Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale: a systematic review psychometrics properties using the COSMIN

Background

Psychometrical evaluation of persons of diverse contexts and different populations, including general or clinical.

Objective

This review study aimed to evaluate the psychometrics quality of resilience scales.

Methods

International and Iranian databases were searched with MESH terms, including "psychometric", "validity", "reliability", "Connor-Davidson resilience scale", "Resilience scale", for published articles up to 1 February 2023. For each of the selected studies, the risk of bias was evaluated using the COSMIN Risk of Bias Checklist. Then the COSMIN checklist was used to evaluate the entire text of the article for methodological quality.

Results

Considering the inclusion criteria, 80 documents were evaluated. According to the COSMIN's criteria for evaluating the risk of bias, the current study findings revealed the included studies' limitations in assessing the three versions of CD-RISC cross-cultural and content validity as well as their stability (e.g. conducting test re-test), whereas the majority of psychometric studies of CD-RISC-25, and CD-RISC-2 rated as very good or adequate in terms of structural validity. In terms of quality assessment of the included studies, the current study indicated that investigating the structural validity of the CD-RISC was mainly done based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis was absent.

Conclusion

The general result indicates the acceptability of the quality of the studies. However, concerns for measurement properties such as responsiveness and criterion validity as well as the standard error of measurement have been neglected.

Protective effects of carvacrol on lipid profiles, oxidative stress, hypertension, and cardiac dysfunction - A comprehensive review

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a class of illnesses that affect the heart or blood vessels, leading to the most common causes of death worldwide. In 2017, CVD caused approximately 17.8 million deaths that were increased approximately to 20.5 million deaths in 2021, globally. Also, nearly 80% of worldwide CVD deaths occur in some countries. Some herbs and their constituents due to their several pharmacological activities have been used for medicinal purposes. Carvacrol is a phenolic mono-terpenoid found in the oils of aromatic herbs with several biological properties. The possible therapeutic effects of carvacrol on lipid profiles, oxidative stress, hypertension, and cardiac dysfunction were summarized in the current study. The data from this review article were obtained by searching the terms including; "Carvacrol", "Hypertension", Hypotensive, "Cardiac dysfunction", "Ischemia", "Lipid profile", and Oxidative stress in several web databases such as Web of Sciences, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar, until November 2023. The results of the reviewed studies revealed that carvacrol inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity and alters lipid profiles, reducing heart rate as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP). Carvacrol also decreased the proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1β), while increasing secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10). Moreover, carvacrol improved oxidative stress and mitigated the number of apoptotic cells. The pharmacological effects of carvacrol on CVD might be through its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. The mentioned therapeutic effects of carvacrol on lipid profile, hypertension, and cardiac dysfunction indicate the possible remedy effect of carvacrol for the treatment of CVD.

Comparative Study of the Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Nutritional Practices Among International Elite and Sub-Elite Athletes: A Sample of 1420 Participants from 14 Countries

BACKGROUND

Although several studies have shown that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown has had negative impacts on mental health and eating behaviors among the general population and athletes, few studies have examined the long-term effects on elite and sub-elite athletes. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 lockdown on mental health and eating behaviors in elite versus sub-elite athletes two years into the pandemic. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted between March and April 2022, involving athletes from 14 countries, using a convenient non-probabilistic and snowball sampling method. A total of 1420 athletes (24.5 ± 7.9 years old, 569 elites, 35% women, and 851 sub-elites, 45% women) completed an online survey-based questionnaire. The questionnaire included a sociodemographic survey, information about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) for mental health assessment, and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants (REAP-S) for assessing eating behavior.

RESULTS

The results showed that compared to sub-elite athletes, elite athletes had lower scores on the DASS-21 (p = .001) and its subscales of depression (p = .003), anxiety (p = .007), and stress (p < .001), as well as a lower REAP-S score indicating lower diet quality (p = .013).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, two years into the pandemic, elite athletes were likelier to have better mental health profiles than sub-elite athletes but surprisingly had lower diet quality.

Experiences of women with cancer living in the rural areas of Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the challenges of access to treatment and quality of life in female cancer survivors living in rural areas of Iran within the global pandemic context (COVID-19).

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative exploratory study where we recruited nine female-identifying individuals diagnosed with cancer, 23 family members, and five healthcare providers from a hospital affiliated with the Birjand University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's reflective thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The three themes constructed were lack of strength from fighting on two fronts (subthemes: (i) fear related to longevity and life span, (ii) disruption of emotional relationships and family functioning, (iii) loneliness and fear of the future, (iv) village culture and double whammy, and (v) isolation and rejection in a rural community); changes during treatment (subthemes: (i) confusion related to treatment and (ii) the hope found during treatment "bottlenecks"); and spiritual growth and clarifying values (subthemes: (i) patience and resilience and (ii) clarifying life values and opportunities when facing uncertainty about the future).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of further evaluating interventions to mitigate barriers to supportive care for female cancer survivors living in rural areas with low-resource contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cross-Cultural Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale: A Systematic Review

Since spiritual well-being has a significant role in individual and social health, using a valid scale to identify these properties is essential. Comparing factor structure and differences in the number of dimensions and items of subscales could be an indicator of differences in individuals' attitudes toward spirituality among diverse cultures. The present review was performed for psychometric evaluation of the spiritual well-being measures. A systematic review of international databases and Iranian databases was conducted to evaluate studies published between January 1, 1970, and October 1, 2022. QUADAS-2, STARD, and COSMIN scales were used for risk of bias assessment. Following two rounds of screening, 14 articles entered quality assessment. According to the results, studies examining the factor structure of the spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) instrument have been conducted for the years 1998 to 2022. The mean age of the participants in these studies ranged from 20.8 to 79.08 years. During the process of exploratory factor analysis, the researchers reported the presence of two to five latent factors, and the range of explained variance was between 35.6 and 71.4%. However, most of the reports indicated the existence of two or three latent factors. The findings of the present study provide an image of the psychometric status of the SWBS for researchers and clinicians in this field and can help them make optimum decisions in selecting a scale or conducting additional psychometric studies or adopting this scale for studies in new populations.

Intimate Partner Violence in the Middle East Region: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a clinical and social problem globally, especially in the Middle East. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of IPV and its types against women in the Middle East region.

METHOD

PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched in January 2020. From 1995 to 2020, all studies performed in the Middle East, investigating at least one type of abuse against women and written in English, entered the study. All included studies were appraised using Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist, which was adapted for prevalence studies. The random effect model of meta-analysis was performed using the Mantel-Haenszel method by comprehensive meta-analysis software. Each type of abuse as event rate with 95% CI was calculated for each variable. Heterogeneity was investigated using the I ² statistic test.

RESULTS

Fifty-five studies encompassing 138,692 participants were included in our meta-analysis. The rate of overall abuse was 26.3 (n = 55, 95% CI: [15.8, 40.5], p = .002). The highest rate of abuse in the included studies was reported for psychological abuse 48.6% (n = 46, 95% CI: [39.8, 57.5], p = .758). The rate of abuse for physical, economical, sexual, and injury were 28.4% (n = 53, 95% CI: [22.1, 35.7], p = .0001), 19% (n = 10, 95% CI: [9.8, 33.7], p = .0001), 18.5% (n = 45, 95% CI: [13.6, 24.6], p = .0001), and 18.4% (n = 5, 95% CI: [7.1, 40.2], p = 0.008), respectively. The overall abuse reported by World Health Organization Multi-Country Domestic Violence (DV)Questionnaire was 25.7% (n = 17, 95% CI: [18.4, 34.7], p = .0001). This value was 41.8% (n = 11, 95% CI: [29.7, 55], p = .223) for the Conflict Tactics Scale Questionnaire.

CONCLUSION

Although this review highlights the lack of or insufficient IPV data in some contexts and inconsistencies in defining and measuring IPV among studies, the evidence shows that a moderate to high pattern of abuse has been observed in the study population. Due to this region's unique cultural-religious characteristics, it is urgent to reduce this phenomenon.

From nuisance to helpful assistants: A qualitative thematic analysis of medical volunteers' experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran

Background & Aim: Volunteers’ perceptions may affect their future decisions to participate in crisis intervention.  Few studies in Iran have been conducted to examine the experiences of medical personnel who volunteered during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study describes the experiences of medical volunteers during COVID-19 in Iran. Methods & Materials:  A total 17 healthcare volunteers who worked in COVID-19 hospital wards were recruited using purposive sampling. All participants were recruited in the current study from the hospitals affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences if they expressed their willingness to participate and had at least two months experience of working as healthcare volunteers in COVID-19 wads. In-depth video-call semi-structured interviews were conducted from August to November 2020. The data were analyzed using the qualitative thematic analysis method. Results: One main theme “from nuisance to helpful assistants” and four sub-themes including the “feeling of inefficiency”, “negligent managing”, “situation orientation”, and “transformation for integrity” emerged from the data. Conclusion: Despite experiencing challenges, the volunteers and hospital staff tried to change their approaches to joint collaboration by improving their capabilities for situation awareness and creating integrity. These findings provide policymakers with a better understanding of health volunteers' challenges in hospitals during crises.

Psychometric evaluation of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale among Iranian population

BACKGROUND

The resilience construct is considered a personal trait composed of multiple aspects. Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale is a standard tool composed of five factors and 25 items. This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of this scale.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, after the scale translation, the factorial structural validity was assessed via the confirmatory factor analysis with 70 180 samples. Internal consistency, composite reliability, convergent validity were assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability, maximum reliability, and Average Variance Extracted. The discriminant validity was assessed using Heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correlations matrix and also, measure invariance was evaluated.

RESULTS

The original five-factor model had good model fit indices but due to low factor loading of item 2 and 20, the model was modified. The Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability for four factors were above 0.7 (except for factor 5). The convergent validity for all five factors were achieved. Between factors 1 with 2 and 4, 2 with 3 and 4 discriminant validity was not established (correlations > 0.9) and the results suggested that there might be a second-order latent construct behind these factors. Therefore, a second-order assessment was performed. The results of the second-order latent construct assessment showed a good goodness-of fit and strong measurement invariance for both men and women.

CONCLUSION

The 23-item version of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale is a reliable and valid scale to measure resilience as a complex construct in the Iran context.

Effects of home confinement on physical activity, nutrition, and sleep quality during the COVID-19 outbreak in amateur and elite athletes

Introduction

Despite the progress in the management of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, it is necessary to continue exploring and explaining how this situation affected the athlete population around the world to improve their circumstances and reduce the negative impact of changes in their lifestyle conditions that were necessitated due to the pandemic. The aim of this study was to analyze the moderating influence of physical activity (PA) and dietary habits on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic experience on sleep quality in elite and amateur athletes.

Materials and methods

A total of 1,420 elite (40.1%) and amateur (59.9%) athletes (41% women; 59% men) from 14 different countries participated in a cross-sectional design study. Data were collected using a battery of questionnaires that identified sociodemographic data, sleep quality index, PA levels, dietary habits, and the athletes' perception of their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Means and standard deviations were calculated for each variable. The analysis of variances and the correlation between variables were carried out with non-parametric statistics. A simple moderation effect was calculated to analyze the interaction between PA or dietary habits on the perception of the COVID-19 experience effect on sleep quality in elite and amateur athletes.

Results

The PA level of elite athletes was higher than amateur athletes during COVID-19 (p < 0.001). However, the PA level of both categories of athletes was lower during COVID-19 than pre-COVID-19 (p < 0.01). In addition, amateurs had a higher diet quality than elite athletes during the pandemic (p = 0.014). The perception of the COVID-19 experience as controllable was significantly higher (p = 0.020) among elite athletes. In addition, two moderating effects had significant interactions. For amateur athletes, the PA level moderated the effect of controllable COVID-19 experience on sleep quality [F _(3,777) = 3.05; p = 0.028], while for elite athletes, the same effect was moderated by dietary habits [F _(3,506) = 4.47, p = 0.004].

Conclusion

Elite athletes had different lifestyle behaviors compared to amateurs during the COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, the relevance of maintaining high levels of PA for amateurs and good quality dietary habits by elite athletes was noted by the moderating effect that both variables had on the influence of the controllable experience during the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality.

The circle of gain and loss: Iranian women's life stories of suffering from compulsive sexual behaviour

This qualitative study aimed to explore Iranian women's life stories living with compulsive sexual behaviour. Data were collected between 2014 and 2016 in two cities. Forty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted by using theoretical sampling and constant comparative analysis. Four thematic categories were constructed from the data, including "scars left on the spirit and mind,"; "bizarre beliefs regarding sexuality and gender,"; "compensation for emptiness and the loss,"; and "difficulty in emotional regulation." This paper shows how abusive patterns of relationships in childhood could lead to sexual compulsivity. The paper results can direct our attention to the importance of health and social care and training to recognise abusive situations and support these children.

The Persian version of Herth Hope Index in Iranian patients with cancer: A psychometric study

OBJECTIVES

Hope is a contextual concept that has significant effects on human well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Herth Hope Index (P-HHI) among Iranian patients with cancer.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 320 patients with cancer from September to December 2020. After translating the HHI into Persian, content, convergent and discriminant, construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis), and reliability of the P-HHI were assessed.

RESULTS

The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that the P-HHI was composed of two factors: Life Expectancy and Thinking Positive, which explained 55.20% of the total variance.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The research revealed that the P-HHI has acceptable validity and reliability, which can be used to measure the hope concept among Iranian patients with cancer.

A perspective on the sense of loneliness and its determinants in Iranian older people

BACKGROUND

The sense of loneliness is one of the common problems of older people and their quality of life, and is affected by many factors such as personal resources, gender, health condition, and age. This study investigates the determinants of the sense of loneliness between older men and women in Birjand.

METHODS

This study was a part of the community-based prospective cohort study of the Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS). Individuals over 60 years of age and their families (selected by random cluster sampling) were assessed through structured interviews with questionnaires such as Patient Health Questionnaire, Short-Form-12, Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam Physical Activity Questionnaire, loneliness, and social support questions.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants in the study was 68.59 ± 6.72, and 53.2% were women. Based on the findings of pathway analysis, the most critical determinants of loneliness in older men and women were the number of children (total effect = -0.112, P = 0.006) and mood, respectively (total effect = 0.142, P < 0.001). According to results, older people with fewer children feel lonelier.

CONCLUSION

Compared with men, emotional loneliness is more common in older women. Older women, who lost their husbands, suffer from loneliness, mental health disorders, and low quality of life.

Investigating the effect of social support, social capital, and coping on the positive state of mind of Iranian older people with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

BACKGROUND

Social resources help to adapt to stress and might positively affect the well-being of individuals with severe conditions like human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). The present study investigates the effect of social support, social capital, and coping in a positive state of mind of Iranian older people with HIV/AIDS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 older people with HIV referred to AIDS clinics in Tehran in 2019. Samples were randomly selected from patients aged 50 years and older. Data were collected using a questionnaire, a positive state of mind, social capital, coping, social support, and a checklist of demographical variables. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 21.

RESULTS

A significant positive correlation was found between social support, social capital, coping, education, and a positive state of mind. A significant negative correlation was also found between age, several chronic diseases of the patient, and a positive state of mind. The linear regression results showed that social support, social capital, coping, and education improved the positive state of mind.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our findings, we believe that social and psychological interventions effectively enhance patients' positive state of mind with HIV and ultimately, improve their quality of life.

Global collaboration and social practices to mitigate impacts of COVID-19 in the world: a lived experience of infecting

COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most serious threatening conditions and the complex situation in the recent century, which shook the world. This unprecedented crisis has caused many disruptions and distractions for humans in different local and global levels. This reflexive essay aims to review challenges and opportunities originated by the Corona-virus pandemic within social groups through a moral perspective. Focusing on both negative and positive aspects would help us find the required skills and strategies to adapt to the crises and mitigate the issues based on our capacities and resources.

Psychoeducational Group Therapy for sexual function and marital satisfaction in Iranian couples with sexual dysfunction disorder

Background

Having sexual relations plays a very important role in the success and scope of procreation. Understanding sexual function can lead to sexual satisfaction and ultimately to marital satisfaction and reconciliation of spouses.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducational programme on sexual function and marital satisfaction of Iranian couples.

Materials and methods

This is a semi-experimental pre-test and post-test study with control group. The statistical population included all couples diagnosed with sexual dysfunction referred to Bahar Consulting Center in Mashhad in 2019. A total of 40 individuals were randomly assigned to the two treatment conditions which were experimental (n = 20) and control (n = 20) forming two groups. The individuals assigned to experimental condition experienced a 10 session psychoeducational program and the control condition comprised of Treatment As Usual (TAU) which was based on medical and general counseling regime. The data collection tool was marital satisfaction and sexual function questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 software.

Results

there is a significant difference between the amount of sexual function and marital satisfaction before and after the test in experimental group (p < 0.01). The results of this study showed that Psychoeducational Group Therapy improved the sexual performance and improved marital satisfaction.

Conclusion

Psychoeducational Group Therapy helps to increase marital satisfaction and sexual functioning of married couples. Therefore, this intervention is recommended as an effective program for improving marital satisfaction and sexual performance of couples. It can help to strengthen the foundation of the family.

Role of Zinc Supplementation in the Improvement of Acute Respiratory Infections among Iranian Children: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Respiratory infectious disease is considered as one of the most serious problems among children in developing countries. The importance of zinc in the improvement of respiratory disease has been indicated. However, there are some unanswered questions and uncertainty. This systematic review aimed at assessing the therapeutic benefits of zinc supplementation on respiratory infections of Iranian children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Magiran, and IranDoc, were searched for randomized controlled trials published from January 1998 to December 2017 on Zinc supplementation for the treatment or improvement of acute respiratory disease among Iranian children, during March 2018. Studies were screened according to the PICO framework, and irrelevant studies were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 5 studies conducted on 522 children were included in this review. Except for one study, others had indicated the beneficial effect of zinc supplement on improving signs and symptoms of respiratory infectious disease and earlier discharge from the hospital.

CONCLUSION

Although studies on the efficacy of zinc on respiratory infectious disease of children in Iran have not widely considered and more studies should be conducted, all published articles (except for one of them) had indicated the effectiveness of zinc supplementation on respiratory infections among children. Other criteria, such as age, gender, birth weight, diet, and type of respiratory infections, should be considered during zinc therapy. Controlling these confounding variables and measuring the level of blood zinc are necessary to understand how much zinc should be prescribed for respiratory treatment of children.

Fatigue and quality of life of women with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled clinical trial

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of aquatic exercise on fatigue and the quality of life in women with multiple sclerosis (MS).

METHODS

This randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out in a multiple sclerosis clinic in Iran, where 37 outpatient women with MS were randomized into an exercise group (N.=18) and a control group (N.=19). In the exercise group, aquatic exercise was performed for 45 minutes, 3 times per week for 8 weeks. The control group did not receive any interventions (aquatic exercise) and were asked to maintain their normal treatments. The severity and perception of fatigue and quality of life (QoL) were measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), and Multicultural Quality of Life Index (MQLIM) questionnaires.

RESULTS

The repeated measure ANOVA demonstrated significant effects of aquatic exercise on the changes in the scores of physical and psychosocial fatigue perception, QoL, and fatigue severity (P=0.001). However, its effect was not significant for cognitive fatigue perception (P>0.05). General linear models show that the percentages of variation, as explained by the aquatic exercises, were highest in the QoL and the physical and psychosocial fatigue perceptions.

CONCLUSION

Aquatic exercise can improve the QoL and decrease fatigue severity and fatigue perception, specifically in the physical and psychosocial domain for MS patients. However, it was not effective in improving cognitive fatigue perception.