Psychometric properties of the Persian language version of the Female Sexual Function index among postmenopausal women

Objective: The present research aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian language version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) among postmenopausal women. Material and Methods: This secondary analysis examined 402 healthy postmenopausal Iranian women presenting to healthcare centers across Iran. The sampling method was convenience sampling. The translation of the FSFI and its cross-cultural adaptation were conducted under the guidelines proposed by Beaton. The reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-rest reliability) and construct validity confirmatory factor analysis) were assessed. Model fitting index [such as the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI)] was calculated. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 53.63±7.8 years. Test-retest reliability was high for both the entire scale (r=0.964; p<0.001) and its six dimensions (0.76-0.94; p<0.001). The Cronbach's alpha of the entire scale and its dimensions was greater than 0.80. The original six-factor was used, which showed a relatively poor fit (χ2=667.054; p<0.001; χ2/df=4.86; GFI=0.92; RMSEA=0.098; GFI=0.85). After adding three correlated error terms to the six-factor model, an acceptable fit was obtained (χ2=470.542; p<0.001; χ2/df=3.51; CFI=0.95; RMSEA=0.079; GFI=0.89). Conclusion: According to our results, the FSFI tool indicated a satisfactory fit for a six-factor model, as similar to the original English version, for use in clinical practice and research regarding healthy postmenopausal Iranian women. More research needs to be conducted on this scale to assess all of its psychometric properties.

Iranian Children With ADHD and Mental Health of Their Mothers: The Role of Stress.

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder that can result in stress for the mother, resulting in poor health. OBJECTIVES: The current study, conducted in 2012, aims to assess stress among forty-six Iranian mothers of ADHD children (Group 1) who were admitted to a psychiatric center in Tehran with forty-six Iranian mothers of normal children (Group 2) in 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4), the child behavior checklist (CBCL) and the parental stress index-short form (PSI/SF) were completed. Data was analyzed using the Levene test and the independent t-test in SPSS Version 18. RESULTS: With the exception of mood, ADHD children had more problems in attention compared with normal children. As a result, mothers of ADHD children had more stress compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD can impair a mother's mental health by inducing stress. Specific diagnostic and treatment programs should be designed and tailored for the mothers of ADHD children in order to decrease stress.

Investigating the Relationship Between Sexual Function and Quality of Life in Menopausal Women.

Objective: To evaluate the symptoms of menopausal women and the link between sexual function, menopausal symptoms and demographic variables. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 202 postmenopausal women admitted to the health care centers were selected. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire and Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) were the main means of data gathering. Results: The results of our study suggested that suggested that women experienced a number of menopausal symptoms such hot flash, headache and neck pains, reduced physical strength weight gain, pain or leg cramps, intensified sexual problem than women who lack such symptoms. The FSFI scores were lower in women who were more than 60 years old, had low educational level (illiterate and elementary), and smoked cigarette. The most common symptoms were hot flashes (45%), Sleeplessness (37%), and pain in joints and muscles (36%). Moreover, the highest mean score belonged to symptoms associated with hot flashes (1.49 ± 1.38), sleeplessness (1.48 ± 1.71), and headache and neck pains (1.14 ± 1.59) table 2. Conclusion: Women with a history of sexual problem experienced more intense menopausal symptoms. This study sheds more light on the link between sexual problems and menopausal symptoms, which can helps healthcare professionals to offer a desirable package to their patients.

Sexual dysfunction in male crystalline heroin dependents before and after MMT: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Sexual dysfunction (SD) is a common problem among chronic opiate dependents. The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of SD and to investigate whether there is a change in SD after six months of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) compared with baseline. METHODS: We recruited 30 patients mean age 34.5 years from an MMT center in Damghan, Iran. Patients underwent structured interviews that consisted of the following: (i) socio-demographic characteristics, drug use, and sexual behavior ; (ii) the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) test for SD; (iii) the Zung test for depression; and (iv)analysis of serological status. RESULTS: Overall, 8% of participants reported no SD, 69% reported mild to moderate SD, and 23% reported severe SD upon admission. After completion of the MMT program, these results decreased to 61% and 20%, respectively. In comparison with admission, the mean IIEF-15 score showed moderate improvement from 16.77 ± 7.08 to 21.8 ± 6.40 (P = 0.003). The mean IIEF-15 score for intercourse satisfaction completely improved from12.20 ± 4.55to 15 ± 3.76 (P = 0.001). Slight improvements were noted in the mean IIEF-15 score for sexual desire which increased from 5.10 ± 2.28 to 6.57 ± 2.12 (P = 0.017) and the mean IIEF-15 score for overall satisfaction which increased from 5.10 ± 2.29 to 6.58 ± 2.12 (P = 0.017). However, the mean IIEF-15 score for orgasmic function very slightly decreased from 4.73 ± 4.50 to 4.57 ± 1.92 (P = 0.191), which showed no statistically significant improvement after MMT. There was no relation with depression. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study reveal a prevalence of SD and improvements in some aspects of SD in patients after six months of MMT. Patients should be screened for SD at the onset of opioid replacement treatment. Future studies on SD should examine the potential benefits of androgen replacement, hormone assay and the role of psychosocial factors.