Educational Intervention on Preventive Behaviors on Gestational Diabetes in Pregnant Women: Application of Health Belief Model

Background Unfortunately, gestational diabetes with its demanding health cares and increasing economic costs is globally prevailing. Therefore, preventive measures against this difficulty are highly significant. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of training interventions on behaviors of pregnant women for prevention of gestational diabetes. Materials and Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 91 pregnant women (n=45 in intervention group, n=46 in control group), whom were chosen through multi-stage random sampling, and three training sessions with weekly intervals were offered for the intervention group. The data was collected in two stages including before the intervention and three months after intervention through interview as well as filling in questionnaire forms. The collected data was analyzed through independent sample t-test and paired t-test by considering 0.05 confidence level using SPSS software (version19.0). Results The results of present study showed a direct and significant correlation between age and preventive behaviors (r=0.22,

Evaluation of Plasma Concentrations of Homocysteine, IL-6, TNF-Alpha, Hs-CRP, and Total Antioxidant Capacity in Patients with End-Stage Renal Failure

It has been proved that hyperhomocysteinemia has a high prevalence in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which may contribute to the high cardiovascular risk in these patients. Cardiovascular disease is the first cause of high mortality rate in ESRD patients. The aim of the present study was to assess five important factors in patients with ESRD (the amount of homocysteine, IL-6, TNF-alpha, hs-CRP, and Total Antioxidant Capacity). These factors were surveyed in ESRD patients to compare with healthy subjects. In a cross-sectional study, we enrolled 80 patients on maintenance hemodialysis and measured the inflammatory and oxidative stress indicators. The plasma samples were assayed for five above mentioned variables using standard protocols. Two-hour post hemodialysis plasma samples were also assayed for TAC. Plasma levels of inflammation markers, IL-6 and hs-CRP, homocysteine were significantly increased in ESRD group versus control group. This increase was also found in TNF-α levels as compared to the controls, but the differences were not statistically significant. Also, the post dialysis samples had significantly lower levels of TAC as compared to predialysis ones

Improving the identification of dementia with Lewy bodies in the context of an Alzheimer’s-type dementia

Abstract Background Dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are the two most common neurodegenerative causes of dementia. They commonly occur together, especially in older people, but clinical identification of these diseases in dementia is difficult in such circumstances. We therefore conducted a study using cases with both comprehensive prospective clinical assessments and complete neuropathological examination to determine if it is possible to identify such mixed cases clinically and to determine features which may identify DLB in the presence of AD dementia. Methods At Newcastle Brain Bank we identified subjects who had a clinical diagnosis of dementia and who also had autopsy diagnoses of pure AD, pure DLB, or mixed AD+DLB. All subjects had undergone prospective longitudinal clinical assessments. Mixed AD+DLB patients met neuropathological criteria for both DLB (limbic/neocortical Lewy body disease) and AD (Braak stage V/VI and CERAD B/C). The records of these subjects were carefully reviewed by two specialists in old-age psychiatry blind to autopsy findings to determine baseline and final clinical diagnoses based on these detailed records. The presence of characteristic Lewy body symptoms and other clinical information was also recorded. Results Of 59 subjects included, 19 were AD, 18 DLB, and 22 mixed AD+DLB. At baseline no subjects were correctly identified as having mixed AD+DLB and by final diagnosis only 23% were identified. The only symptom which helped in identifying the presence of Lewy body disease in the context of a mixed AD+DLB dementia was complex visual hallucinations. Conclusions Whilst the identification of DLB in the context of a dementia with an AD pattern is difficult, the emergence of complex visual hallucinations in the context of such a degenerative dementia suggests the presence of Lewy body disease and should encourage a careful assessment. Biomarkers appear likely to be necessary to help improve identification of different disease subtypes underlying dementia

The effect of preventive educational program in cigarette smoking: Extended Parallel Process Model.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is one of the preventable causes of diseases and deaths. The most important preventive measure is technique to resist against peer pressure. Any educational program should design with an emphasis upon theories of behavioral change and based on effective educational program. To investigate the interventions through educational program in prevention of cigarette smoking, this paper has used the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a quasi-experimental study. Two middle schools were randomly selected from male students in Shiraz. Therefore, we randomly selected 120 students for the experimental group and 120 students for the control group. After diagnostic evaluation, educational interventions on the consequences of smoking and preventive skills were applied. RESULTS: Our results indicated that there was a significant difference between students in the control and experimental groups in the means of perceived susceptibility (P < 0.000, t = 6.84), perceived severity (P < 0.000, t = -11.46), perceived response efficacy (P < 0.000, t = -7.07), perceived self-efficacy (P < 0.000, t = -11.64), and preventive behavior (P < 0.000, t = -24.36). CONCLUSIONS: EPPM along with educating skills necessary to resist against peer pressure had significant level of efficiency in improving preventive behavior of cigarette smoking among adolescents. However, this study recommends further studies on ways of increasing perceived susceptibility in cigarette smoking among adolescents