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Background: Meteorological parameters and seasonal changes can play an important role in the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, there is almost no evidence on a national level to suggest the associations between these variables and ACS in Iran. We aim to identify the meteorological parameters and seasonal changes in relationship to ACS. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted between 03/19/2015 to 03/18/2016 and used documents and records of patients with ACS in Mazandaran Province Heart Center, Iran. The following definitive diagnostic criteria for ACS were used: (1) existence of cardiac enzymes (CK or CK-MB) above the normal range; (2) Greater than 1 mm ST-segment elevation or depression; (3) abnormal Q waves; and (4) manifestation of troponin enzyme in the blood. Data were collected daily, such as temperature (Celsius) changes, wind speed and its direction, rainfall, daily evaporation rate; number of sunny days, and relative humidity were provided by the Meteorological Organization of Iran. Results: A sample of 2,054 patients with ACS were recruited. The results indicated the highest ACS events from March to May. Generally, wind speed (18 PM) [IRR = 1.051 (95% CI: 1.019 to 1.083), P = 0.001], daily evaporation [IRR = 1.039 (95% CI: 1.003 to 1.077), P = 0.032], daily maximum (P < 0.001) and minimum (P = 0.003) relative humidity was positively correlated with ACS events. Also, negatively correlated variables were daily relative humidity (18 PM) [IRR = 0.985 (95% CI: 0.978 to 0.992), P < 0.001], and daily minimum temperature [IRR = 0.942 (95% CI: 0.927 to 0.958), P < 0.001]. Conclusion: Climate changes were found to be significantly associated with ACS; especially from cold weather to hot weather in March, April and May. Further research is needed to fully understand the specific conditions and cold exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious and spiritual practices are related to physical and mental health. Social support is an important source to aid coping, but this is not without its difficulties. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between religious coping and self-care in a sample of Iranian cancer patients. In this cross-sectional study (October-December, 2015), 380 cancer patients were entered into the study using non random sampling (accessible sampling). Data were collected using socio-demographic, religious coping (R-COPE), and self-care questionnaires. Male patients (48.39 ± 13.39; 95% CI 46.41-50.38) were older than the females patients (45.33 ± 18.44; 95% CI 42.79-47.87). The findings indicated that there was a significant correlation between self-care and positive religious coping (r = .188, p = .009). Also there was a significant relationship between self-care and a history of smoking (p < .05). It seems that improving the level of positive religious affiliation can have beneficial effect on the self-care of cancer patients. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct these studies with greater scale and more different societies to achieve more reliable results about the effects of religious coping on self-care behaviors in cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain of cancer had various significant side effects that based on the literature it can reduced by religious coping methods. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between religious coping and pain perception in Iranian cancer patients. In this cross-sectional study (October-December, 2015), 380 hospitalized cancer patients were entered to the study using accessible sampling. Data were collected by socio-demographic, Religious Coping and McGill pain questionnaires. Males (48.39 ± 13 ± 39; CI95: 46.41-50.38) are older than females (45.33 ± 18.44; CI95: 42.79-47.87). According to results, there was a significant relationship between pain perception and positive religious coping in cancer patients. Also there was a significant relationship between pain perception and family history of cancer (P < 0.05). It seems that improving the level and quality of positive religious affiliation can be effective on the amount of stimulation and pain of cancer patients. Of course, more comprehensive studies are needed to be achieved more reliable results about the effects of religious coping on pain perception in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Research indicates that the age of onset of first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an essential element in the life expectancy that has been decreasing in developing countries. There are various studies performed in Iran reporting a range of ages at time of AMI. Thus, this meta-analysis study is designed to determine the mean age at first AMI in the Iranian population. METHODS: All studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were reviewed using standard keywords in the databases from 2000 to 2016. Two raters verified a total of 658 articles. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria of this study for meta-analysis. Cochran test and I-squared (I2) were used for samples' homogeneity. Pooled estimates of mean were calculated using the random effects inverse-variance model. RESULTS: The mean age of AMI varied between 55.9 to 62.9 years among the primary studies. The pooled mean age of first AMI with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the total sample, men, and women were 59 (58.9, 60.4), 58.7 (58.3, 59.2), and 64.2 (63.5, 64.8), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis shows that the mean age of first onset of AMI in Iranian people is slightly lower than that reported elsewhere; and it is lower for men than for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-care and pain control in patients with cancer. Methods: In this cross-sectional study (October to December, 2015) 380 cancer patients were admitted to one of the hospitals af- filiated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (Sari, Iran) entered to the study using simple random sampling. Data was collected by a demographic questionnaire, self-care scale and McGill pain questionnaire. The statistical package for social sciences, version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was utilized for data analysis by descriptive and infernal statistic tests (Spearman's correlation and Generalized Linear models). Results: Males in the study (48.39 ± 13 ± 39; CI95: 46.41 - 50.38) were older than females (45.33 ± 18.44; CI95: 42.79 - 47.87). Based on the results of the processing of the Generalized Linear Models, there was not a significant relationship between pain perception and self-care in cancer patients (P > 0.05). But there was a significant relationship between pain perception and its two subsets of physical self-care (B = -1.102, P < 0.001) and emotional self -care (B = 0.823, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Considering the adverse effects of chronic pain treatment process and secondary problems, more comprehensive studiesmustbedoneabout the effects of self-carebehaviorsonthe perception of pain so that effective steps can be taken to intervene and promote the health of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aims at investigating the relationship between religious coping behaviors and depression in Iranian patients with cancer. Methods: In this cross sectional study (October to December, 2015), 380 patients with cancer, admitted to the associated university's medical sciences hospitals (Sari, Iran), were entered to the present study, using non-random sampling (accessible sampling). Data were collected by demographic questionnaire, center for epidemiological studies depression scale (CES-D), and religious coping questionnaire (RCOPE). The statistical package for social sciences, version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis by descriptive and infernal statistic tests (Spearman's correlation and generalized linear models). Results: Males (48.39-13-39; CI95: 46.41 - 50.38) were older than females (45.33-18.44; CI95: 42.79 - 47.87). The results of spearman correlation test suggested that there was a negative and significant correlation between positive religious coping and depression (r = 0.134, P = 0.009). In addition, there was a significant relationship between depression and level of education (P < 0.05), the economic status (P < 0.05), age (B = -0.078; P = 0.002), gender (B = 2.604; P < 0.001), marital status (B = 3.073; P = 0.001), and history of cigarette smoking (B = -2.176; P = 0.003) in patients with cancer. Conclusions: Considering the adverse effects of depression on the treatment process and secondary problems, more comprehensive studies should be conducted on the effects of religious coping on depression in order to take effective steps towards the intervention and health promotion of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonpharmacological methods of pain relief such as acupressure are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Practitioners often claim that such methods are highly effective and less invasive than analgesic drugs, but available empirical evidence is largely inconclusive. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that, postacupressure intervention, the amount of pain experienced by sampled leukemia patients, who received acupressure in addition to standard care, will reduce substantially compared to patients who received only routine treatment. This controlled trial was undertaken with hospitalized leukemia patients between February and June 2015. Our primary sample consisted of 100 participants who were randomly allocated to 2 groups. One (intervention) group underwent 12 acupressure sessions in addition to standard treatment while the control group received no intervention apart from being given the standard treatment for leukemia. The visual analogue scale was used to measure the levels of pain experienced. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups across 12 interventions. However, each group reported significantly different pain level changes before and after each intervention, suggested that the acupressure method was effective in reducing pain in the short term. Nurses are able to apply this complementary therapy alongside other procedures to manage these patients' pain. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to better understand the specific conditions under which acupressure can provide effective pain relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The present study was done to assess the cultural adaption and psychometric properties of Persian version of VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire in Iranian patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Methods: This cross-cultural psychometrics study was conducted in 2016. About 270 DVT patients completed a Persian version of the VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire. The face, content, and construct validity were assessed. Internal consistency, test–retest, and construct reliability (CR) were used to assess reliability. Results: Three-factor solution was extracted that explaining 71.373% of the total variance. Goodness-of-fit indices (GFI; χ2(68) =332.037, p <.05, χ2/ df = 4.882, GFI =.862, CFI =.928, NFI =.914, IFI =.928, RMSEA (90% confidence interval) =.091 [.081,.110]) in the final VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire structure demonstrated the adequacy of the three-domain structure. The reliability was greater than.70. Conclusions: The VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire was found to be a valid and reliable assessment tool for quality of life in Iranian patients with DVT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]