مجله ایرانی آموزش در علوم پزشکی
سال دوازدهم شماره 9 (پیاپی 47، آذر 1391)

Most risk factors for cardio-vascular diseases are related to behavior and knowledge. Educational programs are essential for changing the patient's lifestyle. This study aimed to assess the effects of face-to-face training about risk factors based on health belief model on knowledge and attitude of myocardial infarction patients after discharge. This was a quasi-experimental study. Eighty patients were randomly assigned to either intervention or control group. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire. Educational contents were designed in a health belief model frame based on the collected data and educational needs. Each patient in the intervention group received face-to-face training individually and the control group received the routine hospital method. Finally, data were analyzed using Chi-square, paired t –test, and independent T-test. Study results showed that there were no significant differences between mean score of knowledge and attitudes in the two groups before the intervention (p> 0.05). However, after the intervention, knowledge and attitude scores in the intervention group (31.02±1.4,105.9±5.96) and the control group (51.86± 5.96, 16.92±1.4) showed a significant difference in every dimension of the model (p<0.05). Study results indicate the importance of using appropriate preventive models in active education, which helps prevent recurrent problems in patients with myocardial infarction.

Theoretical courses on anatomical sciences are taught through integrative or regional approaches. It seems that integration helps teachers to convey the materials better to medical students, especially during their clinical stage. Therefore, we decided to study the viewpoints of faculty members of anatomy department in medical universities of Iran toward the horizontal integration of anatomical sciences. This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on faculty members of anatomy whose universities had performed Horizontal Integration for anatomical sciences courses, in year 2011. Using simple random sampling, a number of anatomy faculty members who had participated in National Congress of Anatomy were selected. Study instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire, including questions on faculty members’ familiarity with Horizontal Integration for anatomy courses, availability of facilities for this integration, and their level of satisfaction with integration program and their opinion regarding the temporal priority of lessons. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. According to 16 (33.3%) of participants, integration had a little efficacy in better understanding of adjacent anatomical elements. Twenty four (50%) of the participants stated their familiarity with the process of integration as high and very high. Twenty four (50%) teachers were highly and very highly agree to teach lessons systematically. Eighteen (37.5%) teachers highly agreed with integration of embryology and anatomy. Respondents classified the temporal priority of courses as anatomy, histology, embryology, and physiology, respectively. According to the fact that a half of teachers agreed to the horizontal integration of basic science courses in high and very high levels, and considering the results of this study, it is suggested to develop the curriculum and lesson plans based on this prioritization schedule including anatomy, histology, embryology, and physiology respectively

One of the most important principles of counseling is proper use of communication skills; nonverbal communication is one of the most effective ways of available communications. This research has been performed to study student's viewpoints on advisors’ nonverbal communication skills in schools of health and allied health sciences of Kashan University of Medical Sciences. In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 202 students of schools of health and allied health sciences of Kashan University of Medical Sciences were asked about their viewpoints toward advisors’ nonverbal communication skills. Students were selected through stratified random sampling. A self-made questionnaire was used to assess nonverbal communication skills considering five dimensions through 39 statements. Student's satisfactions with advisors were evaluated by a separate question. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed via content validity, and its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s Alpha (α=0.96). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistic and nonparametric inferential tests (Mann Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman, and Spearman correlation test). The total score of nonverbal communication skills of thesis supervisors was 3.39±0.71 (out of 5). The highest means belonged to “advisors’ appearance” (3.76±1.10) and “their facial expression during consulting” (3.54±1.07). The score of students’ satisfaction with advisors was 3.36±1.28 accordingly. Spearman test showed a significant correlation between student's satisfaction with advisors performance and the five dimensions of nonverbal communication skills (α>0.05). According to the results, the level of nonverbal communication skills and student's satisfaction with advisors were moderate. It seems necessary for faculties under investigation to develop effective strategies to promote their communication skills. This could increase the level of satisfaction among students and improve the quality of counseling sessions.

The number of medical students choosing psychiatry as specialty is declining in some countries. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of passing the psychiatric clerkship on consideration of various specialties as prospective career options and their respect for clinical specialties in medical students. In this analytical study, the sample included 104 fifth year medical students of Jundishapur University in Ahwaz who started psychiatric clerkship between spring 2007 and spring 2010. The subjects completed a demographic form, an attitude toward psychiatry questionnaire and a questionnaire to assess priorities and respect for clinical specialties, before and after their psychiatric clerkship. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation coefficient, and paired sample t-test. The results showed that mean of total scores of attitude before (42.36±9.18), and after psychiatry rotation (47.78±6.86) were significantly different (t=-5.45, p=.001). The mean score of subscales of “overall merits of psychiatry’, “role definition and functioning of psychiatrists”, and “career and personal rewards” were also changed significantly (p<0.001), also score for “possible abuses and social criticisms”, improved significantly(p=0.01) after psychiatric clerkship, but there was no significant difference in “efficacy” subscale (p=0.14). In the priorities of students before and after passing the psychiatric clerkship also there was no significant difference, as there was high positive correlation(r=0.80, p<0.001) between priorities order before and after the clerkship. Respect to psychiatry increased after passing the clerkship, but was still less than other specialties. Attitude toward psychiatry isn’t the only effective factor in choosing the specialty, and in spite of the significant improvement of students’ attitude toward psychiatry, it did not make a significant difference in their priorities. Although after the clerkship, respect to psychiatry increased, it was still less than respect for other specialties.

In the educational process, communication is the relationship between two people or two or more ideas. Considering the importance of communication in the teaching process, we investigated academicians’ communication skills in educational process at Arak University of Medical Sciences. In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, all faculty members of Arak Medical Sciences University studied during 2010-2011. Data were collected using the self-assessment questionnaire developed and validated by Queen Dom, which has 34 items and 5 subscales, with the maximum score of 170. Data were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA. Total mean of communication skills was 121±8.8. Mean of communication sub-skills including emotion control, message perception, decisiveness, listening to and showing recognition to message were 68.2±8.3, 71.7±7.7, 69.9±9, 71.4±8.3, and 68±8.9, respectively. Mean of emotion control in the deans, men, and participants in communication skills workshops were more than others. There was a significant association between emotion control and gender and message perception (p=0.01,t=2.57) and decisiveness (t=2.26, p=0.02). With regard to results, holding communication skills workshops could help improve relationship between the faculty members, specially women members with their students.

Adequate nutrition is an important part of a healthy pregnancy and nutrition education can play an important role in improving the health of the mother and her child. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an educational package on nutritional knowledge, attitude, and behavior of pregnant women. : In this quasi-experimental study, 88 women of 8-14 weeks of pregnancy referring to health centers in Karaj were selected through convenience sampling method and were randomly allocated to the experiment (n=44) and control (n=44) groups. The experiment group received nutrition education program including two 60-90 minute lecture sessions and an educational booklet and film. The control group received sexual education with similar method. Data were gathered using a self-made questionnaire including demographic characteristics, nutritional knowledge, attitude, and behavior (with 16,21,14,and 21 items, respectively); before and four weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using chi-square test, paired-T-test, T-test, McNemar test and analysis of covariance and logistic regression. At baseline, there was no significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics, and mean of nutritional knowledge, attitude and behavior scores (P<0.05). After the intervention, the mean scores were significantly higher in the experiment group than those in the control group in terms of the knowledge (63.5±13.5 vs. 35.7±12.8), attitude (74.8±7.8 vs. 65.2±8.3) and behavior (61.5±14.5 vs. 36.7±13.9) (p<0.001). Also, optimal food intake was significantly more frequent in the experiment group compared with the control group on meat (OR= 4.51, CI95% 1.56-13.00), bread and cereal (OR= 3.68, CI95% 1.32-10.25), and milk and dairy products (OR=3.38, CI95% 1.12-10.21). Findings of the study indicate that the educational package was effective in promoting nutritional knowledge, attitude, and behavior of pregnant women. This intervention program is easy to implement. Therefore, it is recommended to implement it at health centers.

Clinical education and evaluation is fundamental to nursing education. This study investigated the effect of competency-based and traditional teaching methods on clinical and cognitive learning of nursing students. This quasi-experimental study was done on 28 nursing students taking ICU courses in the academic hospital of Taleghani affiliated with Urmia Medical University in 2010 and 2011.Subject were selected by using census sampling and then using simple randomization method and assigned to experiment and control groups. Both groups took pre and post tests for cognitive skills through answering a questionnaire and the post test for clinical skills was done through a check list. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests and SPSS 16. The results showed the mean and standard deviation scores in clinical skills obtained from the experiment group students (competency-based education) and control (traditional training)were 162±10/72and117±25/01,which were significantly greater in the experimental group (p< 0/05). Also the independent t-test on pretest scores on cognitive skills showed there was not a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p>0/05). But post-test scores on cognitive skills in the experiment group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). The results showed that the application of competency-based teaching method over traditional methods provides the opportunity to improve the learning of clinical and cognitive skills in nursing students. It is suggested that this method be used in teaching nursing students for training and evaluation

Quality of life is a significant issue among dormitory students which is frequently related to decline in educational performance and severe psychological and physical problems. This study aimed to investigate the effect of optimism training on quality of life among dormitory female students at Isfahan Medical University. This was a quasi/experimental study with pre-test, post-test and follow-up. The instrument used was WHOQOL-100 questionnaire. Among the students who completed the questionnaire in the pretest phase, 60 students who got the lowest scores, were selected randomly and then assigned into two experimental (30 students) and control (30 students) groups. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multivariate Covariance Analysis of Variance The means of the general quality of life were 1.94±0.47 and 2.04±0.50 (out of 4) in experimental and control groups respectively. Whereas the means of the general quality of life in experimental group were 2.98±0.31 and 2.92±0.34 in post-test and follow-up respectively, which had increased compared to those of control group. So, the experimental group means were significantly higher (p<0.001, F=14.79) than those of the control group Means The results of the study showed that optimism training could increase the quality of life and all its dimensions among dormitory female students. It is recommended to run similar training programs for other dormitory residents.