Women’s Health Bulletin
Volume:9 Issue: 2, Apr 2022

Dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation is considered as the most prevalent problem in women. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of eight-week yoga exercises in water on the intensity and duration of pain in female students with primary dysmenorrhea.

In this clinical trial study, we recruited 40 female students aged 18 to 26 years old with primary dysmenorrhea. They were divided into experimental and control groups. Both groups completed the pre- and post-test questionnaires. The experimental group participated in an eight-week yoga exercise plan in water. Shapiro-Wilk test was used for the assessment of the normality of the data. The Wilcoxon test was employed to compare the data. P≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Also, this clinical trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with the code of IRCT20120215009014N245.

After eight weeks of yoga practice in water, a significant decrease was observed in the severity of pain (P=0.001), pain duration (P=0.001), and the number of painkillers used in the experimental (P=0.001) group whereas no significant changes were found in the controls.

Doing yoga exercises in water can be an appropriate strategy to help reduce the severity and duration of pain and the number of pills used by females with primary dysmenorrhea.

Exercise training and L-arginine are believed to have a major role in managing the hypertension and also their combination may cause further improvement in blood pressure. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effect of combined training with or without L-arginine ingestion on the circulation of adropin, VEGFR-2, and nitric oxide (NO) in postmenopausal women with hypertension.

The present study was a randomized double-blind placebo-L-arginine-controlled trial registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with the code of IRCT20210627051723N1. This work was conducted in the summer and autumn of 2021. We recruited 48 post-menopausal women with hypertension and assigned them randomly (choosing random numbers by participants) in four equal groups, namely training+Larginine (TL), training (T), L-arginine (L), placebo (P) groups. The study intervention (combined training, L-arginine, or both) continued for eight weeks. Before starting and after completing the intervention period, blood samples were collected and the levels of variables was measured via Elisa method. The SPSS version 24 and analysis of covariance test (ANCOVA), along with bonferroni post-hoc test were utilized for data analysis.

The obtained results represented a significant increase in the serum levels of adropin and VEGFR-2 in T and TL groups compared to those in P and L groups (p <0.001). Moreover, Nitric Oxide significantly increased in L (P=0.003), T (p <0.001), and TL (p <0.001) groups compared to P group. In addition, systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in T, L, and TL groups compared to that in P group (p <0.001), and in TL group compared to L (p <0.001) and T (P=0.048) groups. On the other hand, we observed a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure in L (P=0.002), T (p <0.001), and TL (p <0.001) groups compared to that in P group; the same trend was seen in TL group compared to L group (P=0.003).

Combined training with or without L-arginine ingestion has positive effects by decreasing blood pressure, which was partly exerted by upregulation of adropin and VEGFR-2. Moreover, L-arginine supplementation was found to be associated with an increase in combined training effect in decreasing blood pressure.

Living with a better quality is considered as the main challenge for the elderly in new century. Therefore, examining the wellbeing and quality of life of the elderly has become a necessity. The purpose of this study was to test a conceptual model that examines the associations between social support with wellbeing and health-related quality of life in elderly women while considering physical activity as a mediator.

The present study used a structural equation modelling approach. Participants were 384 elderlies (mean age of 62.22±10.55 years) from Golestan province, Iran in 2020. They were over 60 years old without any physical or mental disabilities. The participants fulfilled standard questionnaires (Perceived Social Support Scale, Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity, and Adult Well-Being Assessment). Spearman correlation test and structural equation modelling using Lisrel were employed to analyze data.

Findings showed that perceived social support directly affected physical activity (β=0.409, T=6.631), wellbeing (β=0.429, T=7.701), and health-related quality of life (β=0.473, T=7.927). Moreover, physical activity directly affected wellbeing (β=0.231, T=3.217) and health-related quality of life (β=0.627, T=10.649). Finally, physical activity acted as a significant mediator in the associations between perceived social support with wellbeing (Z=5.449, p <0.001) and health-related quality of life (Z=5.930, p <0.001).

Social support and physical activity are critical concerns for elderly women. Appropriately, it is essential to embrace fitting procedures to increase social support and an active lifestyle among this population.

Cervical Cancer Vaccine is known to be one the effective ways of preventing cervical cancer. The present study aimed to assess parents’ knowledge on uptake of human papilloma virus vaccine (HPVV) by adolescents, describe their perception on the uptake of HPVV by adolescents, and identify their cultural beliefs which could influence HPV uptake.

This work is a cross-sectional study. We conducted the current study in a local government area in Nigeria from December 2019 to February 2020. A total of 350 participants were recruited using a multi-stage sampling technique. A foursectioned, 44-item-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. We strictly adhered ethical principles. The data was analysed via descriptive statistics.

The obtained findings revealed that only 56.0% of the parents were aware of HPV, out of whom 73% had a good level of knowledge of cervical cancer vaccine. On the contrary, 1.7% of them had good perception of cervical cancer vaccine uptake while 67.1% had low perception. We also indicated that educational status of the parents influenced the uptake of HPVV by their adolescents (F=0.54, P=0.54). Additionally, 75% of the participants had negative cultural beliefs which prevent them from allowing their adolescents to take up the vaccine.

Awareness of HPV was found to be moderate while the majority of those who are aware of HPV had high knowledge of cervical cancer screening. Most of the parents had low perception of cervical cancer vaccine. Similarly, a big proportion of the parents had negative cultural beliefs about HPVV uptake. Thus, parents should be provided with further education in this regard so that they promote the uptake of HPVV for their female adolescents.

One of the major events in the evolution of women in the middle age is “menopause”, which poses significant challenges for them. The aim of this study was to explain self-acceptance based on body image, gender role, and sexual attitude mediated by time perspective in postmenopausal women aged 45-60 years in Tehran, Iran in 2020.

The method of this study was structural equation design. The statistical population of consisted of all married women aged 45-60 years in Tehran, Iran. The sample size also included 355 women selected through a cluster sampling method. Multidimensional self-body questionnaire, unconditional self-acceptance questionnaire, gender schema questionnaire, re-gender questionnaire, and time-perspective questionnaire were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed by the use of Pearson correlation tests and path analysis, all of which were carried out using SPSS /Amos version 25.

The results showed that there is a direct relationship between time perspective and self-acceptance (β=0.54, P=0.001). In addition, the study of indirect relationships also revealed that perception of time mediates the effects of body image (β=-0.39, P=0.001), sexual attitude (β=-0.21, P=0.001), and gender role (β=-0.32, P=0.001) on self-acceptance.

Based on the findings, it can be said that time perspective could moderate the harmful relationship between body image, sexual schema, and sexual attitude on self-acceptance.

A significant factor associated with well-being and health is to find a method which can increase resilience during the pandemics. The present research aimed to examine the impact of physical activity level on resilience of teenage girls during the COVID-19 pandemic with an emphasis on self-esteem as a mediator.

The present study utilized a descriptive-correlation approach. The statistical sample included 384 teenage females from Golestan, Iran, in 2020. We employed standard surveys for collecting the data. Statistical methods included Kolmogorov- Smirnov test, Spearman correlation test, and structural relationships through Lisrel.

Physical activity was found to affect resilience (β=0.396, T=6.284) and self-esteem (β=0.628, T=11.594). Furthermore, self-esteem significantly affected resilience (β=0.530, T=9.509). Finally, self-esteem significantly mediated the correlation between physical activity and resilience (Z=6.780, p <0.001).

Physical activity could be considered as an important factor in coping with severe condition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, in a pandemic situation, by increasing physical activity, better conditions can be created for children and adolescents, especially girls, to ensure their resilience.

A significant proportion of cancer patients use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) worldwide and especially in Middle Eastern countries. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and patterns of using Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among female cancer patients in Zahedan, southeast of Iran. Also, this study sought to determine whether the patients disclosed the use of ITM and CAM to their physicians.

In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, 130 female patients, referred to three cancer treatment centers in Zahedan, were selected via the convenience sampling method, from November 2019 to May 2020. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire. The analysis of data and relationships between the variables was performed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient test, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) was highly and moderately used by 14.6% and 62.3% of the patients, respectively; more than 70% of them reported the use of herbal preparations (herbal medicines, medicinal plants, and herbal distillates). Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) was utilized at a moderate level by 91.5% of the participants. The prevalence of diet therapy and the use of vitamins and mineral supplements was over 56% and the increased use of CAM was associated with a higher monthly income. Although 92.3% of the patients were undergoing treatment, a significant percentage of them (80.8%) did not disclose the use of ITM or CAM to their physicians.

The results highlighted the necessity of improving the physician-patient relationship in order to increase the patients’ trust and willingness to consult their physicians about the use of ITM and CAM. Our results also shed light on the need to educate patients about the necessity of consulting a physician about the use of such therapies to minimize the safety concerns.

The Covid-19 pandemic has so far been characterized by significant morbidity and a high mortality rate worldwide. People who are frail due to age and / or the presence of comorbidities, including pregnant women, are exposed to a greater risk of developing a very serious disease. However, only recently, certain experimental studies have focused on the role of anti- Covid-19 drugs during pregnancy. Convalescent plasma (CP), derived from the people who recover from Covid-19, can represent an interesting therapeutic option for improving the antiviral immune response, owing to its specific neutralizing content and different immune mediators against SarsCov-2. It can also improve the survival of the patients who are diagnosed with the disease early and treated in the primary stages of the disease.

We reported the case of a pregnant patient safely treated with CP at our hospital and conducted a comprehensive literature search using extensive database for similar case reports published from February 12, 2020 to May 31, 2021.

An extensive literature search documented the publication of a limited number of case reports concerning Covid-19 hyperimmune plasma treatment (CPT) during pregnancy. The available results are not homogeneous; however, a very early use of CPT may possibly be effective in pregnancy. The evolution of Covid-19-related pneumonia, due to a reduction in both viremia and the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines, can be positively influenced by CPT, together with the standards of care treatment.