Evaluating the Effectiveness of Using a Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique on the Self-Efficacy of Breastfeeding in Mothers With Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND: Breast milk is a God-given gift that conveys a mother's love and compassion and that is made according to the needs and age of the child. Mothers who are interested in the welfare of their newborns tend to breastfeed their children. Training programs have been shown to improve breastfeeding self-efficacy in terms of both duration and amount. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of using the progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technique on the self-efficacy of breastfeeding in mothers with preterm infants. METHODS: A clinical trial approach was used. Sixty mothers with preterm infants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The clinical trial ran for a period of 2 months for both groups. At 24-72 hours postpartum, the researcher used the Jacobson method to provide 30-45 minutes of individual training to the intervention group participants on PMR. Under the Jacobson method, mothers contract the 16 groups of muscles until they experience the feeling of pressure and then relax these muscles. The tools used in this study were the standard questionnaire of Dennis breastfeeding self-efficacy, which was completed by the participants at baseline, at the end of the fourth week, and during the eighth week. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in terms of demographic variables (p > .05). Independent t tests found no significant difference between the two groups (p = .45) in terms of mean score of maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy at pretest and significantly higher scores for the intervention group than the control group at both 4 (p = .001) and 8 (p < .001) weeks posttest. Furthermore, the analysis of variance test showed significant differences in the mean score of breastfeeding self-efficacy for the intervention group between pretest and the first posttest and between the first posttest and the second posttest, respectively (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Considering the effect of relaxation training on the breastfeeding self-efficacy of mothers with preterm infants, training and performing these exercises as an effective and low-cost method to improve the health of mothers, particularly mothers of preterm infants, are recommended. The PMR technique facilitates the self-efficacy of breastfeeding in mothers with preterm infants and should be considered as an effective strategy to improve nursing care and the provision of better support services for mothers who breastfeed their infants.

Social Support in Relation to Fatigue Symptoms Among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The psychological changes and physiological limitations during multiple sclerosis (MS) disease diminish the social relations. Consequently, losing social supports leads to more physical and psychological complications such as fatigue syndromes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship of social support and fatigue syndromes in MS patients. METHODS: This study was a descriptive-analytic which randomly selected 46 patients with MS. The patients evaluated through demographic information, standard modified social support scale, fatigue severity scale, modified fatigue impact scale, and fatigue descriptive scale. Gathered data analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Mean score for variables were as following: Fatigue severity 4/3 ± 1/6, perceived fatigue 34/6 ± 19/5, quality of fatigue 62 ± 3/9, and social support 65/6 ± 23/1, respectively. According to the Pearson statistical test, there was signification association between social support with fatigue severity (P = 0.002 and r = -0.474), fatigue perception (P = 0.001 and = -0.478), and fatigue perception sub-scales, i.e. physical (P = 0.005, r = -0.432), cognitive (P = 0.003, r = -0.0457), and psychosocial (P = 0.009, r = -0.341), respectively. However, there was not significant relationship between social support and fatigue quality (P = 0.59). CONCLUSION: According to the results of current study, all aspects of social support can impact fatigue symptoms in MS patients. Therefore, it is suggested to develop educational programs for caregivers of patients to improve the mental and physical quality of life of patients.

Effectiveness of Group Versus Individual Yoga Exercises on Fatigue of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis disorders poses heavy physical and emotional effect on patients who are associated with the disease. AIM: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of individual versus group exercises on fatigue on patients with multiple sclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this clinical trial, 85 patients with multiple sclerosis were divided in two groups of individualized exercise and team exercise. The intervention was conducted for 6 weeks and comprised of mild stretching and basic yoga exercises twice a day. The data were collected through demographic questionnaire, standard fatigue scale and self-reported checklist. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software. RESULTS: The mean levels of fatigue perception after the intervention in group exercise was 27.9 ± 15.9 and 27.1 ± 17.2 in individual exercise. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Statistically significant difference was observed in the mean level of perceived fatigue in triplicate measurements (P = 0.013) among patients who completed individual exercise. However, this difference was not significant in the group exercise. CONCLUSION: Performing mild stretching exercises and basic yoga are recommended as a cost-effective method which is easy to perform among patients with mild to moderate disabilities.

Recognition of the efficacy of relaxation program on sleep quality of mothers with premature infants.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The postpartum period is a critical then effects on the structure of the family. Most women in the postpartum period may place at risk of undesirable experiences such as changes in sleep patterns. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the efficacy of the relaxation program on sleep quality of mothers with premature infants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a clinical trial that 60 mothers with premature infants. The mothers in the intervention group were trained for muscle progressive relaxation by Jacobson method within 24-72 h after delivery. Research tool was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which was completed by the mother at the beginning of the study, end of the first and the second 4-week. Data were analyzed using parametric statistics tests by SPSS software version 16. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed between two groups in terms of underlying characteristics (P < 0.05). The independent t-test at the beginning of the study showed that the comparison of the mean scores of mothers' sleep quality has no significant difference between two groups (P = 0.43). But, 1-month after the intervention (P = 0.024) and 2 months after the intervention (P > 0.001), mean sleep quality score in the intervention group was significantly less than the control group. CONCLUSION: Relaxation training can improve mothers' sleep quality at postpartum period.