Exploring the Midwives' Experiences of Providing Delivery Care for Women with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Infection: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Midwives were at the forefront of caring for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore, the present study was conducted with the purpose of exploring midwives' experiences of providing delivery care for women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Methods: In this qualitative study, 18 midwives working in the public hospitals affiliated with Guilan University of Medical Sciences (Iran). Who had experience in providing delivery care to women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews until reaching data saturation, and analyzed through conventional content analysis. Results: Data analysis led to the extraction of three main categories and six sub-categories. The main categories included "COVID-19 and organizational support" with two sub-categories including lack of resources/neglecting the role of midwives, "COVID-19 and positive achievements" with two sub-categories including professional resilience/turning threats into opportunities, "COVID-19 and informational support" with two sub-categories, including up-to-date training/empowering pregnant women. Conclusion: According to the findings, to realize and guarantee the provision of high-quality maternity care to pregnant women in dealing with epidemic diseases such as COVID-19 in the future, the attention of policymakers and healthcare service officials to the physical and psychological needs of midwives is necessary. Also, organizational and informational support, improving job satisfaction, and paying attention to the importance of midwives' role in the medical team are recommended. Moreover, empowering pregnant women during epidemic diseases is essential.

The Association between Sexual Self-Efficacy and the Quality of Life among Menopausal Women.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to determine the association between sexual self-efficacy (SSE) and quality of life (QOL) among menopausal women. METHODS: In this analytical cross-sectional study, 558 menopausal women were enrolled. Consecutive and available sampling was performed for the sample collection. The instruments used for data collection included a three-part questionnaire consisting of demographic information, Menopausal-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL), and SSE questionnaire. RESULTS: Overall, the maximum and minimum scores of SSE were related to sexual desire (2.88 ± 0.60) and orgasm (0.85 ± 0.17). The highest and lowest scores of QOL were related to psychosocial (4.14 ± 1.24) and sexual activity (3.03 ± 1.74) domains. A significant correlation was observed between the QOL and the domains of SSE (P < 0.001). The maximum and minimum correlation of QOL were related to sexual desire (P < 0.001, r = 0.030) and orgasm (P < 0.001, r = 0.108), respectively. Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between the SSE score and all domains of QOL except for the vasomotor domain. With regard to the SSE score, the maximum association was found with the sexual activity score (P < 0.001, r = 0.466). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this study, a significant direct correlation was observed between the QOL and SSE of menopausal women. Thus, further research and developing education and consultation as intervention programs for enhancing SSE can promote the QOL among women.

Sexual self-efficacy and its related factors among married women of reproductive age.

Sexual self-efficacy (SSE) has also been cited as an important factor for healthy and satisfying sex. The purpose of this study was to determine SSE and its related factors among married women of reproductive age. The present study is a cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study. The research samples were 588 married women of reproductive age. A cluster sampling method is used to select participants. Data collection instruments were the socio-demographic form and the Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale-Female Functioning (SSES-F). Data analysis, Friedman, Multiple Linear Regression was performed through SPSS software version 16. The highest and lowest score was related to body acceptance (77.78) and communication (69.66), respectively. The results showed that age (B= 0.471, P<0.001), marital satisfaction (B= 0.11.3, P<0.001), life satisfaction (B= 3.5, P<0.03) and the economic-social welfare satisfaction were related to SSE. We've found that Women with a higher Education, Employment, higher income, and Younger husbands had the highest SSE score. The components of age, marital satisfaction, life satisfaction, and economic status affect the SSE of married women of reproductive age. The results of this study can be useful in the design and implementation of sexual health promotion interventions.

Psychometric properties of the Persian language person-centered climate questionnaire - Patient version (PCQ-P).

BACKGROUND: Person-centered care is a valuable approach to improve the quality of care of the elderly and is a starting point for maintaining the dignity of people needing care. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Persian version of the Person-centered Climate Questionnaire-Patient questionnaire in elderly patients admitted to the Eastern Guilan hospitals from 2017-2018. DESIGN: This research was a cross-sectional study. The Persian version of Person-centered Climate Questionnaire -Patient version was completed by 200 older adults admitted to different wards of the hospitals. They were selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected in 5 hospitals affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Sciences, East of Guilan located in the north of Iran, from November 2017 to February 2018. METHODS: This study was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the original questionnaire with 17 items was translated from English into Persian using Forward-Backward translation method. In the second phase, the psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated using face, content, and construct validity, as well as reliability (internal consistency and stability). Data were analyzed via SPSS software v.16. RESULTS: The results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) led to retaining 17 items with three factors of "Safety", "Hospitality", and "Everydayness" which explained 47.69% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated for each factor (0.85, 0.70, and 0.64, respectively) as well as the whole instrument (0.85), to ensure internal consistency. Stability was confirmed by calculating the intra-class correlation coefficient as 0.99. CONCLUSIONS: The current study found support for assessing the person-centered climate from the perspective of the elderly patients by using the Persian version of the Person-centered Climate Questionnaire-Patient that has an appropriate cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability.

The impact of menopause on sexual function in women and their spouses.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of menopause on sexual function in women and their spouses. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted from January 2018 to May 2019 in Rasht (North of Iran). The participants included 215 menopausal women and their spouses. Data were collected using the demographic questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire, and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. RESULTS: On the basis of the FSFI and IIEF scores, 36.28% (78/215) women reported female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and 17.2% (37/215) men reported erectile dysfunction (ED) with 8.37% (N = 18) being mild, 5.58% (N = 12) mild to moderate, and 3.25% (N = 7) moderate ED. After adjusting differences in the female age distribution, the total score and scores of the IIEF subscales were also not significantly lower in the spouses of women with FSD than women without FSD. CONCLUSION: Although, significant correlations between male erectile function and menopausal female sexual function have not identified; but, low scores of the subscales of FSFI in female participants mostly impaired sexual satisfaction and overall satisfaction in their spouses.

The Effect of Olea Ointment on Post-Episiotomy Pain Severity in Primiparous Women: A Paralleled Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Episiotomy is the most commonly performed surgical procedure during delivery, and its associated pain is a major problem in obstetrics. This study aimed to determine the effect of Olea ointment on the severity of post-episiotomy pain in primiparous women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This paralleled randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 73 primiparous women in Al-Zahra hospital in Rasht, Iran in 2017-2018. Women were randomly allocated into intervention (n = 39) and control (n = 34) groups. The first intervention was performed 4 h after the episiotomy. This continued every 8 h for 10 days. The pain intensity of episiotomy was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before intervention, 2 and 24 h after the beginning of intervention, and 5 and 10 days after childbirth. Descriptive and inferential statistics (Mann-Whitney, Fisher exact test, Independent t-test, Friedman test, and Chi-square) were performed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among two groups in terms of demographic and obstetrics characteristics. The severity of pain in intervention and control group before the intervention was not statistically significant, but the variable depicted a meaningful difference between the groups 2 h after the intervention (U = 483.50, p = 0.021), 24 h after the intervention (U = 489.50, p = 0.019), as well as the 5th day (U = 112.50, p < 0.001) and 10th day postpartum (U = 136.50, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings, Olea ointment could be used effectively for reducing of episiotomy pain. Similar studies are recommended.

Exploration of the counseling needs of infertile couples: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Identification of the main needs of infertile patients is essential to provision of appropriate supportive services and care based on their needs. Thus, the present study aims to explore infertile couples' counseling needs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out with an inductive qualitative content analysis approach during 2012-2013. The participants of this study included 26 Iranian infertile couples and 7 medical personnel (3 gynecologists and 4 midwives). The infertile couples were selected through purposive sampling and considering maximal variation from patients attending state-run and private infertility treatment centers as well as infertility specialists, offices in Isfahan and Rasht, Iran. Unstructured in-depth interviews and field notes were utilized for data gathering and replying to this research main question, "What are the counseling needs of infertile couples?" The data from medical personnel was collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was carried out through conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed two main themes. The first theme was "a need for psychological counseling," which included four subthemes: Emotional distress management, sexual counseling, marital counseling, and family counseling. The second theme was "a need for guidance and information throughout treatment process," which included three subthemes: Treatment counseling, financial counseling, and legal counseling. CONCLUSIONS: The counseling needs of infertile couples are varied, and they require various psychosocial support and counseling interventions. The participants of this study identified clearly the significance of psychological counseling and information throughout the long and onerous journey of infertility and its treatment.

Exploration of infertile couples' support requirements: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Due to high prevalence of infertility, increasing demand for infertility treatment, and provision of high quality of fertility care, it is necessary for healthcare professionals to explore infertile couples' expectations and needs. Identification of these needs can be a prerequisite to plan the effective supportive interventions. The current study was, therefore, conducted in an attempt to explore and to understand infertile couples' experiences and needs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a qualitative study based on a content analysis ap- proach. The participants included 26 infertile couples (17 men and 26 women) and 7 members of medical personnel (3 gynecologists and 4 midwives) as the key informants. The infertile couples were selected from patients attending public and private infertility treatment centers and private offices of infertility specialists in Isfahan and Rasht, Iran, during 2012-2013. They were selected through purposive sampling method with maximum variation. In-depth unstructured interviews and field notes were used for data gathering among infertile couples. The data from medical personnel was collected through semi-structured interviews. The interview data were analyzed using conventional content analysis method. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed four main categories of infertile couples' needs, including: i. Infertility and social support, ii. Infertility and financial support, iii. Infertility and spiritual support and iv. Infertility and informational support. The main theme of all these categories was assistance and support. CONCLUSION: The study showed that in addition to treatment and medical needs, infertile couples encounter various challenges in different emotional, psychosocial, communicative, cognitive, spiritual, and economic aspects that can affect various areas of their life and lead to new concerns, problems, and demands. Thus, addressing infertile couples' needs and expectations alongside their medical treatments as well as provision of psychosocial services by development of patient-centered approaches and couple-based interventions can improve their quality of life and treatment results and also relieve their negative psychosocial consequences.