Explanation of the internet addiction model based on academic performance, academic experience, and clinical self-efficacy in nursing students: A path analysis.

BACKGROUND: Internet addiction is a common disorder in nursing students, and this calls for a deeper investigation into this phenomenon and its dimensions. The aim of this study was to explain the internet addiction model based on academic performance, academic experience, and clinical self-efficacy in nursing students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a correlational and path analysis study that was conducted on 340 nursing students. Data collection tools included Yang's internet addiction questionnaire and self-efficacy in clinical performance scale. In this study, the academic grade point average was the measure of academic performance and the academic term was the measure of academic performance. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 and AMOS-22 software, descriptive and analytical statistics, and structural equations. RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between clinical self-efficacy (r = -0.950, P ≤ 0.01), academic experience (r = -0.872, P ≤ 0.01), and academic performance (r = -0.654, P ≤ 0.01) with internet addiction. A negative and significant relationship was found between the internet addiction and variables of clinical self-efficacy (total effect = -0.743, P < 0.001). Model fit indices were good and acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: There was a negative and significant relationship between the variables of clinical self-efficacy, academic experience and academic performance, and the internet addiction. Meanwhile, the academic experience had a negative and significant effect on the internet addiction. This finding highlights the need to implement advisory and psychological interventions to reduce internet addiction, especially in students with less academic experiences.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Tourette Syndrome Prevalence; 1986 to 2022.

BACKGROUND: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a disorder characterized by a history of multiple motor tics and the emergence of at least one vocal tic during a period of the disorder. The current investigation sought to clarify the prevalence statistics for TS using a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis covered the period between 1986 and 2022. Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched to locate articles pertinent to the study topic. The I2 index was used to examine the heterogeneity of the studies, and a comprehensive meta-analysis was employed to analyze the data. RESULTS: Ultimately, 30 studies (39 outcomes) were included in the meta-analysis and systematic review. The results showed the global prevalence of TS to be 0.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3% to 0.8%), with the highest rate of spread observed in the Americas at 0.6% (95% CI, 0.2% to 1.6 %). Analyzing the subgroups of the sample revealed that the highest prevalence was associated with the population of children and adolescents at 0.7% (95% CI, 0.4% to 1.4%) and males at 0.5% (95% CI, 0.2% to 1.0%). CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive review and meta-analysis revealed that the prevalence of TS worldwide is sufficiently high, such that attention of medical specialists and health policy makers is warranted.

The Effect of Inhalation Aromatherapy and Music Therapy on Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Shockwave Lithotripsy: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Patients undergoing shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) have a high level of anxiety. This study was aimed to compare the effect of music therapy and aromatherapy on patients' anxiety levels during SWL. In this clinical trial, 176 patients undergoing SWL were randomly assigned to four groups: music therapy, aromatherapy, combined music therapy and aromatherapy, and control. The state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) was used to collect data. In the aromatherapy group, three drops of rosemary essential oil were used during SWL. For the music therapy group, soft music was played during SWL. In the music therapy and aromatherapy group, soft music and three drops of rosemary essential oil were used simultaneously. In the control group, three drops of aromatic distilled water were used. The results showed that all patients had moderate anxiety before the intervention. The analysis of variance test did not show a statistically significant difference between the groups, but this difference was significant after the intervention. The levels of anxiety after the intervention were higher in the music therapy, aromatherapy, and combined music therapy and aromatherapy groups than in the control group. The results of the paired t-test showed the level of anxiety after the intervention was significantly increased in the intervention group (P < 001). In conclusion, the results indicated that music therapy, aromatherapy, and combined music therapy and aromatherapy had no effect on reducing patients' anxiety during SWL.

The Relationship of Internet Abusive Use with Academic Burnout and Academic Performance in Nursing Students.

Materials and Methods: A total of 184 nursing students were recruited by simple random sampling. Data collection tools included a demographic information form, the Internet Abusive Use Questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey. Data were analyzed by the SPSS-18 software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The abusive use of the Internet in nursing students was lower than the average level. There was a positive correlation between Internet abusive use and academic burnout (r = 0.305, p < 0.001), but there was a negative correlation between Internet abusive use and academic performance (r = -0.478, p < 0.001). The results of multiple regression analysis showed that Internet abusive use could predict the variance of academic burnout and academic performance. Conclusions: Internet abusive use was correlated with increased academic burnout and decreased academic performance in nursing students. Educational interventions are required to increase students' awareness of the consequences of Internet abusive use.

Comparison of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Nursing and Medical Students in Kermanshah, Iran, about Toothbrush Maintenance and Use.

Background: To promote oral health in society, medical and nursing students are required to have acceptable knowledge, attitude, and practice with respect to correct maintenance and use of a toothbrush. This study explored the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Iranian medical and nursing students about the correct maintenance and use of a toothbrush. Methods: A total of 260 nursing students and 320 medical students were randomly recruited. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire on the knowledge, attitude, and practice about toothbrush maintenance and use. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice were 54.53 ± 17.18, 49.67 ± 19.17, and 19 ± 51.50 in the nursing students and 54.17 ± 21.42, 51.18 ± 87.28, and 49.87 ± 17.52 out of 100 in the medical students, respectively. There was no significant difference between the medical and nursing students in the mean score of knowledge. The medical and nursing students had a similar attitude and practice in most items of toothbrush maintenance and use. Conclusion: The medical and nursing students had average knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding toothbrush maintenance and use, which is not acceptable considering their job nature. Hence, interventional measures should be taken to enhance their knowledge, attitude, and practice.

Predicting positive organizational behavior based on structural and psychological empowerment among nurses.

BACKGROUND: Positive Organizational Behavior (POB) as an application of positive psychology provides the opportunity to nurses to deliver an effective and high-quality service. This study aims to predict positive organizational behavior based on structural and psychological empowerment among Nurses. METHOD: In this descriptive-analytical study, the selected population was the nurses working in university hospitals affiliated to Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, of which 152 people were selected using quota sampling strategy and according to the set entry criteria. The research data were collected using the standard questionnaires of Kanter's Structural Empowerment, Spreitzer's Psychological Empowerment, and Luthans' Positive Organizational Behavior, and were then entered into SPSS16 software. RESULTS: There are significant and direct relationships between the elements of structural empowerment with positive organizational behavior (r = 1.496), and psychological empowerment with positive organizational behavior (r = 1.379). Overall structural and psychological empowerment criteria predict 29% of variance in positive organizational behavior among nurses. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of structural and psychological empowerment as strong predictors for positive organizational behavior.

Clavulanic Acid Attenuating Effect on the Diabetic Neuropathic Pain in Rats.

Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. Excess glutamate release and oxidative stress are hypothesized to be involved in the pathophysiology of diabetes-induced neuropathy. This study was designed to investigate the effect of clavulanic acid (CLAV), a competitive beta-lactamase inhibitor, on the streptozocin (STZ)-induced neuropathic pain and possible mechanisms in the spinal cord of rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into naive group; control group which got a single dose of STZ (50 mg/kg, i.p.), as a model of diabetic neuropathic pain; prophylactic groups: animals received CLAV (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) 1 week after STZ for 10 days; and therapeutic group: animals received 20 mg/kg CLAV, 21 days after STZ for 10 days. Study of pain behaviors was started on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 after STZ. The expression of the glutamate transport 1 (GLT1), genes of oxidative stress including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), as well as genes involved in the apoptosis including bcl2, bcl2-associated x (bax) were measured in the spinal cord tissue by Real Time PCR, on day 42. On day 21 post injection of STZ, diabetic animals showed significant mechanical allodynia, cold allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. CLAV in all doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg reduced symptoms of allodynia and hyperalgesia, in both prophylactic and therapeutic regimens. While iNOS, TNF-α, bax/bcl2 were found significantly overexpressed in spinal cord of diabetic animals, their expression in animals received CLAV had been reduced. In contrast, GLT1 that had decreased in the spinal cord of diabetic animals, significantly increased in those received CLAV. CLAV was found a promising candidate for reliving neuropathic pain in diabetes mellitus. Such beneficial effect of CLAV could be, in part, attributed to the increased expression of GLT 1, inhibition of nitrosative stress, anti-inflammation, and inhibition of some apoptotic mediators followed by administration into diabetic animals.

The effect of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on social and behavioral disorders of children with autism: a randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Some studies reported that essential fatty acids deficiencies can be related to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children. This study aimed to investigate the effect of omega-3 on social, verbal, and behavioral activities in ASD children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 54 children with autism, who were assigned to the case (n = 28) and control (n = 26) groups. The cases received one capsule of 1000 mg omega-3 daily and the controls received one capsule of 1000 mg medium chain triglyceride daily as placebo for eight weeks. The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-second edition (GARS-2) was used to assess the severity of autism and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess their dietary intake. All measurements were done at baseline and after the intervention. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, gender, birth weight, BMI, dietary intake, mother's age, and mother's BMI, the intervention group had significantly improved stereotyped behaviors (p = 0.02), social communication (p = 0.02), and the GARS score (p = 0.001) after the intervention compared to the control group. No significant change was found in the score of social interaction subscale. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that omega-3 treatment improved autism characteristics including stereotyped behaviors and social communication. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine the underlying mechanisms.

Cultural validation of the competence in evidence-based practice questionnaire (EBP-COQ) for nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based performance competence has a significant impact on the performance of care measures. The higher the qualifications of nurses, the more effective and desirable their performance. Evidence-based practice demonstrates the competencies and abilities of nurses. There is a need for valid and reliable tools for evaluating and promoting evidence-based competence in nursing students, and there are few tools in reviewing studies, but they have not considered the cultural dimension. The purpose of this study is to validate cultural competence in evidence-based practice for nursing students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A methodological and validation study was conducted in the School of Nursing and Midwifery of Kermanshah and Ilam University of Medical Sciences in 2018. The Evidence-Based Performance Competency Questionnaire ( EBP-COQ) is one of the most valid tools used in various studies by Ruzafa-Martinez et al. Initially, the original version of the competence in evidence-based practice questionnaire was translated into Persian after securing a permission from the designer of the tool. Totally 300 nursing students were selected through simple sampling method and entered into the study. The validity of the tool was evaluated using face validity and performing factor analysis. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and internal consistency. Statistical works were carried out in SPSS and AMOS. RESULTS: To determine the content validity of the tool, comparative fit index of the statements was obtained equal to 0.88. Factor analysis of the items yielded acceptable and statistically significant results (P < 0.001). The reliability of the tool was determined using internal consistency method (Cronbach's alpha) for the whole tool, which was equal to 0.7. The reliability of the questionnaire was investigated at two stages, and pretest/posttest correlation coefficients were obtained (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The questionnaire had an acceptable validity and reliability. It can be used to evaluate evidence-based practice. Among advantages of the tool is that it is easy to administer in health-care fields.

Effects of aqueous extract of Hyssopus officinalis on seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole and hippocampus mRNA level of iNOS in rats.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the effectiveness of Hyssopus officinalis (hyssop) aqueous extract on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced acute seizures and the hippocampus iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthases) gene expression as a potential mediator of the effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were used. Tonic-clonic seizures were induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of PTZ (80 mg/kg) then behavioral profile during 30 min was characterized by stages defined as seizure scores. Hyssop extract were prepared and injected (i.p.) 15 minutes before the seizure induction at three doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg. Experimental groups were as below: (1) saline+PTZ (n=5); (2) Hyssop 50mg/kg+PTZ (n=10); (3) Hyssop 100mg/kg+PTZ (n=10); (4) Hyssop 200 mg/kg+PTZ (n=8). Two hours after the experimental procedure, all animals were decapitated, brain was removed and right hippocampus was quickly dissected. After total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis quantitative PCR were used for gene expression of iNOS. RESULTS: Our results showed significant increase (p<0.05) in latency to reach stages 5 and 6 of tonic-clonic seizure at dose 100 mg/kg hyssop extract. In addition, this dose caused significant increase in the gene expression of iNOS in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: It seems a 100 mg/kg dose of hyssop extract might have anticonvulsant effects. However, these anticonvulsant effects might not occur through the iNOS gene expression.

Nursing and midwifery students' attitudes towards principles of medical ethics in Kermanshah, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Professional ethics is one of the important topics, which includes various rights such as respecting the patient's right to choose (autonomy), being useful (beneficence), being harmless (non- maleficence), and respecting the justice, integrity, and confidentiality of information. Adherence to these principles can increase the quality of care and patient satisfaction. Since determining the current attitude of students towards ethics plays an important role in educational programs, this study was conducted to evaluate the attitude of nursing and midwifery students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences towards six principles of professional ethics. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 76 undergraduate nursing and midwifery students (who were at the final years of their study) were selected to participate in this study by census method. The data collection tool was a valid and reliable questionnaire on the principles of medical ethics. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 49 (64.5%) nursing and 27 (35.5%) midwifery students with an average age of 23 ± 1.4 years. The mean score of nursing and midwifery students' attitude towards medical ethics was 95.01 ± 4.8 in basis of 100, and was 94.56 ± 4.9 for nursing students and 96.04 ± 4.7 for midwifery students. Majority of the samples (96.26%) had positive attitude towards medical ethics and 3.73% had a relatively positive attitude. No statistically significant relationship was found between the attitude of students and variables of gender (t = - 0.27, p = 0.78), field of study (t = - 1.3, p = 0.99), marital status (t = - 1.378, p = 0.178), and age (F = 1.606, p = 0.2). CONCLUSION: All students in this study had a positive attitude towards the principles of medical ethics, and this is a valuable asset for clinical environments. To increase the generalizability of the study, further studies with bigger sample size on the students of various disciplines of medical sciences is recommended.

Comparison of Depression Rate Between the First- and Final-Year Nursing Students in Kermanshah, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Depression can affect nursing students' quality of life, academic performance, and clinical self-efficacy and may interfere with their relationship with patients. The purpose of this study was to compare of depression rate between the first- and final-year nursing students in Kermanshah, Iran. METHODS: In this descriptive-analytical study, 60 first-year and 42 last-year nursing students were enrolled. The participants were chosen using the census sampling method. The data collection tool was Beck's Depression Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: In our study, 61.7% (n = 37) of the first year and 38.1% (n = 16) of the last year students had varying degrees of depression. The rate of depression was significantly higher in first-year students than last-year students (p = 0.013). DISCUSSION: Given the relatively high rate of depression among nursing students, the need for targeted planning to control their mental health, especially in the first year of study, is of importance.

Awareness of professional rules among Iranian nurses: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: One of the main responsibilities of professional nurses is protecting themselves against legal complications. Hence, they have to be sufficiently aware of the professional rules. This study examines the Iranian nurses' awareness of professional rules. METHODS: A total of 260 nurses were randomly selected from among the nurses working at various wards and included in this cross-sectional descriptive analytical study. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The collected data were then analyzed using descriptive (mean and frequency percentage) and inferential (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis) statistics. RESULTS: The nurses' mean awareness of professional rules was 28.3 ± 4.0 out of 37. There was a significant relationship between the mean awareness of the nurses and ward (p = 0.001). However, this relationship was not significant regarding demographic variables age, sex, marital status, job title, working experience, education and history of participation in retraining courses on professional rules. CONCLUSION: A significant number of nurses were not adequately aware of professional rules, which can put them and their working organization at serious risks. Some measures such as holding web-based or in-person training courses and providing educational booklets and pamphlets can be helpful in this regard.

Prediction of the Dimensions of the Spiritual Well-Being of Students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran: The Roles of Demographic Variables.

INTRODUCTION: Spiritual well-being is one of the aspects of well-being which organize the physical, psychological, and social aspects. Given the outstanding and unique roles of students in society, providing spiritual well-being as well as identifying and eliminating the negative factors affecting their mental well-being are of the essence. AIM: The present study aimed to predict the dimensions of the spiritual well-being of students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences and to investigate the roles of demographic variables in this respect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this descriptive and correlational study, the statistical population was comprised of 346 doctoral students in the for-profit Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceuticals in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2016. For data collection, an instrument comprising the demographic questions and the 20-item spiritual well-being scale by Paloutzian and Ellison (1982) was utilized. To analyze data, the descriptive (frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and chi-squared test) were employed in the SPSS Statistics Software Version 21.0. RESULTS: The results of the present study demonstrated that the spiritual well-being of students was average (71.86±4.84), and of all demographic variables under study, only the variable of gender significantly correlated with the mean score of spiritual well-being. Also, the results revealed that the students' score of religious well-being measured higher than that of their existential well-being. However, a significant correlation was found between spiritual well-being and its dimensions. Also, the religious and existential well-being were found to be significantly related (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed the significance of addressing the issue of spirituality among the students of the for-profit Schools at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Therefore, it is recommended that appropriate plans be laid by the culture and education policy makers to promote the spiritual well-being of university students.

Prevalence and Reporting of Needle Stick Injuries: A Survey of Surgery Team Members in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2012.

BACKGROUND: Surgeons are one of the groups, most highly exposed to the risk of needle stick injuries at work. The present study aims to determine the prevalence and reporting of needle stick injuries during the first 6 months of 2012, in faculty surgeons affiliated to the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. METHODS: In a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical survey, 29 surgeons were studied based on the census method. A reliable and valid questionnaire was used as a research instrument to collect the data. Data was analyzed using SPSS v.16 and based on descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Among 29 recruited surgeons, 5 (17.2%) had needle stick injuries during the 6 months, only one of whom had followed the established guidelines about reporting and following treatment. The most common instrument causing injury was the suture needle (60%). Significant differences were found in both groups of the injured and non-injured in term of gender (X(2)=5.612, P= 0.003), and number of patients (Z= 2.40, P=0.016) and daily working hours (Z=2.85, P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In relation to the relatively high prevalence of needle stick injuries among the surgeons and their lack of reporting, it is suggested that the Safety Guidelines in the operating room are carefully observed. Moreover, safer and lower risk surgical Instruments should be used.

Evaluation of time management behaviors and its related factors in the senior nurse managers, Kermanshah-Iran.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Time management is an extensive concept that is associated with promoting the performance of managers. The present study was carried out to investigate the time management behaviors along with its related factors among senior nurse mangers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this descriptive-analytical study, 180 senior nurse managers were selected using census method. The instrument for data collection was a standard time behavior questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics. RESULTS: The findings showed that among the dimensions of time management behaviors, setting objectives and prioritization, and mechanics of time management dimensions obtained the highest and lowest frequency, respectively. Comparison of the mean scores of time management behaviors indicated a significant difference in the gender (p<0.05), age (p<0.001), education (p=0.015), job experience (p<0.001), managerial experience (p<0.001) and management rank management (p<0.029). CONCLUSION: On the whole, senior nurse managers enjoyed a favorable time management skill. Given the importance of time management behaviors, it seems that teaching these behaviors more seriously through regular educational programs can effectively promote the performance of senior nurse managers.

Prevalence of self-medication among the elderly in Kermanshah-Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Self-medication is consumption of one or several medications without the physician's prescription. Given the risks of self-medication, this study was carried out to assess the prevalence of self-medication and its related factors among the elderly in Kermanshah-Iran METHOD: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 272 elderly visiting the private offices in Kermanshah were selected through convenience sampling method. The instrument for data collection was a researcher made self-medication questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistical methods (Chi-Square and Fisher exact test). RESULTS: The prevalence of self-medication was 83%. The most common reasons for self-medication were certainty of its safety (93%), prior consumption of the drug (87.6%), busy offices of physicians (82%), non-seriousness of the illness (77.8%) and prior experience of the disease (73%).The most common drugs used for self-medication were analgesics (92%), cold drugs (74%), vitamins (61%), digestive drugs (54%) and antibiotics (43%). There was a significant correlation between self-medication and gender (p=0.001), education level (p=008), drug information (p=0.01), marital status (p=0.002), and medical insurance (p=0.001) variables. CONCLUSION: considering the relatively high rates of self-medication among the elderly as well as its side effects, designing and performing educational programs are suggested for the elderly people.