Effect of auriculotherapy on labor duration: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Length of labor is one of the factors contributing to maternal and neonatal childbirth outcomes. Auriculotherapy is a potential therapeutic intervention for reducing labor duration. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy of auriculotherapy in shortening labor time.This systematic review and meta-analysis included randomized controlled trials published from inception until July 2024. Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed were searched for eligible studies. Article screening was performed using Endnote X8. Data analysis and assessment of the risk of bias were performed by Review Manager 5.3. Analysis of pooled data was performed using fixed and random effect models. Five studies (n = 433 participants) were included in the meta-analysis from an initial pool of 150 articles. The participants' mean age was 25.07 ± 4.52. Auriculotherapy reduced the length of the active and second phases of labor by approximately sixty (MD = -63.54; 95 percent CI: -84.47, -42.62; p < .00001) and seven minutes (MD = -7.67; 95 percent CI: -13.46, -1.89, p = .009), respectively. Auriculotherapy was found to significantly decrease the duration of the active and second phases of labor. However, it is not possible to generalize the results and further high-quality studies involving more individuals from various socioeconomic backgrounds are needed to provide support for these findings.

Impact of Cognitive Behavior Therapy on Sexual Dysfunction of Women in Reproductive Age: A Systematic Review.

Background: A large number of women suffer from sexual dysfunction. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a psycho-educational therapy the main purpose of which is to help the individual alter their dysfunctional beliefs and behaviors. We investigated the impact of CBT on reproductive-aged women's sexual function. Methods: The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis in which a number of databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase) were searched from inception to November 2023. Clinical trials examining the impact of CBT on female sexual dysfunction were included. This study evaluated female sexual function and its components, including satisfaction, discomfort, lubrication, arousal, climax, desire, and assertiveness. We used Review Manager version 5.3 for performing the meta-analysis. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Seven articles including a total of 448 women with sexual dysfunction were reviewed. The participants' mean age in the CBT groups was 33.43 ± 6.04 years and that of the control group was 33.24 ± 5.97, which were not significantly different. Our results indicated that CBT is efficient in improving the total score of women's sexual function (SMD = 1.34, 95% CI = (1.02, 1.65), I2 = 86%), sexual satisfaction, lubrication, desire, orgasm, and assertiveness compared with the control group. However, CBT had no positive effect on reducing sexual pain. Conclusion: Based on the result of the current study, CBT can be suggested as an effective treatment method along with other treatments for women with sexual problems.

The relationship between hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and endometriosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating disease that can affect the entire reproductive life course of women, with potential adverse effects on pregnancy. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and endometriosis. METHOD: Relevant articles were searched from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from inception up to December 2023. The full-text observational studies published in English that had a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis were included. The case group included pregnant women diagnosed with endometriosis at any stage, while the control group consisted of pregnant women who had not been previously diagnosed with endometriosis. Two authors extracted and analyzed the data independently. Disagreements were reconciled by reviewing the full text by a third author. Endnote X9 was used for screening and data extraction. We used fixed and random effects models in Review Manager 5.3 to analyze the pooled data. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist. RESULTS: Out of the 9863 articles reviewed, 23 were selected for meta-analysis. According to the results of this study, there was an association between endometriosis and gestational hypertension (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.16; I2 = 45%, P < 0.00001; N = 8), pre-eclampsia (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.36; I2 = 37%, P < 0.00001; N = 12), and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.21; I2 = 8%, P = 0.0001; N = 8). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that endometriosis may elevate the risk of developing gestational hypertensive disorders. Raising awareness of this issue will help to identify effective strategies for screening and early diagnosis of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

Effect of Curcumin on Dysmenorrhea and Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are common periodic and frequent complications in women of reproductive age that can negatively affect health and quality of life. The present study examined the effects of curcumin on the severity of dysmenorrhea and PMS symptoms. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted by searching databases such as the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science from inception to January 2023. Article screening was performed using Endnote ver. X8 (Clarivate). Review Manager (RevMan ver. 5.3; Cochrane) was used for the quality assessment and meta-analysis. A total of 147 studies were screened, of which five were finally selected for quantitative and qualitative analyses. The studies were conducted between 2015 and 2021, and a total of 379 participants with a mean age of 23.33±5.54 years had been recruited in these studies. RESULTS: The meta-analysis showed that curcumin consumption could significantly reduce the severity of dysmenorrhea (mean difference, -1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.52 to -0.98; three studies; I2=31%) and the overall score of PMS (standardized mean difference, -1.41; 95% CI, -1.81 to -1.02; two studies; I2=0%). CONCLUSION: The reduction in the severity of PMS and dysmenorrhea has been attributed to curcumin's anti-inflammatory and antidepressant activities. Although the findings suggest that curcumin may be an effective treatment for reducing the severity of PMS and dysmenorrhea, further research with a larger number of participants from various socioeconomic levels and a longer duration of treatment is needed to evaluate the effective dose of curcumin.

Evaluation of Relationship between Trunk Muscle Endurance and Static Balance in Male Students.

PURPOSE: Fatigue of trunk muscle contributes to spinal instability over strenuous and prolonged physical tasks and therefore may lead to injury, however from a performance perspective, relation between endurance efficient core muscles and optimal balance control has not been well-known. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of trunk muscle endurance and static balance. METHODS: Fifty male students inhabitant of Tehran university dormitory (age 23.9±2.4, height 173.0±4.5 weight 70.7±6.3) took part in the study. Trunk muscle endurance was assessed using Sørensen test of trunk extensor endurance, trunk flexor endurance test, side bridge endurance test and static balance was measured using single-limb stance test. A multiple linear regression analysis was applied to test if the trunk muscle endurance measures significantly predicted the static balance. RESULTS: There were positive correlations between static balance level and trunk flexor, extensor and lateral endurance measures (Pearson correlation test, r=0.80 and P<0.001; r=0.71 and P<0.001; r=0.84 and P<0.001, respectively). According to multiple regression analysis for variables predicting static balance, the linear combination of trunk muscle endurance measures was significantly related to the static balance (F (3,46) = 66.60, P<0.001). Endurance of trunk flexor, extensor and lateral muscles were significantly associated with the static balance level. The regression model which included these factors had the sample multiple correlation coefficient of 0.902, indicating that approximately 81% of the variance of the static balance is explained by the model. CONCLUSION: There is a significant relationship between trunk muscle endurance and static balance.