Other Side of Breast Cancer: Factors Associated with Caregiver Burden

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine factors associated with caregiver burden among primary caregivers of women with breast cancer in Iran. METHODS: This was a descriptive correlation study conducted in 2012 on 150 main caregivers of patients with breast cancer who came to the oncology clinic of Shahid Ghazi hospital in Tabriz, Iran. A questionnaire which included caregiving-related factors and the Zarit Burden Interview was used for data collection after its validity and reliability were determined. Data was analyzed using SPSS 13.0 software with descriptive and analytic statistics. The association between significant variables and the dependent variable with an observation of the effects of other variables was assessed using the multiple linear regression model. RESULTS: The mean age of caregivers was 39.60 ± 13.80 years old, and 77 (51.3%) of them were men. The mean score of the Zarit Burden Interview was 30.55 ± 19.18. In the regression model, the mean score of activities of daily living, level of education, gender, and financial status were identified as the determining factors of the burden of caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: Primary caregivers need to be financially supported by the relevant organizations. Care skills training and providing palliative care seem helpful in reducing the pain and the burden of family caregivers for patients with breast cancer.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Iranian Women: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study in Tabriz, Iran / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death among women. In Asian countries such as Iran, the incidence of breast cancer is increasing. The present study aimed to assess the risk factors for breast cancer of women in Tabriz, Iran. METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was undertaken to identify breast cancer risk factors. The study consisted of 140 cases confirmed via histopathological analysis and 280 group-matched controls without any malignancy. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods via the SPSS software version 18. RESULTS: In a multivariate analysis, educational level (odds ratio [OR], 4.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.11-10.83), menopausal status (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.41-4.59), a high-fat diet (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.51-5.04), abortion (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.20-3.79), passive smoking (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.51-5.04), oral contraceptive use (OR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.80-5.59), stress (OR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.74-5.36), and migration (OR, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.39-6.90) were factors associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. Breastfeeding (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16-0.97) and a diet containing sufficient fruit and vegetables (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.12-0.39) had protective roles against breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the risk factors for breast cancer among women in the Tabriz area of Iran are related to the lifestyle. Therefore, the provision of education to change unhealthy lifestyle choices and periodic check-ups for early breast cancer detection are recommended.

[Reasons of nurses' medication errors and persepectives of nurses on barriers of error reporting]

Administration of medications is an important part of treatment and care provided by nurses. Medication errors can create serious problems to patients and health system. The aim of this study was to determine the reasons of medication errors and the barriers of error reporting from nurses' viewpoints. In this study, we randomly selected five hospitals in Tabriz and Maragheh. Then, 200 nurses who were randomly selected for the study completed the study questionnaire. The questionnaire included 21 items about medication errors and 19 items about the barriers of error reporting, based on five degree Likert scale. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS-15. In this study, from the viewpoint of nurses, the most important reasons of medication errors were hospital units [3.70 +/- 0.84], shortages of nursing staff, nuring burn-out and high workload. Regarding barriers of error reporting, the most cited barriers were management factors [3.78 +/- 0.89], fear of legal issues, inappropriate definition of medication error and inappropriate reactions of authorities. We recommend increasing the number of nursing staff, adjusting the workload of nursing staff, using special forms for reporting errors and providing an atmosphere of intimacy between authorities and staffs