Relationship between Spiritual Health and Quality of Life in Patients with Cancer

Mohebbifar, Rafat,Pakpour, Amir H,Nahvijou, Azin,Sadeghi, Atefeh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.16

As the essence of health in humans, spiritual health is a fundamental concept for discussing chronic diseases such as cancer and a major approach for improving quality of life in patients is through creating meaningfulness and purpose. The present descriptive analytical study was conducted to assess the relationship between spiritual health and quality of life in 210 patients with cancer admitted to the Cancer Institute of Iran, selected through convenience sampling in 2014. Data were collected using Spiritual Health Questionnaire and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ). Patients' performance was assessed through the Karnofsky Performance Status Indicator and their cognitive status through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Data were analyzed in SPSS-16 using descriptive statistics and stepwise linear regression. The results obtained reported the mean and standard deviation of the patients' spiritual health scoreas $78.4{\pm}16.1$ and the mean and standard deviation of their quality of life score as $58.1{\pm}18.7$. The stepwise linear regression analysis confirmed a positive and significant relationship between spiritual health and quality of life in patients with cancer (${\beta}$=0.688 and r=0.00). The results of the study show that spiritual health should be more emphasized and reinforced as a factor involved in improving quality of life in patients with cancer. Designing care therapies and spiritual interventions is a priority in the treatment of these patients.

Assessing the EORTC QLQ-BM22 Module Using Rasch Modeling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis across Countries: a Comprehensive Psychometric Evaluation in Patients with Bone Metastases

Lin, Chung-Ying,Pakpour, Amir H Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.3

Background: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Bone Metastases Module (EORTC QLQ-BM22) is a recently designed supplement to EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Additional psychometric properties, especially using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the Rasch model, are warranted. Materials and Methods: A total of 573 patients with bone metastases were enrolled from eight countries with a mean${\pm}$SD age of $55.8{\pm}13.7years$. Slightly more than two thirds of them were female (n=383; 66.8%). CFA was used to examine the BM22 framework; Rasch models were applied to understand misfit items and differential item functioning (DIF). Results: The fit indices were satisfactory in CFA (comparative fit index=0.972, Tucker-Lewis index=0.964, root mean square error of approximation=0.076, and standardized root mean square residual=0.045). All items fit well in the Rasch models (mean square values were between 0.5 and 1.5), and only one item (number 17) displayed DIF across gender. However, there were six DIF items across Canada and Taiwan, ten across Canada and Iran, and six across Taiwan and Iran. Conclusions: The BM22 has satisfactory psychometric properties, and could assess the QoL of patients with bone metastases specifically focusing on their symptoms. Clinicians may want to use it to capture the underlying QoL for patients with bone metastases. However, the score of item 17 should be interpreted with caution when comparing male and female patients. In addition, researchers should note that variation in DIF items may occur when conducting an international study.

Reliability and Validity of an Iranian Version of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire for Patients with Multiple Myeloma: the EORTC QLQ-MY20

Ahmadzadeh, Ahmad,Yekaninejad, Mir Saeed,Saffari, Mohsen,Pakpour, Amir H,Aaronson, Neil K Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.1

Background: Reliable and validated instruments are needed in order to study the quality of life in myeloma patients. This study aimed to translate and explore the psychometric properties of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) myeloma module (QLQ-MY20) in Iranian patients. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and fifteen patients with multiple myeloma (MM) were recruited from Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran. A standard forward-backward translation procedure was implemented. Participating patients were asked to complete the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-MY20 three times, at study entry, after two weeks, and again after three months. Data were tested for the range of measurement, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, known group comparison, responsiveness and factor structure. Results: Mean age of the patients was 60.7 years. No floor and ceiling effects were seen for the QLQ-MY20. Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ was greater than 0.80 for all three multi-item scales (ranging from 0.82 to 0.93). All four scales had test-retest reliability of 0.85 or greater. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis that the hypothesized 3-scale measurement model of the QLQ-MY20. Moreover, the Persian version for the QLQ-MY20 differentiated between subgroups of the patients in terms of beta-2 microglobulin, fracture and performance status. The responsiveness of the QLQ-MY20 to change over time was confirmed within 3 months. Conclusions: the results of our study indicate that our Iranian version of the QLQ-MY20 is a feasible, reliable and valid questionnaire for assessing the condition-specific quality of life of patients with MM.

Premature Ejaculation and Erectile Dysfunction in Iranian Prostate Cancer Patients

Lin, Chung-Ying,Burri, Andrea,Pakpour, Amir H Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.4

Background: To investigate the prevalence of premature ejaculation (PE) and erectile dysfunction (ED) in a sample of patients with prostate cancer and to determine the utility of the previously suggested cutoffs of the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) for the diagnosis of PE and that of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) for ED. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,202 men with prostate cancer were invited from urology clinics at the universities of Iran, Tehran, Qazvin, Ahvaz, Guilan and Tabriz. Clinical characteristics were collected through medical records. PE and ED diagnoses were made by trained urologists. In addition to the clinical diagnoses, PE and ED were measured through self-report using the PEDT and the IIEF-5. Questionnaire cutoff scores were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and confirmed by predictive ability using logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of PE was 63.7% and that of ED was 66.2%. Prevalences of PE decreased and that of ED increased with advanced TNM stages. According to ROC, the suggested cutoff for the PEDT to diagnose a PE was ${\geq}11$ (sensitivity=0.988, 1-specificity=0.084, and predictive ability=0.914) and ${\leq}17$ for the IIEF-5 (sensitivity=0.966, 1-specificity=0.031, and predictive ability=0.967). Conclusions: Prevalence of sexual problems was high in prostate cancer patients in Iran, therefore oncologists should take into account these potential problems when deciding on treatment modalities.

Educational Intervention Based on the Health Belief Model to Modify Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease in Police Officers in Iran: A Quasi-experimental Study

Mohsen Saffari,Hormoz Sanaeinasab,Hassan Jafarzadeh,Mojtaba Sepandi,Keisha-Gaye N. O’Garo,Harold G. Koenig,Amir H. Pakpour 대한예방의학회 2020 예방의학회지 Vol.53 No.4

Objectives: Police officers may be at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than the general population due to their high-stress occupation. This study evaluated how an educational program based on the health belief model (HBM) may protect police officers from developing CVD. Methods: In this single-group experimental study, 58 police officers in Iran participated in a 5-week intervention based on HBM principles. Outcomes included changes in scores on an HBM scale, time spent on moderate to vigorous physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), body mass index (BMI), blood lipid profile, blood glucose, and blood pressure. The intervention consisted of 5 HBM-based educational sessions. Follow-up was conducted at 3 months post-intervention. The paired t-test was used to examine differences between baseline and follow-up scores. Results: All aspects of the HBM scale improved between baseline and follow-up (p<0.05), except the cues to action subscale. Self-efficacy and preventive behaviors improved the most. BMI decreased from 26.7±2.9 kg/m2 at baseline to 25.8±2.4 kg/m2 at follow-up. All components of the lipid profile, including triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein, showed significant improvements post-intervention. Blood glucose and blood pressure also decreased, but not significantly. Nearly 25% of participants who were not physically active at baseline increased their physical activity above or beyond the healthy threshold. Conclusions: A relatively brief educational intervention based on HBM principles led to a significant improvement in CVD risk factors among police officers. Further research is needed to corroborate the effectiveness of this intervention.

Problematic Use of Internet Among Indonesia University Students: Psychometric Evaluation of Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale and Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form

Iqbal Pramukti,Ira Nurmala,Siti R. Nadhiroh,Serene En Hui Tung,Wan Ying Gan,Yan-Li Siaw,Yung-Ning Yang,Mark D. Griffiths,Chung-Ying Lin,Amir H. Pakpour 대한신경정신의학회 2023 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.20 No.12

Objective Social media addiction and internet gaming disorder may cause mental health problems among a minority of university students. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and the 9-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF) are commonly used worldwide. However, they have not been translated or validated into Indonesian. The present study aimed to translate and validate the BSMAS and IGDS9-SF in an Indonesian context among young adults.Methods A multi-center, web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 458 university students (74% female; mean age 22.5 years) in Indonesia from June to December 2021. The BSMAS and IGDS9-SF were translated into Indonesian. Internal consistency (using Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω) and factor structure (using confirmatory factor analysis) of the two instruments were examined. Concurrent validity of BSMAS and IGDS9-SF was examined using their correlations with two external concepts: nomophobia and psychological distress.Results Internal consistency of the Indonesian BSMAS and IGDS9-SF were both acceptable (Cronbach’s α=0.80 and 0.90; McDonald’s ω=0.86 and 0.92). Both instruments were unidimensional with good factor loadings (0.54–0.78 for BSMAS; 0.63–0.79 for IGDS9-SF). Moreover, BSMAS and IGDS9-SF had stronger associations with nomophobia (r=0.58 and 0.12; p<0.001) than with psychological distress (r=0.43 and 0.15; p<0.001).Conclusion The Indonesian versions of the BSMAS and IGDS9-SF had good psychometric properties in terms of linguistic validity, unidimensionality, and reliability. The findings indicate the tools are appropriate for assessing the risk of social media addiction and internet gaming disorder among university students in Indonesia.