attitude and hope in parents of a child with hearing disorder were at a desirable level, and a significant relationship was observed between these factors and some of their demographic characteristics. Therefore, it is recommended that nurses based on parents’ characteristics, take measures to improve the spiritual attitude of parents to strengthen their hope as a successful coping method.

Background and Objectives: This study explored the association between breastfeeding vs. infant formula and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), considering parental education and employment as conferring variables. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was performed on 35 ASD children aged 6-12 years and 70 healthy children matched in terms of age and gender. Age, gender, postnatal nutrition, parental employment, and parental education were recorded with parental cooperation. Results: There was a statistically significant difference (P=0.005) between the two groups regarding the type of postnatal milk type. Consumption of infant formula alone or combined with breast milk and maternal employment, especially in governmental occupation, were associated with the risk of ASD incidence. Conclusion: This study provides further evidence of the possible protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding against ASD. In addition, child-mother physical distance due to maternal employment seemed to play a considerable role in the risk of ASD incidence.

Background and Objectives: Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) not only have impairments in cognitive functioning but also experience difficulties in perceptual and motor skills, which may lead to balance deficits and increased risk of falls. The preset study aimed to assess the relationship between fundamental motor skills and postural control adaptability and compare them in teachable children with ID and normal children. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study involved 34 girls with ID and 30 age-matched healthy peers aged 7-13. Balance variables, including amplitude, variability, and velocity of the center of pressure (CoP), were evaluated using the force plate in Tandem and Feet-together conditions. Fundamental motor skills were also assessed using the third edition of the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3). The independent t-test and repeated measures were used to examine between-group and within-group differences in balance variables. The Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's rank correlation were also employed to assess group differences and the relationship between variables. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software. A p-value less than 0.0 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results pointed out that children with ID had lower scores on the TGMD-3 test compared to the control group (P<0.05). Adaptability in variability and amplitude of CoP was significantly lower in the ID group compared to the control group (P<0.05); nonetheless, there was no significant difference between the two groups in velocity under all conditions (P>0.05). The correlation analysis also demonstrated that displacement scales and object control had a moderate and significant relationship with balance variables (P<0.05). Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, children with ID have impairments in fundamental motor skills and balance. Adaptability in postural control, especially in the anterior-posterior direction, may increase the risk of falls. Balance interventions may be effective in improving fundamental motor skills in both children with ID and those without intellectual disabilities.

Background and Objectives: Language is one of the most important components of growth in children. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a language skills improvement package based on cognitive rehabilitation and determine its effectiveness on the expressive language performance of children with specific language impairment (SLI). Materials and Methods: The method of the current research was of mixed exploratory type. The statistical population in the qualitative section were scientific articles and the opinions of university professors and experts. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through deductive thematic analysis, and then a set of interventions was developed over 12 sessions, and its content validity was confirmed. The quantitative part of the research was a clinical trial, and its statistical population included all children aged 5-7 years with a specific language disorder who were referred to private speech therapy clinics in Borujerd, Iran, among which 30 children with an average age of 6.31 ± 0.92 were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly replaced in two experimental and control groups. The instruments used in this study were the fourth version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, a semi-structured clinical interview, and the Newcomer and Hammill language development test. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 24) with analysis of variance with repeated measurements. Results: Based on the obtained results, there was a significant difference between the mean expressive language scores in the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages (P<0.01). Conclusion: In general, it can be said that the language skills promotion package based on cognitive rehabilitation is effective in improving the expressive language of children with SLI, and therefore, this package can be used as an intervention method to improve the expressive language of children with SLI.

Background and Objectives: Students can play an effective role in protecting the environment by changing environment-related beliefs and strengthening responsibility and self-efficacy. The use of behavior change models is a reasonable approach to identifying psychological factors effective on pro-environmental behavior (and is an undeniable necessity before designing cognitive-behavioral interventions. The current study aimed to determine the variables affecting pro-environmental behaviors in elementary school students in Qazvin City using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Materials and Methods: Using a multi-stage sampling method, 184 fifth- and sixth-grade students of public elementary schools participated in a cross-sectional study in 2022-2023. The data collection tool was a self-report questionnaire including demographic information, a knowledge scale, and a 20-item questionnaire to assess pro-environmental behaviors and TPB-related subscales. The data were analyzed using LISREL 8.80 software and statistical tests, such as the Chi-square test, independent T-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and path analysis at a significant level of less than 0.05. Results: The status of some behaviors, such as warning about environmental issues, controlling the ambient temperature, using public transportation, and the pattern of watching TV programs were inappropriate. The strongest correlation coefficient was reported between knowledge and attitude (r=0.675, P<0.05) and the weakest between subjective norms and behavior (r=0.235, P<0.01). Moreover, perceived behavioral control (β=0.49, P<0.05) and attitude (β=0.31, P<0.05) formed the most important constructs affecting intention, and 66.7% and 28.5% of the variance of pro-environmental intentions and behaviors was explained by TPB, respectively. Conclusion: The TPB is considered a suitable and logical theoretical framework for understanding and evaluating psychological variables effective on pro-environmental behavior in students. It is recommended to focus on attitude and perceived behavioral control in designing educational interventions to encourage pro-environmental behaviors.

Background and Objectives: Human milk has properties that can be absorbed in terms of quality and quantity, providing the energy and growth of the child. The theory of planned behavior is one of the patterns of behavior change aimed at determining the main behavior. In this model, the intention itself is affected by three independent constructs: attitude, abstract norm, and control. The present study aimed to assess the factors affecting the tendency towards exclusive breastfeeding based on the theory of planned behavior in mothers referring to comprehensive health centers in Abadan and Khorramshahr in 2022-2023. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 162 nursing mothers in Khorramshahr and Abadan in 2022 using multi-stage sampling. In this study, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) questionnaire was used. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was also used to check the reliability of the tool. Data were analyzed in AMOS software (version 24). Results: This study was conducted on 162 lactating mothers living in Abadan and Khorramshahr. In the descriptive statistics analysis, the highest and lowest mean scores were related to attitude level (34.96) and behavioral intention (11.24). Moreover, the correlation between demographic factors and breastfeeding revealed that some variables, such as parents' education, exerted a marked effect on exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: The results of the study pointed out that more than half of the children under six months were exclusively breastfed, and the initiation of breastfeeding in the first two hours of birth is one of the most important factors affecting breastfeeding. Health policymakers need to devote close attention to strengthening the child's breastfeeding attitude as soon as possible.

Background and Objectives: Early maladaptive schemas are known as cognitive or behavioral patterns that categorize information and organize relationships between them. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and mental health in students at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, with a statistical population consisting of students from the faculties of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services in the academic year 2021-2022, totaling 968 individuals. The required sample size for the regression method was determined to be 178 individuals using the Green formula. The sampling method was performed using relative stratified random sampling due to the homogeneity of the study community units. Results: The results of the Spearman correlation test showed a significant negative relationship (P=0.01) between early maladaptive schemas and mental health in students. Specifically, there was a negative and significant relationship between early maladaptive schemas and various aspects of mental health, such as self-regulation, limitations, other-directedness, over-vigilance, and social inhibition. Conclusion: In summary, there was a significant negative relationship between early maladaptive schemas and the mental health of students at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. This study can be used to understand the factors affecting the mental health of students and their relationship with early maladaptive schemas.