---

Background & Aim: Nutrition is a very important factor in toddler age growth. Getting started the first steps of the children with family in this period shows the necessity of paying attention to the correct nutritional behaviors. Therefore this research has been conducted for assessing the effect of nutritional behavior model on the quality of toddler&aposs nutrition and performance of their mothers.

Methods & Materials: This research is a semi-experimental study, in which sixty six children (12-36 months old) were selected from two health care centers in the southern part of Tehran. The subjects were selected using non probability-convenient sampling method. The data gathering tool was 3 questionnaires: 1. Mother and child demographic characteristics 2. Mother&aposs function assessment tool about toddler&aposs behavior during feeding 3. Reminding tool of 24 hours food. The tools were filled in using interviews. Then nutritional behavior model was instructed in a workshop during 2 days, 3 hours a day. After the intervention data were recollected again and were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The results showed a significant difference in mother&aposs function about toddlers nutritional behavior during nutrition before and after the intervention (P<0.001). Also a significant difference was seen in the toddlers nutrition pattern before and after the intervention (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Based on the research findings it can be concluded that nutritional behavior model is effective in improving the pattern of toddler&aposs nutrition and in increasing mothers&apos knowledge related to a correct function on toddler&aposs behavior during feeding. Therefore educational plan to mothers on correct nutritional behaviors is suggested in order to improving the quality of toddler&aposs nutrition.

---

Background & Objective: Prenatal period is a unique opportunity to assist the women to adopt healthy behaviors. The nutritional behaviors of pregnant women affect not only their own health but also the fetal growth and development. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nutrition education on nutritional behaviors in pregnant women.
Methods & Materials: In this randomized trial, 272 primigravida women were recruited using stratified cluster sampling method from eight family health clinics in Semnan. The participants were allocated in two groups randomly. The intervention group received the nutrition education through two 90-minute sessions with one week interval. Data were gathered using a questionnaire including demographic characteristics and nutritional behaviors at baseline and six weeks after the education. Data were analyzed in the SPSS.
Results: The results showed that there was not any significant difference in the mean score of the nutritional behaviors between two groups before the intervention. Significant difference was found between two groups after the intervention. The mean score in the intervention group was higher than in the control group (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The results of the study showed that nutrition education affected the nutritional behaviors in pregnant women. Therefore, the nutrition education should be integrated in educational topics provided for pregnant women.

 

---

Background & Aim: Adherence to the principles of appropriate nutrition and diet therapy is one of the most important aspects of diabetes management. The present study aimed to assess the effect of nutrition education based on "MyPlate" Food Guidance on the anthropometric indices and blood profiles in people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods & Materials: In this randomized clinical trial study conducted in 2014, 44 people with type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated either into the control group or the intervention group. Anthropometric measurements, blood profiles, energy intake and physical activity data were collected before and three months after the 2 hours face-to-face “MyPlate” nutrition education session for the intervention group or the usual educational sessions for the control group. Paired t-test, independent sample t-test, ANCOVA, and nonparametric tests were utilized to analyze the data.

Results: At the beginning of the study, the two groups were similar in terms of the anthropometric indices, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood sugar and physical activity. After intervention, except for physical activity which was higher in the nutrition education group based on "MyPlate" Food Guidance, the other above cases were lower than the control group (P<0.05), but no significant differences were seen in the changes of blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and energy intake between two groups of education and control.

Conclusion: Nutrition education based on "MyPlate" Food Guidance for three months decreases the anthropometric indices and blood profiles in people with type 2 diabetes.

---

Background & Aim: Women's health is important in middle age, and lifestyle, including healthy eating, has an impact on it. This research was aimed to determine the effect of an educational program based on BASNEF model on nutrition in middle-aged women.
Methods & Materials: This clinical trial was conducted on 95 women under coverage of the healthcare centers affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2016. The demographic characterizes and the BASNEF constructs regarding nutritional behavior were measured by questionnaire before and eight weeks after the intervention. The intervention was performed in three one-hour sessions. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests using the SPSS software version 16.
Results: Before the intervention, both groups had not any significant differences in all variables and constructs. After the intervention, in the experimental group, the median and interquartile range were 10±3 for knowledge, 38±10 for attitude, 3±1 for subjective norms and 1±1 for behavioral intention. But in the control group, the scores were 6±2 for knowledge, 37±5 for attitude, 4±1 for subjective norms and 1±1 for behavioral intention. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P˂0.05). However, the scores of enabling factors were not significantly different between the two groups of intervention (3±1) and control (3±1) (P=0.4).
Conclusion: Designing and implementing the educational program based on BASNEF model not only can improve the knowledge and attitude about healthy nutrition in middle-aged women, but also modify their behavioral intention.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT2016042427566N1
 

---

Background & Aim: Increase in gastric residual volume and abdominal distention are important complications in patients with nasogastric tube feeding. This study aimed to determine the effect of local heat therapy on gastric residual volume and abdominal distention in patients with nasogastric tube feeding.
Methods & Materials: In this double-blind clinical trial, 64 patients with nasogastric tube feeding, were selected using the convenience sampling method according to the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to either the experiment group or control group. For two groups, a hot pack was placed on the anterior abdominal region in two 23-minute sessions, about 1.5 hours after gavage. The temperature of the hot pack was 50°C for the experiment group and it was equal to the ambient temperature for the control group. The levels of patients’ abdominal distention and gastric residual volume were measured and compared half an hour before and 1.5 hours after gavage. Data collection tools were consisted of a demographic questionnaire and a data sheet for recording digestive function. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 16 through descriptive and inferential statistical tests. The p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: According to the results, 46.9% of the patients were female and 53.1% were male. The age mean for the experiment and control groups were 12.5±72.5 and 15.3±7.8, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics and disease-related information. Abdominal distention and gastric residual volume were similar in the two groups before the intervention, but significantly decreased in the experiment group after the intervention (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the control group.
Conclusion: Local heat therapy reduces gastric residual volume and abdominal distention in patients with nasogastric tube feeding, and its application is suggested in further research.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT2015050822163N1
 

---

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
 

---

Background & Aim: The healthy nutrition education is one of the most important priorities in all life periods, especially in childhood. The teaching method is also considered one of the important factors for the effectiveness of education. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effect of lecture and role-playing methods on awareness of healthy nutrition in school-age children.
Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 60 primary school students in Gonabad city in 2017. Participants were selected by multistage random sampling and allocated into two groups of role-playing and lecture. Students' awareness was measured by a self-structured questionnaire before, immediately and one month after education. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 16 by descriptive and inferential statistics. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean score of awareness for the role-playing group before, immediately and one month after the intervention respectively was 10.77±2.55, 14.1±55.15 and 14.50±1.10 and for the lecture group respectively was 11.07±1.85, 13.72±1.43 and 11.47±2.84 (the score range: 0-16). There was a significant difference in the mean score of awareness before, immediately and one month after the intervention between the two groups (P<0.001), and in the role-playing group, the increase in awareness score was more than in the lecture group.
Conclusion: Considering the greater effect of role-playing method than lecture on healthy nutrition education in school-age children, it is suggested that more attractive, dynamic and effective methods such as role-playing, in accordance with educational behavioral goals, be used in school nutrition education programs. In addition to enhancing educational efficiency, this will make the effects of education and learning more sustainable for students.