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Background & Aim: Drug addiction, especially addiction to Ecstasy has ruinous effect on lives. Lack of knowledge is the most important cause of Ecstasy use among young adults. Research studies showed that students use these pills in order to get comfort and to overcome grieves. Addiction to ecstasy has been increased in Iran in recent years. This study was carried out to assess the factors associated to Ecstasy use in students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences.

Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 200 students using clustered, random sampling. Data collection tool was a structured valid and reliable questionnaire containing 28 questions in two sections. Data were analyzed using Student t-test, ANOVA and chi-square tests.

Results: Results indicated that the prevalence of Ecstasy use was 1.5%. Prevalence of alcohol and cigarette use was 1.5% too. Mean score of knowledge on Ecstasy was 9.8% (SD=3.8). Knowledge of the female students was higher than the knowledge of male ones. About 86.7% of the students took Ecstasy in order to end grieve due to family problems. Most important associated factors to Ecstasy use were: positive attitude toward Ecstasy use, lack of knowledge (96.5%), peer pressure (96%), and lck of parents&apos attention to their young children (94.5%).

Conclusion: Lack of knowledge about complications of addiction to Ecstasy is the most important factor leading to addiction among students. Living in places such as dormitories and rented houses, and lack of parents&apos control over their children can be important factors related to addiction of students to Ecstasy, as well.

 

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Background & Aim: Menopause is a period in women’s lives with complications and consequences that can reduce the quality of life. The most common complications are vasomotor disorders which can affect sleep, life enjoyment, social activities and work. The usual treatment for these effects is hormone therapy but due to its side effects, most people tend to have complication-free treatments. One of these strategies is nutritional measures. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of group counseling about the nutritional measures of Iranian traditional medicine on vasomotor disorders in postmenopausal women.
Methods & Materials: This clinical trial study with multistage sampling was performed in 2018-2019 on 62 postmenopausal women referred to health center number 2 in Mashhad. Two health centers were selected as control or intervention group by Heads or Tails method in order to prevent the dissemination of the material. The intervention group received three sessions of the group counseling about the nutritional measures of Iranian traditional medicine. There was no intervention for the control group. The data collection tool was a questionnaire on the quality of life in menopause that was completed two months before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed on the SPSS software version 24 using independent t-test, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Wilcoxon tests.
Results: There was no significant difference in the mean score of vasomotor between the two groups before the intervention (P>0.05) but after the intervention, the difference between the mean score of vasomotor before and after the intervention was -2.18±4.08 for the intervention group and 0.59±3.30 for the control group. A significant decrease in the vasomotor score was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Group counseling about the nutritional measures of Iranian traditional medicine can help reduce vasomotor disorders.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20180626040239N1
 

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Background & Aim: Pain and inflammation caused by needle insertion into the fistula is a common problem in hemodialysis patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of topical application of Rosemary essential oil on inflammation and pain severity caused by needle insertion into arteriovenous fistula in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis.
Methods & Materials: In this clinical trial, 60 hemodialysis patients from the hemodialysis ward of Golestan hospital and Imam Khomeini hospital in Ahvaz were randomly assigned to two groups using block randomization. The intervention group received rosemary essential oil, while the control group received distilled water applied to the needle insertion site 5 minutes before each hemodialysis session. Pain severity was assessed using the VAS scale and inflammation severity was determined using the Phlebitis checklist at baseline and during six sessions. Data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square test and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on SPSS software version 22.
Results: The results showed that the mean score for pain increased in the control group from 5.13±1.74  to 5.93±1.67, while it decreased in the intervention group from 5.83±1.53 to 3.77±1.43 (P=0.003). Additionally, the mean score for inflammation increased during the sessions in the control group, ranging from 1.27±1.20 to 2.07±1.08. However, in the intervention group, the mean score for inflammation decreased from 2.57±1.92 to 1.33±1.44. Nevertheless, this difference was found to be statistically insignificant (P=0.267).
Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that the topical application of rosemary essential oil had a significant effect on reducing pain resulting from needling. However, its effect on reducing the severity of arteriovenous fistula inflammation in patients undergoing hemodialysis was not statistically significant. Based on these results, it is recommended to provide training to nursing staff and hemodialysis patients regarding the use of rosemary essential oil as a means to alleviate pain experienced during the procedure. Further research is required to investigate its potential for reducing the severity of fistula inflammation.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT2019102804526N1

 

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Background & Aim: Patients with heart failure often experience inadequate self-care and diminished quality of life, leading to significant constraints in their daily personal and social activities. This study aims to evaluate the effect of individually designed energy conservation training on enhancing self-care capabilities and improving the quality of life for patients with heart failure.
Methods & Materials: This randomized clinical trial was conducted from June 2022 to May 2023 and involved 60 heart failure patients in the CCU and cardiology ward, as well as cardiovascular clinic at Shahid Madani and Shohadai Ashayer Hospital in Khorramabad, Lorestan. Based on established inclusion criteria, participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=30) or the control group (n=30). The intervention group received individually designed training in four sessions, each lasting 30 minutes, spaced over three weeks (total duration of nine weeks). In contrast, the control group received standard nursing education upon discharge. Participants completed the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire both prior to the intervention and at the tenth week post-intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24, employing the Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon test, independent t-test, and chi-square tests.
Results: After the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in mean scores for self-care and quality of life compared to the control group (P<0.001). These findings indicate an enhancement in self-care practices and an improvement in the quality of life.
Conclusion: Individually designed energy conservation training effectively improves self-care and quality of life in patients with heart failure. Therefore, using this complication-free, non-pharmacological approach can be beneficial for this patient population.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20220612055150N1

 

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Background & Aim: Raising a mentally retarded child imposes significant psychological and economic burdens on families, which can adversely affect their sense of hope. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a family-centered empowerment model on the hopefulness of parents with mentally retarded children.
Methods & Materials: This clinical trial was conducted in 2023 in Aliabad Katol, focusing on parents with mentally retarded children. A total of 48 participants were selected through simple random sampling from a list of these parents and were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. Pre-test and post-test evaluations were conducted before and after the intervention. The intervention group participated in six family empowerment sessions, while the control group received routine care training. Data were collected using the Schneider's Hope Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23, employing univariate analysis of covariance, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests, with a significance level set at 0.05.
Results: In the intervention group, the average age of mothers was 36.27±8.07 years, compared to 34.83±5.12 years in the control group. The average age of children was 11.88±2.88 years in the intervention group and 10.16±1.94 years in the control group. No significant difference was observed in the mean hope scores between the intervention and control groups prior to the intervention (P=0.582). However, post-intervention, the mean hope score significantly increased in the intervention group compared to the control group (P=0.021). After controlling for pre-test scores, a significant difference emerged between the groups (P<0.001, Eta=0.48), indicating that 48% of the variance in parents' hopefulness scores could be attributed to the effects of the family-centered empowerment model.
Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of the family-centered empowerment model in enhancing parents' hopefulness, as well as the crucial role that parents play in caring for mentally retarded children, this low-cost and effective intervention should be incorporated into programs aimed at supporting and empowering these parents.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20191229045934N1