Iranian Journal Of Nursing and Midwifery Research
Volume:10 Issue: 3, summer 2005

Growing needs of the elderly patients is an essential concern in many societies specially in the field of treatment and health care, prevailing safe 1ife style and a supportive environment. Activity can build self-confidence in these patients and protect them against immobility. In a descriptive study on the elderly patients over 65 years of age, 125 subjects were randomly selected. Their daily activities were investigated by Barthel index and a checklist including 10 activities through interviews and observations. Personal characteristics and questions on personal health evaluation were asked simultaneously. The data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA and Pearson coefficient test using SPSS software. The subjects were 44% male elderly patients and 59% females with the mean age and SD of 70.78±5.6 years. Their residence status was 94% permanent and 6% temporary. Their attitudes concerning their health in 83% was average to very negative. Other findings based on Barthel index showed that 2% had average physical activity and 98% had low physical activity. Daily physical activity had an association with sex, type of residence and having a physically restrictive disease. ANOVA showed a significant association of time of residence and the attitude towards health as a result of elderly daily physical activities. Physical disability can be a major factor in health satisfaction feeling. The elderly actually have more disabilities and need help for their daily activities

Labor pain is a sort of pain experienced by most women. This pain is more severe and longer among primipara women. This can result in invert effects such as fear, loss of self-confidence and anxiety. New supportive methods such as massage therapy can change the labor to a pleasant event. The present study was a quasi-experimental study. The subjects were hospitalized in two elective maternity hospitals in Tehran in 2003. Samples of the research were 60 primipara women having qualifications to enter the research. Sampling was done with convenient sampling method. For data collection, questionnaires and pain evaluation scales were used. Technique of massage was Effleurage that is a kind of Swedish massage exhibited for the first time in labor by Linda Kimber. Before administrating any interventions, severity of pain was measured (in the beginning of active phase). After massage therapy, severity of pain in 4 and l0 cm dilatations of cervix was measured and compared with those of the other group. Then, final results of labor, duration of the phases 1 and 2 and type of labor in the two groups were compared and assessed. For data analysis, SPSS software and descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used. The findings showed a significant difference between mean pain severity in the first phase in massage therapy group and that of the control group in three initial phases of active phase (P=0), in the beginning of transitive phase (P=0.014) and at the end of first phase (P=0.01). Duration of the first labor phase in the two groups was different. This method is highly recommended as a non-pharmacological method to decrease pain, duration of phase 1 labor and even fear and anxiety of normal labor in women.

Research is a key factor in developing a country. Its importance is secondary to the ability of solving problems and demands of a society. Evaluation of research problems and obstacles has its importance in any scientific fields. It explains defects of that field and can improve it. According to the importance of above-mentioned subjects, we designed a survey to evaluate problems of research policies and services from the viewpoints of managers, scientific staffs and experts of Isfahan University of Medical Science. We performed a cross-sectional study in 2001 with a 38-item questionnaire. Our samples included all managers and research experts of Isfahan University of Medical Science (IUMS) and random samples of scientific staffs of different faculties of IUMS. The data of the survey were analyzed by SPSS version 10 with t-test, Mann Whitney, Kruskall Wallis and ANOVA tests and Cronbach alpha coefficient. The most important research problems from the viewpoints of managers were as follows: 1) Low relation between researchers. 2) Insufficient time of scientific staffs for performing research due to educational duties and 3) Lack of aims and programs of research policies. The most important research problems from the viewpoints of scientific staffs were the same. These problems from the viewpoints of research experts were: 4) Lack of aims and programs of research policies. 5) Insufficiency of the research budget and 6) Lack of a team work culture. According to the results, it seems that the most useful actions are amending informational services, defining research positions against educational systems and explaining the aims and plans in research policies.