Background & Aim: Diet rich in fruits and vegetables is shown to be an important factor in prevention of chronic diseases. Adolescence is a critical period in adopting eating behaviors. Schools are important social environments in adolescents' lives and are important settings for interventions that aim to improve eating behaviors, including fruit and vegetable intake. This study aimed to assess effectiveness of a school-based intervention based on social cognitive theory on fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake of female adolescents in Tehran.

Methods & Materials: This experimental school based field trial was conducted on 296 female students aged 10-13 years old (157 in the intervention and 139 in the control groups). The intervention included classroom nutrition education on F&V and increasing availability of F&V through school buffet. Psychosocial characteristics of the students were assessed using a questionnaire and F&V intake were measured using 24-hr recall method, at baseline and after three months intervention. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.

Results: After the intervention, vegetable and fruit intake were 0.6 and 0.63 servings higher in the intervention group compared to the controls. Knowledge and self-efficacy scores were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. Home availability and observational learning scores were significantly decreased in the intervention group.

Conclusion: Through the intervention process, many valuable experiences were gained to be used in future interventions.

  Background & Aim: Coronary artery bypass graft is a critical intervention for patients with coronary artery disease. This surgery is associated with significant changes and unique experiences in lives of patients. This study was conducted to understand the experiences of patients with coronary artery bypass graft.

  Methods & Materials: This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Eleven patients were selected from outpatient cardiology clinics of Tehran Heart Center using purposive sampling method. Data were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews lasting 55-70 minutes. The van Manen six steps analysis was used to analyze the data . 

  Results: During the data analysis, the main themes of e xperiences of living with coronary artery bypass and rebirth were extracted. These themes contained living with healthy heart, feeling back to the young and attempts for health maintenance .

  Conclusion: According to the study, participants were inclined to maintain the new lifestyle, dietary changes and also adhere to medications prescription. Nurses can help patients with properly designed educational program based on experiences of the patients.

  Background & Aim: Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator is the most effective treatment for cardiac dysrhythmias. Having such life-saving device is the unique experience with important changes in the patient’ life. Understanding of these experiences can lead to success in treatment and follow- up.This study aimed to understand the experiences of patients with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator .

  Methods & Materials: A qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological approach was used. Thirteen participants were selected purposefully from heart clinics of Imam Khomeini hospital (Tehran). Each semi-structured interview was conducted in the period 30 to 45 minutes. Data analysis was performed using the six steps of van Manen . 

  Results: The main theme of ‘Start Living Again’ was extracted from patients with implantable defibrillator.This theme consist of ‘a sense of security’, ‘living with angel’, ‘attachment to the device’ and ‘attempt to maintain power’ .

  Conclusion: The participants with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator have a life again with a sense of security and peace of mind. They try to keep this life-saving device.Therefore, health care providers, especially nurses can help this patients and their families by providing appropriate self care education .

Background & Aim: Improving the mental health of mothers of children with thalassemia major who experience great caregiving burden, requires an efficient supportive training to be developed and implemented. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the impact of a group supportive training on caregiving burden in the mothers of children with thalassemia major.

Methods & Materials: A quasi-experimental study (IRCT2016122731612N1) was conducted on 80 mothers of children with thalassemia, referred to Aliasghar hospital in Zahedan in summer 2016. The mothers were selected through convenience sampling method and divided into two intervention and control groups of 40 each. The intervention group received four sessions of supportive training during four weeks. Data were collected by the Caregiver Burden Inventory. SPSS version 21 and independent t test, paired t-test and the analysis of covariance were used to analyze the data.

Results: The mean score of caregiving burden before training in the intervention and control groups were respectively, 86.60±13.55 and 92.37±8.54 and declined to 59.62±9.90 and 89.57±5.83 after the intervention. Furthermore, The caregiving burden score in  five dimensions including  temporal,  developmental, physical, social and emotional was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group  (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The findings showed that collective supportive training leads to a decrease in caregiving burden in the mothers of children with thalassemia. Thus, this training could be an effective method in reducing the mothers’ caregiving burden. This program could be used in health centers in order to maintain and improve the mental health of mothers.