Spirulina Supplements Improved the Nutritional Status of Undernourished Children Quickly and Significantly: Experience from Kisantu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Aim. Despite high levels of malnutrition, there is still very little information on the nutritional benefits ofSpirulina, a natural alga that provides essential amino acids, rare essential lipids, and numerous minerals and vitamins, to undernourished children in the world.Methods. We carried out a prospective study of 50 children aged between six and 60 months. The intervention group consisted of 16 children who received 10 g ofSpirulinadaily, as well as the local diet administered by the nutritional centre, and the control group of 34 children who just received the local diet. Both groups of children were assessed on day zero, day 15, and day 30.Results. After treatment, the weight-for-ageZscores and weight-for-heightZscores increased significantly in the intervention group. At day 15, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean corpuscular volume, total proteins, and albumin (p<0.05) in both groups, in favour of the intervention group, and at day 30, this difference extended to all of the studied parameters (p<0.05).Conclusion. This study found that the nutritional status of undernourished children who receivedSpirulinasupplements as well as the local diet administered by the nutritional centre improved quickly and significantly.

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Efficacy Of Eel Cookies On Improving Nutritional Status Of Pregnant Women With Chronic Energy Defifiency

Jurnal Kesehatan Prima ◽

10.32807/jkp.v14i2.493 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 145

Author(s):

Devi Pratiktowati ◽

Dewi Marhaeni Diah Herawati ◽

Ginna Megawati ◽

Deni Kurniadi Sunjaya

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Status ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Chi Square ◽

Energy Deficiency ◽

Chronic Energy Deficiency ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

The Government

A high prevalence chronic energy deficiency (CED) in pregnant women exist in Indonesia, which approximately 16.2%. The government had made various efforts to eliminate CED in pregnant women. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze the efficacy of eel cookies on improving nutritional status of pregnant women with CED risk. An experiment with a pre-post design of 36 pregnant women with risk of CED in Ciletuh, Sukabumi was carried out for 30 days. Pregnant women in intervention group were given eel cookies, while control group were given cookies without eel. At the beginning and end of the study, MUAC were measured and food intake was assessed through a 24 hour recall. The research data was analysed using t-test, Mann-Whitney test and chi square. Significant difference in body weight between intervention and control groups was not found (p > 0.05). The mean bodyweight in intervention group after intervention (48.5) was higher than in control group (48.3). The Mean bodyweight and MUAC in the two groups before and after intervention also did not show a significant difference (p> 0.05). The risk of CED in pregnant women who received eel cookies were lower compared to the control group. Consumption of eel cookies can reduce CED risk in pregnant women by 35%, while cookies without eel only reduce the risk by 29.4%. Eel cookies had higher efficacy compared to cookies without eel on reducing CED risk in pregnant women.

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Effects of Relationship Enrichment Training on Improving Marital Satisfaction of Infertile Couples: A Randomized Control Trial

Current Women s Health Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573404817666210111141202 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

Author(s):

Seyedeh Zahra Masoumi ◽

Khodayar Oshvandi ◽

Masoumeh Rostami-Moez ◽

Arezoo Shayan ◽

Farideh Kazemi

Keyword(s):

Marital Satisfaction ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Control Group ◽

Chi Square ◽

Significance Level ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Infertile Couples ◽

Relationship Enrichment

Background: Infertility can cause low marital satisfaction. Marital satisfaction has an important effect on infertile couples’ health. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of relationship enrichment training on improving the marital satisfaction of infertile couples. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 50 infertile couples in the infertility center of Fatemieh Hospital in Hamadan, Iran in 2018. Participants were matched for demographic characteristics and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (each group had 25 couples). Informed consent was obtained from all participants. The Enrich Marital Satisfaction questionnaire and demographic information were used to collect data before the study and two months after the intervention. Two trained midwifery students taught only the intervention group the relationship enrichment topics in seven sessions (each session = 90 minutes). The data were analyzed by SPSS Statistics version 21 using analysis of covariance, independent t-test, chi-square, and Mann–Whitney. The significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference in demographic and obstetric information between the two groups (p >0.05). The mean of marital satisfaction in the intervention group significantly increased among women and men from 151.00 ±28.61 to 154.88 ±22.62 and from 152.56 ±27.33 to 159.24 ±22.14, respectively, (p <0.001). Conversely, the mean of marital satisfaction decreased among women and men from 158.13 ±13.86 to 146.25 ±19.53 and from 164.25 ±17.00 to 153.17 ±27.50 in the control group (p=0.02). Conclusion: Relationship enrichment training can be effective in promoting the marital satisfaction of infertile couples. Registration number: The National Center for Strategic Research in medical education, No. 960185.

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Application of platysma muscle suture after thyroidectomy

Journal of Surgery and Trauma ◽

10.32592/jsurgery.2020.8.4.103 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 147-150

Keyword(s):

Postoperative Pain ◽

Wound Infection ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

P Value ◽

Platysma Muscle ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Duration Of Surgery ◽

The Mean ◽

Length Of Hospitalization

Introduction: Thyroidectomy is a common surgery in the neck area, in which the application of platysma muscle suture after thyroidectomy is still being discussed. This study was conducted to compare the application (currently common) or non-application of suture for platysma muscle. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 117 patients underwent thyroidectomy, among which 63 cases without suturing platysma (control group) and 54 subjects with suturing platysma (Intervention group ) were examined in terms of postoperative pain based on visual analogue scale score measured 24 h post-operation. The samples were also investigated regarding hematoma and seroma, wound infection, length of hospitalization, scarring (1 year after surgery), duration of surgery, and the number of cases using opioids during the hospitalization. Patients with diabetes, previous neck surgery, coagulopathy, and radiation history were excluded from the study. The gathered data were analyzed statistically in SPSS software (version 18) using the Chi-square test and the Mann–Whitney U test. A p-value of less than (0.05) was considered significant. Results: Based on the findings, the mean age of the patients in the Intervention group was calculated at 51 years, of which 41 and 13 cases were females and males, respectively. In the Intervention group, 34 patients underwent complete thyroidectomy and 20 patients had hemithyroidectomy. The mean age score of subjects in the control group was calculated at 50 years, of which 44 and 19 patients were respectively female and male. No significant difference was revealed considering wound infection, length of hospitalization, created scarring, the amount of opioid use (opioids), and postoperative pain. However, only the length of surgery was different between the groups (P-value<0.05). Conclusions: There was no difference between wound and surgical complications and cosmetic results between both groups; nevertheless, due to the duration of the surgery and other benefits, such as consuming less thread, not suturing the platysma is recommended.

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Investigation the Effects of Adding Intravenous Transoxalic Acid and Its Complications in the Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage after Vaginal Delivery in Patients Admitted to Ali-ibn-Abitaleb Hospital in Zahedan

Journal of Zabol Medical School ◽

10.18502/jzms.v4i1.6759 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tahereh Hajian ◽

Maryam Razavi ◽

Ali Dashipour

Keyword(s):

Side Effects ◽

Postpartum Hemorrhage ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Vital Signs ◽

Control Group ◽

Drug Side Effects ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Uterine Fundus

Background: This study was designed to investigate the effect of tranexamic acid and its side effects in preventing postpartum hemorrhage in patients referred to Ali ibn Abitaleb Hospital in Zahedan during 2020-2021. Methods: Patients were divided into two groups of 85 patients. Vital signs as well as drug side effects related to tranexamicity are monitored and recorded every15 minutes in the first hour and every 30 minutes in the second hour. Also, blood samples are taken from patients to measure hemoglobin and hematocrit within6 hours after delivery. The number and weight difference of droschitis used during 2 hours after delivery are also measured. In addition, PPH (Postpartum hemorrhage) cases in both groups were checked by repeated examination of the uterine fundus during the first 2 hours and after 6 weeks. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the number of deliveries and further decrease in hemoglobin levels in the control group compared to the intervention group. Nausea, vomiting, and dizziness were observed in the intervention group and thrombosis was not observed in any group. According to the independent samples t-test, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean blood volume lost between the two groups. The mean hematocrit drop was statistically significant between the two groups. No blood transfusion was observed in any of the patients. Conclusion: Tranxamic acid injections can effectively reduce postpartum hemorrhage and reduce maternal hemoglobin and hematocrit following this complication.

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The effect of ear acupressure medicine at the “Shen Men” point on the nausea and vomiting during pregnancy

10.53350/pjmhs211551774 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 1774-1779

Author(s):

Sanaz Nehbandani ◽

Hajar Salehi ◽

Khadije Rezaie Keikhaie ◽

Hossein Rashki Ghalenow ◽

Fatemeh Mirzaie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Nausea And Vomiting ◽

Control Group ◽

Health Clinics ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

The Mean ◽

The Difference

Introduction & Objective: Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders that more than 85% of pregnant women experience. However, controlling and treating this complication is still one of the most important issues in antenatal care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ear acupressure at Shen Men point on relieving nausea, vomiting and retching during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 100 pregnant women with a gestational age of less than 16 weeks attending the health clinics of Zabol city during 2019-2020 were studied in two control and intervention groups (n = 50 in each group). The samples in the intervention group were trained to apply pressure on their ears’ Shen Men point with the thumb for three minutes three times a day (morning, noon, and night), for a duration of one month. At the end of second and fourth weeks, the data were collected using the Rhodes index form and then, were analyzed by SPSS software version 22. Results: According to the results, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gestational age, occupation and education. The difference in the mean scores of nausea, vomiting and retching was not statistically significant between the control and intervention groups before the study. But four weeks after the study, a significant difference was observed in the mean scores of vomiting, nausea and retching between the two groups, so that the mean scores of vomiting, nausea and retching were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. Conclusion: The ear acupressure medicine at the Shen men point can be used as a non-invasive, safe and inexpensive method to relieve nausea, vomiting and retching during pregnancy. Keywords: Acupressure medicine, Shen Men, Vomiting, Pregnancy, Nausea, Retching, Rhodosis

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Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Group Counseling on the Mental Health of Midwifery Students

Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia / RBGO Gynecology and Obstetrics ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1693741 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (08) ◽

pp. 500-507 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nezhat Javid ◽

Atefeh Ahmadi ◽

Moghadameh Mirzaei ◽

Monavvareh Atghaei

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Group Counseling ◽

Social Performance ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Control Group ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Post Test ◽

The Mean ◽

Solution Focused

Objective The present study was conducted with the objective of investigating the effectiveness of solution-focused group counseling (SFGC) on promoting the mental health of midwifery students. Methods The present study is an intervention-based study with a pretest, a post-test, and a control group. The statistical population included all of the midwifery students studying in the midwifery department of the Bam University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, who filled out the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in the screening phase. In the second phase, 40 individuals, having a low level of mental health based on the cutoff score of 23, were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups (intervention and control), each group with 20 participants. The intervention group participated in 5 sessions of 75 minutes for SFGC. Then, the post-test was held in both groups and the data analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney and the Kruskal-Wallis test with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). The significance level was considered as p < 0.05. Results The findings showed that the mean of the post-test mental health scores of the intervention group (14.5 ± 50.35) and of the control group (23.6 ± 35.83) showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001). Moreover, the comparison between the mean scores of the mental health subscales (physical symptoms, stress, social performance, and depression) showed a statistically significant difference in these groups, and SFGC improved physical symptoms, stress, social performance, and depression in the members of the intervention group. Conclusion Solution-focused group counseling may improve all levels of mental health. This type of counseling is recommended to be used to solve the psychological problems and to improve the mental health of students, as well as of the staff of the health system.

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Facebook as a Novel Tool for Continuous Professional Education on Dementia: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/16772 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. e16772 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Windy SY Chan ◽

Angela YM Leung

Keyword(s):

Professional Education ◽

Retention Rate ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Participant Engagement ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

And Control

Background Social network sites (SNSs) are widely exploited in health education and communication by the general public, including patients with various conditions. Nevertheless, there is an absence of evidence evaluating SNSs in connecting health professionals for professional purposes. Objective This pilot randomized controlled trial was designed to evaluate the feasibility of an intervention aiming to investigate the effects of a continuous professional education program utilizing Facebook to obtain knowledge on dementia and care for patients with dementia. Methods Eighty health professionals from Hong Kong were recruited for participation in the study and randomized at a 1:1 ratio by a block randomization method to the intervention group (n=40) and control group (n=40). The intervention was an 8-week educational program developed to deliver updated knowledge on dementia care from a multidisciplinary perspective, either by Facebook (intervention group) or by email (control group) from October 2018 to January 2019. The primary outcomes were the effects of the intervention, measured by differences in the means of changes in pre- and postintervention scores of knowledge assessments from the 25-item Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) and formative evaluation of 20 multiple choice questions. Other outcome measurements included participant compliance, participant engagement in Facebook, satisfaction, and self-perceived uses of Facebook for continuing professional education programs. Results Significantly more intervention group participants (n=35) completed the study than the control group (n=25) (P<.001). The overall retention rate was 75% (60/80). The mean of changes in scores in the intervention group were significant in all assessments (P<.001). A significant difference in the mean of changes in scores between the two groups was identified in the DKAS subscale Communication and Behavior (95% CI 0.4-3.3, P=.02). There was no significant difference in the total DKAS scores, scores of other DKAS subscales, and multiple choice questions. Participant compliance was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P<.001). The mean numbers of participants accessing the learning materials were 31.5 (SD 3.9) and 17.6 (SD 5.2) in the intervention and control group, respectively. Polls attracted the highest level of participant engagement, followed by videos. Intervention group participants scored significantly higher in favoring the use of Facebook for the continuing education program (P=.03). Overall, participants were satisfied with the interventions (mean score 4 of a total of 5, SD 0.6). Conclusions The significantly higher retention rate, together with the high levels of participant compliance and engagement, demonstrate that Facebook is a promising tool for professional education. Education delivered through Facebook was significantly more effective at improving participants’ knowledge of how people with dementia communicate and behave. Participants demonstrated positive attitudes toward utilizing Facebook for professional learning. These findings provide evidence for the feasibility of using Facebook as an intervention delivery tool in a manner that can be rolled out into practical settings.

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The Effect of Black Tea (Camellia sinensis (L) Kuntze) on Pediatrics With Acute Nonbacterial Diarrhea

Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1177/2156587216654600 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 114-119 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sareh Doustfatemeh ◽

Mohammad Hadi Imanieh ◽

Abdolali Mohagheghzade ◽

Mohammad M. Zarshenas ◽

Zahra Torkamani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Standard Treatment ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Black Tea ◽

Control Group ◽

Old Patients ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

And Control ◽

Single Blind

We aimed to evaluate the antidiarrheal effect of black tea in pediatric patients with acute nonbacterial diarrhea. This single-blind randomized clinical trial study was performed on 2 to 12-year-old patients, with acceptable criteria for acute nonbacterial diarrhea in Shiraz, Iran. In total, 120 patients took part in this study. Blocked randomization method was used to allocate them into 2 groups of intervention (black tea tablet + standard treatment) and control group (standard treatment; 60 patients in each). Frequency of defecation, volume, and consistency of stool were registered on arrival and 24 hours later. We used χ2 test, t test, and Mann-Whitney U test. After a 24-hour follow-up, the proportion of patients with formed stool was higher in the intervention group when compared with the control group ( P < .001). There was a significant difference between the mean number of defecations per 24 hours in both groups, after treatment ( P < .001). We found a possible antidiarrheal effect of black tea.

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Orem’s Self-Care Model with Multiple Sclerosis Patients’ Balance and Motor Function

Nursing Science Quarterly ◽

10.1177/0894318419881792 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 46-54

Author(s):

Ardashir Afrasiabifar ◽

Zahra Mehri ◽

Hamid Reza Ghaffarian Shirazi

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Motor Function ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Self Care ◽

Nursing Intervention ◽

Control Group ◽

Care Model ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Orem’s self-care model has been introduced as a nursing model to empower participants with chronic diseases. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of nursing interventions using Orem’s self-care model with multiple sclerosis participants’ balance and motor function. Sixty-three participants with multiple sclerosis were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The nursing intervention using Orem’s self-care model was performed for eight sessions of 45–60 minutes in the intervention group. In the intervention group, a significant increase (improvement) was observed in the mean scores of balance before (17.09 ± 1.97) and after the intervention (33.75 ± 6.01). A significant decrease (improvement) was observed in the mean of motor functions before (4.12 ± 0.34) and after the intervention (1.59 ± 0.71) ( p = 0.001). However, no significant difference existed in the mean scores of balance ( p = 0.10) and motor function in the control group ( p = 0.20). The nursing intervention using Orem’s self-care model improved balance and motor function of participants with multiple sclerosis.

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The effect of distraction techniques on pain and stress during labor: a randomized controlled clinical trial

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-019-2683-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Paria Amiri ◽

Mojgan Mirghafourvand ◽

Khalil Esmaeilpour ◽

Mahin Kamalifard ◽

Reyhaneh Ivanbagha

Keyword(s):

Intervention Group ◽

Active Phase ◽

Labor Pain ◽

Control Group ◽

Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Fear Of Childbirth ◽

Control Groups ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

And Control

Abstract Background Pain control and the stress associated with labor and delivery are among the most important issues of health care system. Use of distraction techniques during childbirth is reported to reduce pain and stress of labor. However, there is a limited publication that looked on the effect of distraction techniques on labor pain and stress. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of distraction techniques on labor pain and stress (primary outcomes), fear of childbirth, length of delivery stages, first minute Apgar score and oxytocin consumption (secondary outcomes). Methods A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 68 pregnant women. Participants were allocated into two groups (intervention and control groups) by blocked randomization. Participants in the intervention group received distraction techniques in four sessions. Questionnaires of Fear of Childbirth (W-DEQ version A) and PSS once were completed before intervention and again at the 36th week for the W-DEQ and in the active phase for the PSS through interviews. The pain was assessed through VAS during active phase per hour. The length of delivery stages was recorded in the partograph chart. Data were analyzed by independent t-test and ANCOVA. Results The mean of perceived stress during labor in the intervention group was significantly less than that of the control group (AMD: -3.2; 95% CI: − 0.8 to − 6.0; P = 0.01). The mean (SD) of pain intensity during labor was less than in the intervention and control groups compare to the control group (6.2 vs 7.5; P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of fear of childbirth score (AMD: 5.3; 95% CI: 13.0 to − 6.0; P = − 2.3). Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the active phase of labor (P = 0.504), second stage of delivery (P = 0.928), total length of delivery (P = 0.520), Apgar score (P = 1.000) and frequency of oxytocin consumption (P = 0.622). Conclusion According to the results, distraction techniques can reduce the pain and stress of labor, but further studies by using the distraction techniques are needed to reach a decisive conclusion. Trial registration IRCT2017042910324N39; Name of registry: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials; Registered 11 September 2017. URL of registry: https://fa.irct.ir/user/trial/10814/view. Date of enrolment of the first participant to the trial: September 2017.

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