The effects of foot reflexology on depression during menopause: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of foot reflexology on depression during menopause. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Gynecology outpatient clinic. Interventions: We enrolled 90 menopausal women with depression. Participants were assigned to the intervention (n = 45) and control (n = 45) groups by block randomization. Participants in the intervention group received 15 min of foot re�exology on each foot for a total of 30 min in evenings, twice a week for six weeks. Participants in the control group received only the routine care for menopause patients. Main outcome measures: The Beck Depression questionnaire was completed by all participants at the beginning of the trial and the end of the intervention and two months after completion of the intervention. Results: A total of 121 patients were assessed for eligibility to participate in the study. One-hundred patients met the criteria to participate, and 90 participants�45 participants in each group�completed the study. In the intervention group, the mean scores of depression before, immediately after, and two months after the study were 26.97 ± 4.47 (95 CI = 25.3�28.3), 22.55 ± 5.18 (95 CI = 20.9�24.1), and 21.20 ± 5.74 (95 CI = 19.4�22.9), respectively. In the control group, these scores were 26.15 ± 5.01 (95 CI = 24.6�27.6), 26.22 ± 5.14 (95 CI = 24.7�27.7), and 26.66 ± 3.87 (95CI = 25.5�27.8), respectively. Using Repeated Measures ANOVA, the comparison of the mean scores of depression in the two groups indicated that the scores were decreased over time. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the foot reflexology technique can be effective for reducing women's depression during menopause. However, considering the study's limitations, including a small sample size and no intervention in the control group, more studies are needed to verify the findings. © 2019 Elsevier Lt

Pilates exercises and quality of life of patients with chronic kidney disease

ABSTRACT Background and purpose: There is a need to investigate the effects of pilates exercises on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with chronic kidney diseases (CKD). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pilates exercises on the QOL of CKD patients. Materials and methods: For this randomized controlled clinical trial, we enrolled 50 CKD patients. The participants were randomly assigned to experimental ( n = 25) and control ( n = 25) groups. Modified classical pilates exercises were performed by the experimental group three times a week over a 12-week period. The Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF) questionnaire was completed by all participants at the beginning of the trial and two months after completion of the intervention. Data analysis was conducted using Chi-square, independent t-test, and paired t-test. Results: There were significant increases in the scores of QOL dimensions in the experimental group after the intervention (p ≤ 0.05). Comparison of the mean differences at the beginning and two months after the study in the two groups showed that the scores related to QOL dimensions in the experimental group were significantly greater than the control group ( p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: The findings indicated the pilates exercises can be valuable for improvement of CKD patients ’ QOL. Keywords: Chronic kidney diseases Pilates exercises Quality of lif

Effects of glycerin oil and lavender oil massages on hemodialysis patients� restless legs syndrome

Objectives: To determine the effects of glycerin oil and lavender oil massages on hemodialysis patients� restless legs syndrome (RLS). Methods: Ninety hemodialysis patients with RLS were randomly allocated into two intervention groups and one control group, each consisting of 35 participants. The control group received routine care, and the intervention groups received effleurage massage with lavender and glycerin oil in addition to routine care for one month. RLS intensity was measured among the three groups using the Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale. Results: At the beginning of the study, the results showed no significant difference among the three groups� scores. At the end of the study, the mean RLS scores were significantly lower in the intervention groups compared to the control group (F = 63.4, p � 0.001). This difference was not significant between the two intervention groups; nonetheless, the differences between the control and lavender oil groups, as well as the control and glycerin oil groups, were significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings showed the effectiveness of the oils through the effleurage massage for reducing RLS in a sample of hemodialysis patients. © 2019 Elsevier Lt

The effect of tactile-kinesthetic stimulation on growth indices of healthy neonates

Abstract Therapeutic touch is emphasized by healthcare professionals for improvement of neonates' growth and development. However, inconsistencies exist regarding effects and methods of massage in neonates. The purpose of this clinical trial is to assess and comprise intervention and control groups regarding the effects of tactile-kinesthetic stimulation (TKS) by mothers on growth indices of healthy term neonates. Sixty healthy term neonates were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. Mothers of neonates in the experimental group were trained to perform TKS for their newborns at home before feeding for at least 28 consecutive days, two times a day, and 15 min each time. Neonates in the control group were not required to receive this intervention. The neonates’ growth indices were measured within 24 h after birth, and then at days 14 and 28. During the study and the three consecutive measurements, no significant difference was found between the mean weights, heights, and head circumferences of the neonates in the two groups (p > 0.05). Keywords: Tactile-kinesthetic stimulation Growth indices Neonates Mother's touc

Effects of glycerin oil and lavender oil massages on hemodialysis patients’ restless legs syndrome

Objectives: To determine the effects of glycerin oil and lavender oil massages on hemodialysis patients’ restless legs syndrome (RLS). Methods: Ninety hemodialysis patients with RLS were randomly allocated into two intervention groups and one control group, each consisting of 35 participants. The control group received routine care, and the intervention groups received effleurage massage with lavender and glycerin oil in addition to routine care for one month. RLS intensity was measured among the three groups using the Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale. Results: At the beginning of the study, the results showed no significant difference among the three groups’ scores. At the end of the study, the mean RLS scores were significantly lower in the intervention groups compared to the control group (F = 63.4, p ≤ 0.001). This difference was not significant between the two intervention groups; nonetheless, the differences between the control and lavender oil groups, as well as the control and glycerin oil groups, were significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings showed the effectiveness of the oils through the effleurage massage for reducing RLS in a sample of hemodialysis patients. © 2019 Elsevier Lt

Older adults of underrepresented populations and their end-of-life preferences: An integrative review

This integrative review was conducted to examine the evidence for understanding diversity in end-of-life preferences among older adults of underrepresented groups. Findings from 21 studies were critically examined, grouped, and compared across studies, populations, and settings. Five major themes emerged: advance directives, hospice and palliative care, communication, knowledge and information, and home and family. Despite multidisciplinary attention, content and methodological limitations narrowed understanding of what matters most to these groups when making decisions at end of life. Rigorous longitudinal studies with more ethnically diverse samples are needed to detect modifiable factors related to disparities at the end of life. Copyright © 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved

Effects of Pilates exercise on general health of hemodialysis patients

Pilates is a type of exercise which has recently drawn exercise and health experts' attention. They have noticed that it can improve hemodialysis patients' general health. A clinical trial study was performed. Fifty hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. A demographic information questionnaire and a general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) were completed by the two groups at the beginning of the study. Then, modified Pilates exercises were carried out in the intervention group three times a week over a period of eight weeks. At the end of the study, the GHQ-28 questionnaire was completed by the two groups. In the intervention group, the difference between the mean scores of general health before (45.24 ± 9.9) and after (31.2 ± 6.9) the intervention was significant (p � 0.002). After the intervention, the difference between the mean scores of the control (1.6 ± 1.3) and intervention (14 ± 0.78) groups was also significant (p � 0.001). © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Quality of life in patients with breast cancer in Kashan: A cross-sectional study

One of the most common cancers among women is breast cancer whose outbreak is increasing all over the world. This disorder affects different dimensions of patients' lives; therefore, the present study was aimed at measuring life quality of patients with breast cancer. Materials and Method: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 92 patients with breast cancer in Kashan. They were randomly selected through cluster sampling. Required data in different dimensions were collected through the questionnaire of Quality of Life in Breast Cancer (QOL-BC) patients and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS 14.0 software. Results: Patients' average age was 42.9±8.7 and 57 of them were married. Total quality of life in 87 of the patients was average and that of 13 of them was high. Moreover, the highest quality of life in spiritual and physical dimensions was respectively 67.4 and 59.8. And the lowest quality of life was related to psychological and financial dimensions. Statistical tests showed a significant relation between quality of life and age, disease duration, and fatigue and an inverse significant relation with the interval between diagnose and treatment. In addition, quality of life had no significant relation with marital status, education, and occupation. Discussion: According to the results of the present study that indicate favorable quality of life in physical dimension and low quality of life in psychological dimension, applying psychiatric techniques and social-psychological support and above all establishing communication with mutual understanding and respect to the patient can play a key role in controlling the disease complications and treatment whereby quality of life rises

Effects of walking on quality of life (QOL) of mastectomy patients in hospitals of Tehran

Background and AimBreast cancer is the most common malignancy in women with an estimated new cases amount to 178000 in 2007. Although surgery is the most frequent intervention, patients experience problems both from the disease and from surgery, leading to negative impact on their quality of life (QOL). Accordingly, such exercises as walking can improve their QOL. The aim of this quasi-experimental one-group study was to assess the effect of walking on QOL of mastectomy patients in 2007. Materials and Methods34 subjects selected by purposive and convenience sampling methods took part in the study. A two-part questionnaire including demographic as well as QOL items and a self-report form were used for data collection. After determining content and face validities, the reliability of the questionnaire was figured by internal consistency (α=0.89) and test-retest (r=0.91) methods. Walking was performed in a flat area, 3 times a week and each time 30 minutes over 6 weeks. QOL items in the questionnaire were completed 2 times before and after the intervention. FindingsMean scores of physical domain before and after the intervention were %64.55±8.10 and 78.89±5.81, of psychological domain 52.89±10.74 and 64.92±8.64, of social domain 64.76±9.59 and 79.06±25.62, of economical domain 68.63±16.29 and 73.28±15.32 and of spiritual domain 79.96±12.57 and 82.54±11.18 respectively. Mean scores of total QOL were 66.16±6.30 and 75.74±6.59 before and after the intervention respectively. A significant increase was found in all domains except spiritual.   Conclusion It can be concluded that walking has positive effects on QOL of mastectomy patients to overcome their problems. Keywords: Walking, Quality of life (QOL), Mastectomy. *Corresponding Author: Moshtagh Eshgh, Z. Lecturer, Dept. of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: [email protected]