Investigation of spiritual health in staff of one Medical Sciences University in Tehran

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background Objective: Spiritual wellbeing is considered as an important aspect of human health which provides a coordinated and integrated relation between the internal forces, and by creating meaning and purpose in life is thought as an important approach to promote general health. Thus, this study was conducted with the aim to assess the Spiritual wellbeing of the staff of one University of Medical Sciences in Tehran city. Material & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 503 university employees (including the three covered hospitals and the faculties’ staff) with a multi-stage sampling (based on the percentage of the employed people in each department/ administrative or medical staff),  during  2012. The data were collected through Ellison and Paloutzian 20-item Spiritual wellbeing questionnaires and after determining their validity and reliability by self report, then were analyzed with SPSS software version 16, One way-ANOVA and correlation tests. Results: According to the results, 57.3% of the staff were women, 61.8% were married and 26.4% had a work experience between 3 to 5 years. In this study, a total of 61.4% of the staff had a good Spiritual wellbeing score. Spiritual wellbeing had significant relationship with age, work experience, history of psychiatric disorders, moderate physical activity, housing conditions and participation in the rites of Hajj association.Conclusion: Planning to promote physical, psychological, social and occupational health in staff is a top priority. Regarding the promotion of the income, welfare, physical activity and lifestyle is recommended for  the employee. Keywords: Spiritual Health, Staff, UniversityFor downloading the full-text of this article please click here

The Relationship between Spiritual Health and Public Health Aspects among Patients with Breast Cancer

For downloading the full-text of this article please click here.Background and Objective: Spiritual well-being is one of the fundamental concepts in chronic diseases and is considered an important approach to improve public health among individuals. Given the importance of spiritual well-being and its role in the promotion of mental health, the present study was conducted with the aim of evaluating spiritual well-being and mental health in patients with breast cancer who visited a center for cancer control at the University of Medical Sciences.Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 122 patients with breast cancer in 2015. The data were collected through self-administered 20-item Paloutzian & Ellison’s Spiritual Well-Being Scale and a 28-item questionnaire of mental health after determining their validity and reliability. The collected data were then analyzed using ANOVA and Pearson correlation and linear regression.Results: The results show that most patients had moderate spiritual health (37.8%), and most of them suffered mild mental health problems. (50 percent). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between mental health and demographic characteristics (Marital status, education, income, physical activity). There was also a significant relationship between mental health and spiritual health.Conclusion: According to the findings, to prevent mental suffering among patients with breast cancer, promoting spiritual health of patients should be regarded as one of the priorities of health care professionals.For downloading the full-text of this article please click here

Experiences of stigma in healthcare settings among adults living with HIV in the Islamic Republic of Iran

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>People living with HIV (PLHIV) sometimes experience discrimination. There is little understanding of the causes, forms and consequences of this stigma in Islamic countries. This qualitative study explored perceptions and experiences of PLHIV regarding both the quality of healthcare and the attitudes and behaviours of their healthcare providers in the Islamic Republic of Iran.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In-depth, semi-structured interviews were held with a purposively selected group of 69 PLHIV recruited from two HIV care clinics in Tehran. Data were analyzed using the content analysis approach.</p> <p>Results and discussion</p> <p>Nearly all participants reported experiencing stigma and discrimination by their healthcare providers in a variety of contexts. Participants perceived that their healthcare providers' fear of being infected with HIV, coupled with religious and negative value-based assumptions about PLHIV, led to high levels of stigma. Participants mentioned at least four major forms of stigma: (1) refusal of care; (2) sub-optimal care; (3) excessive precautions and physical distancing; and (4) humiliation and blaming. The participants' healthcare-seeking behavioural reactions to perceived stigma and discrimination included avoiding or delaying seeking care, not disclosing HIV status when seeking healthcare, and using spiritual healing. In addition, emotional responses to perceived acts of stigma included feeling undeserving of care, diminished motivation to stay healthy, feeling angry and vengeful, and experiencing emotional stress.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>While previous studies demonstrate that most Iranian healthcare providers report fairly positive attitudes towards PLHIV, our participants' experiences tell a different story. Therefore, it is imperative to engage both healthcare providers and PLHIV in designing interventions targeting stigma in healthcare settings. Additionally, specialized training programmes in universal precautions for health providers will lead to stigma reduction. National policies to strengthen medical training and to provide funding for stigma-reduction programming are strongly recommended. Investigating Islamic literature and instruction, as well as requesting official public statements from religious leaders regarding stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings, should be used in educational intervention programmes targeting healthcare providers. Finally, further studies are needed to investigate the role of the physician and religion in the local context.</p

Patient-Physician Communicative Patterns, Physicians’ Job Satisfaction, and Patients’ Satisfaction: The Case of a Hospital in Isfahan

Abstract Background and purpose:Now-a-days, patient satisfaction is increasingly receiving the attention of health-service providers, which is a necessary step to enhance the quality of health services. The present study aimed at exploring patient-physician communicative patterns, physicians&rsquo; job satisfaction, and patients&rsquo; satisfaction at Isfahan, Iran. Materials and Methods:This study was a descriptive analytical and cross-sectional survey in the summer of 2010. Simple random sampling was used to select participants. Data were collected through using three self-designed questionnaires on physicians&rsquo; job satisfaction, patient-physician relationship patterns (based on Hollander and Szase&rsquo; ideas), and patients&rsquo; satisfaction. Validity of the questionnaire was checked by a panel of experts. Furthermore, internal consistency reliability of the questionnaires was confirmed by Cronbach&rsquo;s alpha (&alpha; = 0.80). Different dimensions of the job satisfaction questionnaire were salary, supervision, setting, promotion, fringe benefits, and working conditions. Data were analyzed by using SPSS for Windows 13.0 software. Results:The mean score of patient-physician relationship was 63. Therefore, the most frequent patient-physician communication pattern was guidance-cooperation. The mean score of physician&rsquo; job satisfaction was 50.2. The mean score of patients&rsquo; satisfaction was 86.5. Physicians&rsquo; job satisfaction was found to be related to patient-physician communication pattern (P < 0.05). Conclusion:Although patient-physician communication patterns are important, different variable such as patients&rsquo; and physicians&rsquo; satisfaction influence the patterns. Furthermore, improvement communication process between health care providers can be useful in the increasing patient satisfaction and patient quality of care

A Comparative Study of Health-risk Behaviors of Boys and Girls of Freshmen Year at Tehran University, Iran

Abstract Background and purpose: Priority health-risk behaviors, often are established during childhood and adolescence, extend into adulthood, and are interrelated and preventable. This study was conducted to determine and compare the prevalence of risky behaviors on both sexes of freshman students enrolled in Tehran University, Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytical type of cross-sectional survey which has used stratified sampling to select 432 students during 2011-2012. A questionnaire including, 14 demographic questions and 38 questions about risky behaviors such as unintentional intentional injuries, smoking habits, alcohol and drug use, sexual behaviors, nutritional habits, and physical activities was used as the instrument of the study. Attending student&rsquo;s club and passing medical examination, each student completed the self- reported questionnaire. Results: The mean age of participants was 23/2 &plusmn; 5/1, the majority of them were single (90.5%), 80.6% were unemployed, and 60.2% were from other cities. The prevalence of smoking cigarette (P 0.05). Conclusion: Some health risk behaviors in boys were more than girls, and there is a possibility of increasing these high-risk behaviors in the university environment. Thus, keeping students under surveillance and adopting preventive actions play a crucial role, and comprehensive training plans to promote health behavior should be designed and implemented

Psychoeducation on Improving Mental Health Literacy and Adjustment to Illness in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: An Experimental Stud

Objectives: The present study investigated the role of psychoeducation in improving mental health literacy and adaptation in patients with type 2 diabetes.  Methods: The present study was an interventional study with pre-test, post-test and follow-up design with a control group. The study population included patients with type 2 diabetes who referred to Iran Hospital. Based on the research method and considering the missing data, a sample size of 80 people was considered. In total, 40 patients were selected as the intervention group and 40 subjects as the controls by purposeful sampling method. The subjects were randomly assigned into the two groups. The obtained data were collected by O’Connere and Casey’s mental health literacy questionnaire and psychosocial compatibility questionnaire of Moro and colleagues. The purpose of psychological education in this study, which was used as the intervention, was Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Training was performed in a group format. Therapeutic sessions were 11 one-hour sessions.  Results: The obtained results suggested that the effect of intervention in the  post-test phase was 57% on mental health literacy and 48% in follow-up. In addition, the effect of intervention on adjustment in the post-test phase was 39%, and in the follow-up phase 38%. Discussion: Psychological trainings like CBT can predict the information that is more important in diabetes self-management. Increasing the mental health literacy rate for psychiatric disorders associated with type 2 diabetes, improves compatibility, which will improve the quality of life and lifestyle of people with type 2 diabetes

بررسی وضعیت سلامت معنوی در کارکنان دانشگاه علوم پزشکی

Background Objective: Spiritual wellbeing is considered as an important aspect of human health which provides a coordinated and integrated relation between the internal forces, and by creating meaning and purpose in life is thought as an important approach to promote general health. Thus, this study was conducted with the aim to assess the Spiritual wellbeing of the staff of one University of Medical Sciences in Tehran city. &nbsp;Material &amp; Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 503 university employees (including the three covered hospitals and the faculties’ staff) with a multi-stage sampling (based on the percentage of the employed people in each department/ administrative or medical staff),&nbsp; during&nbsp; 2012. The data were collected through Ellison and Paloutzian 20-item Spiritual wellbeing questionnaires and after determining their validity and reliability by self report, then were analyzed with SPSS software version 16, One way-ANOVA and correlation tests. &nbsp;Results: According to the results, 57.3% of the staff were women, 61.8% were married and 26.4% had a work experience between 3 to 5 years. In this study, a total of 61.4% of the staff had a good Spiritual wellbeing score. Spiritual wellbeing had significant relationship with age, work experience, history of psychiatric disorders, moderate physical activity, housing conditions and participation in the rites of Hajj association. Conclusion: Planning to promote physical, psychological, social and occupational health in staff is a top priority. Regarding the promotion of the income, welfare, physical activity and lifestyle is recommended for&nbsp; the employee.سابقه و اهداف: سلامت معنوي، يکي از ابعاد مهم سلامت در انسان محسوب مي­ شود و به عنوان رويكردي مهم در ارتقای سلامت عمومي در نظر گرفته مي­ شود. با توجه به اهميت سلامت معنوي و نقش آن در ارتقای سلامت رواني، پژوهش حاضر با هدف بررسي سلامت معنوی در کارکنان یکی از دانشگاه­ های علوم پزشکی شهر تهران صورت گرفته است. مواد و روش­ ها: این مطالعه­ ی مقطعی، بر روی 503 نفر از کارکنان یکی از دانشگاه های علوم پزشکی شهر تهران (دربرگیرنده­ ی سه بیمارستان تحت پوشش و دانشکده­ ها)، به روش نمونه­ گیری چند مرحله­ یی مرکب (برحسب درصد افراد شاغل در هر بخش/کارمند اداری یا درمانی)، در سال 1391 انجام شد. اطلاعات از طريق پرسش­نامه­ هاي سلامت معنوي 20 سئوالی &nbsp;&nbsp;Paloutzianو&nbsp; Ellison بعد از تعیین روایی و پایایی آن­ ها به صورت خود ایفا تکمیل و جمع­ آوری و توسط نرم افزار SPSS16 و آزمون­ های ANOVA و&nbsp; همبستگی تجزیه و تحلیل شد. یافته­ ها: میانگین نمره­ ی سلامت مذهبی و وجودی در کارکنان به ترتیب 97/52 و 09/48 بود. در مجموع 4/61 درصد کارکنان از نمره­ ی سلامت معنوی خوبی برخوردار بودند. بین سلامت معنوی و سن، سابقه­ ی خدمت، سابقه­ ی بیماری­ های اعصاب و روان، متوسط فعالیت جسمانی، وضعیت مسکن و شرکت در مناسک حج، ارتباط آماری معنی­داری مشاهده شد. نتیجه­ گیری: برنامه­ ریزی برای ارتقای سلامت جسمی و به خصوص روانی، اجتماعی و حرفه­ یی کارکنان در اولویت قرار دارد. برای ارتقای سلامت در کارکنان توجه به ارتقای شغلی، سطح رفاه و درآمد، فعالیت جسمانی و سبک زندگی&nbsp; توصیه می­ شود. واژگان کلیدی: سلامت معنوی، کارکنان، دانشگا

The Study on Correlation among Research Budge, Time Length, Study Type and Scientific Outcomes of Research Projects

Abstract The analytical study aimed at investigating the influence of budget allocation to research projects on the time length, study type, and scientific outcomes of research projects conducted in a selected university in Tehran, Iran. Having analyzed 105 research projects, it was found that research budget was correlated significantly with the time and delay length of the projects. The correlation between the project budget and the time length of studies was stronger (P-value &lt;0.05). Based on the hypotheses of the study, research budget does not influence the output of the projects and their final outcomes. However, it affects on the time and delay length of the projects. This paper highlighted more attention to management of financial resources

Relationship between blood lead level and male reproductive hormones in male lead exposed workers of a battery factory: A cross-sectional study

Background: The reproductive system is one of the organs that are affected by lead. Lead can cause loss of libido and fertility in men, and menstrual disturbances and spontaneous abortion in woman. Objective: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was assessment of dose-response relationship between blood lead level (BLL) and sex hormones levels in lead exposed male workers. Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirteen male workers enrolled. All workers had at least 6 months of lead exposure and no history of diseases or conditions affecting reproductive system. Blood lead level and hormones levels measured with atomic absorption spectrophotometer and radioimmunoassay method, respectively. Results: Average duration of exposure was 15.92±6.95 years. Mean BLL was 41.41μg/dl±16.99. All of the sex hormones values were in normal range. Pearson correlation showed that sex hormones levels had no significant correlation with blood lead level. Also, there was no significant difference in sex hormones levels between workers with BLL 40 μg/dl. Conclusion: This study showed that BLL cannot serve as a predictor of male sex hormonal changes. However, it is not possible to rule out the effect of lead on the reproductive system after long-term exposure

Determinants of lifestyle behavior in Iranian adults with prediabetes : Applying the theory of planned behavior

OBJECTIVE: Prediabetic condition can lead to development of type 2 diabetes, especially in individuals who do not adhere to a healthy lifestyle. The aim of the present study was to investigate the socio-cognitive factors using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) that may be associated with the choice of lifestyle in prediabetic patients. METHODS: A prospective study with one-month follow up was designed to collect data from 350 individuals with prediabetic conditions. A questionnaire was used to collect the information, including demographic variables, exercise behavior, food consumption, as well as the constructs of the TPB (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention) regarding physical activity and dietary choice. The correlations between TPB variables and the dependent variables (dietary choice, physical activity) were assessed using Spearman correlation and multiple regression models. RESULT: In total, 303 people participated. The mean age of the participants was 53.0 (SD 11.5) years and 42% were males. Significant correlations were found between all TPB constructs and both dependent variables (healthy eating and exercise behaviors) both at baseline and after one month (P &lt; 0.01). The predictive validity of the TPB over time was proved for both dependent variables where past and future behaviors were significantly correlated with the constructs. Nearly 87% of the variance in exercise behavior and 72% of the variance in healthy eating behavior were explainable by TPB constructs. CONCLUSION: The TPB may be a useful model to predict behaviors of physical activity and dietary choice among prediabetic people. Therefore, it may be used to monitor lifestyle modification to prevent development of diabetes among people with prediabetic conditions.