Postpartum depression is a common mental health problem that is associated with maternal suffering. The aim of this double-blind clinical trial was to compare safety and efficacy of saffron and fluoxetine in treatment of mild to moderate postpartum depression. This was a 6-week, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Subjects were women aged 18-45 years with mild to moderate postpartum depression who had Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS 17-item) score≤18. Eligible participants were randomized to receive either a capsule of saffron (15 mg capsule) or fluoxetine (20 mg capsule) twice daily for 6 weeks. The primary outcome measure was to evaluate efficacy of saffron compared to fluoxetine in improving depressive symptoms (HDRS score). There was no significant effect for time×treatment interaction on HDRS score [F (4.90, 292.50)=1.04, p=0.37] between the 2 groups. 13 (40.60%) patients in the saffron group experienced complete response (≥50% reduction in HDRS score) compared with 16 (50%) in the fluoxetine group and the difference between the 2 groups was not significant in this regard (p=0.61). Frequency of adverse events was not significantly different between the treatment groups. The results of this study may suggest that saffron is a safe alternative medication for improving depressive symptoms of postpartum depression. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that the trial is not well powered and should be considered a preliminary study. Therefore, large clinical trials with longer treatment periods and comparison with placebo group would be appropriate for future studies.

Background:Despite the paramount importance of the patient’s satisfaction, there are limited data on mothers’ satisfaction with the nursing care provided to their children in Iranian clinical settings.Objectives:This study aimed to evaluate mothers’ satisfaction with two systems of providing care to their hospitalized children.Patients and Methods:This research was a two-group quasi-experimental study. Primarily, the basics of the case method and the functional care delivery systems were educated to the practicing nurses of the study setting. Each system was implemented independently. After the implementation of each system, 200 mothers whose children were hospitalized in the pediatric care ward of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, were invited to respond to the 28 -item Pediatric Family Satisfaction Questionnaire. Study data were analyzed by SPSS v. 16.0.Results:Results were indicative of mothers’ satisfaction with medical care delivered by case method as 13.2 ± 5.2 and by functional method as 13.17 ± 5.56. Also, no significant difference was seen between two groups (P = 0.4). Mothers’ satisfaction with nursing care delivered by case method was 17.7 ± 4.43 and by functional method was 13.33 ± 5.69 and there was a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.004). Mothers’ satisfaction with accommodations by case method was 16.78 ± 4.07 and by functional method was 17.9 ± 6.67 with a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.06).Conclusions:Improving the quality of care is associated with higher patient’s satisfaction. Accordingly, developing and implementing programs for improving nurses’ communication and clinical skills can improve both care quality and patient outcomes.

BackgroundPhysical activity is an important component of health in old age that provides personal independence, physical ability, and quality of life.ObjectivesThe current study aimed to evaluate physical activity and associated factors among the elderly population in Kashan, Iran.Patients and MethodsThis is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample was 400 elderly people (aged more than 60 years) living in Kashan, Iran in 2014. The subjects randomly selected via multi-stage cluster sampling from healthcare centers in three regions of Kashan. The sample size differed by gender and residence type. Each participant’s demographic characteristics and level of physical activity were recorded in a questionnaire, and the data were analyzed by SPSS version 16. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson correlations, and ordinal regression were used in the data analysis. The significance level for all the tests was P < 0.05.Results237 (59.2%) of the subjects were female. The average age of the study population was 67.6 ± 6.8 years. Their average physical activity energy consumption was 326.21 ± 364.84 according to the metabolic equivalent of hours per week. 20 subjects (5%) reported no physical activity. 320 (80%) and 59 (14.8%) subjects had low and moderate physical activity levels, respectively. Only 1 subject (0.2%) had extreme levels of physical activity. Men (n = 43, 26.4%) were more likely to be moderately or extremely physically active than women were (n = 17, 7.2%). There was a significant relationship between physical activity and sex (P < 0.0001), marital status (P < 0.0001), educational status (P < 0.002), current occupation (P < 0.0001), and personal independence (P < 0.00001). Of course, effective predictive variations included age (P = 0.034), gender (P = 0.001), marital status (P = 0.033), independent status (P = 0), and local environment (P =0.001).ConclusionsThe study revealed low physical activity in the elderly population in Kashan. The pattern of physical activity in the elderly depends on their lifestyle. A promotion of active lifestyles should be a part of health care planning for the elderly.

No abstract

Social participation is a criterion for successful aging. Research has shown that social participation decreases in older adults. However, the role of social support on older adults' social participation has received little attention, especially in eastern countries, such as Iran. Using the Social Participation Questionnaire, the relationship between social support and social participation was investigated in 525 Iranian older adults. A correlation was found between social support and social participation of older adults. Older adult women were found to have less social support and social participation compared with men.