مجله مراقبت پرستاری و مامایی ابن سینا
سال سی و دوم شماره 4 (پیاپی 92، پاییز 1403)

When a child is hospitalized, understanding and considering the needs of parents is as important as recognizing the needs of the child. Considering the critical importance of this subject, the present study aimed to design and assess the psychometric properties of the needs of parents with hospitalized children in Iran.

The initial questionnaire was designed based on existing questionnaires and an extensive literature review. Face and content validity were assessed using two quantitative and qualitative methods. Construct validity was determined using the exploratory factor analysis approach in R-based Jamovi software. The reliability of the tool was determined by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and intra-cluster correlation coefficient.

In the qualitative review of face and content validity, the necessary changes were applied according to the expert panel's opinion. In quantitative content validity, three items were removed, and four items were revised. The content validity ratio (CVR) and the content validity index (CVI) of the whole questionnaire were obtained as 0.97 and 0.98, respectively. The questionnaire entered the construct validity stage with 38 items; 18 items were removed by exploratory factor analysis, and 20 remained. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test displayed the adequacy of sampling, and based on parallel analysis, six factors were extracted, which explained 46.8% of the variance. One factor that only included two items was removed, and finally, the extracted factors included "communication-based on respect," "comfort, "trust," "acquiring information," and "needs of family members" (all with four items). The intra-cluster correlation coefficient was 0.92, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.95.

As evidenced by the results of this study, the under-study questionnaire for gauging parents' needs enjoys appropriate validity and reliability. It fits with Iranian cultural values and can be used to assess parents' needs.

Infertility leads to a crisis in people's lives that can have many psychological consequences, and one of these consequences is the reduction of the quality of sexual life. Since the spouses of infertile men are as stressed as infertile women in many aspects, including sexual life, the present research aimed to investigate the effect of existential group therapy on the quality of sexual life of women who have dealt with male factor infertility.

The present study followed a randomized controlled clinical trial from 2020-2021 on 96 women aged 20-45 with male-caused infertility. The samples were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The data collection tool included a demographic questionnaire and a questionnaire on the quality of sexual life. The intervention was carried out in eight 90-minute sessions per week based on the existential group therapy counseling model. The data were collected before and after the intervention and analyzed using the SPSS (version 25) software. It is noteworthy that the level of significance was lower than 0.05.

Following the intervention, the quality of sexual life score in the intervention group was 67.42±17.83, indicating a statistically significant improvement compared to the pre-intervention scores and the control group (P<0.001). The analysis of the mean difference in the quality of sexual life scores between the two time points for the intervention and control groups revealed a significant difference (P<0.001).

Existential group therapy counseling is effective in improving the quality of sexual life in women faced with male-factor infertility. Due to the effectiveness of this method, it is recommended to be used in counseling in infertility centers.

Marital disillusionment is associated with adverse consequences for individuals, couples, families, and society. Low sexual assertiveness paves the way for marital disillusionment. The present study aimed to determine the effect of sexual skills counseling with a cognitive-behavioral approach on sexual assertiveness in women suffering from marital disillusionment.

This study was a clinical trial involving 80 women experiencing marital disillusionment selected from comprehensive health centers affiliated with Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. They were assigned to intervention and control groups. Eight weekly sessions were held for the intervention group. Data were collected using demographic questions, the marital disillusionment scale (MDS) and Halbert index of sexual assertiveness. Sexual assertiveness was remeasured immediately and 12 weeks after the end of the intervention.  Data was analyzed using the SPSS (version 23) software using independent t-test, Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and repeated measures ANOVA.

The mean score of sexual assertiveness did not have a statistically significant difference between the groups before the intervention. The mean and standard deviation of the sexual assertiveness score in the intervention group changed from 34.1±11.67 before the intervention to 74.9±11.68 and 56.8±8.46 in the post-test and follow-up periods, respectively. These values for the control group were 33.5±11.00, 36.7±10.64, and 37.3±11.08, respectively. According to the results, the mean score of sexual assertiveness between the intervention and control groups and at the examined three time points had a statistically significant difference (P<0.001).

Sexual skills counseling with a cognitive-behavioral approach led to an increase in sexual assertiveness in women suffering from marital disillusionment. Therefore, this approach can be used as an effective psychological intervention to increase sexual assertiveness in these women.

Pregnancy anxiety is triggered  by a woman's concerns about pregnancy, childbirth, the health of the baby, and future parenting  negatively affecting pregnancy outcomes. Studies addressing the impact  of life skills training on health, particularly in pregnant women, are rare with inconclusive findings. The present study aimed to assess the effect of life skills training by a trained midwife on the mitigation of  pregnancy anxiety.

This randomized controlled trial was conducted in Abadan, Iran, in 2020. After assessing 180 pregnant women for eligibility, 86 pregnant women were selected from six clinics according to the inclusion criteria and allocated to control or intervention groups randomly. The intervention group underwent a 90-minute life skills training(self-awareness, problem-solving, coping with stress, coping with emotions, interpersonal relationships)every week for six weeks. Data were analyzed using a Chi-squared test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA method.

No differences were detected between the two groups in terms of demographic and obstetric characteristics, as well as the mean scores of pregnancy anxiety and its domains. After the intervention, the mean score of pregnancy anxiety(P<0.001) and domains of self-centered fears(P<0.001), fear of giving birth(P<0.001), fear of bearing a handicapped baby(P<0.01), concern about mood changes(P<0.0001), and concern over changes in the marital relationship(P<0.0001), in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group.

The implementation of selected life skills training by a midwife in a course shorter than that of the current courses could successfully reduce pregnancy-related anxiety. Therefore, it can be used by midwives as an effective non-pharmacologic approach in pregnancy .

In order to reduce the adverse consequences of low fertility rates, interventions must be taken. The present study aimed to determine the effect of counselling on the knowledge and attitude of childbearing in single-child couples referring to health centers in Hamadan, Iran.

An interventional study with a pre-test and post-test design was conducted in two groups, cases and controls, in 2022. The research population consisted of couples with one child referred to health centers in Hamadan, who were included in the study by stratified random sampling method. The total sample was estimated to be 92 couples. Furthermore, the data collection tool was a researcher-developed questionnaire with three sections: demographics, awareness, and attitudes.

The independent t-test revealed that the average score of women's fertility knowledge in the test and control groups, both immediately after the intervention and one month later, exhibited a statistically significant difference. There was no statistically significant difference in the average score of the childbearing attitude of women and men in the two test and control groups before the intervention, after the intervention and one month after the intervention (P>0.05).

In general, the results of the present research demonstrated that counselling is an effective tool in increasing knowledge in the field of childbearing and improving attitudes over time. Additionally, strategies to increase the fertility rate should be developed with short-term, medium-term, and long-term planning in mind.

Postpartum bonding disorder is a significant impairment in the mother-infant relationship during the postpartum period. The present study aimed to translate and validate the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) in Iranian mothers.

A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was employed in the current investigation. With the developer's permission, a back-translation procedure was used to translate the original questionnaire from English to Persian. Then, following qualitative face validity, a sample of primiparous mothers completed the questionnaire, and construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analyses. Moreover, reliability was evaluated using internal consistency analysis (average inter-item correlation, Cronbach’s alpha, and McDonald’s omega) and construct reliability.

A total of 263 primiparous mothers completed the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the 13-item version of the PBQ with a three-factor (‘general factor,’ ‘rejection and anger,’ and ‘anxiety about care’) structure, which explained 49.19% of the overall variance observed, and this confirmed the construct validity of the tool. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the subscales was equal to 0.744. In addition, the test-retest reliability (0.850-0.952) of the questionnaire with a two-week interval indicated an acceptable range of reliability.

The findings indicate that the Persian version of the 25-item PBQ is a reliable and valid tool for screening and identifying the postpartum bonding disorder among Iranian mothers.

The increasing of early discontinuation of exclusive breastfeeding in Iran has been observed in recent years. Enhancing maternal awareness is a pivotal factor in advancing exclusive breastfeeding rates. One of the best teaching methods about health challenges is the health belief model. The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of an educational intervention grounded in the health belief model on maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy.

This research constitutes a randomized controlled clinical trial involving 120 pregnant women who sought care at Qazvin health centers. Through the random allocation method of 4 blocks, the participants were assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. Commencing from the 36th week of pregnancy, the intervention group underwent 4 virtual breastfeeding training sessions, structured around the principles of the health belief model. Meanwhile, the control group received standard prenatal care. Prior to delivery and at 1, 4, and 6 weeks postpartum, participants completed the breastfeeding self-efficacy questionnaire and health belief model assessments. Data analysis was carried out tilizing SPSS26 software, with a predetermined significance level of 0.05 for all statistical tests.

Following the intervention, a statistically significant difference was noted in the mean values between the two cohorts with regard to the components of the health belief model (p<0.05). Furthermore, the mean self-efficacy ratings during the initial week post-intervention were 52.23±4.65 in the control group and 55.8±4.09 in the experimental group, which was statistically significant (p<0.001).

Educational intervention utilizing the health belief model has demonstrated the potential to enhance the level of breastfeeding self-efficacy among mothers. Consequently, healthcare professionals can consider employing this approach as a dependable and easily accessible educational tool.

Women's sexual functioning changes after childbirth, and various factors play a role in it. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between sexual functioning and dysfunctional sexual beliefs after childbirth.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 352 primiparous women after childbirth in 14 selected healthcare centers affiliated with the Iran University of Medical Sciences using a multi-stage sampling method. The data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, pregnancy history, dysfunctional sexual beliefs, and a sexual functioning index. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 24 software, and the data were described using means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. A stepwise multiple linear regression model was used to assess the relationship between sexual functioning variables and dysfunctional sexual beliefs. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered.

In this study, 19 percent of women had dysfunctional sexual beliefs, and 73 percent had undesirable sexual functioning. There was a significant correlation between dysfunctional beliefs and sexual functioning in primiparous women after childbirth (p = 0.001, β = -0.237), predicting a 10 percent variance in sexual functioning.

In this study, dysfunctional sexual beliefs were relatively high among primiparous women within 2 to 12 months after childbirth. Due to its association with sexual dysfunction, it seems that sexual beliefs should be addressed in marital counseling and throughout pregnancy.