Iranian Rehabilitation Journal
Year:2016 | Volume:14 | Issue:3|Papers Count:8

Objectives: Identification of developmental disabilities in the initial years of life provides an opportunity for early intervention. However there are limitations in this procedure, like the lack of appropriate instruments. The purpose of this study was to develop a verbal and non-verbal communication screening instrument and determining its validity and reliability in Persianspeaking children aged between 12 and 24 months.Methods: Parents of 147 children aged between 12 and 24 months participated in this study. Prior to the data collection, we reviewed communication tests and texts in Persian and English articles. We determined the content validity by calculating impact score of content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI). Test-retest reliability was calculated within an interval of 1 week.Results: The CVR score for the first group was between 0.57 and 1, and for the second group, between 0.79 and 1. These values were acceptable. CVI score for both groups was within 0.79-1 range. Impact score for items in the first group was 3-4.7, and in the second group, 2.9-4.8. By calculating interclass correlation, the Cronbach a coefficient and Spearman’s rho in two administrations within 1-week interval, the test-retest reliability was evaluated, which was acceptable.Discussion: The findings of this study show that this checklist has reasonable validity and reliability for both groups. The checklist is an integrated instrument for screening children who are at risk of verbal and non-verbal communication delay or disorders.

Objectives: The present research has been carried out to investigate the effectiveness of group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on modification of body image and quality of life in women with breast cancer undergoing mastectomy.Materials: This research is a quasi-experimental study (pretest-posttest with control). In this clinical trial, 50 voluntary patients who had undergone mastectomy in 2013 and 2014 were screened among the patients admitted to Omid Hospital and Reza Treatment Center in Mashhad and were randomly divided into experimental group (n=25) and control group (n=25). First, both groups were pretested. Then, the experimental group received group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy treatments during eight sessions of 120 minutes (one session per week), but the control group received no treatment. At the end of treatment, both groups received the post-test. Data collection tools included standard questionnaires EROTIC QLQ-Br 23.V.3 and the quality of life questionnaire (SF-36). The data were analyzed based on covariance analysis using SPSS software (Version 20).Results: Comparison of the mean scores of quality of life and body image showed a significant difference between the control and experimental groups after receiving the treatment (P<0.01). In other words, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was effective on the quality of life and modification of body image in patients.Discussion: Group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can be considered as an effective and efficient approach to the quality of life and modification of body image in women with breast cancer who have undergone mastectomy.

Objectives: One of the factors predicting language impairments is an early limited lexicon in children. An early limited lexicon can also lead to limited performances in other language areas. This study was aimed to examine receptive and expressive vocabulary in 8-16 month-old children with cleft lip and palate as a predictor of development in other language areas.Materials: The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) was used to collect data. Thirty children with cleft palate/lip and palate who had visited the Isfahan’s cleft lip and palate team were analyzed and compared to 30 children without cleft lip and palate.Results: According to the study results, there was no significant difference between the children with cleft lip and palate and the normal children in terms of the number of words, but the children with cleft lip and palate had significantly less expressive vocabulary than the normal children.Discussion: The results indicated that children with cleft lip and palate experience a delay in the development of the number of expressive vocabulary, and this delay affects higher levels of language, reading and writing skills of these children. This indicates the importance of providing early evaluations and interventions for children with cleft lip and palate.

Objectives: The primary purpose of this study was to determine the methods and means of prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease. In this study, we used a new regimen on heart rate and functional capacity of patients after myocardial infarction. This study also determines the effect of a new regimen on these factors.Methods: The cross sectional study was designed to assess the clinical trials before and after intervention. The effect of our new regimen was assessed according to method of Bruce stress test. The values of heart rate and functional capacity before and after intervention were compared.Results: The Bruce stress test revealed a significant increase in functional capacity of the participants. The criterion deviation in functional capacity variable was 13.19±2.242 METS and 24.42±6.00 METS before and after the training sessions, respectively. A rise in the amount of METS (body oxygen survey at rest state equal to 3.5 milliliter oxygen to each kg person weight at minute) from secondary post test to primary test was observed (P<0.05). There was a decrease in heart rate after ten sessions of training. The criterion deviation and average of the heart rate variable was 83.30±11.71 and 81.60±13.45 before and after the sessions, respectively (P<0.05).Discussion: Cardiac rehabilitation can increase the performance of blood circulation and uptake of oxygen in body. Due to these changes, there was a significant increase in the functional capacity and an insignificant reduction in the heart rate.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the type and priority needs of people with multiple sclerosis in Khuzestan using Persian version of the Southampton Needs Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ) and their relationship to age, gender, and physical disability scale, respectively.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the priority needs of 100 patients with multiple sclerosis (aged below 18 years) were studied, whose diagnosis had crossed over a period of one year. This study was covered by the MS Society of Khuzestan Province. Out of 100 patients, 25 were men and 75 were women. The data were analyzed to calculate the dispersion index of the unmet needs after the determination of initial priority needs by using the chi-square statistics.Results: Based on the patients’ responses, around eight unmet needs were located. Treatment needs, rehabilitation, and financial assistance were the first priority, the need for affordable housing and optimizing environment were at the second place, and employment, information, and fun were at the third place. With the increasing scale of physical disability, the dependence of the individuals on basic needs like treatment, rehabilitation, financial service and, accessibility for an optimizing environmental increases, and people’s satisfaction with the quality of health services reduces (P<0.05). The findings of the study also highlighted that need for information increases with increase in age (P<0.05).Discussion: In order to meet the needs of people with multiple sclerosis in Khuzestan province, attempts should be made by planners and authorities to fix the therapeutic, rehabilitation, and financial issues at first, followed by the issues of affordable housing. Appropriate measures should be implemented for the success of these programs, and proper assessments of its functionality should be done in a periodic manner.

Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of resiliency training in improving the mother-child relationship between mothers and their children with mental retardation.Methods: This study employed an experimental design (pre-test, post-test) with the control group. The statistical population consisted of 52 mothers and their educable and mentally retarded children (3-12 years old) who were kept at daily welfare agency centers in Babol city, Iran. The experimental group received resiliency training program in 12 sessions (70 mins for each session) while the control group received no intervention. The measurement tool consisted of the mother-child’s relationship questionnaire. Data analysis was done using multivariate analysis of covariance at a significance level of P<0.05.Results: The post-test analysis showed a significant decrease in the exclusion of children, extreme support and the easy going nature of mothers in the experimental group; however, the acceptance rate of mothers increased significantly.Discussion: It seems that the resiliency training program improves the mother-child relationship in the case of mothers and their mentally retarded children and hence, reduces the exclusion, extreme support, and being easy-going nature. This improvement may be due to the changing attitude towards disability and improvement in the skills and behaviors of mothers.

Objectives: Multimedia messages are designed considering how the human brain functions as opposed to other forms of media that are not planned accordingly. They are likely to lead to more effective and meaningful learning. In the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, it is assumed, firstly, that the human information processing system has two separate channels for processing: visual and auditory.Methods: This research is an applied one in terms of objective. A pretest and posttest, with a control group, research design for the collection of data also makes it a quasi-experimental one. The statistical population included all educable, mentally retarded students in grades two and three of elementary schools in Qasr-e Shirin in the academic year 2014-2015. Twelve students were selected through accessible sampling method and were randomly assigned into control and experimental groups.Results: The results showed that the implementation of multimedia training is effective in the development of self-help and life skills of educable, mentally retarded students.Discussion: The findings indicated that multimedia education can be used to develop self-help and life skills along with traditional methods.

Objectives: Following the rise in the elderly population worldwide and the increase in chronic diseases among this demographic with their consequent need for care, the subject of elderly care is becoming increasingly important. Considering the traditional standing of the elderly in Iranian society and the importance of in-community care for them, it seems of crucial importance to study the obstacles hindering the care for community-dwelling elderly for a better understanding of the status. This can also facilitate the conditions for the care-givers and care-receivers on the part of policy makers and managers.Methods: In this study, using purposive sampling, 19 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with informal care-givers and were then transcribed verbatim. The content analysis of the transcribed interviews was carried out by determining conceptual units, precise coding, and constant comparative method. Then, the sub-categories and main categories were gradually formed.Results: Data analysis was carried out in constant mode simultaneous with the data collection. From the whole set of interviews, 311 preliminary codes were extracted. The codes were obtained throughout the process of analysis in three main categories of personal, family, and social factors. All categories had their own subcategories that were integrated into certain categories based on their own specific characteristics. The subcategories included the characteristics of the caregiver and the elderly, the lack of knowledge and awareness about caregiving, the lack of support and cooperation on the part of the family members, financial problems, unsuitable homes, the lack of government support, and obstacles hindering the presence of the elderly in the society.Discussion: The inhibitors affect a proper caregiving and based on their own nature, cause discomfort to the caregiver and care receiver. Many of these cases are deemed as rectifiable hindrances that can lead us to optimal care for community-dwelling elderly if the cases are taken into consideration and proper strategies are designed and implemented in small and large scale planning.