Investigating the mediating role of food involvement in the relationship between eating restrictions, nutritional knowledge, and dietary patterns in adults.

People's Dietary Patterns (DPs) are influenced by culture and ethnicity, and their identification requires a holistic assessment of diet. DP reflects dietary behaviors, and its analysis may provide further details about the dietary etiology of chronic diseases. By examining people's DP and related factors, more practical solutions can be proposed to prevent overweight, obesity, and related diseases. This study aimed to describe DP, Eating Restrictions (ER), Food Involvement (FI), Nutrition Knowledge (NK), and anthropometric indices in Iranian adults and determine the mediating role of FI in the relationship between ER, NK, and DP. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using the structural equation modeling approach. The study was conducted on 2421 adults in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. The Eating Restrictions Questionnaire (ERQ), the Food Involvement Inventory (FII), the komPAN questionnaire, and a demographic characteristics and anthropometric indices questionnaire were used to collect data. We also measured the seven major food groups, the Diet Quality Scores (DQS), and the six dietary indices, including the pro-Healthy-Diet-Index (pHDI-15), non-Healthy Diet-Index (nHDI-16), high-Glycemic-Diet-Index-7 (hGIDI-7), low-Glycaemic-Diet-Index-4 (lGIDI-4), high-Sugar-Diet-Index-4 (hSDI-4), and high-sugar product (hSFDI-6) and compared their values by gender and four BMI groups. The prevalence of ER and FI was 6.25% and 49.1%, respectively. NK was insufficient for 43.1% of the participants. Most participants (71.2%) had low DQS scores on pHDI-15 and moderate scores (52.9%) on nHDI-16. DQS scores were low in 64.8% of participants in the lGIDI-4 food group, while 71.7%, 92.6%, and 77.2% possessed moderate scores in the hGIDI-7, hSFDI-6, and hSDI-4 food groups, respectively. The mean pHDI-15 and lGIDI-4 indices were higher in women than in men. The amount of unhealthy food indices (nHDI-16, hGIDI-7, hSDI-4, and hSFDI-6) was higher in lean, overweight, and obese people than in people with a normal BMI. The structural model assumed between ER and DP and the mediating role of FI fit well with Iranian adults. Moreover, FI had a mediating role in the relationship between NK and pHDI_15 (Indirect Effects = 0.05, P<0.05) and nHDI_16 (Indirect Effects = -0.07, P<0.01). Most participants are small portions of the healthy food groups and the low glycemic foods, and FI plays a mediating role in the relationship between NK and ER with DP. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the role of FI as a mediating variable in interventions based on reducing ER, increasing NK, and shifting DP from unhealthy to healthy.

Translation and validation of a lifestyle questionnaire related to prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Valid and reliable instruments are needed to measure prostate cancer-related lifestyle changes, plan evidence-based interventions to modify lifestyle, and improve treatment outcomes. Due to the lack of appropriate instruments, this study was conducted to translate the Effects of Prostate Cancer upon Lifestyle Questionnaire (EPCLQ) into Persian and examine its psychometric properties in a sample of Iranian older adults with prostate cancer. METHODS: This methodological study was carried out between 2021 and 2022. Initially, the EPCLQ, comprising 36 items, was translated into Persian through a meticulous translation and back-translation procedure. Subsequent steps involved the assessment of face validity, qualitative content validity, content validity index, content validity ratio, construct validity via confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability testing of the Persian version of the EPCLQ. RESULTS: The psychometric evaluation led to the exclusion of 4 items from the EPCLQ. The refined model demonstrated satisfactory fit indices (PCFI = 0.732, PNFI = 0.696, CMIN/DF = 2.29, RMSEA = 0.072, IFI = 0.920, CFI = 0.919, and GFI = 0.971), indicating an appropriate fit of the final model. The internal consistency, as measured by Cronbach's alpha, was 0.67, and the intraclass correlation coefficient for the questionnaire was 0.938, reflecting high reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The Persian version of the EPCLQ, now consisting of 32 items, has been validated and is reliable for assessing the impact of prostate cancer on lifestyle among older adults. Its simplicity and the clarity of the items make it suitable for use in clinical settings or during home visits for follow-up assessments.

Development and psychometric evaluation of uncertainty about disease and treatment scale in hemodialysis patients: a sequential-exploratory mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The need for long-term treatment and frequent visits to treatment centers for hemodialysis can lead to psychological problems such as Uncertainty about Disease and Treatment (UC about D&T) in patients with chronic kidney failure. In order to understand uncertainty about disease and treatment and to plan for preventive measures and care interventions in various dimensions, there is a need for reliable and valid tools. The present study was conducted to design and psychometrically evaluate the Uncertainty about Disease and Treatment Scale (UC about D&TS) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: This study is of a methodological type and conducted in two stages. The first stage included a deductive (literature review) and an inductive approach (face-to-face interviews). In the second stage, psychometric indices of the UC about D&TS, including face validity (qualitative-quantitative), content validity (qualitative-quantitative), construct validity (exploratory factor analysis), and reliability (using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega) were examined. RESULTS: In the literature review stage, 66 items were extracted, and in the qualitative stage, 48 items were extracted. After merging similar items, 29 items were entered into the psychometric process. No items were removed in the face and content validity stages. In the construct validity stage, five factors were extracted, including self-uncertainty, uncertain situation, uncertain future, uncertainty of treatment outcomes, and information uncertainty, which constituted a total of 82.16% of the total variance. In this stage, five items were removed from the study due to a corrected item-total correlation below 0.32, and four items were removed due to cross-loading. The α and Ω were calculated as 0.828 and 0.818, respectively. The measurement stability and standard error of measurement were estimated at 0.977 and 2.019, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the UC about D&TS is a valid and reliable measure for patients undergoing hemodialysis. This scale is specifically designed to measure UC about D&T in hemodialysis patients, and it is recommended that healthcare providers (Hcps) use this scale in follow-up visits.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire on the contributing factors of tendency towards voluntary single-childedness and childlessness: a mixed method study.

Couples' tendency towards voluntary single-childedness and childlessness (VSCC) has turned into a major challenge in all societies and led to different problems such as population aging. A key step to VSCC management is to determine its contributing factors through valid and reliable instruments. This exploratory sequential mixed method study (qualitative-quantitative) was conducted in 2020-2021. Phases of qualitative consists of all couples aged 15-49 in Babol, Iran, who were single or childless. Sampling is based on the purpose, and the number of samples is 20 couples. To collect data, face-to-face and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. Sampling continued until data saturation. The data were analyzed by the conventional content analysis method and quantitative phase. Initially, a qualitative study was conducted on twenty couples, and were analyzed through conventional content analysis. Findings were used to develop QFT-VSCC and then, the face, content, and construct validity as well as reliability were assessed. Construct validity was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and reliability was assessed through internal consistency and stability assessments. The results of the qualitative part analysis consist of 140 codes, 30 primary categories, and nine main categories and two themes (individual limitations and social limitations). The primary QFT-VSCC had 78 items. Fifty-eight items were omitted during validity assessment and the remaining twenty-two items were loaded on five factors during factor analysis. These factors were threatened priorities, inappropriate familial context for childbearing, sense of occupational and social insecurity for the child, social modeling of childlessness, and tendency towards change or stability in marital life. The five factors explained 52.56% of the total variance. All model fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis were acceptable and the Cronbach's alpha values of QFT-VSCC and all its factors were more than 0.70. The results of convergent validity analysis revealed that all factors had an AVE value greater than 0.5, and the HTMT index for all factors was less than 0.85. This indicated that discriminant validity had been achieved. QFT-VSCC is a simple valid and reliable instrument for VSCC assessment among both men and women.

Effective factors on voluntary childlessness and one-child tendency from couples' perspective: Compulsory childlessness or child-avoidance?

Background: Couples' childless and one-child intention is one of the crucial challenges in all societies. Considering the aging of the world's population and the need to review birth control policies, it is necessary to take evidence-based measures. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the influencing factors on the tendency of couples to be childless and have only one child. Methods: The present study is the first part of a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) study. The study is qualitative with a conventional content analysis approach. The research population consists of all couples aged 15-49 in 2021 in Babol city, who were single or childless and had no intention of pregnancy in the future. Sampling is based on the purpose, and the number of samples is 40 couples. To collect data, face-to-face and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. Results: The results of the analysis include 140 codes, 30 sub-categories, 9 categories(Economic problems, uncertainty in the future security, threatened priorities, uncertainty about the continuation of life, Fear of becoming a parent, lack of support, diminishing religious beliefs, social role modeling and negative experiences) and two themes. These factors indicate the mandatory conditions for childlessness or one- child choice or voluntary child-free. Conclusion: The results revealed that voluntary childlessness and single-child depend on various aspects. Support of the government, parenting education and efforts to change the attitude of couples by the government can help to improve the health of the family and achieve the goals of population growth policies.

Aerosol assisted synthesis of a pH responsive curcumin anticancer drug nanocarrier using chitosan and alginate natural polymers.

In recent years, several nanocarrier synthesis methods have been developed. In cancer therapy, the use of smart nanocarriers is of interest. Smart nanocarriers respond to their environment and can release their cargo in a controlled manner under the action of internal or external stimuli. In this work, we report on the development of an aerosol-assisted method for the synthesis of curcumin-loaded chitosan/alginate-based polymeric nanocarrier (CurNCs). A custom-fabricated multi-nebulizer system was utilized for the synthesis of CurNCs. The developed system comprises three main parts a sprayer, an electric heater tunnel, and a collector. Curcumin and chitosan solutions were sprayed using a pneumatic multinebulizer into the electric heater tunnel to form chitosan-curcumin assemblies. Then, the aerosol was guided into the collector solution containing sodium alginate and tri-poly phosphate aqueous solution for further cross-linkage. The synthesized CurNCs were characterized using TEM, DLS, and FTIR techniques. The TEM size of the nanoparticles was 8.62 ± 2.25 nm. The release experiments revealed that the nanocarrier is sensitive to the environment pH as more curcumin is released at acidic pH values (as is the case for cancerous tissues) compared to physiological pH. The curcumin content of the nanocarrier was 77.27 mg g-1 with a drug loading efficiency of 62%. The in-vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized nanocarrier was evaluated against the MCF7 breast cancer cell line. The IC50 concentrations for CurNCs and curcumin were obtained as 14.86 and 16.45 mg mL-1, respectively. The results showed that while the empty nanocarrier shows non-significant cytotoxicity, the CurNCs impact the cell culture and cause prolonged cell deaths. Overall, pH-responsive curcumin polymeric nanocarrier was synthesized using a custom fabricated aerosol-based method. The method enabled fast and feasible synthesis of the nanocarrier with high efficiency.

Evaluation of psychometric properties of the eating restriction questionnaire and food involvement inventory in Iranian adults.

The objectives of this study were to translate and validate the Persian version of the food involvement inventory (FII) and eating restriction questionnaire (ERQ) and to determine the measurement invariance based on gender, body mass index (BMI) status, and age. This cross-sectional study included 1100 Iranian adults. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to evaluate the construct validity of FII and ERQ. Convergent and discriminant validity, measurement invariance in gender, BMI and age, reliability including internal consistency, and stability were investigated for FII and ERQ. The results showed that the four-factor construct of the FII and the one-factor construct of the ERQ were 44.27% and 55.12% of the total variance, respectively. The factor loadings of all items were > .3 in both scales and none of the items were deleted. Fitting indices indicated that the four-factor construct of the FII and the one-factor construct of the ERQ had a good and acceptable fit among the Iranian adults. The Persian versions of the FII and ERQ, translated into Persian and localized according to international standards, had high construct, convergent and discriminant validity as well as high reliability.

The Cytotoxic Effect of Thymoquinone Enhance on HepG2 Cell Line due to Induction of Fenton Reaction by Hydrogen Peroxide: An In Vitro and In Silico Study.

OBJECTIVE: Thymoquinone (TQ) is a component derived from the volatile oil of Nigella sativa. Fenton reaction induction is a well-known strategy to prevent the growth of cancer cells which can stimulate by hydrogen peroxide. This study was designed to investigate the TQ effects on hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity. METHODS: In this study, HepG2 cell survival, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, cell membrane integrity, and changes of superoxide dismutase (SOD)/ catalase (CAT) activity were evaluated following incubation of HepG2 cells with 31 µM hydrogen peroxide and different concentrations of TQ (18.5, 37 and 75 µM). In addition, molecular docking studies on the interference of TQ with CAT/SOD enzymes were investigated. RESULTS: Our findings showed that TQ low concentration can increase the survival of HepG2 cells when exposed to hydrogen peroxide, and on the contrary, its high concentration can potentiate cytotoxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide. The TQ alongside hydrogen peroxide increased the production of ROS, which was related to increase CAT and SOD activity in the HepG2 cells. Molecular docking findings showed that TQ effects on the formation of free radicals were not related to its chemical interference with the structure of the SOD/CAT molecules. CONCLUSION: Fenton reaction induction may increase the effectiveness of TQ in preventing HepG2 cells proliferation.

Hepatic Response to the Interaction Between Thymoquinone and Iron-Dextran: an In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

Iron is one of the most important essential elements for cell function. However, iron overload can exert destructive effects on various tissues, especially the liver. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of thymoquinone (TQ) on hepatotoxicity induced by iron-overload in in vitro and mouse model. After in vitro studies, thirty mice were divided into five groups, six each. Group 1 received normal saline. Group 2 received five doses of iron dextran (i.p; 100 mg/kg, one dose every 2 days). Group 3 received TQ (orally, 2 mg/kg/day). Groups 4 and 5 were administrated iron dextran saline (i.p; 100 mg/kg, one dose every 2 days) following treatment with 0.5 and 2 mg/kg/day of TQ, respectively. Based on the findings of the DPPH experiment, although TQ has significant anti-radical potential, at a safe dose of 15 × 10+3 nM, it reduced the IC50 of iron dextran on HepG2 cells by about 25%, in in vitro. Following administration of low-dose TQ (0.5 mg/kg), a significant improvement was observed in serum hepatic enzymes activity and hepatic lipid peroxidation compared to iron dextran. However, administration of TQ-high dose (2 mg/kg) led to decrease antioxidant defense alongside increased serum hepatic enzymes and pathological damages in iron dextran-treated animals. Due to the different efficacy of TQ in treatment groups, it seems that the TQ therapeutic index is low and does not have significant safety in the iron overload status.

Risk factors and the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak: perspectives and experiences of Iranian healthcare workers on the frontline.

Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) looking after COVID-19 patients are at high risk of developing mental health problems. Both preventive and interventional initiatives are essential, therefore, to maintain and improve the mental health of HCWs and ultimately to enhance the quality of care that they provide. This qualitative content analysis study, conducted in Iran between September 2020 and February 2021, involved the gathering of data on the issue through face-to-face interviews with 22 HCWs working directly with COVID-19 patients. Data analysis led to the generation of 163 codes, 45 categories (16 risk factors and 29 consequences), and 9 themes. Overall, the results suggest that caring for a patient with COVID-19 is associated with positive and negative psychological impacts. Measures such as increasing sensitivity to crisis situations, self-adjustment skills training, and identifying signs of job burnout owing to moral conflicts can reduce or eliminate the risk of negative psychological consequences among HCWs.

Evaluating and Ranking the Factors Affecting the Acute Pain Management in Older Adults with Dementia after Hip Fracture Surgery: Second-Order Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

Background: Even though nurses take various measures to decrease acute pain after surgery in older adults with dementia, it is unclear why most of them suffer from severe pain. This study aimed to evaluate the factors affecting acute pain management in older adults with dementia after hip fracture surgery. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study used single-stage cluster and convenience sampling to select 330 nurses working in hospitals located in Western Mazandaran, Iran, in 2020. The demographic characteristic questionnaire and the Obstacles to Postoperative Pain Management in Dementia Scale (OPOPMDS) were used to collect data. Results: The study results confirmed the modified model. The second-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated that the Critical Ratio (CR) for all three factors was more than 1.96, and the significance level was considered 0.05. Based on the values of standard coefficients, older people-related (ß = 0.86, p < 0.001), system-related (ß = 0.70, p < 0.001), and healthcare provider-related (ß = 0.61, p < 0.001) factors had the highest impacts on the OPOPMD. Conclusions: The study results suggested that older adult-related factors had the most significant impact on the OPOPMD.

Evaluation of psychometric properties of dietary habits, lifestyle, food frequency consumption, and nutritional beliefs (KomPAN) questionnaire in Iranian adults.

Background: Adherence to unhealthy dietary patterns is a major cause of overweight and obesity in adults. Therefore, it is recommended that assessment and modification of unhealthy lifestyle should be included in prevention programs. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to evaluate the status of dietary patterns in adults with valid and reliable tools. Thus, the aims of the present study were to translate the KomPAN questionnaire, evaluate its psychometric properties in Iranian adults and measure 4 dietary indices including high-saturated-fats-Diet-Index-8 (hSFDI-8), high-Sugar- Diet-Index-4 (hSDI-4), low-Glycaemic-Diet-Index-4 (LGIDI-4) and high- Glycaemic-Diet-Index-7 (hGIDI-7) based on 3 groups of body mass index (BMI) (BMI = 18.5-24.9, BMI = 25-29.9 and BMI ≥ 30), gender, educational level, income status, and age. Methods: The KomPAN questionnaire included 4 scales nutrition beliefs (NB), lifestyle, food frequency consumption (FFC), dietary habits (DH) and after its translation from English into Persian, the psychometric properties of all 4 scales (face and content validity) were evaluated. For both FFC and NB scales, the construct validity was assessed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and convergent and discriminant validity, the internal consistency was evaluated using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, McDonald's omega (Ω) and Theta coefficient (θ), as well as the stability was assessed via intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Cross-classification and Kappa statistics were evaluated for both DH and lifestyle scales. Then, 4 dietary indices were measured in terms of demographic variables. Results: The cross-classification of DH (93.96%) and lifestyle (95.87%) scales indicated the percentage of correct classification in the test-retest scales. The Kappa statistic was >0.4 and its value was acceptable. The mean Kappa statistics were 0.734 and 0.865 for the DH and lifestyle scales, respectively. The fit indices showed that the two-factor construct of the FFC scale and the one-factor construct of the NB scale had a good and acceptable fit among the Iranian adults. The FFC and NB scales had acceptable internal consistency and stability. Conclusion: It is recommended that other researchers use the KomPAN questionnaire to identify DH, FFC, NB and lifestyle as well as measure diet quality scores in the adult community.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire in Patients with Epilepsy.

Background: Adult eating behavior questionnaire (AEBQ) is an age upward extension tool that measures appetite traits in individuals. This instrument was developed by Hunot in 2016. The present study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of AEBQ in adults with epilepsy. Methods: The current research is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2019 in Iran. 700 adults with epilepsy completed the 35-item AEBQ. Qualitative face validity, qualitative content and structure validity (exploratory factor analysis [EFA], N=400, and confirmatory factor analysis [CFA], N=300) appetitive traits were evaluated. Reliability was also measured using Cronbach's alpha, Construct reliability (CR), and Intra-Class Correlation (ICC). The SPSS 26-AMOS24 software was employed to analyze the data with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The EFA and CFA results comprised eight factors, namely enjoyment of food, emotional over-eating, food responsiveness, hunger, satiety responsiveness, emotional under-eating, food fussiness, and eating slowly. Indices of root mean square error of approximation=0.068, parsimonious normed fit index=0.644, parsimonious comparative fit index=0.671, adjusted goodness of fit index=0.618, goodness of fit index=0.911, and Chi square degree-of-freedom ratio (normalized Chi square CMIN/DF=2.842) confirmed the fitness of the final model. Convergent and divergent validity was acceptable for all the factors. The results revealed that the internal stability>0.8 and CR>0.7 of the eight extracted AEBQ structures are confirmed. The ICC was 0.899 (95% CI: 0.878-0.917; P<0.001). The results also showed that AEBQ has acceptable convergent and divergent validity. Conclusion: The eight-factor structure of AEBQ can measure eating behavior traits and is of good validity and reliability for assessing the eating behavior of Iranian adults with epilepsy.

Changes in Preventive Behavior During the First 3 Months of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Iran.

OBJECTIVES: Iran is facing a big challenge controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, and it is unclear to how individuals are engaging in preventive behaviors. This study aimed to investigate changes in preventive behaviors during the first 3 mo of the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran. METHOD: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1477 adults aged 18 y and older in 31 provinces of Iran. Data were collected by an anonymous online questionnaire. RESULT: Overall, engagement in preventive behaviors was relatively acceptable, and more than 45% of subjects always carried out all preventive behaviors. Engaging in all preventive behaviors had a peak in the second month and obviously declined during third month. Engagement in some preventive behaviors, such as "wearing a face mask" and "keeping a safe distance from others," was observed less than other behaviors. There was a statistically significant difference in the engagement in preventive behaviors by gender and occupation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although engagement in preventive behaviors was relatively acceptable for the first 2 mo of the outbreak, it has declined gradually. This is a warning for public health decision makers. COVID-19 is still a crucial issue in Iran, and it is necessary that government decision be based on the fact that Iranian people must live with a coronavirus for months, with full caution and compliance toward all preventive care protocols.

Exploring COVID-19 anxiety in Iranian adult based on health literacy by moderating demographic variables: A structural equation model.

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic is associated with far-reaching psychological consequences, such as anxiety. The incidence and severity of this anxiety depend on several individual, family and social factors that need to be identified and planned for effective interventions. One of these factors is health literacy (HL). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between HL and demographic characteristics with COVID-19 anxiety in adults living in Iran at the time of coronavirus outbreak. This is a descriptive and correlational study conducted in Iran in 2021. Convenience and snowball sampling methods were used, and as the result, the number of samples reached to 560. Data were collected online through the demographic questionnaire, COVID-19 anxiety scale (CAS) and health literacy questionnaire for adults (HLQ for adults). Data were analyzed using Amos 26, SPSS 26 software and structural equational modeling (SEM) based on covariance. Significance level in this study was considered 0.05. The results of this study showed that the fit of the modify model is confirmed and HL explains 54% of the changes in anxiety in the model (ß = -0.709). The variables of gender, history of chronic disease, positive history of COVID 19 and receiving social support have a moderating role in the relationship between HL and COVID-19 anxiety. Due to the great predicting role of HL in COVID-19 anxiety, it is recommended that programs be developed and implemented during the outbreak of the disease by experts and the public health policy makers to increase HL in physical and mental dimensions.

Shedding light on the causes of academic procrastination among nursing students: A qualitative descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Academic procrastination is a complex phenomenon and a common behavior among nursing students. Due to procrastinating behaviors, students cannot show their real performances in learning processes. In order to stop this behavior, it is crucial to know the most common causes of procrastination in the first place. The aim of this study was to identify a variety of different possible factors influencing academic procrastination among nursing students. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A qualitative study method with the content analysis approach was conducted from October 2019 to March 2020. Participants were 67 nursing students and 8 nursing educators from 3 nursing schools in Iran. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used for data gathering. An inductive approach to content analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Five categories and 24 subcategories emerged from the data analysis: "student-related factors," "educator-related factor," "assignment characteristic-related factors," "institution-related factors," and "nursing work-related factors." CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that nursing students' academic procrastination can have a wide range of causes and a comprehensive effort is needed to address the problems. The result of our study will be useful to nursing students, educators, and nursing administrators in relation to what constitutes nursing students' academic procrastination, as well as how nursing education can play an effective role in decreasing tendency to procrastination.

Structural equation model of affecting factors on elder abuse to patients under hemodialysis by family caregivers.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of older adults with hemodialysis (HD) abuse by family caregivers and the factors affecting it. METHOD: This is a correlational-causal study, which is conducted in 2018 in Iran. The sample size was 367 in both groups (the older adults and their family caregivers). Data collection was done using an individual-social information questionnaire for the older adults under hemodialysis and their family caregivers, the questionnaire of elder abuse by family caregivers to the older people under hemodialysis, Zarit Burden Interview and the scale of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Data were analyzed by the structural equation model (SEM) method. The Fitness of proposed pattern was measured using the following indexes: chi-square/degree of freedom ratio (CMIN/DF), Normed Fit Index (NFI), comparative fit index (CFI), goodness of fit index (GFI), and standardized root mean squared residual (SRMR). The significant level in this study was considered p < 0.05. RESULTS: The results of the present study showed that more than 70 % of the older adults suffer from elder abuse by family caregivers on average. The highest median elder abuse was related to emotional misbehavior (21.46 ± 6.09) and financial misbehavior (19.07 ± 5.33), respectively. Moderate care burden was experienced by 63.2 % of caregivers. The percentage of older women and men, who needed help with daily activities was 81.4 and 80.5 %, respectively. The results showed that the caregivers' level of education and care burden with standard beta coefficient of -0.251 and 0.200 and the educational level of older adults and IADL with the best beta coefficient of -0.299 and - 0.234, had the highest regression effect on elder abuse respectively. According to the results, the model-fit indices of the hypothesized model was meet the criteria, with the NFI = 0.951, GFI = 0.970, CFI = 0.967, and SRMR = 0.041. The outcome was suitable for the recommended level, so the hypothetical model appeared to fit the data. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study showed that the prevalence of elder abuse by family caregivers among the older adults under hemodialysis is high. Providing psychological counseling can reduce the consequences of elder abuse.

Design and psychometric evaluation of epilepsy-related apathy scale (E-RAS) in adults with epilepsy: a sequential exploratory mixed methods design.

BACKGROUND: Apathy in patients with epilepsy is associated with a wide range of consequences that reduce the patient's ability to perform social functions and participate in self-care and rehabilitation programs. Therefore, apathy is one of the important diagnoses of the healthcare team in the process of caring for epileptic patients and its dimensions need to be examined and recognized. Therefore, appropriate instruments with the sociocultural milieu of each community should be provided to health care providers. The aim of the present study was to design and measure epilepsy-related apathy scale (E-RAS) in adults with epilepsy. METHODS: This study of sequential exploratory mixed methods design was conducted in Iran from April 2019 to December 2019. In the Item generation stage, two inductive (face-to-face and semi-structured interviews with 17 adult epileptic patients) and deductive (literature review) were used. In item reduction, integration of qualitative and literature reviews and scale evaluation were accomplished. For Scale Evaluation, face, content, construct [exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 360) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 200)], convergent and divergent Validity and reliability (internal consistency and stability) were investigated. RESULTS: The results of EFA showed that E-RAS has four factors, namely, motivation; self-regulatory; cognition and emotional-effective. These four latent factors accounted for a total of 48.351% of the total variance in the E-RAS construct. The results of CFA showed that the 4-factor model of E-RAS has the highest fit with the data. The results of convergent and divergent validity showed that the values of composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) for the four factors were greater than 0.7 and 0.5, respectively, and the value of AVE for each factor was greater than CR. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole scale was obtained 0.815. The results of the test-retest showed that there was a significant agreement between the test and retest scores (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: E-RAS is a multidimensional construct consisting of 24 items, and has acceptable validity and reliability for the study of epilepsy-related apathy in adult epileptic patients.

Epidemiological Characteristics and Trend in the Incidence of Human Brucellosis in Iran from 2009 to 2017.

BACKGROUND: The development of preventive measures and promotion of healthcare delivery systems for disease management is dependent on detecting the incidence rates of the diseases and important risk factors. The current study aimed to determine some epidemiological indices and trends of the human brucellosis incidence in Iran between 2009 and 2017. STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: In the current study, online data were gathered from all cases of brucellosis who were potentially or definitely diagnosed and registered in medical centers, hospitals, laboratories, and private clinics in all districts of Iran. Epidemiologic questionnaires were used to collect data on demographic and background characteristics, risk factors, high-risk behaviors, and lab test results, respectively, based on the national brucellosis control plan. RESULTS: A total of 138,448 cases of brucellosis have been studied in Iran from 2009 to 2017. The highest (25.89) and the lowest (12.07) incidence rates were observed in 2014 and 2009, respectively. In this nine-year study, the highest incidences were reported in the Hamedan, Lorestan, Kordestan, and Kermanshah provinces. The cumulative percentages of the disease were estimated for different variables at the following rates: by gender: 57.9% for males; by age groups: 36.2% and 16.7% for the 25-44 and16-24 years age groups, respectively; by occupation: 33.2% for housewives; and by residential area: 75.7% for rural residents. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the obtained results, although the incidence of human brucellosis in Iran has declined since 2015, the number of cases has remained high.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the women shift workers' reproductive health questionnaire: a sequential exploratory mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: There is no standard and comprehensive questionnaire for reproductive health assessment among women shift workers. This study aimed at the development and psychometric evaluation of the Women Shift Workers' Reproductive Health Questionnaire. METHODS: This sequential exploratory mixed-method study was conducted in a qualitative (item generation) and a quantitative (psychometric evaluation) phase. In the qualitative phase, the primary item pool of the questionnaire was generated based on the findings of the qualitative content analysis of 21 interviews held with 21 women shift workers as well as the findings of a literature review. In the quantitative phase, the face, content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity and the reliability of the questionnaire were assessed. For construct validity assessment through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, 620 women shift workers were conveniently selected to fill out the questionnaire. Reliability assessment was done through assessing internal consistency, stability, and composite reliability. RESULTS: The primary item pool contained 88 items. During face and content validity, item number was reduced to 55. Construct validity assessment through factor analysis revealed that 56.50% of the total variance was explained by five factors with 34 items. The factors were named motherhood, general health, sexual relationships, menstruation, and delivery. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the fit of the five-factor model. The Cronbach's alpha and the composite reliability value of the questionnaire were more than 0.7. CONCLUSION: The Women Shift Workers' Reproductive Health Questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument and can be used for reproductive health assessment among women shift workers.