[ study of health, cultural and social conditions of the Chaharmahal va Bakhtiary province's, rural population in 2007, Iran]

Identifying the problems and difficulties related to rural areas can be useful and effective in future planning. Since looking into the current situation is the first step in planning economical, social and cultural development, this study was carried out with the aim of investigating aspects of health, cultural and social conditions of the rural population of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiary province. In this descriptive-cross sectional study 1638 family guardians were chosen through simple sampling. Around 90 villages were chosen for this research [the same area in which the Tarhe Hejrat was carried out in the year 2008]. The data was gathered using multi-sectional questionnaires [Cronbach's Alpha 89%] with 47 questions including demographic information, state of education, employment, financial state, family planning, diet, hypertension, smoking and personal hygiene and was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Unemployment in the rural areas was 31.6%. 86% had their own homes, 30% had a personal car and 87% had bathrooms in their homes. 43.22% wished to emigrate. The awareness of problems arising from not paying attention to family planning was 75.74% and the most practiced method was using oral contraceptive pills [45.1%]. The biggest amount of red meat [46.09%], chicken [36.23%] and fish [62.56%] intake was 1 to 5 times a month. The amount of people suffering from hypertension was 26.25%. Knowledge of the side effects of smoking was 91.81% and the average age of smokers was 57.81 +/- 14.51. Families with a child aged fewer than 10 who had been in an accident were 16.65% and males had the most accidents [70%]. The social, cultural and health status of the people living in the country-side in the province is not at its optimal level in certain aspects. Finding the causes however, requires more research

[Effect of continuous caring and educational intervention [home visit] on quality of life in the congestive heart failure patients]

Quality of life in congestive heart failure [CHF] patient's comrade with declines mortality, psychosocial, physical and social restriction due to inability effect of the disease. So, the aim of this study was the assessment effected continuous caring and educational intervention [home visit] on quality of life in the CHF patients. In a clinical trial study, a total of 110 patients were selected and accidentally were put in two groups [experimental and control]. Each group was equalized based on sex, age, education, living place, heart failure and ejection fraction. Then, experimental group was educated about heart failure disease, drugs being used, self care plan and life style that this educational plan followed by three home visits. In all of the patients, quality of life questionnaire [SF-36] was filled in two steps, in first study and sex months after discharge. Data were analyzed using independent and pair t-tests. Before intervention, the results indicated that there was no difference in two groups base on sex, age, education, living place, cardiac failure degree, ejection fraction and quality of life main score [P<0.05]. But after the intervention, quality of life main score in domains physical function, limitations in usual role activities because of physical health problems, vitality, social function, body pain and general health in intervention group were greater than control group [P<0.05]. Pair t-test was detected quality of life main score after six months was increased in the intervention group and decreased in the control group [P<0.05]. Our results show that, nursing intervention and education in congestive heart failure patient's base on need and life style improve physical status and quality of life of these patients

[ effects of group therapy on mental health condition in mothers of thalassemic patients]

Thalassemia is the most common hereditary chronic anemia in human. It causes terrible effects on psychological health condition of family members, especially mothers. Due to the advantages and a very few side effects of group therapy, the current study aimed at determining the effects of group therapy on mental health condition of the thalassemic patients' mothers. A clinical trial was conducted on 60 mothers of thalassemic patients in Hajar hospital of Shahrekord medical university and Seieed Al Shohada hospital in Farsan. At the beginning of the study all mothers were administered a demographic and mental health questionnaire [GHQ28] and among those who scored higher than 23, were randomly designated to the experimental and control groups. In the treatment period of the study the participants in the experimental group attended 8 weekly sessions of group therapy. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, t-test, paired t-test, and Pearson Correlation. Before the experiment there was no significant difference between the two groups of subjects in both questionnaires in all dimensions [P>0.05]. After the treatment period a significant difference was observed between the two groups in all dimensions of mental health [P<0.05]. The results also showed that there was no correlation between demographic variables and mental health conditions. The results of this study showed that group therapy has a considerable positive effect on recovery and improvement of mental health of mothers of the chronic patients, like thalassemia in all dimensions

[Myocardial infarction risk factors in the patients referred to Chaharmahal and Bakhtiary province hospitals, 2005]

The best way to reduce myocardial infarction [MI] is to find its risk factors and prevent or modify them in high-risk populations. This leads to decreasing of its complication and mortality and thus maintenance of productive potential in the societies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify MI risk factors in patients referred to Chaharmahal and Bakhtiary province hospitals, 2005. This case-control study was performed on a total of 247 patients suffering from MI from Chahrmahal and Bakhtiary province during 2005. These patients were assigned as the case and 240 of the other patients as the control group. The patients were compared in the case of predisposing factors to MI. Data were gathered by a questionnaire consisting of four sets of questions: demographic and physiologic variables, Holmes and Rahe Scale, standard activity and standard annual diet. Data were analyzed using regression, Chi-square, Fischer and Odds ratio tests. Base on the results, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the cases of age, sex, education, job and the place of life. In the case and the control, the frequency of high blood pressure, 40.5%, 29.6% [p<0.001, OR=3.68], total cholesterol level: 42.9% and 19.2% [p<0.001, OR=5.22], Diabetes: 29.1%, 12.1% [p<0.001, OR=3.68], smoking: 60.4%, 39.6% [p<0.01, OR=1.78], stress: 34.4%, 15.4% p<0.01, OR=2.78], and obesity: 15.6%, 5.4% [p<0.001], OR=2.97], respectively. These are recognized as the main risk factors of the disease in this region. The findings showed that the history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol level, diabetes, smoking, stress and obesity were the main MI risk factors in this area