Studying the Rate of Physical and Emotional Abuse among Elementary School Students of Isfahan in 2014 and Its Relation with Some of the Cognitive Demographic Characteristics for Better Health Care.

Aim: Determining the rate of physical and emotional abuse among elementary school students of Isfahan and its relation with demographic characteristics Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted in 12 elementary school of Isfahan in central Iran from November to January of 2014. Methods: In this analytic descriptive study 500 elementary students from 12 elementary schools under supervision of The Education Department of Isfahan, central Iran, were participated. Samples were selected through multi-step random sampling. Data was gathered using a researcher made questionnaire about some individual and family characteristics and physical and emotional abuse from January to November 2014. Data was analyzed using SPSS software and by appropriate analytic descriptive statistics. Results: Results showed that “you were forced to stand in the corner of the class” among choices for physical abuse (mean = +1.87, -0.96) and “you were shout at” among choices for emotional abuse (mean = +1.80, -0.98) gained the highest mean scores. There was a significant relation between the age and sex of student and their fathers’ job with the rate of physical and emotional abuse. But mothers’ education only had a statistically significant relation with emotional abuse. There was no significant relation between fathers’ education and mothers’ job with the rate of physical and emotional abuse. Conclusions: Since physical and emotional abuse does exist among elementary school students, and it is more in boys rather than girls and in older students rather than younger students, careful planning, supervisory actions and necessary educations regarding this field are essential.

Health Care Strategies for Elementary Schools.

Aim: Every society uses a kind of strategy to provide health care for schools, so the aim of this study was to determine health care strategies for elementary schools. Study Design: This is a qualitative study that conducted content analysis. Place and Duration of the Study: This study was conducted in Isfahan, Iran, during 2014. Methodology: This study was conducted on health care providers of elementary schools. By targeted sampling 17 healths care providers from 22 elementary schools were selected. 20 semi-structured interviews were performed. Data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Three concepts of social contribution (with two sub-categories of responsibility toward peers and cooperation), family-oriented (with three sub-categories of school and family interaction, parents’ desperateness and transparency of information between teachers and parents) and holism (with four sub-categories of students’ health problems, multidimensionality of health, social skills and promoting spirituality). Conclusions: Using these approaches to provide health care for students could help to enhance the health of this group.

New Vision for the Dignity: Understanding the Meaning of Patient Dignity in Iran.

Aim: Respect for human dignity right has been accepted as a fundamental human need in the world, but its meaning is complex. The present research aimed to understand the meaning of patient dignity in Iran. Study Design: The study was a qualitative study using content analysis. Place and Duration of Study: The study was performed in Kerman, Iran in 2014. Methodology: The study was conducted among patients with Heart diseases. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants. Participants were 16 heart patients admitted from two hospitals affiliated with the Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Twenty semi-structured interviews were constructed. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis Results: The analyzed data were made into two main themes and ten sub-themes. The two main themes that emerged were 1- Basic dignity with subthemes (Human security, Comprehensive care, Education and awareness, Respect, Effective communication and Privacy), 2- Transcendent dignity with subthemes (Trust, Gratitude, Satisfaction, Spiritual growth). In the basic dignity, the focus was on physical and psychological needs and in the transcendent dignity; the focus was on spiritual dimension. The results of this study may help health care professionals in understanding patient dignity in Iran.

Patient Dignity in Coronary Care: Psychometrics of the Persian Version of the Patient Dignity Inventory.

Aim: The Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) is a valid and reliable questionnaire. This questionnaire was created by Chochinov in 2002 and is used to measure various sources of distress related to the dignity of patients. The present study investigated the characteristics of items, reliability and validity measurements, and the application of the PDI for Persian-speaking cardiac patients. Place and Duration of Study: The study was performed in Kerman, Iran in 2014. Methodology: The PDI was translated into Persian. Then, it was distributed among 220 cardiac patients along with another 4 questionnaires related to anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and quality of life. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was calculated and principal component analysis and correlation analysis were performed. Construct validity was assessed using these validated questionnaires: the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and SF-36 Health Survey. Results: Factor analysis supported 4 dimensions, including the loss of human dignity, emotional distress and uncertainty, changes in ability and mental image, and loss of independence. The loading factors ranged between 0.5 and 0.83. The Cronbach's alpha of the questionnaire was high at 0.85, and those of the 4 dimensions were also high, ranging between 0.80 and 0.91. A desirable correlation was found between the Persian version of the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI-P) and the 4 other questionnaires. Conclusion: This tool can be useful in measuring coronary patients' dignity and the distress associated with dignity that these patients comprehend, and it can be used in Persian-speaking countries.