ABSTRACT
Background@#Heart failure is an important chronic and progressive disease worldwide. Patients are faced with several stressors that decrease their quality of life (QoL). The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of implementing a continuous care model on improving the QoL of patients with heart failure. @*Methods@#In the present randomized controlled trial, 72 patients with heart failure admitted to Shahid Chamran Hospital of Isfahan (in Central Iran) were randomly divided into 36-individual two groups: the experimental (continuous care model) and control (normal care) groups. In the experimental group, the continuous care model was implemented for 3 months. Data were collected using the standard Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire for patients with heart failure. Subsequently, the collected data were entered into the IBM SPSS ver. 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-square test, and independent and paired t-test at a significance level of α≤0.05. @*Results@#The results indicated that the mean scores of QoL before the implementation of continuous care model were 43.3±6.1 in the experimental group and 42.7±5.1 in the control group, indicating no statistically significant difference between the two groups. After the implementation of continuous care model, the mean score of QoL of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. @*Conclusion@#Considering the results obtained in the present study, model implementation could improve the overall scores of QoL in patients with chronic heart failure.
ABSTRACT
Background@#Heart failure is an important chronic and progressive disease worldwide. Patients are faced with several stressors that decrease their quality of life (QoL). The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of implementing a continuous care model on improving the QoL of patients with heart failure. @*Methods@#In the present randomized controlled trial, 72 patients with heart failure admitted to Shahid Chamran Hospital of Isfahan (in Central Iran) were randomly divided into 36-individual two groups: the experimental (continuous care model) and control (normal care) groups. In the experimental group, the continuous care model was implemented for 3 months. Data were collected using the standard Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire for patients with heart failure. Subsequently, the collected data were entered into the IBM SPSS ver. 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-square test, and independent and paired t-test at a significance level of α≤0.05. @*Results@#The results indicated that the mean scores of QoL before the implementation of continuous care model were 43.3±6.1 in the experimental group and 42.7±5.1 in the control group, indicating no statistically significant difference between the two groups. After the implementation of continuous care model, the mean score of QoL of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. @*Conclusion@#Considering the results obtained in the present study, model implementation could improve the overall scores of QoL in patients with chronic heart failure.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: We sought to assess the impact of educational intervention on female junior high school students' perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy regarding oral and dental health
Methods: We recruited 100 female junior high school students [50 in intervention and 50 in control group] from Falavarjan city using multistage random sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data about study variables. Students in the intervention group attended five 90-minute sessions designed to teach the students about dental hygiene
Results: We found no significant difference between the two groups with respect to the preintervention mean scores of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, and self-efficacy [p > 0.050]. The postintervention mean scores in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group [p < 0.050]
Conclusions: Training plans with particular behavioral goals and good instructional strategies can be useful in empowering students toward dental health
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Overweight and obesity are regarded as one of the most serious health and nutrition issues worldwide. This is immediately recognizable in both children and adolescents. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of tailored education on lifestyle modification in elementary school students in Isfahan
Methods: In a quasi-experimental study, two elementary schools in Isfahan District 3, Iran, were randomly selected to determine the intervention and comparison groups. Subsequently, 32 students from each school, 64 in total, were chosen arbitrarily and included in the study. They filled out the standardized questionnaire of physical activity and dietary behaviors before the intervention. Following one and four months' educational intervention, they were asked to complete the questionnaires once more
Results: The average general lifestyle score, one and four months after education, was significantly different between the groups [p < 0.001]. However, this difference was not significant before the intervention [p = 0.660]. Furthermore, the average lifestyle scores related to nutrition and physical activity one and four months after education showed a significant difference between the groups [p < 0.001]
Conclusions: Providing overweight elementary school students with education about a healthy lifestyle improves their general lifestyle and reduces weight. Therefore, it is recommended that such interventions are applied to prevent complications associated with being overweight in children
ABSTRACT
Background and purpose: According to investigations, not considering the side effects of anxiety on a fetus, baby and pregnancy outcomes, as a result of lack of proper training and adequate information in terms of pregnancy common cares, pregnant women hypothesize anxiety as a common sense that will be improved spontaneously. So present study was aimed at evaluating effectiveness of education on anxiety among primiparous women based on Health Belief Model [HBM].
Materials and Methods: An experimental [interventional] study matched with two randomized group. using pre-test and post-test on the 88 eligible primiparous women[n = 44 per group] was performed. Data were gathered by using a researcher made questionnaire that its validity and reliability were confirmed. Education was conducted in three sessions [1hour for each one] tailored with HBM constructs, using lectures, group discussions, inquiries, PowerPoints and booklets. Evaluation was included implementing post-test, 4 and 8 weeks after last education session. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS [ver.20] software, using fallowing methods: statistical test including Chi-square, Independent T-test and repeated measure one way analysis of variance [ANOVA], significant level was taken less than 0.05.
Results: The achieved results indicate that the averages of age, education, job status and income were not significantly different for both groups [p>0.05].In our study, the mean scores of knowledge, perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, perceived benefits and barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy and individuals performance, 4 weeks after intervention [p<0.001] and 8 weeks after intervention [p<0.001] had significantly more magnitudes in case group compared to control group. After intervention, repeated measure Anova also showed a significant increase in case group regarding knowledge [from 32.1 to 89.1], perceived sensitivity [from 34.8 to 91.5], perceived severity [from 31.82 to 88.48], perceived benefits [from 39.28 to 92.41], perceived barriers [from 26.93 to 88.61], cues to action [from 24.65 to 92.03], self-efficacy [from 29.71 to 88.75] and person performance [from 28.83 to 94.63] in significant level of p<0.001. While, there was not observed significant change in control group [p<0.05].
Conclusion: According to achieved results which indicate meaningful effects of education on increasing the knowledge of pregnancy and common cares, changing people beliefs and performances in terms of pregnancy anxiety based on HBM and also considering the fact that increasing mother and babies health level leads to higher health level for families and societies, it is expected that health planners and authorities must show more respect to this issues,
ABSTRACT
Smoking is a global health problem both, in developing and developed countries. Theoretical model has been developed for understanding of behavior change especially addictive behaviors, not only delineates a way to conceptualize behavior change, but also it provides the foundation for developing assessments of an individual's readiness to change and for tailoring interventions to actualize behavior change. In a cross-sectional study and a convenience sample of 578 smoker and ex-smoker From 6 universities during December, 2009 to June, 2010 completed three Persian versions of the short form Smoking questionnaire based on trans theoretical model developed by Prochaska, Velicer and Diclemente. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA test. More than half of the subjects were in the precontemplation stage. The pros of smoking among subjects in the precontemplation stage were significantly higher than subjects in the preparation and maintenance stages [P<0.05]. Meanwhile, the pros of smoking ratings were significantly higher for the contemplation and preparation stages than for the maintenance [P<0.05]. However, pros of smoking in the action stage were not significantly for the other stages of change [P>0.05]. Significant mean differences in cons of smoking behavior emerged across the stages of change. In terms of self-efficacy/temptation construct, the result showed significantly difference between the stages of change [P<0.05]. The results provided support of advantages of increase self-efficacy and the role of decisional balance for the intervention programs development in smoking cessation