Iranian Journal Of Nursing and Midwifery Research
Volume:15 Issue: 1, Winter 2010

Social support is a form of social capital which can be related to the health of patients. Chronic diseases such as diabetes are incurable but they can be controlled. However, the patient is always facing stressful physical, mental and social factors. Therefore, he needs to receive different kinds of supports. The present research aimed to determine the factors of social support in diabetic patients and its relation with the demographic features of the patients. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 1387. The population of the study was all diabetic patients of Khoramabad who went to the clinics for treatment. Among this population, 150 cases were selected and a questionnaire including a demographic section and a social support section was used for data collection. Social support was assessed by integrating and balancing four standard questionnaires of social support for diabetic patients. The results revealed that factors of social support have not been optimal in 59% of the cases. Among all factors, emotional support scored the highest (36.8%). In addition, age, sex, job, education, and the duration of disease had statistically significant relationship with some of the factors of social support. Due to non-optimality of some factors and effects of some demographic variables in receiving social support, it can be recommended that authorities should plan programs with consulting, educational and instrumental contents in order to promote patient''s reception of social support from different support sources.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of two educational methods on students'' knowledge and performance regarding first aid at emergency scenes. In this semi-experimental study, the sample was selected randomly among male and female public high school students of Isfahan. Each group included 60 students. At first the knowledge and performance of students in first aid at emergency scene was assessed using a researcher-made questionnaire. Then necessary education was provided to the students within 10 sessions of two hours by lecturing and role playing. The students'' knowledge and performance was assessed again and the results were compared. It was no significant relationship between the frequency distribution of students'' age, major and knowledge and performance before the educational course in the two groups. The score of knowledge in performing CPR, using proper way to bandage, immobilizing the injured area, and proper ways of carrying injured person after the education was significantly increased in both groups. Moreover, the performance in proper way to bandage, immobilizing injured area and proper ways of carrying injured person after educational course was significantly higher in playing role group compared to lecturing group after education. Iran is a developing country with a young generation and it is a country with high risk of natural disasters; so, providing necessary education with more effective methods can be effective in reducing mortality and morbidity due to lack of first aid care in crucial moments. Training with playing role is suggested for this purpose.

Respect to patients’ autonomy is a cornerstone of medical ethics and nurses have a key role in respecting patients’ autonomy. In review of Iranian literature, there is no study investigating the respect to patients’ autonomy during nursing cares. The aim of the present study was to compare nurses and patients’ perceptions regarding respecting to patients’ autonomy during nursing care. This study had a comparative descriptive design and conducted in 2008. The study population was consisted of all nursing staff (n = 79) working in three related hospitals of Tabriz University of Medical Science using census sampling. Also, 187 hospitalized patients in these hospitals participated with convenience sampling. To assess the respecting to patients’ autonomy, two parallel questionnaires were prepared. Data analysis was done in SPSS using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman correlation coefficient. Nurses reported that they respected to patients’ autonomy, but patients believed that their autonomy was not respected. Also, there was a significant statistical relation between perception of health status, need for nursing care, and age of patient and their report of respect to their autonomy. There is an exiting difference in viewpoint of nurses and patients regarding respecting to patient autonomy. But, because of insufficient evidence more studies are recommended.

Despite therapeutic effect of hemodialysis in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, these patients encounter different physical and psychological tensional factors. Physical exercises have beneficial physical and psychological effects on patients under hemodialysis as one of the accessory therapeutic methods. As few studies have been done about the effects of physical exercise on physical and psychological problems in Iran than other countries, we assessed the effect in patients under hemodialysis. For this purpose, 43 qualified hemodialysis patients receiving hemodialysis in hospitals of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were included, but only 35 patients did the exercises for 8 weeks completely. Exercise program was done for 1 hour every session and was composed of ergometer, treadmill and ball playing. Before and after intervention data were collected by interview through a synthetic and adjusted questionnaire. At the end of the intervention, two special questions were added about the improvement of physical and psychological problems. Paired t-test was used to compare the scores of before and after intervention. There were significant differences between scores of before and after intervention considering physical problems including sleep, pain and discomfort, daily activities, and physical function; but about sexual activity, there was not a significant difference between scores of before and after intervention. Psychological problems improved after doing exercises too. About first special question, 85.6% of patients expressed an improvement in physical condi-tions and about second special question, 91.4% of patients expressed an improvement in psychological conditions. Since physical exercise improves the physical (physical function, daily activities, pain and discomfort, sleep), and psychological problems, it is suggested that responsible people prepare equipment for these patients, until they do exercise forever. Nurses would present them the ways of a correct exercise, and doing it in days after hemodialysis, in order to improve physical, and psychological problems in hemodialysis patients, and finally to enhance their quality of life.

The type of body fat distribution has an important role for identifying risk of diseases. One of the simple anthropometric indexes for estimating type of body fat distribution is waist circumference index. This study is aimed to determine the type of body fat distribution in postmenopausal women and its related factors. This is a cross sectional descriptive analytical study. Samples were 278 postmenopausal women in Isfahan who were selected by stratified sampling and then were invited to 64 health centers of Isfahan. Data was gathered using a questionnaire and standard meter. Data was analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that in postmenopausal women the mean of waist circumference index was 93.63 ± 10.66 and its range was 54 to 119 cm. There was a meaningful relation between job, educational status, total pregnancies, total deliveries, age of first pregnancy, lactation history and menopausal age with waist circumference index. Results showed that the type of body fat distribution of postmenopausal women is of android type. Considering side effects of this kind of distribution, necessary teachings about healthy eating, movement and exercises must be given to women of these ages.

Pain as a main social problem has involved millions of people. Usually pharmaceutical methods use for treating pain but they have side effects which make them less effective. Massage is one of the effective ways for reducing pain after surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of massage therapy on pain severity in orthopedic patients. This is a clinical trial study on 60 arthroscopic knee surgery patients who were hospitalized in men''s orthopedic ward of Al-Zahra and Kashani hospitals. A two part questionnaire was used for collecting data. Samples were selected using easy continuity method and then they were randomly divided into two groups. In intervention group, besides routine treatments, patients were massaged by the researcher for 20 minutes each day and pain severity was evaluated before and after the massage. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and SPSS software. Results showed that there was a meaningful different between mean score of pain severity before and after the massage in intervention group (p < 0.001) but this difference wasn''t meaningful in control group (p = 0.32). Also comparing the mean score of pain severity in both groups before any interventions showed that there were no meaningful differences (p = 0.34) but this difference was meaningful after interventions (p = 0.001). Considering massage as a safe and effective intervention, it could be used as an easy, cheap and executable method for treating pain in all medical health care centers and even at patient''s home.

Currently healthy heart word considered to be the objective of community health applications in many countries of the world because cardiovascular diseases are the most important factor in mortality of humans, worldwide. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is one of the most common surgery procedures for these patients. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of therapeutic touch on medical vital signs of patients before coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The present study is a clinical trial with 44 samples that were selected by easy sampling method and based on two separate lists of random numbers for both men and women, they were divided into two groups. In the therapeutic touch group, intervention therapy was applied on patents for 20 minutes. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Test results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean pulse rate before and after intervention in both groups (p < 0.001). Results also showed that there was a significant difference between the average number of breathing before and after intervention in both groups (p < 0.001). Considering the effects of therapeutic touch therapy as a safe and effective intervention on the patients which were revealed in this study, this technique can be used as a simple, cheap and applicable technique in all health care centers to help these patients.

The appearance of a new innovation in medical science named aquatic exercise has faded the effects of other preventive exercises in patients with multiple sclerosis to a large extent. Since exercise is one of the beneficial factors in enhancement of quality of life, researchers decided to investigate the role of aquatic exercise on the patients'' quality of life. This study is a semi experimental research that was performed on 22 patients chosen by simple random sampling. The standard SF-36 questionnaire was used and data was gathered by interview before and after aquatic exercise. Data was analyzed by paired t test via SPSS software version 10. The mean ages of participants were 32.86 from all, 68.2% of participants were married and 45.5% of them were high school graduates. The paired t test showed the significant differences between different aspects of quality of life before and after aquatic exercise. The findings of this research revealed that aquatic exercise has enhanced the aspects of multiple sclerosis patients'' quality of life; therefore the program of this exercise is suggested to be used for the patients with multiple sclerosis along with other methods of treatment for improvement in quality of their lives.