Educational needs on palliative care for cancer patients in iran: a swot analysis

Background: By acceptance of palliative care as a part of health system of each country and due to increasing prevalence of cancer, special focus on stakeholder's educational needs is of vital importance so that palliative care services are improved and the quality of life of patients is enhanced. This study was conducted to explore the educational needs of stakeholders of palliative care for cancer patients in Iran

Methods: This qualitative study with 20 semi-structured interviews was conducted from August 2016 to February 2017 in Shohadaye Tajrish and Emam Khomeini Hospitals of Tehran. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and included cancer patients and their family caregivers as well as healthcare providers, experts and policy-makers. The data were analyzed through Conventional Content Analysis of Landman and Graneheim using MAXQDA10 software. Statements of each main category of the study were summarized in SWOT categorizes

Result: A total of 546 codes were extracted from the analysis of the interviews and four main categories and four subcategories were identified. The four main identified categories included:"academic education planning", "workforce education", "public awareness", and "patient and caregiver empowerment" that contained our subcategories as follows: "strengths", "weaknesses", "opportunities" and "threats" [SWOT].

Conclusion: Meeting the educational needs of the stakeholders of palliative care requires policymakers to identify the factors leading to strategies that are based on the use of opportunities, the removal of weaknesses, and coping with the threats to which the organization is faced

Experiences of nursing students of evidence-based practice education according to rogers' diffusion of innovation model: a directed content analysis

Introduction: Evidence based practice [EBP] education is essential in promoting of clinical care, but an effective educational strategy for teaching EBP in nursing faculties is not available. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of nursing students of EBP Education according to Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation Model

Methods: This qualitative study was carried out using a directed content analysis method and purposeful sampling. Data were collected until saturation by fourteen semi-structured face-to face individual interviews and two focus group discussions with nursing students from two nursing faculties in Tehran, Iran. Rogers' Model was used in this study

Results: Data were classified into five themes and 11 categories according to the Rogers's Model. Themes and main categories were knowledge [educational enrichment, new strategy for education], persuasion [internalization of education, improvement of motivation], decision [acceptance, use in the future], implementation [objectivity, consolidation of learning] and confirmation [learning and teaching, achieving a goal, self confidence]

Conclusions: EBP Education, based on the teaching strategy of Rogers's Model, leads to an improved EBP learning. All the necessary steps for a better education of it are included in this educational approach which can be used to teach any new subject like EBP

Evaluating the Factor Structure of the Persian Version of Posttraumatic Growth Inventory in Cancer Patients

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the factor structure of the Persian version of posttraumatic growth inventory (P-PTGI). METHODS: Participants included 272 Iranian people of Azari ethnicity (111 women and 161 men), aged between 21 and 91 years (mean 52.65 years), who were diagnosed with cancer and were referred to the oncology department of the university hospital. The P-PTGI was assessed to determine the construct validity, using various indices of confirmatory factor analysis and standardized lambda coefficient, followed by further assessment of the discriminant and convergent validities by using the structural equation model. LISREL 8.8 for Windows and SPSS were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The calculated values of comparative fit index, incremental fit index, normed fit index, and non-normed fit index > .90 and the values of standardized root-mean-square residual < .08 indicate an acceptable fit for the original PTGI. Considering that the values of average variance extracted (.52–.74) were greater than the square of correlation coefficients between the five dimensions of P-PTGI, discriminant validity was approved. Convergent validity was confirmed through a high value of standardized lambda coefficient (.52–.92) between the items and their related factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that P-PTGI has an acceptable validity and reliability for posttraumatic growth assessment in Iranian cancer patients and its factor structure is similar to that of the original form developed by Tedeschi and Calhoun.

Resilience and its contributing factors in adolescents in long-term residential care facilities affiliated to Tehran Welfare Organization

Background: resilience is a quality that affects an individual's ability to cope with tension. The present study was conducted to determine resilience and its contributing factors in high-risk adolescents living in residential care facilities affiliated to Tehran Welfare Organization in order to help develop effective preventive measures for them

Methods: the present descriptive study was conducted on 223 adolescents living in 15 different governmental residential care centers in 2014. Participants were selected through convenience sampling. The data required were collected via the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale with content validity [S-CVI=0.92] and a reliability of [alpha]=0.77 and r=0.83 [P<0.001]. The data obtained were analyzed in SPSS-20 using descriptive and inferential statistics including Chi-square test, independent t-test and ANOVA

Results: the adolescents' mean score of resilience was 84.41+/-11.01. The level of resilience was moderate in 46.2% of the participants and was significantly higher in the female than in the male adolescents [P=0.006]; moreover, the score obtained was lower in primary school children as compared to middle school and high school students [P<0.001]

Conclusion: directors of care facilities and residential care personnel should adopt preventive resilience-based strategies in order to optimize resilience among adolescents, particularly the male. It is important to provide a basis to prevent adolescents' academic failure and place a stronger value on education than the past

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of self-transcendence scale: adolescent version

Background: Given the greater tendency during adolescence toward risk-taking, identifying and measuring the factors affecting the adolescents' health is highly important to ensure the efficacy of health promoting interventions. One of these factors is self-transcendence. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric features of the Self-Transcendence Scale [adolescents' version] in students in Tehran, the capital city of Iran

Methods: This research was conducted in 2015. For this purpose, 1210 high school students were selected through the multistage cluster sampling method. After the backward-forward translation, the psychometric properties of the scale were examined through the assessment of the [face and construct] validity and reliability [internal consistency and stability] of the scale. The construct validity was assessed using two methods, factor analysis, and convergence of the scale with the Hopefulness Scale for Adolescents

Results: The result of face validity was minor modifications in some words. The exploratory factor analysis resulted in the extraction of two dimensions, with explaining 52.79% of the variance collectively. In determining the convergent validity, the correlation between hopefulness score and self-transcendence score was r=0.47 [P<0.001]. The internal consistency of the scale was determined using Cronbach's alpha of 0.82 for the whole scale and 0.75 and 0.70 for each of the sub-scales. The stability reliability was found to have an ICC of 0.86 and a confidence interval of 95%

Conclusion: The Persian version of the Adolescents' Self-Transcendence Scale showed an acceptable validity and reliability and can be used in the assessment of self-transcendence in Iranian adolescents

Measuring self-rated social health of iranians: a population based survey in three cities

Social health as third dimension of health, along with physical and mental health, has drawn more attention in recent years among policy makers and health system managers. No other study, according to our review, has documented measuring individual-level social health in Iran. In response to this need, our study tends to assess Iranians self-rated social health through conducting a survey in 3 cities of Iran. We conducted a survey using cross sectional method in three cities of Iran [Tehran, Isfahan, Urmia] included people more than 18 years old. We use a random sample size of 800 people. The scale provides a total score of social health and three sub-scores. Total score was calculated by summing all 33 items, so the range was between 33 to 165, considering that higher score indicating better social health. Psychometric parameters of scale were acceptable. To interpret scores, respondents were categorized into five ordered groups as quintiles for amount of social health. To compare social health scores in different demographic groups multiple linear regression was employed to interpret association between demographic variables and social health score. From a pool of 800 persons, 794 [99%] agreed to participate and filled out the questionnaire completely. The mean of self-rated social health score was 105.0 [95% confidence interval, 103.8 to 106.2]. 50% of participants had medium level of social health. Social health score was higher for those who live in Uremia as a small city in comparison with big cities-Tehran and Isfahan [p<0.001] and was lower for unemployed people [p=0.029]. There was no association between social health score and other factors such as sex, age and educational level [p>0.05]. This study may be considered as the first step in evidence-based policy-making in the field of social health in Iran. Certainly, it is necessary to conduct more studies to measure social health and its determinants in a nation-wide approach

Details of content validity and objectifying it in instrument development

Researchers in the nursing science study complex constructs for which valid and reliable instruments are needed. When an instrument is created, psychometric testing is required, and the first-step is to study the content validity of the instrument. This article focuses on the process used to assess the content validity. This article examines the definition, importance, conceptual basis, and functional nature of content validity in instrument development. The conditional and dynamic nature of content validity is discussed, and multiple elements of content validity along with quantitative and qualitative methods of content validation are reviewed. In content validity process, content representativeness or content relevance of the items of an instrument is determined by the application of a two- stage [development and judgment] process. In this review, we demonstrate how to conduct content validity process, to collect specific data for items generation and calculation of content validity ratio, content validity index, modified Kappa coefficient, and to guide for interpreting these indices. Face validity through suggestions of expert panel and item impact scores is also discussed in paper. Understanding content validity is important for nursing researchers because they should realize if the instruments they use for their studies are suitable for the construct, population under study, and sociocultural background in which the study is carried out, or there is a need for new or modified instruments

Pathological description and immunohistochemical demonstration of ovine abortion associated with Toxoplasma gondii in Iran / 대한수의학회지

The obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a major world wide cause of infectious ovine abortion. In some different diagnostic techniques that are being used to detect this pathogen in ovine fetuses, immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a very sensitive and expensive one. Histopathology is not truly a specific and sensitive test for Toxoplasma infection but it can be helpful to choose some suspected tissues for IHC. In this study 9.5% of 200 samples (aborted ovine fetuses internal organs such as brain, liver, heart, lung, kidney, spleen) (4.6~14.4% with 95% CI) were positive in IHC with a very good logical agreement among different diagnostic techniques (kappa = 0.73, 0.8) and with no significant difference among different fetal age groups (p > 0.05).

[Translation and evaluation of psychometric properties of the KINDL Questionnaire]

Objective[s]: Valid and reliable data collection requires valid and reliable tools [questionnaires]. In using questionnaires in other languages, translation and psychometrics to make them compatible with target culture gain the first priority. The aim of this study was to translate KINDL questionnaire [for measuring quality of life in school-age children] to Farsi and to perform its psychometric evaluation

Methods: In this methodology study, after permission from developers of KINDL questionnaire, it was translated in 7 stages. Its English version was first translated to Farsi. Different early translations were then unified into one Farsi version. The final product was then translated back into English with revision, correction and finalization. For measuring psychometric, content validly, criterion validity and reliability by test-retest methods were used. First the KINDL questionnaire was translated and then psychometric was measured. Content validity index [CVI] of the questionnaire was measured based on the "relevance", "clarity", and "simplicity" on a four point scale

Results: The results showed that content validity index was more than %75 for all questions. In addition, the results of criterion validity of KINDL questionnaire and "Quality of Life Questionnaire for Children with Asthma" showed a significant, linear and positive relationship between the scores of the two questionnaires by Spearman statistical test. In addition, test-retest results showed a high correlation between the different domains of the questionnaire

Conclusion: Foreign questionnaires should be translated by expert people and made compatible with the target culture of each country. Researchers should be aware of this important point when they apply questionnaires from other countries. In this research, content validity index, criterion validity and reliability of KINDL questionnaire were measured and approved. Thus, it can be concluded that the questionnaire is suitable to measure quality of life in children

Using of ordinal coefficient alpha in the evaluation of spiritual coping questionnaires reliability

Spirituality is known as a factor affecting adjustment to stress conditions in adolescence period. To assess the spiritual coping, a questionnaire in Likert scale is applied. In this study, the ordinal alpha coefficient was used to test the reliability of questionnaire. The data of spirituality coping scale in a semi-structured interview included 103 items developed in 5-point Likert scale. After validation and factor analysis to identify factors, a multiple-choice questionnaire with 39 items was designed. The reliability of this questionnaire was investigated on a sample consisting of 120 adolescents living in boarding centers, Tehran Province. FACTOR and SPSS softwares were used to measure the ordinal alpha and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. The factor analysis revealed the spiritual coping in 3 factors: [purposefulness of life], [connection with God] and [looking for spiritual protection]. The reliability coefficients of factors by ordinal alpha were 0.834, 0.913 and 0.984, respectively, which were higher in comparison with Cronbach's alpha. The reliability coefficient of 39-item-questionnaire by ordinal alpha was 0.992. If the data is normally distributed, Cronbach's alpha can be used to calculate the reliability of the data with ordinal scale. Otherwise, ordinal alpha is a more accurate coefficient for testing the reliability. Spiritual coping questionnaire measures the different dimensions of Spiritual coping in institutionalized adolescences and also has higher reliability

[Psychometric properties of "hopefulness scale for adolescents" in Iranian institutionalized adolescents]

The purpose of this methodological research was to translate the Hopefulness Scale for Adolescents [HSA] into Persian and study its psychometric properties in a convenience sample of 120 Iranian institutionalized adolescents. Translation and back-translation of the original English scale and content validation through Waltz and Bussel Content Validity Index were initial steps of the study. The next step was the psychometric testing of the adapted scale by establishing construct validity [factor analysis], criterion-related validity, internal consistency [Cronbach's alpha] and stability [test-retest reliability]. Content validity procedure resulted in a final scale that consisted of 24 items [like the original version]. Factor analysis yielded one factor. Correlation between HSA and Cooper-Smith Self-Esteem Inventory and Sherer's Self-Efficacy Scale were r=0.59 [P<0.001] and r=0.487 [P<0.001]. Internal consistency of the scale as assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient was alpha=0.83, and test-retest reliability with a 2-week time interval was ICC=0.60. The Persian version of HSA is a valid and reliable scale to measure hopefulness in institutionalized adolescents