The impact of psychological distress, socio-demographic and work-related factors on coping strategies used by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

AIM

This study aimed to determine factors associated with coping strategies used by nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 365 nurses were selected from referral hospitals for COVID-19 patients in Tabriz, Iran between February 2022 and July 2022. An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed through social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Instagram. The survey package included a modified Brief COPE scale, socio-demographic and work-related questions, and a measure of psychological distress. Multiple regression analysis examined associated factors with coping strategies in SPSS. The study adhered to the STROBE guidelines for reporting.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 31.2 (7.3) years old. Of the 365 participants, 209 (58.9%) used maladaptive coping strategies, and 214 (57.6%) reported experiencing psychological distress. Psychological distress was the strongest predictor of maladaptive coping strategies (β = 4.473, p < 0.001). Female nurses (β = 3.259, p < 0.05), nurses who were under 35 years of age (β = 3.214, p < 0.05), nurses with fewer than ten years of experience (β = 2.416, p < 0.001), those who worked in COVID-19 ICUs (β = 4.321, p < 0.001), floor nurses (β = 2.344, p < 0.001), and those who worked two or more years in COVID-19 settings (β = 3.293, p < 0.001) had higher mean scores in maladaptive coping strategies.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contributions.

Application of response surface methodology for optimization of the test condition of oxygen evolution reaction over La0.8Ba0.2CoO3 perovskite-active carbon composite

The Experimental Design was applied to optimize the electrocatalytic activity of La0.8Ba0.2CoO3 perovskite oxide/Active Carbon composite material in the alkaline solution for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction. After the preparation of La0.8Ba0.2CoO3, and structural characterizations, the experimental design was utilized to determine the optimal amount of the composite material and testing conditions. The overpotential was defined as the response variable, and the mass ratio of perovskite/active carbon, Potassium hydroxide (KOH) concentration, and Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) amount were considered effective parameters. The significance of model terms is demonstrated by P-values less than 0.0500. The proposed prediction model determined the optimal amounts of 0.665 mg of PVDF, a KOH concentration of 0.609 M, and A perovskite/Active Carbon mass ratio of 2.81 with 308.22 mV overpotential (2.27% greater than the actual overpotential). The stability test of the optimized electrode material over 24 h suggests that it could be a good candidate electrocatalyst for OER with reusability potential.

Promotion of hydrogen evolution from seawater via poly(aniline-co-4-nitroaniline) combined with 3D nickel nanoparticles

This work reports the synthesis of poly (aniline-co-4-nitroaniline) deposited on a three-dimensional nanostructured nickel (3D-Ni) film, where both layers were fabricated via potentiostatic electrodeposition. The obtained electrocatalyst exhibited excellent electrochemical activity for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) with small overpotentials of - 195 and - 325 mV at - 10 and - 100 mAcm-2, respectively, and a low Tafel slope of 53.3 mV dec-1 in seawater. Additionally, the electrocatalyst exhibited good stability after 72 h operation under a constant potential of - 1.9 V vs. RHE. The efficient HER performance of the as-prepared catalyst was found to originate from the synergy between the conducting polymer and three-dimensional nickel nanoparticles with a large electrochemical active surface area. Moreover, the results obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements revealed that the presence of 3D-Ni layer improved the kinetics of HER by reducing the charge transfer resistance for the electrocatalyst.

The effect of a novel, digital physical activity and emotional well-being intervention on health-related quality of life in people with chronic kidney disease: trial design and baseline data from a multicentre prospective, wait-list randomised controlled trial (kidney BEAM)

BACKGROUND

Physical activity and emotional self-management has the potential to enhance health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but few people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have access to resources and support. The Kidney BEAM trial aims to evaluate whether an evidence-based physical activity and emotional wellbeing self-management programme (Kidney BEAM) leads to improvements in HRQoL in people with CKD.

METHODS

This was a prospective, multicentre, randomised waitlist-controlled trial, with health economic analysis and nested qualitative studies. In total, three hundred and four adults with established CKD were recruited from 11 UK kidney units. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (Kidney BEAM) or a wait list control group (1:1). The primary outcome was the between-group difference in Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQoL) mental component summary score (MCS) at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included the KDQoL physical component summary score, kidney-specific scores, fatigue, life participation, depression and anxiety, physical function, clinical chemistry, healthcare utilisation and harms. All outcomes were measured at baseline and 12 weeks, with long-term HRQoL and adherence also collected at six months follow-up. A nested qualitative study explored experience and impact of using Kidney BEAM.

RESULTS

340 participants were randomised to Kidney BEAM (n = 173) and waiting list (n = 167) groups. There were 96 (55%) and 89 (53%) males in the intervention and waiting list groups respectively, and the mean (SD) age was 53 (14) years in both groups. Ethnicity, body mass, CKD stage, and history of diabetes and hypertension were comparable across groups. The mean (SD) of the MCS was similar in both groups, 44.7 (10.8) and 45.9 (10.6) in the intervention and waiting list groups respectively.

CONCLUSION

Results from this trial will establish whether the Kidney BEAM self management programme is a cost-effective method of enhancing mental and physical wellbeing of people with CKD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT04872933. Registered 5th May 2021.

It’s time to revisit non-nursing tasks performed by nurses

The Article Abstract is not available.

Translation and Validation of the Persian Version of the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale (NCRS): A Psychometric Analysis

Purpose

Nurses need strong clinical reasoning competency because they provide specialized and important care to patients. It is hence necessary to measure nurses’ clinical reasoning by using a valid and reliable tool.

Objective

This study aimed to translate and determine the psychometric test of Persian version of the nurses clinical reasoning scale.

Methodology

This study was a cross-sectional study. In the first step of this methodological study, the English version of Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale (NCRS) was translated and back-translated. Then the content validity index (CVI) of the items was assessed based on expert views, and its face validity was examined by studying the views of the target group and experts. In the next step, 170 nurses working in hospitals affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were asked to complete the instrument. Finally, the construct validity and reliability of this scale were measured using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), respectively.

Results

The findings showed that the CVI values of all the items were greater than .8. The wording of some items was changed based on the suggestions received regarding face validity, whereas the results of content and face validity did not necessitate the elimination of any of the items. The EFA results also suggested that the Persian version of the NCRS had a two-factor structure with the titles of nursing diagnosis and care knowledge. The Cronbach’s alpha for this scale was 0.91, which confirmed its internal consistency.

Conclusion

This instrument is valid and reliable enough to assess Iranian nurses’ clinical reasoning in the dimensions of nursing diagnosis and care knowledge. The research limitations and further recommendations will be discussed later in this paper.

Symptom recognition and treatment-seeking behaviors in women experiencing acute coronary syndrome for the first time: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Women are more likely to delay medical help-seeking for ACS symptoms. Understanding patients' experience of the symptoms and their response is essential in improving help-seeking behaviors and timely diagnosis and treatment for ACS. This study aimed to explore women's experience of ACS, their response to the symptoms, and treatment-seeking decisions.

METHODS

This qualitative descriptive study was conducted in a tertiary referral specialized heart hospital affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Participants included 39 women who had experienced ACS for the first time.

RESULTS

Four main themes emerged from the analysis of interview transcripts: (1) the onset of symptoms, (2) the types of symptoms, (3) response to symptoms and (4) arriving at the hospital. These themes and associated sub-themes explained women's experience of ACS symptoms, their response to the symptoms, and decision to seek medical help.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified and discussed factors contributing to the prehospital delay in women and their decision-making to seek medical care for ACS symptoms. The results are consistent with previous research indicating that ACS symptoms in women are somewhat different from men, and women tend to underestimate their symptoms and attribute them to non-cardiac causes. Women should be supported to develop awareness and understanding of ACS symptoms and appreciate the importance of early treatment-seeking in the disease outcomes.

Factors associated with disease severity and length of stay in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Tabriz, Iran: A retrospective cohort study

Introduction: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread globally. Early and dynamic detection of prognostic factors is essential to improve the ability to treat COVID-19. The present study aimed to determine clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with the length of hospital stay and disease severity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Tabriz, Iran. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 260 early diagnosed cases with COVID-19 hospitalized at two COVID-19 specialized hospitals in Tabriz, Iran, from April 20 to June 20, 2020. Patients’ medical records were used to collect the data. Severe COVID-19 outcomes included need for intubation, admission to the intensive care unit, or death. The data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics, including chi-squared test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression analysis in SPSS 16. Results: The need for O2 therapy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=4.23; 95% CI: 1.15‒15.51; P=0.03), the increased creatinine levels (AOR=2.71; 95% CI: 1.25‒5.88; P=0.01), and the white blood cell counts (AOR=2.44; 95% CI: 1.12‒5.33; P=0.02) were the main risk factors associated with prolonged hospital stay. Also, having kidney diseases (AOR=7.33; 95% CI=1.94‒27.70; P=0.01), elevated the white blood cell counts (AOR=4.52; 95% CI=1.67‒12.26; P=0.003), and lung diseases (AOR=3.97; 95% CI: 1.18‒13.29; P=0.03) were significant among the predictors of the disease severity. Conclusion: According to the results, hypoxia and underlying diseases might lead to unwanted outcomes. The risk factors identified here confirm previous information and could be helpful to guide early clinical decision-making to reduce the mortality rates and improve the clinical outcomes of COVID-19.

Caregiver burden and the associated factors in the family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia

Aim

Our study aimed to investigate the caregiving burden and its associated factors in family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia.

Design

Correlational study.

Method

Using the convenience sampling method, 215 caregivers were recruited from outpatient clinics affiliated with a tertiary referral psychiatric hospital in Iran. The caregiving burden was measured by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI‐22), and associations between caregiving burden and potential factors were examined using multiple regression analysis. We used the STROBE checklist to report the results.

Results

Family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia reported a high level of caregiving burden, with 38.2% of the caregivers perceiving severe burden relating to their role. In the regression analysis, age, gender, educational level, income, job loss due to caregiving, relationship with patient, disease duration and frequency of caregiving were statistically significant predictors of caregiving burden. The regression model explained 54.4% of the variance of caregiving burden.

Factors affecting the quality of work-life of nurses: a correlational study

BACKGROUND

Quality of work-life is an important factor in the recruitment and retention of the nursing workforce and their work productivity.

AIMS

This study aimed to identify factors that affect the quality of work-life of nurses.

METHODS

In this correlational study, 239 nurses employed in a tertiary teaching hospital in Iran completed the study questionnaires, including the quality of work-life questionnaire. The associations between potential independent variables and quality of work-life were examined using multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

Participants were mostly women (80.33%) and within the age range of 30-45 years (71.54%). Working in other hospitals, having a second job and health information-seeking behaviours were significant predictors of quality of work-life, explaining 28.68% of the total variance in quality of work-life of nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving working standards may prevent nurses from working extra hours or in different occupations. This, along with facilitating the health information-seeking behaviours of nurses, may help improve their quality of work-life by maintaining a better work-life balance and acquiring knowledge and skills that can help with effective management of work and life commitments.

Nursing interventions for patients with COVID-19: A medical record review and nursing interventions classification study

PURPOSE

To describe the nursing interventions provided to patients with COVID-19 using the Nursing Interventions Classification.

METHOD

This is a retrospective study involving the review of 1,344 patient records of adults admitted to a specialty hospital for COVID-19 in Tabriz, Iran. The nursing intervention was used to classify documented nursing care and interventions provided to COVID-19-positive patients from February 20 to August 20, 2020. Data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS16.

FINDINGS

The 10 most frequently documented nursing interventions across in-patient (ward) and intensive care unit (ICU) contexts included Admission Care (7310), Environmental Management (6486), Health Education (5510), Infection Protection (6550), Medication Administration (2300), Positioning (0840), Respiratory Monitoring (3350), Vital Signs Monitoring (6680), Nausea Management (1450), and Diarrhea Management (0460). No records of distraction, relaxation techniques, or massage for anxiety reduction were documented.

CONCLUSION

This study used a common language to describe nursing interventions for patients with COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary hospital.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

The most commonly identified nursing interventions for COVID-19 identified in this study provide evidence-based insight into nurses' scope of practice in the COVID-19 in-patient context.

Development and psychometric testing of the career success in Nursing Scale

AIM

To develop and test the psychometric properties of an instrument assessing career success in nurses.

BACKGROUND

Despite the importance of achieving success in nursing, to date, this construct has been measured using unidimensional or generic scales not fully reflecting career success as perceived by nurses.

METHODS

This scale development study used a large sample of nurses across 10 hospitals in Tabriz, Iran. Items were generated based on existing literature and previous, research team-led, qualitative study, followed by testing content and face validity of the items. Exploratory factor analysis (N = 530 nurses) then assessed the underlying structure of the scale, and reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha and a 2-week test-retest correlation.

FINDINGS

From the initial 73 items, fourteen rated by experts as 'not relevant' and seven with poor face validity were deleted. Exploratory factor analysis further identified 13 poor items. The final 39-item solution extracted four robust career success factors: expected career progress, providing quality care, effective self-regulation, and person-organization fit. Cronbach's alpha and test-retest correlation showed excellent reliability.

CONCLUSION

This multidimensional nursing-specific scale with very good psychometric properties is suitable for individual/group-based decisions.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

This instrument can assess current perceptions of career success in nurses, so work resources can be allocated to improve policies, services and training programmes to meet career aspirations of nurses and objectives of the organization. Having a robust scale of career success will enable future research in the field of career success as specific to nursing in a clinical setting.

Limping along in implementing patient-centered care: Qualitative study

Background & Aim: Patient-centered care is considered a pivotal element of the mission of the healthcare system around the world. However implementing Patient-centered care is not always easy and nurses have admitted this fact reluctantly. The evidence suggests that the first step in implementing Patient-centered care is to change the professionals’ viewpoint, behavior, and understanding. This study examined nurses' perceptions of the components of Patient-centered care and its delivery. Methods & Materials: This was qualitative descriptive research with a conventional content analysis approach. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 21 nurses, working in teaching hospitals in Tabriz, Iran, and 5 field notes were collected. Data were analyzed using the Zhang and Wildemuth method of content analysis. Results: Three main themes and eleven sub-themes were extracted. Nurses identified “Effective Communication”, “Careful Care of Distinctive Needs”, and “Valuing the Patients and Their Rights” as the main elements of Patient-centered care. Conclusion: Nurses implement some components of Patient-centered care. Yet Patient-centered care remains an ad hoc practice requiring more improvement. This study provided a deeper understanding of nurses' perceptions about the implementation of Patient-centered care and their weaknesses. The finding is consistent with current knowledge, shedding light on Patient-centered care-related practices performed by Iranian nurses and pointing to areas for improvement in implementing Patient-centered care.

Good nursing care: Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis

Background & Aim: Considering that the main responsibility of the nurses is to give care to the patients, concept analysis of good care by providing a clear definition will promote nursing practice and quality of healthcare. This study aims to clarify the concept of good care through the use of Rodgers's evolutionary approach. Methods & Materials: This study used Rodgers's evolutionary approach. The keywords of good care, quality care, and similar words were used for searching from CINHAL, PubMed, Emerald, Elsevier, and Scopus databases. Literature published in English between 2000- 2018 was included. Forty-one articles were selected and content analysis was used to distinguish attributes, antecedents, and consequences of good care. Results: According to the finding, care was considered as good that was accompanied by the up-to-date knowledge and by doing procedural care skillfully and safely led to recovery, reducing health care costs, and patient satisfaction through an effective and efficient relationship with the patient. Conclusion: Skillful practice, well-informed knowledge, and effective communication are the most important inputs for nurses to provide good care for the patients and the lack of these, especially in the case of using an unprofessional workforce in nursing, is a serious threat to patient care.

Domestic violence and suicide attempts among married women: A case-control study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate the impact of domestic violence-related factors on suicide attempt in married women.

BACKGROUND

Suicide is a global public health concern that poses significant burden on individuals, families and communities. There is limited research on factors predicting suicide attempt in women.

DESIGN

A retrospective case-control design was adopted.

METHODS

Using a convenience sampling method, 610 participants, admitted to a teaching referral hospital in Northwest of Iran, were recruited to the study and assigned to case or control groups based on whether or not they had attempted suicide. The participants in two groups were matched in the terms of important demographic characteristics. Domestic violence-related factors were considered as independent variables and suicide attempt as dependent variable. Descriptive statistics, and simple and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Odds ratios (OR) of domestic violence-related factors were compared between the groups. We used STROBE checklist as an EQUATOR in this study.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants in the case and control groups was 28.4 and 29.45 years, respectively. The infidelity was the strongest predictor of suicide attempt in women (OR 44.57, 95%CI 6.08-326. 63, p < 0.001), followed by being threatened to physical assault by husband (OR 37.01, 95%CI 11.54-118.67, p < 0.001), jealousy of husband (OR 23.46, 95%CI 11.63-47.30, p < 0.001), and previous attempts to divorce (OR 16.55, 95%CI 5.91-46.31, p < 0.001). Suicide attempt was significantly lower in women who reported a sense of peace in life or lived with their mother or father-in-law (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

To reduce the risk of suicide in women, violence against women should be condemned and appropriate prevention measures be taken by health professionals.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Recognising risk, assessment and referral of victims of domestic violence should be an integral part of healthcare systems.

Reaching for the stars: Iranian nurses' perceptions of career success

AIM

The aim was to explore nurses' perceptions of career success.

INTRODUCTION

Career success is a concept which leads to improving professional behaviours. Research that focused on conceptualizing career success found it to be a complex, value-driven construct likely to be perceived differently across work and cultural contexts. It is not yet clear what constitutes career success, and how it is perceived by nurses in Iran. More comprehensive exploration of this concept in nursing is needed, so research and policymaking can advance in informed, data-driven manner.

METHOD

This is a qualitative descriptive study. The setting was teaching hospitals of Iran. Twenty-seven nurses participated in face-to-face interviews, and six field notes were collected. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis.

FINDINGS

Analyses identified five themes of career success: providing high-quality care, being exemplary employee, embarking on career growth, having positive personal attributes and being internally satisfied.

CONCLUSION

Findings confirmed that career success in Iranian nurses was a multidimensional concept that represented five internally and externally driven dimensions set within its cultural and religious context. Policymakers and clinical educators can now plan interventions aimed at fostering career success in nursing staff.

IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION, NURSING AND HEALTH POLICIES

Future nurses could use these finding to reflect on their developed attributes throughout their studies and clinical placements and adjust their career preparation and learning to bridge any identified gaps. Organizational values and intervention for nursing staff could also be redesigned to align with the aspects of career success.

How to Prevent Workplace Incivility?: Nurses' Perspective

Background:

Many articles have studied workplace incivility and its influence on outcomes, but very few have been conducted to assess how to prevent this issue. In this study, we aimed to determine how to prevent workplace incivility from the nurses' perspective.

Materials and Methods:

This was a qualitative study which was based on a conventional content analysis approach. Thirty four nurses (25 to 52 years old) from seven training hospitals in Tabriz, Iran were selected through purposive sampling. Thirty six semi-structured interviews and eight field notes were analyzed.

Results:

The data analysis revealed 417 codes, ten categories, three subthemes and one theme, that is, A Need for a Comprehensive Attempt. Attempt of organization, nurses, and public as subthemes are needed to prevent workplace incivility.

Conclusions:

The findings of the study indicated that a comprehensive and systematic attempt was needed to prevent incivility. Nurses should try to improve their skills; officials should try to show the real image and position of nurses and hospitals to the community.

The Effect of Group Psychoeducation Program on Medication Adherence in Patients with Bipolar Mood Disorders: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Medication nonadherence is highly prevalent in patients with bipolar disorders and often results in worsening disease prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of group psychoeducation on medication adherence in female patients with bipolar mood disorder type I.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 76 patients with bipolar mood disorder admitted in female psychiatric wards of Razi teaching hospital, Tabriz, Iran. The participants were selected by convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Patients in experimental group received 10 continuous 90 minutes sessions of psychoeducation, two times a week. Medication adherence was measured using the medicine check list and medication adherence rating scale (MARS) before and after intervention. Data analysis was performed with SPSS ver.13.

Results: There was no significant difference between two groups regarding medication adherence before the intervention. After the study intervention, the mean scores of medication adherence check list and medication adherence rating scale in the experimental group were significantly higher than the control group.

Conclusion: Since group psychoeducation was effective in improving patients' medication adherence, it could be recommended for psychiatric nurses to apply this intervention in the clinical setting.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Knowledge and Attitudes among Female University Students and Hospital Staff in Iran

Background:

Cervical cancer is a major preventable cancers. The, current study aimed to assess relevant knowledge and attitude of female students and hospital staff in Iran.

Method:

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Medical and Nursing faculties and hospitals of East-Azerbaijan Province of Iran. Participants were medical and paramedical female students and female staff in hospitals selected by stratified random sampling techniques. Tools for data collection were questionnaires for which validity and reliability had been verified (α=0.8). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data with SPSS.16.

Result:

Response rates were 71 % (426 from 600) and 63.5% (254 from 400) for students and staff, respectively. Some 29.1% admitted that they had no information about cervical cancer, only 70 (10.3%) thinking their knowledge as high, 360 (52.9%) as intermediate, and 237 (34.9%) as low. While 93% of participants considered cervical cancer as a severe health problem, the only statistically significant relationships with knowledge were for education (p<.001) and occupation (p<.001) variables.

Conclusion:

Given the importance of the roles of medical students and personnel as information sources and leaders in health and preventive behavior, increasing and improving their scientific understanding seems vital. Comprehensive and appropriate education of all people and especially students and personnel of medical sciences and improving attitudes towards cervical cancer and its monitoring are to be recommended.

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.

Working posture and its predictors in hospital operating room nurses

BACKGROUND

This study was conducted to evaluate working posture of operating room nurses and its relationship with demographic and job details of this group.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 147 operating room nurses in Tabriz, Iran using a questionnaire and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) checklist. The data were analyzed with SPSS.16 using t test, Pearson correlation coefficient and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests for univariate analysis and the linear regression test for multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) of REBA score was 7.7 (1.9), which means a high risk level and highlights an urgent need to change the working postures of the studied nurses. There was significant relationship between working posture and age (P = 0.003), gender (P = 0.003), regular daily exercise (P = 0.048), work experience (P = 0.003), number of shifts per month (P = 0.006) and type of operating rooms (P < 0.001) in univariate analyses. Gender and type of operating room were the predictors of working posture of nurses in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the need for ergonomic interventions and educational programs to improve working posture of this study population, which can consequently lead to promotion of health and well-being of this group.

Risk factors for breast cancer in Iranian women: a hospital-based case-control study in tabriz, iran

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.

Electrochemical studies of adsorption and inhibitive performance of basic yellow 28 dye on mild steel corrosion in Acid solutions

Organic corrosion inhibitors are widely used to control the corrosion of different metals in various corrosive solutions. The inhibition performance of Basic yellow 28 (BY28) dye for mild steel corrosion was investigated in 0.1 M HCl solution and in a solution of 0.1 M HCl and 1% NaCl. Two electrochemical methods including Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were used. The corrosion parameters as well as inhibition efficiencies were obtained for different concentrations of inhibitor. The inhibition efficiencies showed that the BY28 dye acts as a good corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in both solutions. The studies on adsorption isotherm of the dye on mild steel proved that the adsorption of BY28 obeys the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The average value of -ΔGads in both solutions was more than 20 and a little less than 40 kJ mol-1. Therefore, both chemisorption and physisorption phenomena were involved in the adsorption of the studied dye on mild steel surface.

Evaluation of skin diseases and disorders in photographers

Occupational skin disease is very common and important among photographers due to the chemical substances used in photographic processes. In this cross-sectional study, 100 photographers were asked about their occupational exposures in their workplace. Physical examinations were done to find skin diseases and information about demographic factors and history of other skin diseases was collected via a questionnaire. This study examined 100 people, 86 men and 14 women; 37% of these 100 subjects were found to suffer from skin diseases and disorders: 24% contact dermatitis, 2% leukoderma, 3% nail hyperpigmentation. Less than half of these subjects (43%) were found to be working with nonmechanized (manual) printers whereas the other 57% worked with computerized printers. Employees working with nonmechanized printers were found to have a statistically meaningful increase in skin diseases compared with subjects who were working with computerized printers (Odds ratio = 7.4, 95% CI = 2.59−21.92, P = 0.001). Some (41%) of these subjects did not use gloves and were found to have a statistically significant increased incidence of skin diseases compared with the ones who used gloves (Odds ratio = 4.11, 95% CI = 1.72–13.21, P value = 0.002). Generally, it seems that adequate ventilation and protective gloves are necessary for decreasing the prevalence of occupational skin diseases among photographers. Also, educating the photographers about the risks of the chemical substances in their workplace is very important.

Lack of Association between Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Primary Point Mutations and Multiple Sclerosis in Iran

The hypothesis that mitochondrial genes may implicate susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) is supported by an increasing number of case reports on Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON)-associated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) point mutations in patients with MS. A number of mtDNA mutations with primary pathogenic significance for LHON, a maternally inherited disease causing severe bilateral visual loss predominantly in young men, have been detected in patients with an MS-like phenotype. To evaluate the link between MS and LHON primary point mutations, we investigated 31 non-related Iranian clinically definite MS patients (23 females and 8 males) with optic nerve involvement, as well as 25 patients (16 females and 9 males) without involvement of the optic nerve as controls. Three patients had severe bilateral visual loss without any recovery. We searched for the presence of LHON mitochondrial mutations at nucleotide positions (np) 11,778, 3,460, and 14,484 by mutation-specific polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Our results suggest that there is no association between Iranian patients with MS and mtDNA point mutations at np 11,778, 3,460, and 14,484.