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Background and Objective: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disturbance of colonic function characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating and abnormal bowel function, resulting in episodes of chronic diarrhea, chronic constipation, or both in alternation. It affects approximately 3 to 20 percent of the population. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Irritable bowel syndrome among the high school pupile in Gorgan, in North of Iran. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross sectional study, data was collected by clustering, quota and randomized sampling. 1080, 15-19 years old male and female high school pupiles, residing in Gorgan participated in the survey during 2007. The data collection tool was a demographic questionnaire and standard Rome-II criteria. Results: 1063 pupiles completed the questionnaire. The Irritable bowel syndrome prevalence according to Rome-II was 5.7%. The relation between ethnicity and Irritable bowel syndrome was significant (P<0.05). The rate of Irritable bowel syndrome was higher among the Turkmen students. There was no significant relation between Irritable bowel syndrome prevalence with gender, age and family income. Conclusion: This study showed that irritable bowel syndrome prevalence in this area is nearly similar to that reported in national studies in western Iran as well as with Asian countries.

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Background and Objective: The painful menstruation is one of the common disorders of ‎female sexual organ which is experienced by almost fifty percent of the women affected ‎by regular menstrual periods. The primary dysmenorrhea is referred to as the ‎menstrual pain in absence of undetectable pelvic disease which occurs usually during 2 years after first menstruation when ovulation is established. This study was done to investigate the effect of heat and vibration on primary dysmenorrhea. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial study carried out on 75 female students, aged 18-22 years old from Islamic Azad ‎University. Each subject evaluated for two menstrual cycles. At first cycle the participants received the routine pain-relief method. During the second cycle each of them applied combined heat-vibration device for ten minutes during ‎menstrual pain. Data collected using ‎questionnaire and pain visual analog scale and analyzed using SPSS-14, t student and Wilcoxon tests. Results: In contols, pain score was 5.34 and 4.09 prior and after routine intervertion, respectively (P<0.001). Also, in cases pain score significantly reduced from 5.34 to 3.44 after intervention by heat and vibration. In 8% of cases a slight redness was observed. Conclusion: This study showed that heat and vibration is more effective than routine intervention in pain during menstrual cycles.

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Background and Objective: Dyspnea is the main cause of hospitalization of patients with heart failure and it is often associated with anxiety. This study was conducted to determine the effect of Chamomile tea on the severity of dyspnea and anxiety in patients with chronic heart failure.
Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 60 patients with chronic heart failure in an outpatient clinic of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Iran during 2014. Patients were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Subjects in intervention group consumed Chamomile tea for 4 weeks. Oxygen cost diagram (OCD) and Beck anxiety inventory were recorded for each subject.
Results: The mean of severity of dyspnea in the intervention and control groups was 16.66±5.76 and 29.43±13.1, respectively (P<0.05). The mean anxiety severity in the intervention and control groups was 12.07±1.1 and 6.7±6.2, 20, respectively (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Chamomile tea can reduces the severity of dyspnea and anxiety in patients with chronic heart failure.

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Background and Objective: Parents of children with autism have difficulty in their daily activities and social relationships and have a low quality of life. The negative effect of having a low intelligence or disabled child is more likely to cause tension and pressure on mother than the other family members. This study was conducted to determine the quality of life of mothers with autism children compared to mothers with normal children.
Methods: This case-control study was performed on 36 mothers with autistic child and 114 mothers with healthy children in Gorgan (Iran) during 2015. Sampling was done randomly and the data gathering tool was SF-36 quality of life standard questionnaire.
Results: The quality of life of mothers with autistic child had a significant reduction in comparison with the quality of life of mothers with healthy child (P<0.05). Also, items of quality of life including  general health, social function, and role limitation due to psychological, emotional and physical functioning in the group of mothers with autistic children were significantly lower than mothers with healthy ones (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Mothers with autistic children had low quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended to design suitable programs for improving the health status and quality of life as a priority of health care plans.

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Background and Objective: Cancer can cause many problems in all aspects of the physical, mental, social, economic and family life of the elderly patients. This study was done to determine the supportive care needs of the elderly people with cancer in north of Iran.
Methods: This descriptive- analytical study was carried out on 248 elderly patients with cancer whom referred to governmental and private medical centers in Gorgan, Northern Iran during 2018. Data were collected by a valid and reliable questionnaire "Supportive Care Needs Survey-SCNS" consisted of five domains of physical needs and daily functioning, health system and information, supportive and care, mental, and sexual chracteristics.
Results: There was a significant relationship between physical activity and daily functioning, sexual domain, support and care, health and information system with gender (P<0.05). Female seniors were more in need of assistance in the areas of physical and daily functioning, and male seniors in the areas of sex, support and care, health systems, and information.
Conclusion: This study showed that unmet needs in the elderly with cancer are particularly high in physical and functional areas.

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Background and Objective: Unhealthy lifestyle is the main cause of morbidity, mortality and preventable complications in the elderly. Performing health promotion behaviors are one of the most effective factors in maintaining and improving health. This study was done to determine the health promotion lifestyles in the elderly people.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 110 elderly people aged 60-88 years referred to teaching and medical centers in Gorgan, north of Iran during 2019. Data was collected using Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile 2 (HPLP-II) questionnaire. This questionnaire includes six dimensions of spiritual growth, responsibility for health, interpersonal relationships, stress management, physical activity and nutrition for evaluation health promotion behaviors status. The total score range of the instrument ranges from 52 to 208. A score of 52-103 was considered low level of compliance with health promotion behaviors and a score of 104-155 and scores above 156 was considered intermediate and high level, respectively.
Results: The mean±SD of health promotion lifestyle was 143.52±17.36. There was a significant relationship between lifestyle and demographic characteristics (P<0.05). Spiritual growth and interpersonal relationships had the highest score among the six dimensions of health promotion behaviors.
Conclusion: Health promotion lifestyle in the elderly was low in terms of physical activity and stress management.

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Background and Objective: Writing about emotions and emotional disturbances, improve the performance of an autonomous system, immune system and physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of narrative writing on stress intensity of attendants’ patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs).
Methods: This single blind clinical study was done on 106 attendants’ of adult patients hospitalized in ICUs of Babol city in northern Iran. The patients' attendants were divided into two groups of 53 controls and intervention. Data were collected using stress (DASS21) questionnaire. Intervention was writing narration about feelings, thoughts and experiences related to the hospitalized patient and ICU in a notebook as daily for seven days in the intervention group.
Results: The mean and standard deviation of overall stress intensity following intervention were significantly reduced in the intervention group in comparison with controls (P<0.05) (22.64±7.89 versus 17.15± 8.2). There was significant relationship between intervention and control groups in three areas of stress, anxiety and depression (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Narrative writing reduces the severity of stress in attendants’ patients in ICUs.

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Background and Objective: The psychological experience of mental pain can lead to distress similar to that caused by actual injury or trauma. As such, it poses a life-threatening consequence for chronic patients, although it is rarely assessed and treated in clinical settings. One of the diseases associated with high levels of physical and mental pain is the rare disorder neurofibromatosis. This study aimed to evaluate mental pain in patients with neurofibromatosis and its association with disease severity.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 207 patients with neurofibromatosis who were members of the Iranian Neurofibromatosis Support Association during 2023. Data collection tools included a demographic and clinical information registration form and the Orbach and Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale (OMMP), which comprises 44 items and 6 subscales, with a scoring range from 44 to 220.
Results: The total mental pain score was 121.15±42.41, with a range of 44 to 206. The total mental pain scores for men and women were 123.67±38.98 and 120.31±43.58, respectively. The "confusion" subscale had the highest average score, while the "fear of loneliness" subscale had the lowest average score. There was a statistically significant association between the total mental pain score and its subscales with the severity of the disease and the patient's educational level (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The mental pain scores of patients with neurofibromatosis were evaluated to be relatively unfavorable.