Objective: Illness perception and self-care behaviors can result in higher levels of health behavior among hemodialysis patients. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between illness perception and self-care behaviors among hemodialysis patients who referred to the hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2017. Method: In this descriptive cross sectional study, 216 hemodialysis patients who referred to the hemodialysis wards of the hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were selected via convenience sampling. The study data were collected using a demographic information form, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (9 items), and a 15-item Self-care Behavior of Hemodialysis Patients Questionnaire. Then, the data were analyzed using independent t test and one-way ANOVA. Also, significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 30.15+6.65 years. Also, most of the participants were female (n = 125, 58%). The results revealed a significant relationship between illness perception and self-care behaviors among hemodialysis patients. A significant relationship was observed between the following items: daily weight control and perception of consequences (r = 0.200, p = 0.001), between contacting the physician at the time of shortness of breath and consequences (r = 0.209, p = 0.001), between weight control according to the physician’s order and consequences (r = 0.763, p = 0.001), and between adherence to fluids restriction and identity(r = 0.149, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the relationship between illness perception and self-care, beliefs as illness perception have to be incorporated into self-care programs designed for hemodialysis patients so as to promote their self-care behaviors. These findings can be used for planning and implementing care for hemodialysis patients.

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a rare congenital brain malformation associated with multiple midline facial defects. This anomaly is resulted from the failure of diverticulation and cleavage of primitive prosencephalon during weeks 4-8 of gestation. HPE is the most common forebrain developmental anomaly in human with the incidence rate of 0.49-1.2 cases per 10,000-20,000 term births. In this study, we described a case of HPE in a neonate with gestational age of 32 weeks. Antenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis was performed, and the infant was presented with macrocephaly, bilateral microphthalmia, hypotelorism, proboscis and ambiguous genitalia.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is considered a health problem that can be simply prevented by lifestyle modifications in adolescence. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of protection motivation theory (PMT)-based training on osteoporosis-preventive behaviors in female high school students in Zahedan, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present quasi-experimental study was performed on 240 female high school students who were selected by a multistage sampling technique in Zahedan in 2019–2020. To collect the data, a multipart questionnaire was distributed among the participants in three stages, namely at the baseline, immediately, and 2 months after the intervention. This instrument consisted of demographic information, socioeconomic status, knowledge, PMT constructs, and preventive behaviors. The intervention group was subjected to educational content. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) by descriptive and analytical tests (i.e., Chi-square, independent t-test, and ANOVA). RESULTS: Based on the results, the intervention and control groups showed no significant difference in terms of the mean score of knowledge, theoretical constructs, and preventive behaviors at the baseline (P > 0.05). However, the two groups were significantly different in terms of the mentioned variables immediately and 2 months after the intervention (P = 0.001). Mean score of preventive behaviors, the two groups also demonstrated a significant difference (i.e., calcium intake, physical activity, and sunlight exposure) 2 months after the intervention, compared to before the intervention. (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study were indicative of the PMT effectiveness, which can, therefore, be used as a framework for designing educational programs regarding osteoporosis prevention.

This study aimed to determine the effect of the empowerment training program on performing basic nursing skills in novice nurses.Methods: This randomized control-group pretest-posttest design study was conducted on 60 nurses with less than 6 months of working experience in a hospital, southeast Iran, 2019. The subjects were divided into the intervention (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. Data were collected using the Performance Assessment Checklist, which consisted of six domains, including skills of patient safety, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), infection control, firefighting, communication, and reporting. The intervention, empowerment program, consisted of six three-hour sessions within six weeks (each topic a week), which were presented and demonstrated by experts. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, independent t-test, analysis of covariance, and Mann-Whitney U test. The significance level was set as <0.05. Results: Independent t-test revealed no significant difference in the mean scores of skills between the control and intervention groups before the intervention (P =0.775). However, after the empowerment program, the mean score of skills increased significantly in the intervention group compared with the control ones (P <0.001).Besides, novice nurses' skills in the intervention group in patient safety, CPR, infection control, firefighting, communication, and reporting domains were dramatically increased after the empowerment program (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The empowerment program enhances nurses' professional skills by boosting their skills. Therefore, continuing education and empowerment programs should be implemented for novice nurses to improve their professional skills.