ABSTRACT
Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis [RA] is a chronic and inflammatory disorder which is the major cause of disability in adults. Patient training is a vital aspect of nursing care for people with arthritis aiming to enable them to live as independently as possible. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of the educational program on self-efficacy on women with rheumatoid arthritis
Methods: This study was an open randomized controlled clinical trial during May to July 2013. Women [64 participants] with confirmed RA and a mean +/- SD age of 48.6 +/- 9.83 years were enrolled; they were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups [32 in each group]. The patients in the intervention group participated in a training programs consisting of two 30-minute sessions per week for 8 consecutive weeks. Data were collected by using Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale [ASES] and demographic questionnaire. ASES questionnaire was filled in three times by the participants: before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 20, and statistical tests including Chi-square and t-test
Results: The results showed that the mean of self-efficacy scores of the intervention group, immediately and three months after the intervention, significantly enhanced in all dimensions compared with the control group [P<0.001, P<0.001]
Conclusion: It can be concluded that training programs is effective for improving self-efficacy in the patients suffering from RA by raising their awareness towards their disease and methods of adaptation with it. But as to the sustainability of the impact of educational courses on self-efficacy, it seems that more research is required
ABSTRACT
Background: Life review therapy, used as part of a comprehensive therapy plan for increasing the quality of life of the elderly, helps them to resolve their past conflicts, reconstruct their life stories, and accept their present conditions. The present study aimed to explore the effectiveness of life review therapy on the quality of life of the elderly
Methods: The present study was a randomized controlled trial with a pre-posttest design during April to Aug 2014. The study was conducted on 35 members of the elderly day care centers in Shiraz, Iran, that were randomly assigned to two groups [experimental and control]. The subjects in the experimental group attended 8 two-hour sessions of life review therapy. The quality of life of the elderly participants was evaluated before, immediately, one month, and three months after the intervention using the quality of life questionnaire [WHOQOL_BREF]. Data analysis was conducted through SPSS version 22, using statistical tests including Chi-square, repeated measures test and T-test, with the significance level of 0.05
Results: The results of the study showed that life review therapy interventions significantly improved the quality of life of the elderly [P<0.05]. Moreover, group interaction with passage of time was also significant, which indicates that the pattern of changes has been different between the two groups
Conclusion: The findings of the study confirm the research hypotheses, showing that the application of life review is effective and viable. It is recommended that all nursing homes and even the families of the elderly should employ this convenient, inexpensive, quick, and practical method