Relationship between coping/attachment styles and infertility-specific distress in Iranian infertile individuals: A cross-sectional study

Background: Infertility has been recognized as a stressful clinical condition, significantly affecting couples’ emotional functioning. Objective: To investigate the relationship between coping/attachment styles and infertility-specific distress (ISD) in infertile participants. Materials and Methods: A total number of 240 infertile participants (120 women and 120 men) who attend the Outpatient Infertility Clinic in Sari, Iran between February and October 2017 were selected using the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic variables. In addition, coping and attachment styles were evaluated via the Coping Strategies Questionnaire and the Revised Adult Attachment Scale by Collins and Read (1990); respectively. Ultimately, the Infertility Distress Scale was used to assess ISD. Results: The mean ISD score was 42.53 ± 9.63. Secure and insecure attachment styles were observed in 37.9% and 62.1% of the cases, respectively. There was a significant difference among ISD and different groups of attachment styles (p = 0.001) and emotion-focused coping style (p = 0.021). However, no significant relationship was found between problem-focused coping style and ISD (p = 0.985). Conclusion: Considering the relationship between coping/attachment styles and ISD, it was recommended to implement stress prevention and coping education within the framework of coping/attachment theories for infertile individuals. Key words: Infertility, Attachment, Copying, Distress

The Efficacy of Intramuscular Calcitonin Injection in the Management of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Study DesignA prospective, cross-sectional, non-randomized study.PurposeTo assess the effectiveness of intramuscular calcitonin injection in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).Overview of LiteratureLSS, manifesting as chronic low back pain and neurogenic claudication, is a chronic condition with an increasing incidence in the elderly population having inadequate effective conservative treatment options.MethodsIn this study, 36 patients with LSS who were diagnosed based on the clinical findings and magnetic resonance imaging were included. Patients received 100 IU of calcitonin per week for one month and were evaluated before and after treatment using the Oswestry disability index (ODI) questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS). Before treatment, the patients were divided into two subgroups based on their ODI results: patients with mild to moderate low back pain (disability, 0%-40%) and patients with severe or very severe low back pain (disability, 40%-100%).ResultsIn patients with mild to moderate low back pain, there were no significant changes in the ODI and VAS after calcitonin injection. But in patients with severe or very severe low back pain, pain severity, personal functions, ability to lift and carry objects, time interval between standing and initiation of pain, social life, disability percentage, and VAS were significantly improved after treatment with calcitonin.ConclusionsIt seems that an intramuscular injection of low dose of calcitonin may have some beneficial effects on the pain due to LSS, especially in patients who suffer from severe or very severe low back pain

Ranking the Factors Affecting the Retention of Human Capital with Organizational Support Approach (Case study: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences)

Background: In our country, one of the first steps to recognize the problems of employee retention, both for policy makers and organizations is to understand the factors expected by employees, so the purpose of this study was to rank the factors affecting the retention of human capital with organizational support approach.Method: The present study was applied in terms of purpose and the mixed method (qualitative-quantitative) has been used. The statistical population in the quantitative part included the faculty members of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in the academic year of 2018-2019 that 272 people were selected by stratified sampling method, appropriate to the size of each group, and in the qualitative section, the ideas of 32 experts were used by Delphi technique. The research material was a researcher-made questionnaire extracted from the qualitative section which validity was confirmed by experts and its reliability was calculated higher than 0.7, using Cronbach's alpha coefficient in all Delphi stages. The final questionnaire with 8 dimensions and 53 components was administered among the sample and the data were analyzed using SPSS24 software.Results: The results showed that both organizational factor (coefficient = 0.94) and personal factor (coefficient = 0.83) had the most impact among the factors and environmental factor (coefficient = 59) had the least impact among the factors, with emphasis on organizational support.Conclusion: Managers of medical universities should expand the supportive environment and create promotion opportunities in the university, which requires planning and simultaneous attention to all factors of human capital retention, especially through the perceived organizational support by creating trust, confidence and communication in the university environment

Correlation between Radiologic Sign of Lumbar Lordosis and Functional Status in Patients with Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain

Study DesignA cross-sectional study.PurposeTo describe the correlation between lumbar lordosis angle and functional status of patients with chronic mechanical low back pain (CMLBP).Overview of LiteratureThere are different and conflicting opinions regarding the relationship between the degree of lumbar lordosis and functional status of patients with low back pain. Nonetheless, the severity of lordosis is still one of the routine physical exams considered in rehabilitation clinics.MethodsThe degree of lumbar lordosis of 150 patients with CMLBP was measured by means of Cobb's method using sagittal standing spinal radiographs. Subjects with probable secondary causes of low back pain (trauma, congenital anomaly, spinal infection, rheumatologic problems and history of spinal surgery) were excluded. Besides recording demographic data, their score of functional disability was estimated using Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, one of the most useful and reliable questionnaires. Comparison between these data was made regarding different age and gender groups.ResultsIn this study, 119 subjects were female and 31 male, with an age range of 19-85 years. The average degree of lumbar lordosis was 44.69±11.43 and that of Oswestry disability index (ODI) 30.52%. Although we found a significant direct relationship between age and degree of lumbar lordosis (Pearson's correlation coefficient, p=0.016, r=0.197), while insignificant correlation was seen between the degree of lumbar lordosis and ODI (p=0.129).ConclusionsThere was no significant correlation between the degree of lumbar lordosis and the score of functional disability with regards to different age groups and gender