ABSTRACT
Background: Parents of children with cancer experience high levels of stress and discomfort. Religious beliefs are important sources of comfort and support for many cancer patients and their families. The present study aimed to assess the effect of educational-spiritual intervention on burnout of the parents of the children with cancer
Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 135 parents of children with cancer were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. Data were collected through SMBQ [Shirom and Melamed Burnout Questionnaire] from both groups, before, immediately after and one month after the intervention. Educational-spiritual programs were held for six weeks, one session every week. The data were analyzed by SPSS using independent t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA
Results: The results showed that the mean burnout score before the intervention in the intervention group was 4.28+/-0.61 and in the control group it was 4.23+/-0.50; most of the parents reported moderate to high burnout. But, there was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups immediately after and one month after the intervention [t=10.16, P<0.0001]. The mean burnout score in the intervention group was less than the control group. Results also showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of parental burnout in three times of measurements [F=58.62, P<0.0001]
Conclusion: This study indicated that educational-spiritual intervention was effective on reduction of the burnout of the parents of the children with cancer. Due to high burnout of most of the parents, offering such a program could be beneficial for them. More studies in this regard are recommended
ABSTRACT
Although phototherapy has been used for more than 60 years it has some complications. The light waves produced from phototherapy reduce melatonin concentration in newborns with subsequent hypocalcemia. We aimed to assess the effect of head covering on calcium and magnesium levels in full term newborns during phototherapy. In this randomized controlled trial, 72 full-term icterus newborns weighing >2500 gr with indirect hyperbillirubinemia who received phototherapy at the phototherapy ward of Moslemin Hospital, Shiraz, southwest Iran, during March to September 2010 were recruited and divided randomly into two groups. The neonates in the case group received phototherapy while wearing a hat, while phototherapy was performed without hats for the control group. The newborns were in perfect health during the tests. The calcium and magnesium levels of each newborn were tested at baseline, and 24 hours after phototherapy and 48 after treatment. The variables were compared using Student's t, Chi-square and repeat measurement tests. 14 [38.8%] newborns in the control group and 5 [13.8%] in the case group had hypocalcemia after phototherapy. A significant difference was found between the incidence of hypocalcemia in these two groups [P=0.03]. However, magnesium levels did not change significantly [P>0.05]. Phototherapy caused hypocalcemia but it had no effect on magnesium levels. This can be prevented by covering the head during phototherapy with no need for prophylactic administration of calcium