Objective Sexual functioning is an important component of life quality and musculoskeletal disorders may effect sexual functioning, so, the present study was conducted to evaluate sexual functioning in patients suffering from back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods This study was conducted on 102 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 103 patients with back pain, 103 patients with SLE, and 210 people in the control group by the consecutive sampling method. The marital satisfaction questionnaire (Enrich), Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) questionnaire, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐28) were completed by all the subjects. Disease severity was determined in each group of patients by Disease Activity Score of 28 joints, the Roland Morris questionnaire, and the SLE Disease Activity Index questionnaire. Results The GHQ in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus patients was meaningfully higher than the control group (P < .05), while there was no meaningful difference between back pain patients and the control group (P = .414). The sexual functioning questionnaire score in all 3 groups showed no statistically meaningful difference with the control group (P < .05). Also, the marital satisfaction questionnaire score in all the groups showed no statistically meaningful difference compared to the control group (P = .791). Conclusion The study has shown that the level of sexual function in participants with back pain and the level of mental health and sexual functioning in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and SLE are significantly lower than healthy people and there is a need for intervention for improving mental health as well as sexual functioning in these patients.

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This study compared the therapeutic effect of flax seed oil topical gel and hand splint in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. This study was a randomized clinical trial. Forty-nine patients, 96 hands, with mild to moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome were divided into 2 groups randomly. One group was treated by topical gel and the other group by hand splint. Intensity of symptoms and function before and after intervention was measured via Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. After intervention, the ANCOVA showed a significant difference between the symptom and function scores of the 2 groups. In both cases, recovery was higher in the gel group (P < .001). The topical use of flax seed oil gel is more effective in the improvement of symptoms and function of patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome as compared with hand splint, and it can be introduced as an effective treatment.

Background Explaining the risk and protective factors of substance use (SU) is the most important principle while designing preventive interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate and determinants of SU in adolescents based on the social development model (SDM). Method In 2018, applying a cross-sectional design, cluster multistage random sampling was employed to recruit 600 adolescents in Bam County, Iran, to participate in the study. A valid and reliable SDM-based instrument was used to collect data.Results The prevalence rate of using at least one substance was 42% (in girls 33.6% and in boys 50.3%). Having close friends with SU was found as the riskiest factor. A score increase in involvement in prosocial activities and interactions, attachment and commitment to prosocial others (family and school), and skills for interaction/involvement among adolescents reduced the probability of ever use of SU by 53%, 37% and 49%, respectively. Also, one score increase in perceived rewards for antisocial interaction/involvement, belief in antisocial values and situational perception among the participants increased the probability of ever use SU by 2.22, 2.24 and 1.22 times. Conclusion The SDM was helpful in determining the predictors of SU among Iranian adolescents. In community-based interventions to prevent SU among adolescents, a great focus should be firstly on identifying the probability of SU in close friends. Moreover, the involvement of adolescents in prosocial activities and interactions, attachment and commitment to prosocial others (family and school), and skills for interaction/involvement should be core categories while designing community-based interventional studies.