Objective: This research examines whether or not socio-demographic factors and hope predict death anxiety among patients with heart disease.
Materials and Methods: Our sample consisted of 500 ...respondents who were hospitalized in a medical institution in Iran. Data were collected using the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS) and the Herth Hope Index (HHI).
Results: The results of current study indicated that higher economic status, having one's main source of income from friends, increased age, increased religious belief, and increased hope were associated with lower death anxiety.
Conclusion: These results highlight that improving hope, and religiosity among cardiac patients may be an effective means by which to reduce their death anxiety.
Coping strategies play a key role in modulating the physical and psychological burden on caregivers of stroke patients. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between the severity of ...burden of care and coping strategies amongst a sample of Iranian caregivers of older stroke patients. It also aimed to examine the differences of coping strategies used by male and female caregivers.
A total of 110 caregivers of older patients who previously had a stroke participated in this descriptive and cross-sectional study. The Zarit Burden Interview and Lazarus coping strategies questionnaires were used for data collection. Questionnaires were completed by the caregivers, who were selected using convenience sampling. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson's correlations and independent t-tests.
The mean age of participants was 32.09 ± 8.70 years. The majority of the caregivers sampled reported mild to moderate (n = 74, 67.3%) burden. The most commonly used coping strategies reported were positive reappraisal and seeking social support. Results of the independent t-test showed that male caregivers used the positive reappraisal strategy (t(110) = 2.76; p = 0.007) and accepting responsibility (t(110) = 2.26; p = 0.026) significantly more than female caregivers. Pearson's correlations showed a significant positive correlation between caregiver burden and emotional-focused strategies, including escaping (r = 0.245, p = 0.010) and distancing (r = 0.204, p = 0.032).
Caregivers with higher burden of care used more negative coping strategies, such as escape-avoidance and distancing. In order to encourage caregivers to utilize effective coping skills, appropriate programs should be designed and implemented to support caregivers. Use of effective coping skills to reduce the level of personal burden can improve caregiver physical health and psychological well-being.
Family caregivers of stroke patients suffer from a high caregiving burden that affects their quality of life. Telenursing can provide caregivers and patients with services at the lowest cost and full ...access. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of telenursing on the quality of life of caregivers of older stroke patients.
A total of 79 family caregivers of older stroke patients participated in this randomized clinical trial. The samples were selected from caregivers of older stroke patients admitted to a teaching hospital in Qazvin, Iran. They were randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group participated in an educational intervention for 12 weeks through telephone follow-up and social media. The Barthel Scale and the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36) were used for data collection. The chi-square and independent and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data.
The mean age of 79 caregivers participating in the study was 46.16 ± 11.32 years. No significant differences were found between the two groups at baseline. However, the independent ttest showed significant differences in the psychological subscale (p <0.001) between the intervention and control groups after the intervention. In addition, the results of the paired t-test showed significant improvements in the intervention group in physical (p <0.001) and psychological (p <0.001) subscales.
The results of the current study support the effectiveness of telenursing in improving the quality of life of caregivers of older stroke patients.
Balance disorders are common in the elderly and are a major cause of falls. This study aimed to determine the effect of acupressure on dynamic balance in elderly women.
This randomized controlled ...clinical trial was conducted on 72 elderly women in Qazvin, Iran. The intervention group received rotary massage using the thumb at the pressure points for 4 weeks, 3 times a week for 20 minutes each session. Dynamic balance in both groups was measured before, 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention using timed up and go test and the step test. Data were analyzed using two way repeated measures ANOVA.
The mean age of participants was 67.34 ± 6.30 with a range of 60 to 80 years old. The results showed statistically significant improvement in the dynamic balance quantified by timed up and go test (%Δ = 26.53) and step test for the right (%Δ = 35.22) and left (Δ% = 32.62) legs (p < .001). However, in the control group, no significant change was observed in the dynamic balance after completion of the program.
The results support that acupressure therapy can be an effective, safe, and inexpensive method to improve the dynamic balance and maintain maximum autonomy of the elderly.
Social support is essential for individuals to cope with difficult circumstances. Older adults with disabilities face significant challenges in engaging with everyday activities. The current study ...examines the mediating role of perceived stress in the association between perceived social support and disability among Iranian community-dwelling older adults.
In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, 300 older adults were selected using cluster sampling from January to June 2022. The data were collected using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2), and the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14). The collected data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) in Mplus.
The mean age of older adults was 68.71 ± 6.13 years, ranging from 60 to 85 years old. The results of this study revealed a significant relationship between perceived social support and disability (β=-0.20, SE = 0.06, p < 0.001) and perceived stress and disability (β = 0.50, SE = 0.05, p < 0.001). The results also confirmed the mediating role of perceived stress in the relationship between perceived social support and disability (β=-0.17, SE = 0.03, p < 0.001).
The results indicated that increasing social support could reduce disability by decreasing perceived stress. These results have important implications for policymakers and healthcare professionals in promoting healthy aging.
Given the vulnerability of older people to COVID-19, it is important to consider their physical and mental wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) in the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the present study ...was aimed to identify the QoL and its predictive factors among a sample of Iranian older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 older people residing in Qazvin, Iran, from May 22th to November 21rd, 2021. Multistage cluster sampling method was used for selecting the eligible older adults. Data were collected using the demographic checklist, fear of COVID-19 scale, and Elderly Quality of Life Questionnaire (LIPAD). The multivariate regression model was used for determining the predictive factors of QoL in older people.
The mean age of older participants was 69.17 ± 6.75 years old. The results of multivariate regression model showed that fear of COVID-19, age, marital status, level of education, living arrangement, and economic situation were the significant predictors of QoL in the older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is recommended to pay close attention to divorced, lonely, and illiterate older people and those with low economic situation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives: Fear is one of the most frequent feelings associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Older people are at risk for severe COVID-19 infection. Spiritual well-being can play an ...important role in patients’ coping and adaptation to stressful conditions. The present study aims to determine the role of spiritual well-being in predicting fear of COVID-19 among older adults in Qazvin, Iran. Methods & Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 community-dwelling older adults in Qazvin, Iran in 2021 who were selected using a cluster sampling method from public places in three urban areas. Data were collected using a demographic checklist, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Paloutzian and Ellison’s Spiritual well-being scale. A multivariate regression model was used to determine the predictors of fear of COVID-19. Results: The mean age of participants was 69.70±6.99 years. Their fear of COVID-19 was at a high level (Mean±SD=22±8.82). The results of regression analysis showed that sex (β=0.186, P=0.001), history of hypertension (β=0.130, P=0.006), history of diabetes (β=0.097, P=0.037), history of stroke (β=0.091, P=0.048), educational level (β=-0.142, P=0.007), economic status (β=0.145, P=0.007), and spiritual well-being (β=-0.117, P=0.013) were the predictors of fear of COVID-19. Conclusion: Spiritual well-being, as well as educational level, history of chronic diseases, and economic status have a role in predicting the fear of COVID-19 in older adults. Therefore, the implementation of spirituality-related care programs can be useful for reducing the fear and anxiety of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elder abuse is an important public health problem. The present study was aimed to determine the rate of domestic abuse and its relationship with demographic characteristics among elderly people ...referred to Primary Health Care (PHC) centers in Shiraz, Iran, 2018.
This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 older people aged 60 years old and above who referred to 22 PHC centers of Shiraz. The data were collected using demographic characteristics questionnaire, Katz index, the domestic elder abuse questionnaire, and elder neglect checklist through face-to-face interview and observation methods. Backward linear regression model was used for analyzing the data.
The results indicated that 52.5% of the participants were female and 51.8% aged 60-69 years old. A total of 159 cases (39.8%) reflected at least one form of elder abuse or neglect. The results indicated that 21% of the participants (n = 84) were abused by their own children. Care neglect was the most reported form (42.8%), followed by psychological abuse (41.3%), emotional neglect (38.8%), and financial abuse (34.3%). The most common types of neglect were motion limitations (25%) followed by the dental problems (23.8%). The results also showed a significant relationship between domestic elder abuse and level of income (p = 0.017), having a house (p = 0.028), type of perpetrator (< 0.001), and insurance status (p = 0.027).
The results revealed a considerable rate of domestic abuse against elderly people, causing a serious risk for their health and security.
The present study examines the moderating role of religiosity in the association between death anxiety and depression among Iranian community-dwelling older adults. This study recruited 340 ...participants using a cluster sampling method. The data were collected using the Templer Death Anxiety Scale, Goldberg Depression Questionnaire, and Allport-Ross Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religious Orientation Scale. The moderating role of intrinsic (death anxiety × intrinsic: β = -.048, p = .388) and extrinsic (death anxiety × extrinsic: β = -.011, p = .831) religiosity in the relationship between death anxiety and depression was not confirmed. The findings did not support the moderating role of religiosity in the relationship between death anxiety and depression. Further studies are recommended to confirm these results.
Skin conditions often considerably impact the older patients' psycho-social health and quality of life (QoL). The present study was aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Persian ...version of Skindex-16 among older people with skin diseases.
In this validation study, 260 older patients suffering from a range of skin conditions were recruited from a dermatology clinic in Rasht, Iran. Data were collected using a checklist for demographic and clinical characteristics and the Skindex-16 questionnaire. In this study, validity (face, content, and construct) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of the Skindex-16 were assessed and reported.
The mean age of participants was 64.51 ± 5.04 years. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model had acceptable fitness into the expected three-factor structure χ 2 /df = 249.363, P < 0.001; GFI = 0.961; TLI =0.952; RMSEA = 0.078 (90% CI = 0.06, 0.09) and SRMR = 0.06. The reliability analysis results confirmed that the values of Cronbach's alpha coefficient for Skindex-16 were in the acceptable range (0.923).
Our evaluation of the Skindex-16 indicates that it is reliable and a valid instrument that can be used for measuring QoL for Iranian dermatologic patients.
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