Health Literacy of Employees of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences and Related Demographic Factors

Background and Objective: One of the important determinants of health in every society is health literacy. The present study was conducted to determine health literacy status of employees of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences and related factors. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 2016 among 188 employees in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The participants were selected through the stratified sampling method. The data collection instrument was Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA), which was completed through self-report. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression in SPSS version 22. Results: Most of the participants )74.5%( received health-related information through the Internet. Among the five dimensions of health literacy, the comprehension dimension of health information was more desirable. The highest correlation coefficient between health literacy dimensions was related to the relationship between comprehension and decision-making (r=0.582, P<0.01). On average, health literacy of employees was borderline, and age, marital status, educational status, and sources of information were predictors of health literacy (P<0.05). Conclusion: Overall, the results of the study showed that the average health literacy of employees was borderline. It seems that interventions based on demographic characteristics are required to improve the health literacy status of employees

Translation and psychometric testing of the Farsi version of the Seattle angina questionnaire

Abstract Background Angina pectoris causes substantial psychological and functional disabilities and adversely effects quality of life in patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties including validity and reliability of the Farsi version of the Seattle angina questionnaire. Methods The ‘forward-backward’ procedure was applied to translate this questionnaire from English to Farsi. The translated version of the Seattle angina questionnaire was assessed in terms of validity and reliability with a convenience sample of 200 patients suffering from angina pectoris who were recruited from the inpatient ward (post CCU) and outpatient department at two teaching hospitals in an urban area of Iran. Validity was assessed using content, face and construct validity. The calculation of the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and the test-retest method helped with the assessment of reliability of the questionnaire’s five subscales. Construct validity of the questionnaire was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. Results The results of exploratory factor analysis indicated a five-factor solution for the questionnaire including ‘physical limitation in middle to strenuous activities’, ‘physical limitation in slight activities’, ‘angina pattern and discomfort of treatment’, ‘treatment satisfaction’ and ‘disease perception’ that jointly accounted for 64.42% of variance observed. Convergent validity was mostly supported by the pattern of association between the Seattle angina questionnaire-Farsi version and the SF-36. Cronbach’s alpha of the subscales ranged from 0.60 to 0.86 and test-retest scores ranged from 0.79 to 0.97 indicating a good range of reliability. Conclusions The Seattle angina questionnaire-Farsi version had acceptable psychometric properties. Therefore, it can be used to assess health-related quality of life and assess the effects of different medical and nursing interventions on patients’ quality of life

The relationship between spiritual well-being and stress coping strategies in hemodialysis patients

Background and Objectives: Spiritual well-being has been recognized as an important resource to cope with illness and life stresses. The aim of this study is to determine the Spiritual well-being status as well as stress coping strategies in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This descriptive-analysis study included 95 randomly selected patients undergoing treatments with hemodialysis in hemodialysis centers of Qom hospitals. Data collection instruments were the Spiritual Well-Being Scale and Jalowiec Coping Scale Data were analyzed via SPSS 16 software, by using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and independent t-test. Results: The mean and standard deviation score of spiritual well-being of patients were 91.98&plusmn;15.09 while the mean and standard deviation of existential and religious well-being were 50.76&plusmn;8.06 and 41.22&plusmn;8.91, respectively. 52.6% got scores higher than the average score in spiritual well-being. The most common coping strategies in patients were Evasive and Supportant copings. Spiritual well-being and problem-oriented coping strategies had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.41, p = 0.008). But there was no significant relationship between spiritual well-being and emotion-focused coping strategies. Conclusion: Results showed that hemodialysis patients mostly use emotion-oriented strategies when facing disease and treatment&rsquo;s challenges. There was a positive relation between spiritual well-being and problem-oriented coping strategies; therefore, in order to increase levels of coping with the disease, the care plan should be written with an emphasis on patients' spiritual needs

Health is the Key to the Realization of Sustainable Development Goals

This article is Letter to the Editor and doesn't have abstract

Attitude toward Spirituality, Spiritual Care, and its Relationship with Mental Health among Intensive Care Nurses

Background and Objectives: Spirituality and spiritual care, as essential components of holistic nursing care, are widely recognized, while spiritual aspect is still overlooked. Spirituality has been associated with the caregiver&rsquo;s sense of well-being and ability to cope. The aim of this study was to determine attitude of intensive care nurses toward spirituality and spiritual care and its relationship with mental health. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 55 nurses working in the Intensive Care Units of educational hospitals in Qom, 2014. Tools of study include measures of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test, and ANOVA in the statistical software SPSS, ver. 16. Results: There were 10.2% male and 89.8 % female nurses; age ranged from 21 to 46 years, with a mean age of 29 (SD=2.67). Mean and standard deviation attitude score of spirituality and spiritual care in nursing were 55.95 and 7.66, respectively. Among the demographic variables of age (r=0.491), and work experience (r=.496) were significant correlation with the perception of spirituality and spiritual care. Also, there were significant and direct correlations between spirituality and spiritual care and general health (r=0.348). Conclusion: Our finding indicated that attitudes toward spirituality and spiritual care in the intensive care nurses were moderate. According to the direct relationship between attitudes toward spirituality and spiritual care and mental health, there should be a significant focus on strengthening spirituality in nursing care in intensive care, education, and acculturation in the area of religious and spiritual activities among nursing students. &nbsp

The Relationship between Motivation and Academic burnout in Nursing and Paramedical Students of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background and Objectives: Academic burnout leads to poor performance in students. On the other hand, motivation has direct relationship with academic performance of students. In this study, the relationship between motivation and academic burnout among nursing and paramedical students was investigated. Methods: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional study on nursing and paramedical students of Qom city in the second semester of 2014-2015. A total of 264 students were randomly selected from nursing and paramedical students. Data collection tools were demographic information form, academic burnout questionnaire, and academic motivation scale. Data were analyzed using regression and Pearson&rsquo;s correlation coefficient. The significance level was considered p<0.05. Results: The mean and standard deviation of academic burnout scores of the students was 28.52&plusmn;15.84. All academic motivation subscales had significant relationship with academic burnout. There were significant relationships between a motivation (OR=1.17, CI=1.08-1.26) and intrinsic motivation (OR=0.92, CI=0.88-0.95) with academic burnout. Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicated that a significant percentage of the students are experiencing academic burnout, and student with intrinsic motivation have lower academic burnout. Therefore, improvement of this personal trait in the students can reduce their academic burnout

An Investigation of the Relationship between Spiritual-Religious Well-Being and Mental Health in Students

Background and Objectives: Religious and spiritual components play an important role in well-being and health of people, and their evaluation seems to be necessary. The present study was carried out to determine the correlation between different domains of religious-spiritual well-being and mental health in the students of Qom University of Medical Sciences as well as the predictive power of different domains of religion and spirituality for students&rsquo; health level. Methods: The present study was carried out as a descriptive-correlational study on 158 students of Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2014. Samples were selected using random sampling method. The research data were collected by Multidimensional Inventory for religious-spiritual well-being and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and regression analysis. Results: The means of religious-spiritual well-being and mental health variables in the students were 24.63&plusmn;2.07 and 12.62&plusmn;6.39. There was a significant correlation between religious-spiritual well-being and mental health (p<0.05). Among the variables entered in the regression model, hope for the future, religiosity, and age had significant effect on mental health. Conclusion: The findings indicated that hope for the future and religiosity were, respectively, the most important religious-spiritual components, helping to improve mental health in students

Correlation among academic stress, academic burnout, and academic performance in nursing and paramedic students of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background and Objectives: Learning is a stressful experience of human life; reduced adaption to stressors causes academic burnout which is a reason for academic failure among students. This study investigated the correlation among academic stress, academic burnout, and academic performance in nursing and paramedic students of Qom University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 264 nursing and paramedic students were randomly selected. Demographic characteristics checklist, academic burnout questionnaire, and academic stress scale were used to gather data, and grade point average was considered to be the indicator of academic performance. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The level of significance was considered to be p<0.05. Results: The mean score for students' academic burnout was 28.52&plusmn;15.84. Univariate regression analysis showed that the students' employment, years of education, academic performance, and all academic stress subscales had a significant correlation with academic burnout. According to multivariate regression analysis, having a field of study-related occupation was a protective factor and academic stress a risk factor for academic burnout. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that a large proportion of students experienced academic burnout, and students with higher levels of stress experienced more severe academic burnout and had poorer performance. Therefore, training ways to cope with stress can cause reduction in academic burnout and improvement of performance

The Amount of Research Interest in the Students of Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2016 (Iran)

Background and Objectives: Research is one of the important factors in the development of communities and interest in research activities is effective in the tendency to carry out activities in this field. The current study aimed to determine the amount of research interest in the students of Qom University of Medical Sciences. &nbsp; Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 343 students were selected randomly. Data collection tool was Bishop & Bieschke research interest questionnaire. Data were analyzed using independent t- and Pearson correlation coefficient tests. The significance level was considered 0.05. &nbsp; Results: The mean total score of research interest was obtained 51.73&plusmn;13.49. The highest level of students&rsquo; interest was in designing a research, implementing a research project and cooperation in its implementation, on the other hand, the amount of interest in the field of data statistical analysis, providing a complete report of data analysis, and participating in statistical analysis training courses was at a low level. &nbsp; Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that generally the amount of research interest among the students was moderate. Therefore, Planning and providing practical strategies to strengthen students&rsquo; weaknesses, seems to be necessary. &nbsp; &nbsp