ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Women require follow-up care and ongoing counseling after childbirth. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of in-home supportive counseling on the maternal functioning and self-efficacy after CS among primiparous women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 60 primiparous women aged 18-35 years following CS in Ardabil, Iran from April to November 2021. After convenience sampling, participants were randomly assigned into the intervention and control groups with a ratio of 1:1 by block randomization using Random Allocation Software with block sizes of 4 and 6. The intervention group received in-home supportive counseling during three sessions on days 3, 7, and one month after birth. The control group received only routine postpartum care. The data were collected using the demographic and obstetric characteristics, maternal self-efficacy questionnaire, and Barkin index of maternal functioning, completed by both groups 10-15 days, two, and four months after birth. Independent t-test and RMANOVA were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean score of maternal functioning in the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group 10-15 days, 2 and 4 months after birth (AMD: 28.51, 95% CI: 24.91 to 32.10, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean (SD) score of maternal self-efficacy between the two groups 10-15 days after birth. However, this difference was statistically significant 2 and 4 months after birth and after adjusting the time effect (AMD: 10.56, 95% CI: 9.46 to 11.67, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In-home supportive counseling can be effective in improving maternal functioning and maternal self-efficacy after CS. Acquiring functional skills increases mothers' self-confidence and self-efficacy in caring for the newborn.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This research is one of the very few studies, which seeks a focalized examination to observe the effects of the backpack on the teenager students. Adolescents prefer rucksacks as one of their favorite school bags during their school studies. This study inspects how knapsacks gradually bring changes as injuries in the bodies of school-going adolescents. There are ample studies in the past literature, which evidence the injuries of backpack among adolescents, such as backache, neck pain, and shoulder pain. The principal objective of this study is to determine the effects of backpacks on musculoskeletal injuries among school-going adolescents based on previous studies support in this research field. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review study selected observational studies from the past literature indexed in the databases of Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL during 1999-2020. This review focused on the keywords of "Backpack," "Musculoskeletal Injuries," and "Adolescent" from MESH and selected 14 out of 210 articles based on the research objective. According to the Crombie Checklist, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and investigating the quality of the report, this review focused on literature evidence to the field under investigation. RESULTS: Based on the chosen 14 articles, the findings of the present review indicated two outcomes by considering the impact of the backpack on musculoskeletal injuries and pains among adolescents. The results of the review studies specified that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries and pain using a backpack among most of the male and female adolescents. The findings also stipulate that injuries and pain intensity among female adolescents were higher than the male students. CONCLUSION: The results of this review study specified that improper use of the backpack, which exceeded the standard weight, caused chorionic pain and injuries between both genders of adolescents. The generalizability of the results is suitable for this review study.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Superwoman refers to the identity of a woman who performs several important roles simultaneously and full-time, such as being a wife, mother, and homemaker while holding a job. This study aims to examine the career experiences of Iranian superwomen who maintained their mental health while holding multiple roles. METHODS: Data for this qualitative study were collected via semi-structured interview and analyzed using conventional content analysis. The study participants were 12 multi-role women from different occupations in Tabriz, North West of Iran selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. The women's mental health status was assessed using Mental Health Continuum-Short Form questionnaire before participating in the research. RESULTS: The results were classified into three main categories. The first category included Underlying Factors of Job Experience with six subcategories, including Limited job opportunities for women, Educational context (mindset shaped in the parental home), Commitment or freedom in obtaining a job and its continuation, Personality traits, and Non-cognitive skills (emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence); the second category included the adopted strategies to solve career problems with two subcategories: effective strategies, including the benefits of having a mindset of abundance and having a vision and strategic planning, and ineffective strategies, including the benefits of having a mindset of scarcity; and the third category included Perceived Consequences of employment with two subcategories: psychological consequences and social consequences, with both subcategories including some positive and negative further subcategories. Moreover, a conceptual relationship between the main categories and the subcategories was evident. CONCLUSIONS: The content obtained not only supports the findings about the experiences of multi-role women in cultures outside Iran, but also points to the unique aspects of Iranian superwomen's life experiences and narratives. The findings of this study can help us perceive the real career experiences from the perspective of Iranian professional women with multiple roles.