ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Self-efficacy is an essential factor for effective self-management in chronic-disease patients. Therefore, the measurement of self-efficacy with a valid and reliable instrument is required. In this study, cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Persian version of "Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease" (SES6G) are illustrated in a sample of Iranian chronic-disease patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in which translation and backward translation was performed by bilingual translators. The final version of the Persian scale was assessed to determine the content validity index (CVI) and the content validity ratio (CVR). A panel of experts reviewed items of the scale. Factor analysis was performed for the final version of the Persian scale to assess internal consistency and construct validity among chronic-disease patients attending government health care centers from March 2015 to June 2015 in Isfahan, Iran (n = 483). RESULTS: CVI and CVR scores were 0.87 and 0.89, respectively. There were no eliminated items in the cross-cultural adaptation process. Internal consistency met the criterion for a reliable measure (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89). An initial factor analysis produced a one-dimensional scale (6 items) with Eigenvalues more than 1 that explained 69.49% of the extracted variance. CONCLUSIONS: The SES6G is a reliable and valid instrument to assess patients' self-efficacy for managing chronic diseases in Persian language. Because the self-efficacy score determines the educational strategies to have effective educational programs, the use of this simple and brief scale could be considered among Persian patients.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the major causes of death in children and adolescents. About 4% of deaths in children of age less than 5 years and 13% of deaths in children of age 5-15 years are due to cancer in Iranian population. The disease can cause many problems, which are usually detected by a psychologist, for the children and their mothers. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the psychological challenges of the children with cancer and their mothers' experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a qualitative research conducted through thematic analysis approach. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. Purposive sampling was conducted. The numbers of the children and their mothers participating in this study were 34 and 32, respectively. RESULTS: Data analysis showed that the problems faced by children with cancer and their mothers fell into five main categories. These categories included spiritual, psychological (such as aggression, anxiety, depression), communicational problems, inadequate knowledge (about the disease, its treatment, and treatment complications), and care-related problems. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that lack of awareness and spiritual problems were the most important problems of the patients and their mothers. If necessary knowledge about the disease and its treatment and complications is given to the children and their mothers at the time of diagnosis, and also, spiritual care interventions are administered during treatment, their psychological problems can be notably reduced.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many people suffer from burn injuries every year, and burns make the patients undergo surgeries and years of rehabilitation. Burns lead to more years of disability, compared to cancer or heart diseases. Epidemiologic studies are needed to reveal the span, impact, and related factors of burns to help take appropriate efforts to reduce its mortality and morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was a descriptive retrospective study conducted on 836 burn patients who were admitted to the main special burn hospital of Isfahan, Iran. Data were collected from archived patients' files using a checklist approved by the faculties of epidemiology and nursing. In the second phase, a survey was done based on the professional task checklist of burn ward nurses to assess the fulfillment of each task by the nurses. RESULTS: Burns were found to occur more among those in the age groups of 20-30 (26.2%) and 0-10 years (22.9%). The most common causes of burns were flammables and gas explosions due to imprudence at home and workplaces, or self-infliction. Mortality rate was 21.7% due to sepsis, shock, and inhalation injuries, respectively. Nurses gave 19.78 out of 50 points (39.56%) to their performance in the prevention of sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that there is still an increasing need for safety education and using environmental safety measures, as well as developing high-quality methods to transport burn patients and administer care to decrease the mortality and morbidity associated with burns.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL) is a multidimensional concept which has nowadays turned to a supportive interventional goal in chronic diseases like cancer. Numerous interventions have been carried out to improve the QOL in patients with cancer, but the effect of indirect interventions on the patients' QOL has not been investigated yet. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of group meaning centered hope therapy of cancer patients and their families on the patients' QOL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a clinical trial conducted in three groups with a pre-test post-test design in which the effect of independent variable of meaning centered hope therapy on the dependent variable of QOL was investigated. The subjects were selected from the cancer patients who were aware of their diagnosis, were in primary stages of the disease, and had passed one period of chemotherapy. In this study, 42 patients (16 in control group, 14 in patients' group therapy, and 12 in patients' families' group therapy) were studied, and WHOQOL was adopted to investigate their QOL. Data were analyzed in two forms of descriptive and inferential statistical tests. RESULTS: The results obtained showed that group meaning centered hope therapy of cancer patients and their families had a positive effect on patients' QOL compared to the control group. The notable finding of the present study was that holding group sessions either for the patients or for their families equally improved patients' QOL. CONCLUSION: QOL of the cancer patients can be improved by either group meaning centered hope therapy for patients or group meaning centered hope therapy for their families. This finding is important for therapists, as when the patients cannot attend group therapy sessions due to complications of chemotherapy, these sessions can be held for their families to improve patients' QOL. This conclusion is very helpful in nurses' interaction with the patients and their families.
