Do health-promoting lifestyle approaches manage mental health among adolescent/young college students?

OBJECTIVES: College students are often still relatively young, making their mental health more likely to be overlooked. A healthy lifestyle is considered the key to preventing and controlling mental health problems nowadays. This study aimed to investigate whether health-promoting lifestyle approaches manage mental health among adolescent/young college students. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 187 adolescent/young college students at Babol Medical Science University, Babol, Iran. Characteristic demographics, health-promoting lifestyle profile (HPLP), and general health questionnaire-28(GHQ-28) were filled out by students. The data were analyzed using correlation coefficient and simple and multiple linear regressions. RESULTS: The majority of participants were adolescents (66.8%), single (97.9%), and bachelor's students (70.1%). The mean of the HPLP and GHQ scores was 125.09±18.12, and 33.58±10.50, respectively. HPLP was a negative significant predictor of mental health (ß = -.261, P= .0001). There was a negative significant association between HPLP dimensions (except physical activity) and mental health. After adjusting for other variables, there was a significant relationship between HPLP with mother occupation (ß =.186, P=.038), and mother education (ß = -.219, P= .034). Furthermore, gender (ß = .175, P= .031), and occupation (ß =-.157, P= .040) were predictors of GHQ in adolescent/young college students. CONCLUSIONS: Regarding the health-promoting lifestyle situation among students and its relation with the better mental health, the design and implementation of HPLP education programs is recommended.

The relationship between perceived stress and pregnancy distress with self-care of pregnant women: The mediating role of social support-A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Pregnancy is a stressful experience, which can affect different aspects of a woman's life. Yet, women with a supportive network of friends and family may experience lower stress and improved self-care behavior. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived stress and pregnancy distress with the self-care of pregnant women, as well as the mediating role of social support. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May 2022 in Babol, Iran. A total of 157 pregnant women participated in the study. The participants completed five questionnaires, including a demographic and obstetric questionnaire, a Self-care questionnaire, Perceived Social support (PSS), Perceived Stress Inventory (PSI), and Pregnancy Specific Distress. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis relationships among the variables. Results: We found that Perceived stress (ß = -0.221, p = 0.012ß) and pregnancy distress (ß = -0.203, p = 0.002ß) had a negative and significant effect on the self-care of pregnant women. Also, perceived stress (ß = -0.429, p < 0.001ß) and pregnancy distress (ß = -0.381, p < 0.001ß) had a negative and significant effect on the social support of pregnant women. The results exhibited a significant specific indirect effect between pregnancy distress, perceived stress, and pregnancy self-care, with social support as the mediator: standardized indirect effect = -0.068, -0.076, respectively. Conclusion: According to the findings, social support plays a direct and mediating role in improving self-care behaviors among pregnant women. Therefore, providing strategies and measures to improve perceived social support by maternal health professionals may be expected to reduce the impact of stress on pregnant women's self-care. The implementation of policies and social interventions to improve the social support of pregnant women can be one of the applications of the findings.

The effect of caring intervention (physical activity, diet and counseling) on gestational diabetes for pregnant women with metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic syndrome and its indexes is one of the critical health problems during pregnancy. This study aimed to examine the effects of a care intervention program on pregnancy outcome in pregnant women with Metabolic Syndrome during 2017-2018. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted in 120 singleton pregnant women with metabolic syndrome. The participants were selected using purposive sampling method from pregnant women referred to two health centers of Babol. They were randomly divided in two control and intervention groups (60 samples in each group). Intervention group received one motivational interview session for 120 min, two consultation sessions with expert for nutritional recommendations based on Nutrition Guidelines of Ministry of Health for Pregnant Women. They were also theoretically and practically provided by three training sessions for physical activity and pregnancy exercises combining pelvic floor muscles, bodybuilding, muscle strengthening, stretching, and relaxation and walking activities. To follow up on the intervention, the researcher made a phone call with the participants in intervention group every 10 days to two weeks. Pregnancy outcomes were assessed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The obtained results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in maternal complications including gestational diabetes, hospitalization due to gestational diabetes, nutritional diet for gestational diabetes, pregnancy weight gain and 2-hour post-prandial blood glucose test (p ≤ .01). There was no significant difference in terms of demographic, midwifery and metabolic syndrome indices between the intervention and control groups. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicated that intervention program improved the maternal pregnancy outcome such as gestational diabetes and weight gain during the pregnancy in the intervention group. This program had no adverse effects for the mother who is consistent with pregnancy health objectives.

Creatine phosphokinase, a new marker in diagnosis of tubal ectopic pregnancy; A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) is an intracellular enzyme found in higher levels in the brain, myocardium, soft muscle and skeletal muscle, as well as the fallopian tube. This review was conducted to evaluate the role of serum CPK in early diagnosis of tubal ectopic pregnancy (EP). METHODS: We performed an electronic literature search in Web of Science, Scopus, Embase and Medline databases and manual search in Google scholar and evaluated papers from the beginning of 1990 to September 2018. The inclusion criteria consisted of cohort, case-control and diagnostic value studies in English or Persian. Two independent researchers used the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In cases where there was doubt about the eligibility of studies, this problem was resolved by consulting a third researcher. After a thorough search, finally, we found 27 papers. However, four of these articles did not have the inclusion criteria and we excluded them from the study. As a result, 24 studies were evaluated. RESULTS: Most studies have approved the use of CPK measurements in EP diagnosis. The main variable measured in most studies was the mean total CPK level. However, there is limited knowledge about the efficacy of measuring CPK levels in EP diagnosis; this review of studies shows positive results regarding use of CPK in EP diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlighted the potential benefits of CPK as a marker for early diagnosis of EP.

Appropriate Interventions for Pregnant Women with Indicators of Metabolic Syndrome on Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a series of symptoms, including abdominal obesity, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin metabolism, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, is considered as the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes that can predispose a pregnant women to serious health problem, women in the developed as well as the developing countries. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of appropriate interventions on pregnant women with indicators of MetS to further improve the outcome of pregnancy. This systematic review was performed to extract articles of randomized controlled trials (RCT) on pregnant women with indicators of (MetS) and focusing on physical activity, dietary or lifestyle interventions on maternal health or perinatal outcomes, with searching in the Web of Science, PubMed, CDSR, Scopus, and Google Scholar were investigated. Two researchers independently evaluated the quality of the studies, being presented in all the articles and ranked the studies as high/low quality; the level of evidence was based on the number of high-quality studies and the coordination of the obtained results. Then, 17 articles, which met the inclusion criteria, were selected; among these, 7 articles studied the physical activity, 3 articles reviewed diets, 6 probed the lifestyle interventions, and 1 article was on counseling. In general, evidence suggested how the physical activity and proper diet impacts on proper weight gain during pregnancy, prevents maternal complications, and improves the outcome of pregnancy. According to the results of this systematic review, proper interventions during pregnancy can have a positive effect on maternal weight gain and the general health condition of pregnant women with indicators of MetS.

Chewing sugar-free gum reduces ileus after cesarean section in nulliparous women: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Gum chewing after cesarean section may stimulate bowel motility and decrease duration of postoperative ileus. OBJECTIVES: The current study assessed the effect of chewing sugar-free gum on the return of bowel function, where cesarean section had been performed in nulliparous women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a randomized clinical trial, 60 patients, scheduled for cesarean section were randomly divided in to 2 groups gum-chewing group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30) postoperatively. The patients in the gum-chewing group postoperatively chewed sugar free gum 3 times daily each time for 1 hour until discharge. The patients' demographic characteristics, duration of surgery, mean hunger time, flatus and bowel motility were compared in the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding patient demographics, intraoperative, and postoperative care. In the gum-chewing and the control group there was a significant difference in the mean postoperative interval of the first bowel movement (20.89 ± 8.8 versus 27.93 ± 9.3 hours, P = 0.004), the first feeling of hunger (10.37 ± 6.0 versus 16.33 ± 9.3 hours, P = 0.005), the first passage of flatus (25.02 ± 5.8 versus 31.08 ± 9.7 hours, P = 0.003), and the first defecation (31.17 ± 5.3versus 40.08 ± 8.8 hours, P = 0.000) respectively, which were significantly shorter in the gum-chewing group compared to those of the control group. There were no major complications in either group. All patients in the gum-chewing group tolerated it without any major complications and side effects. CONCLUSIONS: The study results demonstrated that bowel motility after cesarean section in nulliparous women can be accelerated by gum chewing which is a useful, inexpensive and well-tolerated method for mothers in post-cesarean section.