Introduction: Stress is a complex and physiologic phenomenon that sometimes can be a source of problem. If an individual could not cope with stress, it would be a threat to physical and psychological health. Inclination to cope with stress is a positive way which helps one to improve his/her health.

Materials and Methods: This research is a quasi-experimental study with the aim of determining the effect of education of methods of coping with stress on rate of stress among women working at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. After primary study, 138 cases were chosen through census sampling. The collection tool was Chaudron stress scale. The statistical tests included t test and 2. Data were analyzed by SPSS software.         

Results: The result showed that there was no significant difference between level of stress before and after education in domains of job stress (p=0.22), life health stress (p=0.53), personal life stress (p=0.44) and personality stress (p=0.1). Also the statistical result of X2 did not show significant correlation between variables such as type of school, age, duration of work, marital status, number of children, educational level and housing condition with job stress.

Conclusion: The result showed that work environment is an important source of stress for working women. It could have undesirable effects on physical and emotional health of women. It seems that short term education can not decrease the stress of women therefore it is necessary to organize different long-term education programs, consultation and other strategies to reduce stress.

Introduction: Surgery is a stressful event and patients undergoing surgery experience anxiety. Any effort to reduce anxiety of surgical patients should be of priority in nursing care of preoperative patients. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of Benson relaxation technique and Zekr (rosary) on anxiety level of patients awaiting abdominal surgery.

Materials and Methods: This research is a quasi-experimental study carried out on patients who were admitted for abdominal surgery in a affiliated hospital to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in the year 2004. A total of 70 patients were chosen and divided randomly into two groups. We used Benson’s relaxation technique in first and Zekr in the second group. The patients were assessed on the day before surgery and on the day of surgery by a questionnaire that included demographic information and Spielberger anxiety tool. Vital signs were also recorded. The data were analyzed by SPSS computer software. The differences between pre and post intervention values were analyzed using paired t test, and between groups using independent t test and 2.

Results: Although there was a significant difference between mean anxiety level before and after intervention in both Zekr (p<0.006) and relaxation group (p<0.02), there was no significant difference between two techniques in reduction of preoperative anxiety (p>0.05). There was also a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and pulse rate in both groups (p<0.05).

Conclusion: It seems that Zekr is as effective as Benson’s relaxation technique in reducing anxiety level of patients and both can be used to reduce anxiety level of patients awaiting abdominal surgery.

Background & Aim: In order to present any level of education and care of children by nurses, there is need to be a strong and favorite interrelationship between parents and their children. Background of this relationship must be recognized in texture of family (parental control) and regard to the duty of nurses continuance of family relationship is necessary. At the same time it must be adopted policies to compatible with child mentality and help to reduce his/her anxiety.

Methods & Materials: This study is a descriptive correlation research to determine association between patterns of parental style of control with adolescents anxiety, it performed in Ten schools in Tehran in this research data have been collected with two questionnaire for (student, parents) the samples was consisted 370 students (13 to 15 years) and their parents, these instrument consisted demographic characteristics (for student and parents), Physiological indicator anxiety (for parent), and Reynolds and Richmond anxiety test for students. The data were the Analyzed by (SPSS) computer software.

Results: Result show that Anxiety in the student was 33% and Anxiety 7.6% and student have been Authoritarian parents had high score of Anxiety 92%. This finding shows a significant correlation between Anxiety and parental style of control (p<0.05).

Conclusion: According to the finding parent style control has important role in mental health of children. School nurses can important role in education of best style control of parenting with adolescents and decries of Anxiety from it.

Background & Aim: Disorders of intelligence is associate with lack of growth in physical, social and educational dimensions. Also it can cause many problems for patient and their family in context of care and maintenance of patient. Psychiatric nurse recognize this problems and helping to resolve them. They can play the effective role to acceptance of mentally retarded adolescent by their family.

Methods & Materials: This research is a descriptive analytical cross-sectional study. Out of research population 406 subject were selected among sponsors of mentally retarded adolescent through convenient sampling (199 subjects had accepted their young adults in their families “daily class” and 207 subjects who had repelled their mentally retarded children “nightly class”) Data were collected through interview and filling questionnaire. And then were analyzed through SPSS software by using descriptive statistics and statistical tests like χ2 and t-test (in depended group).

Results: Findings of this research showed that among demographic characteristics of clients like age, level of education, causes and extent of mental-retardedness of Adolescents and acceptance by the family there is a significant correlation (p<0.05). There are also meaningful relation among individual factor such as ability to wear clothes, ability to feed, observing individual hygiene, precedence of lack of control on urine and stool, precedence of sleep disorder in form of insomnia, record of sensitivity and quick resentment, affliction to psychological disease, the problem of setting up communication with others, profile of hurting oneself and others, making noise and disturbance for others and background of escaping from home, and acceptance of mentally retarded young adult by family (df=1 p<0.001).

Background & Aim: Epilepsy as the most important chronic neurological disease affects on child and his/her family therefore it can lead to occur some stresses in family particularly in parents. This study has been done to determine ideas of parents with epileptic children about stressors and their coping with this agent in those who come to the optional therapeutic centers in Tehran.

Methods & Materials: This is a descriptive-analytical research which 400 parents with epileptic children were selected based on aim. The method of collecting data was by questionnaire for literate persons and by interview for illiterates whose research tool was questionnaire. The questionnaire was prepared in three parts (demographic information’s, stressors questions, and coping questions for parents with epileptic children. The data was collected in one stage and analyzed with SPSS software. To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistical methods (t-test, analyze variance) have been used.

Results: Statistical analysis showed that there is significant differences in stress between parents (p=0.001). The most percentage (86%) of fathers in comparison mothers (81.9%) have moderate level of stress and least percentage (5.4%) fathers and (4.4%) of mothers have low level of stress. The level of stress in parents showed significant correlation with personal variables. Most percentage (69%) of fathers and mothers (66.1%) have low-moderate level of coping and it has significant correlation with some personal variables. The analyze variance test showed that there was significant and converse relationship between stress and coping in parents with epileptic children and increasing stress lead to decrease coping. Conclusion: The results of this study have been shown that the stress in father of epileptic children is more that mothers however there is no significant differences in the level of coping.

Background & Aim: The main aim of performance appraisal is aid to staff development and increasing job motivation. Outcomes of performance appraisal consider as a determining indicators of the amount of success in achieving the mentioned aims. The aim of this study is to determine the employed nurses’ views regarding the performance appraisal&aposs outcomes and its relation with job motivation in medical-surgical wards of affiliated hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

Methods & Materials: This investigation is a descriptive correlational study. The sample size was 120 of employed nurses in medical-surgical units in Tehran University of Medical Science that was selected by cluster sampling. The data was collected by questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used for analysis.

Results: Perception of the most samples was almost positive (65%) about performance appraisal’s outcomes. They believed that the rate of the job motivation in surveyed units was low. There was a statistical significance relationship between performance improvement as one of the outcomes of the performance appraisal and job motivation (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Aiding to nurses performance improvement with using of performance appraisal was the only factor that was correlate with the job motivation in comparison with the other expectances of performance appraisal.

Background & Objective: Nursing and Midwifery students experience different and numerous sources of stress. Stress is a complex phenomenon that may be experienced by all. Nursing and midwifery students have multiple sources of stress due to their work environment. In order to reduce their stress and prevent the complications, all sources of stress should be recognized. This study was carried out to compare sources of stress between midwifery and nursing students of Tehran universities of medical sciences.

Methods & Materials: This is a cross-sectional study. All senior midwifery and nursing students of Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universities were invited to participate in the study (n=380). Data were collected using a questionnaire including demographic section (15 questions) and sources of stress of educational environment, clinical environment, and social-personal problems (54 items). Data were analyzed using SPSS and tested with chi-square test.

Results: 363 students participated in the study. Research findings showed that the followings are the most cited sources of stress among the students: ambiguous professional view, incompetent professional knowledge after graduation, caring for terminally ill patients, discordance between theory and clinical education, concerns about employment. Also results showed that there were significant differences between some sources of stress and the study programs.

Conclusion: The nursing and midwifery students had numerous sources of stress in the educational, clinical, and social-personal domains of their life that can affect their physical and psychological health and cause learning problems. Using appropriate approaches to control and manage these sources of stress are recommended

Background & Objective: High levels of assertiveness and low levels of anxiety are important factors that result in suitable communication. They also increase intellectual abilities, abstract thought, power & autonomy, and personal well-being among nursing and midwifery students. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between assertiveness and anxiety among midwifery and nursing students.

Methods & Materials: In this correlational, cross-sectional study, 173 nursing students (68 males & 105 females) were recruited using census and rational methods. Seventy seven midwifery students were also recruited using census method. Data were collected using a self-report tool including "personal information form", "Trait Spilberger Anxiety", and "Assertion Inventory" (AI) of Gambrill & Richey. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods.

Results: Results showed that more than half of the nursing and midwifery students (59.5% and 59.7%, respectively) had moderate assertiveness. Also, 43.3% and 36.4% of them had moderate and high levels of anxiety. Pearson correlation test revealed that assertiveness and anxiety had negative correlations in nursing (r=-0.51, P<0.001) and midwifery (r=-0.449, P<0.001) students. Some demographic variables had significant correlations with assertiveness and anxiety among the students.

Conclusion: Regarding the relationship between assertiveness and anxiety and their effect on mental health, as well as educational and occupational functions of the students, more attention is needed to pay to theses issues. Also, it seems that appropriate interventions should be planned to increase assertiveness and to decrease anxiety among the students.

Background & Aim: Regarding the importance of determining the determinants of diabetes self-care, this study aimed to examine two major determinants of self-care activities, i.e. perceived barriers, and perceived self-efficacy among type two diabetic patients in Tehran, Iran.
Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 128 patients were recruited to the study using convenience sampling. The validated diabetes instruments were completed by the patients. The included participants aged older than 18 years. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlation and path analysis.
Results: The mean score of the perceived barriers and perceived self-efficacy were 3.05 and 2.18, respectively. The maximum score of self-care was 4.18. There was a positive correlation between self-efficacy and the self-care (r=0.22 P<0.01). Positive correlations were also found between education with self-efficacy and self-care (r=0.28 P<0.05), (r=0.29 P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between perceived barriers and self-care behaviors (r=-0.68 P<0.000). Using serial multiple regressions and path analysis, we had a final model (RMSEA=0.05 GFI=0.95 CFI=0.98 P=0.44 and Chi-Square=26.5). This model showed that perceived barriers were the strongest predictor for self-care behaviors. Perceived barriers mediated the effect of self-efficacy on the self-care behaviors.
Conclusion: The intervention efforts that address the studied determinants related to self-care behavior could potentially impact type two diabetic patients&apos self-care activities. These determinants should be mentioned in the program developing.

 

Background & Objective: Osteoporosis is a serious public health concern known to have several etiologic factors. This study compared lifestyles among postmenopausal women with normal and abnormal bone marrow densitometries (BMD).

Methods & Materials: In this case-control study, 81 postmenopausal women (33 cases with abnormal BMD and 48 control individuals with normal BMD) were selected using simple random sampling from Osteodensitometry center of Shariati hospital in Tehran. The BMD at lumbar spine and femoral neck had been measured with DXA. The Lifestyle was assessed using a questionnaire containing items about taking calcium, vitamin D, hormones, and Alendronat, doing physical activity, consuming tea and cola, and smoking. Reproductive characteristics were also collected via a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using χ2 test and independent sample t-test. Crude and adjusted odds ratios and relevant 95% confidence intervals were calculated through logistic regression, using SPSS v.13.

Results: The results showed significant differences between two groups in weight (P>0.001), BMI (P=0.022), number of pregnancies (P=0.002), number of children (P=0.004), duration of lactation (P=0.0002), dietary calcium intake (P≤0.001), and period of calcium supplement intake (P=0.002). The average of acquired scores of lifestyle factors in the case group was significantly lower than the control group (P=0.037). Inappropriate lifestyle had increased risk of the disease (OR=3.36, 95%, CI: 1.10-10.26). Meanwhile in the multivariate analysis, only insufficient intake of calcium was found to be a risk factor (P=0.002) for osteoporosis.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this study showed positive effect of calcium intake on bone mineral density.