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Background and purpose: Fatigue is a common symptom of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that is purported to cause significant distress and have detrimental effects on daily living functioning, social and occupational obligations, and overall well-being. Complementary therapies are widely used by people with MS and Progressive Hydrotherapy is a form of complementary therapies. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of applying Hydrotherapy on fatigue of Multiple Sclerosis patients.
Materials and methods: This is a Quasi-experimental study. 50 Multiple Sclerosis patients were selected with convenient sampling according to specific criteria then assigned to experimental and control groups (25 patients in each group) with random allocation. Data collector tools included: demographic questionnaire, Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Self report checklists. Hydrotherapy performed for 24 sessions by experimental group during three months but no intervention was done for control group. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS software.
Results: There was no significant difference between two groups in mean scores of fatigue before the study but this test showed different significance between two groups, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after intervention (P<0.05). ANOVA test with repeated measurements showed that there is a significant difference in mean score of fatigue between two groups in 4 times (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The results of this study show that Hydrotherapy is practically feasible and could decrease fatigue of MS patients so that applying this technique offered to these patients.

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Back ground and purpose: Available evidence shows that religious attitude have noticeable effects on psychological aspects of human life. The purpose of this study was to determine the present situation of religious attitude of Students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Student’s attitude towards theoretical basis of Islam and Some other subsidiary rules of religion and moral values were studied in this investigation.
Materials and methods: In this research descriptive field study on all the students of the university, stratified sampling method was employed and 384 students were recruited.A questionnaire consisting of 38 questions was used to collect the data. Attitude rates were quantified on the scale of –5 to +5.
Results: The mean rates of attitude of associated to art students (2.53 ± 1.63) and B.S.C students (3.06±1.45) were statistically significant (p<0.01).Likewise, the mean rate of attitude of male and female students (2.94±1.7) and (2.97±1.4) were statistically significant (p<0.01).The attitude rate of the majority of students was between 2.5 to 4.5 (s. p 1.63). The top mark of 4.5 was gained by 57% of the students.
Conclusion: The students have positive religious attitude. The lack of adequate religious practice among the subjects must not be interpreted as the low religious attitude. However it is necessary to study other factor that effects students practice.

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Background and purpose: Religious attitude and mental health are the categories that have advocated many researches in the world .Although mental health related studies were performed in Iranian students, there is little evidence in the religious attitude field. The aim of the current study was to survey the mental health and religious attitude in the students of the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences.
Materials and methods: This descriptive study was undertaken on 222 students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (86 male and 136 female) whom were selected randomly. Data collection instruments were a 25-question religious attitude questionnaire (Golris-Brahni), and a 28-question mental health questionnaire (G.H.Q-28).
Results:The finding showed that the mean scores on religious attitude in female students was at high levels (µ=76.4) and in male students (µ =72.2) at good levels with statistical significant differences. The average value of mental health in girl (µ = 20.4) and boys (µ = 23.8) with significant difference.
Conclusion: The results showed that religious attitude and mental health scores are higher in girl students compared with those in boy students. The findings also support the idea that there is an association between religious attitude and mental health. Based on current findings, it is important to pay attention to the socio-cultural status of the students to improve their mental health.

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Background and purpose: The increasing growth of cosmetic surgeries, especially Botox has raised the need for further attention to this cosmetic treatment. The current study investigated the role of body image, social support and religious beliefs in predicting Botox cosmetic surgery in Kermanshah.

Materials and methods: This causal-comparative study was performed in two groups of Botox applicants (n=330) and those who were interested in having Botox cosmetic surgery (n=310) attending skin care and beauty clinics. They were selected by convenient sampling in Kermanshah, Iran, 2014. Data was collected using three questionnaires: the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith (1997), the Zimet's Perceived Social Support (1998) and the Appearance Schemas Inventory developed by Cash (1990). Data analysis was done in SPSS V.19 applying discriminate analysis.

Results: Significant difference was found between the two groups in predictive variables (P<0.05). Among the predictive variables, the body schema of body appearance (SC 0.67), perceived support from significant others (SC 0.43), and perceived support from family (SC -0.34) were the main predicting factors for Botox cosmetic surgery.

Conclusion: According to this study, the body schema of body appearance, social support by significant others, and perceived support by family play significant roles in predicting cosmetic surgeries.

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Background and purpose: Death depression is a common phenomenon among cancer patients that many factors could influence it. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the factors and finding an influencing path out of death depression.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study (April to July, 2016) was done in 497 cancer patients who were recruited from those attending Cancer Centers in Sari (Imam Khomeini Hospital) and Kerman, Iran. The patients were selected by convenience sampling. Data was collected using demographic questionnaire, death depression scale, and Pargament`s religious coping scale (the RCOPE).

Results: The mean age and death depression score of cancer patients were 48.38±15.22 and 69.92±18.40, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed economic status (β=5.37), cancer stage (β=-2.80), and religious coping behaviors (β=-0.34) as predictive variables of death depression. Path analysis revealed that economic status and cancer stage had both direct and indirect impacts on death depression but religious coping behaviors directly influenced death depression.

Conclusion: According to the model identified by path analysis, religious coping behaviors is the only variable that has a direct impact on the level of death depression which is influenced by the stage of cancer. However, economic status and stage of cancer could explain the death depression by direct and indirect influences.

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Background and purpose: There is paucity of information on the role of religion on fertility behavior. This study aimed at evaluating the relationship between religious beliefs and fertility behavior among women of reproductive age in Mashhad, Iran.
Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 844 women of reproductive age (15-49 years of age) who were selected via multi-stage and convenience sampling in Mashhad, 2016. The participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Attitudes toward Fertility and Childbearing Scale, and Khodayari Religious Attitudes questionnaire. Data were analyzed in SPSS V16 using Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, independent t-test, ANOVA, and multivariate regression analysis.
Results: Multivariate regression analysis showed that higher scores in religious beliefs were significantly associated with childbearing desires at the time of marriage, at present, and in ideal conditions in all age groups (P= 0.001). Higher scores in religious beliefs were associated with older ages of mothers at the first childbirth, increased actual interval between marriage and first childbirth, and desired number of children and actual child (P= 0.05). The average number of actual children in women with highest scores in religious ­beliefs was just 0.1 higher than that of women with lowest scores.
Conclusion: Higher levels of religious beliefs were associated with greater tendency towards fertility and high fertility. But, the number of children in these women was negligible and they had delayed childbearing. These findings highlight the need to identify and resolve the barriers for fertility in woman with higher levels of religious beliefs.
 
 

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Background and purpose: Prosocial behavior can offer clinical, psychological, and biological applications to improve the health of patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of religious attitude on prosocial behavior considering the mediating roles of empathy and altruism in nursing and medical students.
Materials and methods: A descriptive-correlational study was performed in 2018-2019 academic year. The research population included all nursing and medical students in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. Participants were 361 students selected via convenient sampling. The Prosocial Tendencies Measure, Allport religious orientation, Self-Report Altruism Scale (SRA), and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) were administered. Data analysis was done using Pearson Correlation Coefficient and structural equation modeling in AMOS.
Results: According to the findings, religious orientation, altruism and empathy were significantly correlated with prosocial behavior (P<0.01). Also, the final model has a good fitness. Religious orientation was found to have direct positive effect on prosocial behavior, altruism and empathy. Empathy and altruism had a mediating role between religious orientation and prosocial behavior.
Conclusion: Based on the role of religious orientation, altruism and empathy in predicting prosocial behavior, this model can be used in interventions to promote prosocial behavior in nurses and doctors.
 

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Background and purpose: Anxiety and depression are determinants of the prognosis of coronary artery disease(CAD). Spiritual well-being and religious commitment affect people's mental well-being. Due to the limitations of previous similar studies in the difference in demographic characteristics of participants with CAD patients, it was necessary to repeat these studies in coronary artery disease patients. In this study, the state of spiritual well-being and religious commitment and their relationship with anxiety and depression in coronary artery disease patients referred to Fatemeh Zahra Hospital (Mazandaran Cardiology Center) in 1400 and 1401 were investigated.
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, 159 heart and CAD patients referred to Fatemeh Zahra Hospital (Mazandaran Cardiology Center) were selected by conventional sampling method. Demographic and well-being variables including age, gender, marital status, education level, employment status, and history of psychiatric diseases and substance abuse were measured using the data collection form. The participants answered the questionnaires of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (with validity in the anxiety component t260=21.32 and depression t260=23.41 and reliability in the anxiety component r=0.75 and depression r=0.71), the scale of the practice of religious beliefs (Mabad) (reliability confirmed with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 91.0 and criterion-related validity coefficient of .0.84) and Palutzian Ellison's spiritual well-being (validity confirmed by content validity and reliability with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.89). Data were analyzed with the help of Stata 14 statistical software at the significance level of P<0.05. Independent T-test and ANOVA tests were used to compare quantitative scores between study groups, and the Chi-square test was used to compare the frequency of qualitative variables between groups. The relationship between the variables was measured by Pearson's correlation coefficient test.
Results: Findings: The average age of the participants was 57.82±14.0 and 33.33% of the sample were men. The religious commitment score of the participants was in the range of 97-10 with an average of 63.73±19.10 (high commitment level). 23% of participants had low religious commitment and 77% had high religious commitment. The religious well-being score of the participants was in the range of 60-34 with an average of 55.28±6.38 and the existential well-being score of the participants was in the range of 60-13 with an average of 43.07±11.24. Also, the spiritual well-being score of the participants was at the average level with a range of 120-54 and an average of 98.35±14.54. 51% of the participants had average spiritual well-being and 49% had high spiritual well-being. The hospital anxiety score of the participants was in the range of 0-21 with an average of 8.23±5.67 (at the level of mild anxiety). 44.2% of the participants had no anxiety, 16% had mild anxiety, 19.2% had moderate anxiety, and 20.5% had severe anxiety. The hospital depression score of the participants was in the range of 0-21 with an average of 7.35±5.06 (at the level of mild depression). 46.4% of the participants had no depression, 14.6% had mild depression, 12.1% had moderate depression, and 26.7% had severe depression. A negative correlation was found between the severity of spiritual well-being and the severity of depression with a Pearson coefficient of -0.62 (P<0.001) and the severity of anxiety (-0.48, P<0.001). The relationship between the intensity of religious commitment with the intensity of anxiety (P=0.87) and the intensity of depression (P=0.12) was not significant.
Conclusion: Considering the reduction of anxiety and depression scores in samples with higher spiritual well-being scores, it is recommended to focus more on improving the spiritual well-being level of CAD patients by medical staff, as well as group training programs and spiritual self-care training programs after discharge. Follow. Psychotherapy sessions with a spiritual approach can also be useful.