Search

When people hear about someone who has cancer, it is not uncommon for them to experience feelings of sympathy and pity. However, while these reactions are well-intentioned, they can have negative consequences for the patient. Sympathy is a feeling or emotional response characterized by compassion, understanding, and concern for the suffering or hardship experienced by another person. It involves the ability to share in the feelings of others and to genuinely care about their well-being. This article will explore the negative consequences of sympathy and pity reactions of people toward cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the studies done in Iran, there has been no study investigating self-blame attributions in patients with cardiovascular disease. Moreover, there has been no standard scale for assessing self-blame attributions available in Persian. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution (CSBA-P) Scale in patients with cardiovascular disease. In this 2019 methodological study, 400 patients with cardiovascular disease completed the Persian version of the Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution scale. We evaluated the face, content, and construct validity (both exploratory and confirmatory) of the measure. The results of the confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis extracted a separate factor explained 56.249% of the variance. One factor fit model was confirmed according to standard measures such as RMSEA = 0.074, CMIN/DF = 2.454. The reliability of the scale was calculated and confirmed with a Cronbach coefficient of 0.938, construct reliability of 0.938, and ICC of 0.895. The Persian version of the Cardiac Self-Blame Attribution scale (CSBA-P) yielded acceptable validity and reliability. Thus, this scale can be used in future research to assess self-blame attributions among cardiac populations who speak Persian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The psychological construct of hope is an important determinant for mental health and well-being. The availability of valid and reliable instruments to measure hope is, therefore, critical. Despite a large number of psychometric studies on the Herth Hope Index (HHI), its construct validity has not yet been determined. Therefore, this paper aimed to conduct a systematic review of the psychometric properties of the HHI. Methods: Databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Magiran, SID, IranDoc, and IranMedex were evaluated systematically using the terms "HHI," "psychometric," "validity," "reliability," and related terms (with the use of OR and AND operators) and no restrictions on the year of publication. A total of 13 eligible studies were found published between 1992 and 2018 in the USA, Portugal, Switzerland, Iran, Germany, Petersburg, Japan, the Netherlands, Lima, Peru, and Norway. The methodology used in the available studies included principal component analysis (n = 6), maximum likelihood estimation (n = 5), and principal axis factoring (n = 1). One study did not point the methodology. Results: Four studies reported the total extracted variances to be less than 50%, six studies reported variance between 50% and 60%, and three papers reported variance that exceeded 60%. Of the papers that examined the factor structure of the HHI, two studies reported a one-factor solution, seven reported two factors, and four reported a three-factor solution. Although the HHI is the most widely translated and psychometrically tested tool in languages other than English, psychometric variations in factor solutions remain inconsistent. Conclusion: Findings highlight the need for future research that appraises the validity of the HHI in different countries, and how the measure relates to other scales that evaluate hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the effect of self-care training on emotional intelligence of nursing students. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on nursing students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2016. The subjects (60 students) that were collected with random sampling method were divided into experimental and control groups, and then, self-care behaviors were taught to the experimental group' students in 12 sessions by using a checklist. The subjects of control group were not taught. Emotional intelligence was measured by using Bradberry and Greaves' standard questionnaire before and after the intervention. Emotional intelligence scores of students in the experimental group showed positive and significant change between before (75.33 ± 7.23) and after (125.70 ± 7.79) of training (P < 0.001). Also t test shows a significant change in control (78.73 ± 6.54) and experimental groups (125.70 ± 7.79), after of training (P < 0.001). It is recommended that special programs be organized in order to improve the emotional intelligence of students that improve the likelihood of their success in life. [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]

Aim: The present study is aimed to investigate the effect of red sugar on functional constipation in children compared to figs syrup. Background: Treatment of constipation in childhood improves gastrointestinal function in the future and regular bowel habit. Red sugar is an effective ingredient in the treatment of constipation. Figs syrup is the other common natural substance used to treat constipation in children. Conducted studies on these two substances and similar herbal substances have shown their beneficial effects, but in a conducted study, it is reported that the effect of fig syrup is less than the chemical material. Methods: This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) Study was done in 2016. First, by performing an examination and filling out the identifying form of the patient's health status, mothers respond to the designed questionnaire. 30 children with constipation were treated with the usual drug, fig syrup, and 30 other children received red sugar. After a 4-week treatment period, the examination was conducted again and the questionnaire was filled out again. The changes following the intervention were measured and the status before and after treatment were compared as well. The analyses were performed using SPSS 20 (SPSS for Windows, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: In this study, there was no significant difference between effects of red sugar and fig syrup in terms of the frequency of fecal excretion, and pain at the time of excretion (p = 0.264). However, the fig syrup was more effective in reducing the anorexia (p < 0.001) and abdominal pain compared with fig syrup (p < 0.001). Also fig syrup was more effective in inducing diarrhea (p = 0.019). Conclusion: In general, treatment by red sugar has been effective in improving the functional characteristics of constipation in children; and did not show any complication and toxic effects. It is easily accessible at affordable prices to resolve childhood constipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some studies show that a low level of emotional intelligence (EI) is associated with self-destructive behaviors such as deviant behavior or smoking. Objective: The current study aimed at determining the effects of EI on the illicit drug use potential among nurses. Methods: The current quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2015 on 70 hospital nurses. Samples were randomly selected and divided into 2 groups (35 nurses in each group). Then, the experimental group subjects attended EI training sessions. Results: Illicit drug use potential in the experimental grouphadsignificant negative changes in comparison with that of the control group (P < 0.001) after the completion of the training sessions. Conclusions: Given the importance of EI to help nurses to avoid risky behaviors, holding training sessions on EI for nurses and nursing students appears necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) is a widely used scale that requires evaluation for the Iranian population. This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the SWBS among a sample of potential Iranian organ donors. The research was conducted in 2022 in Iran using cross-sectional methodological design. The sample consisted of 316 individuals from the Iranian community who expressed willingness to donate organs. Convenience sampling was used to select the participants. The construct validity and reliability of the Persian version of the SWBS were assessed. The results from maximum likelihood (ML) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed three factors labeled as higher power, the meaning of life, and the purpose of life, which explained 50.2% of the total variance in the concept of Spiritual Well-Being (SWB). The results indicated that the model was appropriate. Cronbach's Alpha and McDonald's Omega demonstrated an acceptable internal consistency of the scale. All the statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 27 and AMOS 27 software. These findings suggest that the Persian version of the SWBS is a reliable and valid scale for assessing the spiritual well-being of individuals who are willing to donate organs. The scale comprises 16 items related to higher power, meaning of life, and sense of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spleen cyst is a rare and often incidental finding that can be primary or secondary, parasitic or non-parasitic. Based on the size of the cyst, the patient may experience symptoms and plan of treatment based on size and symptoms will be done. Our patient was a 14 years old girl who had two years of vague abdominal pain and was referred to our hospital with severe abdominal pain. In the CT scan, three large cysts were observed in the spleen; another surgical consultation was done and recommendation for splenectomy was made. The patient became hydrated and treated with ceftriaxone and metronidazole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 28-month-old boy with hematochezia for 10 hours was admitted into our hospital. Colonoscopy was performed for the patient in which a mass-like lesion was seen with marron color. The mass suspected intussusception; thus, colonoscopy was interrupted and patient was sent to operation room. After 1 month the patient was good with no abdominal pain or defecation difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression can lead to increased medical costs, impaired individual and social functioning, nonadherence to therapeutic proceeding, and even suicide and ultimately affect quality of life. It is important to know the extent of its prevalence for successful planning in this regard. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of depression in the Iranian elderly. This systematic review and meta-analysis study was done through Medline via PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, ProQuest, SID, Embase, and Magiran with determined keywords. Screening was done on the basis of relevance to the purpose of the study, titles, abstracts, full text, and inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of the articles was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa standard scale. After primary and secondary screening, 30 articles were finally included in the study. According to the 30 articles reviewed, the prevalence of depression in the Iranian elderly was 52 percent based on the random-effects model (CI 95%: 46–58). According to the results of the present study, depression in the Iranian elderly was moderate to high. Therefore, more exact assessment in terms of depression screening in elderly people seems necessary. Coherent and systematic programs, including psychosocial empowerment counselling for the elderly and workshops for their families, are also needed. Researchers can also use the results of this study for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Organizational commitment is manifested in the forms of taking pride in organization, enhanced motivation for engaging in organizational duties, staying at organization for a longer time and knowing organization as a valuable organization. So decreased organizational commitment among medical staff led researchers to investigate the organizational commitment of CCUs in Mazandaran Heart Center. Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical study carried out in teaching hospitals of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Heart Center. Allen and Meyer's organizational commitment questionnaire was used to collect data from 90 nurses selected by census from CCU nurses. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21. Results: Of studied cases, 19 (18.9%) were male and 73 (81.1%) were female with a mean age of 7.25±34.4. Among age, job experience and work hour variables, only age and job experience were considered to be significant. Conclusions: Supervisors and managers should promote nurses' organizational commitment through giving facilities and rewards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pretest-posttest control group design is one of the most widely used quantitative experimental design models for evaluating the efficacy of programs, treatments, and interventions. Despite the prevalence and utility of this research design, best practices for data analytical procedures are not clearly defined. Invalid results decrease the chance of generalization. Given that Iranian Journals are interested in publishing pretestposttest control group design studies, it is important to denote the accuracy of them. The aim of the current study is to explore the correct procedure for using ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group designs to mitigate the potential limitations of this approach. This study explores the use of ANCOVA in pretest-posttest control group design. It has been done by analyzing data from experimental studies published in five Iranian journals indexed in PubMed or Scopus between 2011 and 2018. The results indicate that among the 280 published experimental studies in these journals, 53 papers (18.9 percent) used ANCOVA as the statistical test in pretest-posttest studies. The power of the test represents the probability of detecting differences between the groups being compared when such differences exist. Our analysis concludes that ANCOVA, which runs a multiple linear regression, is a suitable method for comparing and examining pretest-posttest study designs. Implications of this study have potential utility for researchers employing the use of pretest-posttest control group designs in various fields in and outside of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since spiritual well-being has a significant role in individual and social health, using a valid scale to identify these properties is essential. Comparing factor structure and differences in the number of dimensions and items of subscales could be an indicator of differences in individuals' attitudes toward spirituality among diverse cultures. The present review was performed for psychometric evaluation of the spiritual well-being measures. A systematic review of international databases and Iranian databases was conducted to evaluate studies published between January 1, 1970, and October 1, 2022. QUADAS-2, STARD, and COSMIN scales were used for risk of bias assessment. Following two rounds of screening, 14 articles entered quality assessment. According to the results, studies examining the factor structure of the spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) instrument have been conducted for the years 1998 to 2022. The mean age of the participants in these studies ranged from 20.8 to 79.08 years. During the process of exploratory factor analysis, the researchers reported the presence of two to five latent factors, and the range of explained variance was between 35.6 and 71.4%. However, most of the reports indicated the existence of two or three latent factors. The findings of the present study provide an image of the psychometric status of the SWBS for researchers and clinicians in this field and can help them make optimum decisions in selecting a scale or conducting additional psychometric studies or adopting this scale for studies in new populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses are an important part of the health system, thus it is essential to evaluate the quality of their working life. Based on various studies, positive religious coping has positive consequences such as higher self-esteem and better quality of life. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the association between religious coping and quality of work life among nurses during year 2015. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 285 nurses of four training-therapeutic hospitals (who were selected with the multi-stage sampling method) of Sari city. Data collection tools consisted of a 31-item standard questionnaire of religious coping andWalton's standard questionnaire of quality of working life that included 32 items. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 using descriptive (mean and SD) and inferential statistics (Pearson and Spearman correlation). Results: Among 285 nurses, 70 (24.6%) were male and 215 (74.4%) were female with an average age of 33 (SD = 6.95; 95%CI: 32.19 - 33.81) years. The mean and standard deviation of religious coping and quality of work life for nurses were 101±16.798 and 85.57±16.769, respectively. Based on statistical test of Pearson correlation, a direct and significant relationship was found between variables of religious coping behaviors and quality of working life of nurses (r = 0.387, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results revealed that there was a significant association between religious coping and quality of life of nurses, and it seemed that by making efforts to improve the quality of religious coping in this group and by frequent training sessions, the quality of life of nurses can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review study fills an important gap by aiming to determine the age changes in attempted and completed suicide in Iran during the past decade. A systematic review of related articles in international and Iranian databases from January 2008 to January 2020 was first conducted and relevant studies were extracted based on established criteria. Results showed that the mean age of suicide in Iran is 29.8 (range 27.7 – 31.8) years old for men and 27.4 (range 25.8 – 28.9) for women (P < 0.0001). The youngest and oldest populations of completed suicide belong to eastern and central regions of the country respectively. Findings imply the critical importance of increasing awareness through educational programs and public health campaigns to increase awareness and reduce suicidal behavior in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aimed to summarize the evidence regarding the relationship between spirituality and religiosity with death anxiety (DA) among cancer patients. This systematic review was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) checklist. An extensive search was conducted on electronic databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database (SID) via keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings from the earliest to February 9, 2022. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies (AXIS tool). Fifteen studies were selected for inclusion in this systematic review. Nine and six studies assessed the relationship between spirituality and religiosity with DA in cancer patients, respectively. Most studies had a negative relationship between spirituality (n = 8) and religiosity (n = 4) with DA. In sum, most studies showed that religion and spirituality are negatively related to DA in patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring use of valid and reliable scales for evaluating death anxiety that are relevant to the cultural context where they are applied is essential. The purpose of the study was to conduct a systematic review of the psychometric properties of Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) across cultures. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, SID, and Magiran databases were systematically searched for studies published between 1970 and 2017 using Mesh terms. Two independent researchers used Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies and Checklist of Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy to evaluate study quality. Included studies were conducted in Iran, United States, Italy, China, Egypt, Spain, and Australia. Overall study quality was acceptable in 15 evaluated articles. However, findings demonstrated that two (one study), three (seven studies), four (four studies), and five factors (three studies) were extracted across the respective studies. Confirmatory concurrent validity was assessed in two studies. While Templer's DAS has stood the test of time as a commonly used index of capturing the conscious experience of death anxiety, there are psychometric inconsistencies in identified factor solutions across cultures. Findings emphasize the need for continued evaluation of how the DAS is translated in specific countries with assessment in relation to other death construct tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship among spiritual intelligence, spiritual well-being and death anxiety among Iranian veterans. In this predictive correlational study, 211 veterans completed King and DeCicco's Spiritual Intelligence Scale, Paloutzian and Ellison's Spiritual Well-being Scale and Templer's Death Anxiety Scale-Extended. After confirming the reliability of the constructs using intra-class correlation coefficient, partial least squares structural equation modeling method was utilized to assess the impact of spiritual well-being and spiritual intelligence on death anxiety. This study found a significant positive relationship between spiritual intelligence and death anxiety after controlling for the effects of age, education level and disability. However, there was a significant negative relationship between spiritual well-being and death anxiety among Iranian veterans. Negative relationships were found between spiritual well-being and death anxiety among Iranian veterans. However, spiritual intelligence had a positive impact on death anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attachment and support from family and friends are core to the experiences of ageing for older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between attachment styles and hope, religiosity, and life satisfaction and provide new knowledge that may assist future planning for a rapidly ageing global population.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 504 Iranian older adult participants from Qazvin province were recruited between December 2015 and April 2016. They completed a questionnaire that included the Revised Adult Attachment Scale, the Life Satisfaction Index-Z, and the Herth Hope Index.Results: Participants in the study had a mean age of 66.20 years (SD: 5.76) and most of them were women (57.5%). A mediation model testing the direct relationships between attachment, hope, religiosity, and life satisfaction showed a positive relationship between close attachment and religiosity (β = .226, p < .001) and a negative relationship between anxiety attachment and religiosity (β =  - .229, p < .001). Religiosity was positively related to hope (β = .384, p < .01) and hope was related to life satisfaction (β = .448, p < .001). Religiosity and hope mediated the relationship between close attachment (β = .119, p < .001) and anxiety attachment (β =  - .056, p < .01) with life satisfaction. More specifically, while religiosity and hope fully mediated the relationship between close attachment and life satisfaction, they partially mediated the attachment anxiety-life satisfaction link.Conclusions: Findings of the study provide insight into only a narrow perspective of life satisfaction and attachment given the many and varied variables that influence these constructs. Future research is needed whereby other related variables are introduced into the model to be examined further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psychological aspects are important issues in patients that will have significant effects on disease progression. A new and important psychological concern is self-blame. This review was performed with the aim of systematic review on studies around patient's self-blame. Methods: This is a systematic review using international databases including PubMed (since 1950), Scopus (since 2004), Web of Sciences (since 1900), and ProQuest (since 1938) and Iranian databases including SID (since 2004) and Magiran (since 2001). Mesh terms including "patient," "regret," and "guilt" and non-Mesh terms including "self-blame attribution," "characterological self-blame," "behavioral self-blame," and "blame" were used in Iranian and international databases with OR and AND operators. Results: The review yielded 59 articles; 15 articles were included in the present study. The ages of patients ranged from 29-68.4 years. Most of studies (86.6%) had cross-sectional design and use characterological self-blame and behavioral self-blame variables for assessing self-blame attributions. The results showed that in most studies, a significant relationship among self-blame and psychological distress, anxiety, and depression were reported. Conclusion: A significant relation was reported between self-blaming and the degree of distress, anxiety, and depression in patients in most of the studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need to better understand the measurement of hope within a variety of cross-cultural contexts and older population. The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Persian translation of the Herth Hope Index (HHI-Persian). This study used a sample of 500 Iranian older people in Iran. Psychometric properties of the HHI-Persian were evaluated using face, content, and construct validity. The construct validity of the instrument was tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability assessed is within the acceptable range. Construct validity of the scale showed two factors explaining 49.22% of the variance. Internal consistency of 12 items was greater than.70. The HHI-Persian is a short, reliable, and valid assessment scale of hope in older people. The article ends with suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

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: Mental health of medical students can be affect by quality of services in hospitals; therefore, it is essential to evaluate its effective factors. However, according to the available data, there were no similar published studies that assess the possibility of linkage between these factors with mental health, in Iranian medical students. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the pathways applied by self-efficacy, critical thinking skills, and emotional intelligence, which influences the mental health of medical students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was implemented in 2016. The population of the study consisted of medical students in Mazandaran University (Sari, Iran). Self-efficacy questionnaire of Sheerer, critical thinking skills of California (Form B), standard emotional intelligence questionnaire of Petridis, and general health questionnaire of Goldberg were used for data collecting. The data were analyzed in SPSS 18.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) by descriptive and inferential statistic operations (path analysis). Results: The results showed that the average age of students participating in the study was 22.68 (SD = 1.12; 95% CI = 21.56 - 23.87). The direct path coefficient for critical thinking of mental health was -0.25, which was negative and significant (P < 0.001). In addition, a direct relationship between the emotional intelligence and mental health was found (path coefficient = -0.39). Conclusions: Generally, the results showed that both emotional intelligence and critical thinking play an important role in the mental health of self-reliant students. In addition to a direct effect, emotional intelligence had an impact on self-efficacy mediated mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study investigated relationships among the extent of disease, religious coping, and death depression in Iranian patients with cancer.Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 482 Iranian cancer patients. Participants completed demographic and health, death depression, and religious coping surveys.Results: After controlling for demographic and health characteristics, positive and negative religious coping behaviors were significantly related to the experience of death depression. There was an interaction effect between negative religious coping and extent of disease with significant positive relationships to the experience of death depression.Conclusions: Negative religious coping was found to be more closely associated with death depression in patients with earlier stage disease than those with advanced stages of cancer in this sample of patients with cancer from Iran. Findings support assessing patients for use of religious coping strategies. Muslim patients who are religiously alienated and have existential anguish may be vulnerable and need heightened support following diagnosis and during treatment of early stage cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Limited research has examined the psychometric properties of death depression scales in Persian populations with cardiac disease despite the need for valid assessment tools for evaluating depressive symptoms in patients with life-limiting chronic conditions. The present study aimed at evaluating the reliability and validity of the Persian Version of Death Depression Scale - Revised (DDS-R) in Iranian patients who had recent acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Method: This psychometric study was conducted with a convenience sample of 407 patients with AMI diagnosis who completed the Persian version of the DDS-R. The face, content, and construct validity of the scale were ascertained. Internal consistency, test-retest, and construct reliability (CR) were used to assess reliability of the Persian Version of DDS-R. Results: Based on maximum likelihood exploratory factor analysis and consideration of conceptual meaning, a 4-factor solution was identified, explaining 75.89% of the total variance. Goodness-of-fit indices (GFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Normed Fit Index (NfI), Incremental Fit Index (IFI), and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) in the final DDS-R structure demonstrated the adequacy of the 4-domain structure. The internal consistency, construct reliability, and Intra-class Correlation Coefficients (ICC) were greater than .70. Conclusion: The DDS-R was found to be a valid and reliable assessment tool for evaluating death depression symptoms in Iranian patients with AMI. [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]

Objective: This research aimed to study the effect of life skill training on mental health of Iranian middle school students. Method: This experimental study was conducted In 2015 on 100 students of city of Ghaemshahr (North of Iran), who were randomly selected and divided into two equal groups of intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 50). Qualified trainers provided eight sessions (two sessions a week for 2 hours) of life skills training to the intervention group for one month. The control group did not participate in any training sessions during the same period. Mental health in both groups was assessed by a questionnaire pre- and post-training. Data were analyzed using descriptive and infernal (ANCOVA and paired t-test) statistic tests. Results: The average age of the participants in both groups was 13.5±1.01. ANCOVA test results revealed that the average score of violence, addiction, stress and sensation-seeking before and after the training was statistically significant in the intervention group and control groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: Life skills training had positive effects on mental health of the participants. Given the importance of mental health in modern societies, it is necessary for schools to incorporate life skills in their curriculum to support the mental health of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]