Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care
Volume:4 Issue: 3, Jul 2015

Context: Migraine is a type of primary headache that affects 10% to 20% of people worldwide. Recent studies have reported different prevalences of migraine in Iran. Hence, this study aimed to review current evidences related to the prevalence of migraine in different parts of Iran..Evidence Acquisition: A literature search was done for related articles published between 1998 and 2014 on PubMed, Science Direct, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus for English language articles, and on Iran Medex, Magiran and SID (Scientific Information Database) for Persian (Farsi) language articles by the following keywords: “migraine”, “headache”, “prevalence” and “Iran”.. In most evaluated studies, migraine had a higher prevalence in middle-age individuals and females. The prevalence of migraine in adults varies from 7.14% to 18.11%, and the maximum and minimum prevalence was reported from Tehran and Zahedan, respectively. In children and adolescences, the prevalence varies from 1.7% to 12.3%, and the lowest and highest prevalence were found in Shiraz and Yazd, respectively.. Based on the current findings, the prevalence of migraine in evaluated studies was high. Therefore, it is recommended for public health authorities to detect the reasons for the high prevalence of this disease and set appropriate strategies to prevent this disorder..

Every woman during different stages of her growth faces various crises, and one of these crises, menopause, may create different problems. In modern societies, psychological disorders and particularly depression is one of the problems of menopausal women.. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression in postmenopausal women referred to selected health centers of Ahvaz in 2014..Patients and This study was cross-sectional study. In this study, 1280 postmenopausal women aged between 40 and 65 years old who were referred to selected health centers of Ahvaz in 2014 were randomly enrolled. Hamilton depression scale and demographic questionnaire were used for gathering information. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and analytical statistics (Independent t test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and logistic regression) were carried out (CI 95%).. The mean ± SD score of depression for the subjects was 9.37 ± 4.62. The results showed that 59.8% of the 1280 samples were depressed; in particular, 39.8% had mild depression, 16% moderate depression, and 4% severe depression. There is a significant and inverse relation between variables of age, exposure to cigarette smoking, and the relationship with their spouses and the level of their depression, so higher age, more exposure to smoking, and better relation with their husbands, lead to the less depression. The results showed that the level of education is associated with depression. The highest rate of depression was in illiterate women; the finding also showed that there is a relationship between income and the severity of depression (Regression Log). T test showed that the mean depression level of employed postmenopausal women is higher than housewives postmenopausal women, and this difference is statistically significant (P < 0.001).. A significant percentage of women in their menopause experience depression. This depression can be associated with variables such as exposure to cigarette smoke, certain personal characteristics (e.g. relationship with spouse), and socioeconomic status (education, income)..

In the families of patients with mental disorder, children are in a critical situation since they are faced with several problems that may not be efficiently noticed.. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges concerning the marriage of children of parent with mental illness in Iran..Patients and This study was a part of more comprehensive study conducted using qualitative method. It was conducted in a mental hospital Qazvin City, Iran. In the present research, semi-structured interviews were performed with 17 participants, selected based on purposeful sampling. The obtained data were analyzed using constant comparison analysis.. According to the findings, main theme of “Gloomy Horizon” with subthemes of premarriage and postmarriage issues was emerged. People were unwilling to marry these children. In addition, these children considered marriage as a challenging issue, due to their fear of genetic transferability of their parents’ illnesses and incidence of having problems with their spouses’ families.. Regarding the challenges opposed to the marriage of these children, allocation of necessary actions within their care services as well as offering educational programs seems to be of prime importance for the society..

Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent symptoms in patients with acute leukemia and can affect patients'' Quality of Life (QOL) that is a significant factor in assessment of cancer treatments. Also, the goal of curing hematological malignancies is to reach to increased survival and improvement of patients; and this goal will be fulfilled when QOL in patients is promoted.. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between chronic pain and Health-Related QOL (HR-QOL) in patients with acute leukemia under chemotherapy in Ahvaz City, Iran..Patients and This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 90 patients (age range, 18 - 50 years) with acute leukemia under chemotherapy referred to Shafa Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. The participants were selected through convenient sampling. The outcome measures included the Iranian version of the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for assessing the pain, and demographic questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using ANOVA, t-test, chi-square, with the significance level of 95%.. The average of pain severity was 6.03 ± 2.06, and the total average of HR-QOL was 46.83 ± 3.62, and the lowest average belonged to physical function (42.17 ± 25.75). No significant difference was found in the average pain between the two genders (P = 0.487); however, there was a statistically significant difference between HR-QOL and gender (P = 0.005). Moreover, no significant difference was detected between the average pain severity and acute leukemia type (P = 0.152). The findings also revealed a significant relationship between pain severity and aspects of HR-QOL, So that, all aspects of QOL were decreased with increased pain severity.. The results of the study indicate that chronic pain and HR-QOL in patients with acute leukemia in Ahvaz are in a very adverse condition and require serious reform. The findings of the study can be helpful in the clinical decisions and health care programs to the therapeutic team..

The growing global elderly population is in need of more prescription medications.. The present study assessed medication adherence with respect to demographic factors among elderly patients with cardiovascular disease who were admitted to a teaching hospital as well as outpatients referred to treatment centers in Bushehr, Iran..Patients and The present study was a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study using a simple random sampling method that investigated 125 elderly patients with cardiovascular disease. Data were collected through the Medication Adherence Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, and Pearson and Cramer’s V correlation analyses, using SPSS version 18.. Among the patients, 57.6% and 42.4% were female and male, respectively. Moreover, 62.4% had high adherence to their prescribed medications. Frequency of medication use, history of previous hospitalization, and sex were significantly associated with adherence to medication (P < 0.05).. More than half of elderly patients with cardiovascular disease had high adherence to their medications. Demographic factors including the frequency of daily medication use, history of hospitalization, and female sex were associated with adherence to medication. By considering these factors, doctors and nurses increase medication adherence, especially for older adults..

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder with symptoms found in hands, knees, hips, back and neck.. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between nutritional status and physical activity with osteoarthritis of the knee in patients referred to hospitals affiliated with the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences..Patients and The current cross-sectional research was done on 200 people selected by easy sampling and random counting, and included a group of patients and a group of healthy subjects, who served as controls (100 subjects in each group). Data were gathered by a self-made questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the chi-squared and Fisher and Mann-Whitney tests.. The results showed that the majority of subjects in both groups were in the age group of over 64 years. The majority of individuals in the patient group were females. The majority of subjects in the patient group commonly consumed foods from the bread and cereal group while the healthy group consumed foods from the meat and beans group. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Most individuals within the patient group used less vegetables and salads, had lighter activities in the present and in the past and had never exercised (P < 0.001).. In our study we found a relationship between nutritional status and physical activity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, osteoarthritis can probably be prevented if preventive measures are taken at an earlier age..

Low back pain is one of the most common debilitating disorders worldwide and the third cause of visiting a physician. One of the most common causes of low back pain is spinal disc herniation. Still there is no general agreement on the most effective treatment for it.. This study aimed to determine the effect of Capsaicin cream on low back pain in patients with inter-vertebral disc herniation in Ahvaz..Patients and This was a double blind clinical trial in which 43 patients with chronic low back pain, according to characteristics of the subjects, were randomly divided into two groups of treatment (n = 23) and control (n = 20). Data collection instruments included demographic specifications and visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaire completed on arrival and at the first, second and third weeks after intervention. The treatment and placebo groups used the ointment for three weeks and three times a day as a thin layer on the painful position. Data entered SPSS (version 18) and analyzed using the analytical descriptive statistics.. There was a significant difference in the average pain intensity between the groups of study pre-and post-intervention (P = 0.0001) and the rate of using analgesics in the treatment group significantly decreased (P = 0.008). Also patients’ satisfaction was significantly different between the two groups using the ointment (P = 0.0001).. Capsaicin cream has beneficial effects on pain relieving and reducing analgesic use in patients with inter-vertebral disc herniation. Therefore, the ointment can be recommended in the treatment of low back pain caused by inter-vertebral disc herniation..

The life with a transplanted organ is different from that before transplantation and is associated with unknown factors. Understanding and acceptance of real experiences as well as training and planning to manage them can reduce stress and anxiety. Because there is no study about it, this study was conducted to explore experiences of these patients.. The purpose of this study was to explore realities about living with a transplanted kidney..Patients and In this qualitative study, 10 patients with transplanted kidney were selected by purposive sampling from a list of transplant recipients in two referral and specialized hospitals in Mashhad and Ahvaz cities, Iran, in 2014. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field note, which were analyzed according to content analysis method.. four main categories with 10 subcategories emerged as follows: perception of conditional life (health dependence on the maintenance of the transplanted kidney and continuation of life dependence on the consumption of medications), persistence of problems (necessity of medicine consumption, necessity to follow a dietary regime, transplant rejection, constant stress, necessity to be followed up for treatment, and marriage-related issues), being different (being different from before transplantation and from others), and change in attitude towards life (transplantation as a rebirth and feeling of relief).. The results showed that although transplantation can make a positive change in the lives of patients with chronic kidney disease, it leads to emergence of factors that if understood and correctly addressed, can lead to a realistic look at the new treatment..

Hemodialysis, as one of the most common methods of controlling chronic renal failure, causes the change in the ways of living as well as physical and mental health status and leads to changes in the family and social rolls of the individual. All these factors influence self-concept and self-efficacy to some extent.. This study was conducted to analyze the association between self-concept and self-efficacy in the patients under treatment by hemodialysis in the selected hospitals of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, in 2014..Patients and In this descriptive-correlation study, 200 patients under treatment by hemodialysis were selected using convenience sampling method. Data collection was completed using a three-part questionnaire including 1) demographic information and information related to the illness, 2) Beck’s self-concept questionnaire, and 3) Sherer self-efficacy questionnaire. All questionnaires were handed to the patients in different shifts and were answered in the presence of the researcher after he explained the methodology and obtained their consent. Finally, data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using Mann-Whitney U statistics tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient in the SPSS 22.. According to the results, a direct and significant correlation was observed between self-efficacy and self-concept, so that with an Increase in self-concept, the self-efficacy increased (P<0.05). The association of self-efficacy with all demographic variables, except the place of living, was significant. On the other hand, self-concept had significant association only with the variables of duration of treatment, the number of dialysis sessions, and family history of disease.. Although there is an association between self-concept and self-efficacy, developing more regular and detailed programs to promote self-concept, especially self-efficacy of the patients, is needed. Due to the high potentiality of mental and psychologic factors in predicting self-efficacy and performing self-care behaviors, and low level of self-efficacy in these patients, there should be much more attention to educational planning in order to promote self-efficacy. The nurses should increase patients’ self-care by designing and implementing patient-focused intervention to improve the self-efficacy and self-perception of these patients, especially in acquiring skill related to self-care..

Non-adherence to medication in psychiatric patients and identification of related risk factors has provided serious challenges for care service providers.. The current study aims to determine the psychometrics of a questionnaire used to indicate risk factors related to non-adherence to medication in psychiatric patients..Patients and Four-hundred patients with psychiatric disorders in Bushehr and Shiraz were enrolled in this cross-sectional study using convenient sampling methods. An initial questionnaire was designed with 23 items. Following the confirmation of content and face validity of the questionnaire, the questionnaire was completed by the participants and 11 experts contributing to the administration. The item impact score, content validity index (CVI), and content validity ratio (CVR) were examined using exploratory factor analysis. In order to calculate the internal and external reliability, the Kuder-Richardson and re-test methods were used.. Factor analysis revealed five factors in the questionnaire. Five of 23 items had low content validity and were eliminated. The CVI and CVR of the questionnaire were 0.89 and 0.85, respectively. One statement was eliminated owing to a reduced factor load. Internal reliability was r = 0.86, estimated using the Kuder-Richardson method, and external reliability was r = 0.93, estimated via a Pearson correlation coefficient. Five factors resulting from the questionnaire had optimal reliability according to the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.79). Five factors were extracted, including factors related to disease, patient and environment, attitudes toward treatment and therapist, drug side effects, and previous experience to treatment.. The questionnaire on risk factors related to medication non-adherence in patients with psychiatric disorders had acceptable psychometric characteristics, and is a useful tool to be implemented in medical centers and psychological clinics..