Schools In Tehran Research Articles

Evaluation of occupational and non-occupational risk factors associated with carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders are very prevalent among dentists. Of these disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is notable. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the occupational and non-occupational risk factors and CTS among dentists. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study. We evaluated 106 dentists from dental schools in Tehran. We collected data by a general questionnaire, a hand diagram, and physical examination. A nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test was used to confirm the diagnosis of CTS. The analysis was performed using an independent T-test and logistic regressions on SPSS software. RESULTS: The prevalence of CTS among dentists was 17.9%. Significant risk factors of CTS included: vibration exposure greater than two hours per day (OR: 2.5), a wrist diameter ratio of greater than 0.7 (OR: 10.14), and female sex (OR: 13.38). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to the hand-arm vibration should be considered as an occupational risk factor for CTS in dentists. Female dentists should take more preventive measures.

The relationship between thyroid function tests and sleep quality: cross-sectional study.

IntroductionThe relationship between sleep and hormones have long been recognized. Studies indicated that sleep quality is one of the major modulatory effects on the endocrine system. In this study, we aimed to assess the serum concentration of thyroid hormones in individuals who suffered from low quality sleep.Material and MethodsBased on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and ISMA Stress questionnaire, we divided 83 participants into two groups. Forty-one individuals with low quality sleep group and 42 with good quality sleep group, all from the male students of a medical school in Tehran, Iran, participated in this descriptive and cross-sectional study. Then, serum levels of thyroid hormones including free T3, free T4, and TSH were assessed and compared between two groups.ResultsThere were a significant increase in serum levels of FT4 (p=0.01) and TSH (p=0.02). There were also meaningful correlations between sleep score and stress score (p=0.008) as well as stress score and FT4 (p=0.03) in the case group.ConclusionsThe current study showed that thyroid function tests (T4 and TSH) significantly rose in the poor sleep condition. We also found correlations between sleep score, stress score, and FT4 in the poor sleep condition group that suggest low sleep quality can affect thyroid hormones.

Evaluating Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Stuttering Using the Persian Version of the Teacher’s Attitudes Towards Stuttering Inventory

Introduction: The attitude of teachers is effective in improving the quality of life and academic achievement of students with stuttering. The Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Stuttering (TATS) inventory is a tool for evaluating teachers’ opinions and attitudes toward stuttering. The purpose of this study is to validate the Persian version of the TATS (TATS-Persian) and a preliminary study of the attitude of elementary teachers towards stuttering.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, which is of validation and instrumentation type, 32 teachers from elementary schools in Tehran were recruited by the available sampling method. To examine the content validity of TATS-Persian, 12 teachers were surveyed, and for the test-retest reliability of it, 12 teachers re-completed the TATS-Persian after one week. The statistical methods included the Cronbach alpha coefficient calculation and the Spearman correlation test.Results: The content validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of TATS-Persian were 0.92, 0.93, 0.96, respectively. The Mean±SD scores of teacher’s attitudes were 78.09 ±11.9. Also, the teachers’ attitudes score had a significant positive correlation with the number of stuttering students experienced in their teaching history.Conclusion: The Persian version of the TATS inventory is a valid and simple tool for evaluating teachers’ attitudes toward stuttering.

A motivational response to the inefficiency of teachers’ practices towards students with learned helplessness

The purpose of this study was to examine learned helplessness (LH) experienced by junior secondary students in English language learning classes in Iranian public schools. Through administering the Learned Helplessness Scale (LHS) and the Student Behavior Checklist (SBC) to 126 students in a public school in Tehran, we identified 44 students with LH characteristics. The sample was randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. By taking a motivational approach utilizing Dörnyei’s motivational strategies and supportive feedback in teaching English for a semester, positive results were found in minimizing LH symptoms and enhancing the experimental group’s academic performance. It became clear that teachers and their practices are prominent factors in promoting or alleviating LH symptoms and behavior. Also, we examined the unresponsive cases in the experimental group and possible causes for their persistent symptoms. The effects of the motivational intervention on students’ performance were verified through covariate analysis. Further implications have been discussed.

A Comparative Study of Two Ways of Presentation of Listening Assessment: Moving towards Internet-based Assessment

Despite the theoretical importance of internet-based assessment, there is a paucity of experimental research into it. The present study, as an experimental study, is an attempt to compare internet-based and paper-based assessment of listening comprehension for secondary students. In so doing, 36 male students who were studying English language at a secondary school in Tehran participated in this study. The students were divided into two groups: one control group which was exposed to paper-based assessment and one experimental group which was exposed to internet-based assessment developed by the researchers providing the students with the listening quizzes and tests and guidelines including assessment techniques such as leading questions and hints. Following the treatment which lasted for fifteen sessions, the results of the one-way ANCOVA confirmed that there was a significant difference between the two groups on post-test scores on the listening test. Indeed, internet-based group outperformed paper-based group in their listening scores. Having examined the significant difference between the students’ scores in internet-based assessment obtained from Time 1, Time 2 and Time 3, as measured by the ANOVA, the results indicated that there were statistically significant differences at the p<.05 level in students’ scores for the three sets of scores.

The Impact of Bybee and Synectics Models on Creativity, Creative Problem-solving, and Students’ Performance in Geometry 27 08 2019

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Bybee and Synectics on creativity, creative problem-solving, and performance of ninth-grade students in geometry. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test, and control group. From the entire population of the ninth-grade female students of public high schools in Tehran, three intact classrooms were selected by the cluster sampling method, each consisting of 30 students. Then, two classes were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. In addition, research instruments included Abedi’s creativity test, Basadur’s problem-solving creative test, and a researcher-made geometry test .In order to collect data, at first, pre-tests of performance, creativity and creative solution were performed on the subjects. After performing the patterns in the groups, post-tests of performance, creativity and creative solution were performed on the subjects. Finally, descriptive (the mean and standard deviation) and inferential ANCOVA statistics were used to analyze the data by SPSS software. The findings indicated that using the patterns of Bybee and Synectics on students’ creativity, creative problem-solving, and performance in geometry were significantly more influential compared to traditional teaching methods .The use of educational patterns appropriate to the educational content will lead to the training of creative people.

Modeling Structural Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support and Quality of Work Life Among Secondary School Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

Teachers’ quality of work life (QWL) is an umbrella concept that refers to the degree of satisfaction a teacher experiences with respect to his or her job and the overall work situations which are influenced by three factors of organizational support including participation in decision making, fairness of rewards, and growth opportunity. The present study examined the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and QWL among secondary school teachers of English as a foreign language. To this end, employing a descriptive correlational method, the researchers selected a number of 173 male and female teachers who were selected via probability multistage cluster sampling from among a population which consisted of EFL teachers at secondary schools in Tehran (N=1826), Iran. Data collection instruments included an attitude survey based on Allen, Armstrong, Reid, and Riemenschneider (2008) model of POS as well as Walton’s (1973) QWL questionnaire. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. The relationship between POS and QWL was found to be .71. In other words, the three dimensions of POS could affect the QWL by 71 percent. More specifically, the three dimensions of participation in decision making with 21.4, fairness of rewards with 24.7, and growth opportunity with 64.1 percent could be used to predict the QWL. These findings are important in that they demonstrate that POS is significantly related to the QWL of EFL teachers which can in turn significantly affect the performance of these teachers at schools.

The mediating role of self-compassion in relation between cognitive schemas of parents and happiness of children in students of first period of high school in Tehran

The mediating role of self-compassion in relation between cognitive schemas of parents and happiness of children in students of first period of high school in Tehran

The Effect of Daily in-School Sleep Program on Educational Performance among High School Students

Background and Objective: Sleep is one of the important factors in the quality of brain function. In particular, the function of the person, learning, memory, concentration, and the potential of the individual are closely related to sleep. With regard to age and physiological changes, the average sleep time among adolescents is low. In this study, the effect of a daily nap on the promotion of academic performance of high school adolescents in Tehran, Iran, has been assessed. Materials and Methods: In this research, 56 high school students from one of Tehran's schools with an average age of 15.3 years were volunteered. Students went to the school hall after finishing classes in the morning at 12:10, and it was 50 minutes when they were considered for their sleep. Students informed researchers with a questionnaire on the educa-tional activities outside the school. Results: The participants showed to have an average of 2059.50 minutes after-school activity during the 2 weeks preced-ing the intervention, which reached 2388.11 minutes after the implementation of the in-school sleep program. This time was significantly higher than after-school activity time before intervention. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, there is a significant positive correlation between daytime napping and the capacity of after-school activity in adolescents. More investigation about installing in-school sleep programs for improving educational performance in adolescents is recommended.

Applying Cooperative and Individual Offline Planning in Speaking Classes: A Comparison of Impulsive and Reflective EFL Learners

This study investigated the effect of two different types of offline planning, namely cooperative and individual, on the oral proficiency of impulsive and reflective EFL learners. Accordingly, 114 intermediate learners studying at a private language school in Tehran were chosen nonrandomly through their performance on a Preliminary English Test (PET). The participants also filled out the Eysenck and Eysenck’s (1991) Impulsiveness Questionnaire (EIQ) through which they were categorized into two subgroups within each offline planning setting consisting of impulsive and reflective learners. All in all, there were four subgroups: 28 impulsive and 28 reflective learners undergoing the cooperative offline planning treatment, and 32 impulsive and 26 reflective learners experiencing the individual offline planning treatment. Following the 14-session treatment, the mean scores of all four groups on the speaking posttest were computed and a two-way ANOVA was run to test all the four hypotheses raised in the study. The results revealed that the effect of offline planning to a great degree depends on the cognitive learning style of the learners: while impulsive learners benefit more from cooperative offline planning, reflective ones prefer to perform the task individually.

The Effectiveness of Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy on Cognitive Functions (Working Memory, Concentration, and Attention) of Adolescents Living in Boarding Schools

Background: Cognitive rehabilitation is a way to restore lost cognitive capacities. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation therapy on cognitive functions (working memory, concentration, and attention) of adolescents living in boarding schools in Tehran. Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental research with pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population includes all adolescents living in welfare boarding schools in the age group was 15 to 18 years old, and they were in Tehran in 2018. Out of 100 people, 60 people who had problems in the mentioned variables were randomly selected, and randomly divided into two groups of 30 people. The first group underwent eight individual sessions of cognitive rehabilitation therapy (by NBK software), and the second group, as a control group, did not receive any treatment. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance and Spss.22 software. Results: The results showed that the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation therapy was effective on cognitive functions (working memory, concentration, and attention) of adolescents (P<0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that cognitive rehabilitation can successfully affect numerous aspects of cognitive functions, while numerous medical therapies may be required to treat each mere aspect. Further evaluations are strongly recommended.

Dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) score and obesity phenotypes in children and adolescents

BackgroundThe prevalence of obesity and its two important phenotypes, the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and the metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) are 10.9, 9.1, and 1.8%, respectively, among children and adolescents in Iran. Data on the link between diet quality indices and obesity phenotypes in children and adolescents is scarce. The present study aimed to assess the association of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score with MHO and MUO, as well as with cardiometabolic risk factors (RFs) in children and adolescents with excess weight.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 341 children and adolescents with excess weight aged 6–13 years, selected from primary schools of Tehran. The DASH score was determined based on eight components using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric measures, insulin, fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile, and physical activity levels were collected. MUO was classified based on two definitions: having 2 or more cardiometabolic RFs, or being insulin resistant determined by a homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) ≥ 3.16. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for MUO phenotypes and cardiometabolic RFs in each tertile of the DASH score after adjustment for confounders.ResultsThe mean ± SD for age and DASH score was 9.3 ± 1.7 years and 24.0 ± 4.9, respectively. The prevalence of MUO was 62.2% based on RFs, and 43.4% based on HOMA-IR. Participants in the highest tertile of the DASH score had significantly decreased odds for MUO based on HOMA-IR (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.28–0.87) compared with those in the lowest tertile, after adjustment for confounders. However, there were no associations between the DASH score and any of cardiometabolic RFs, or MUO based on RFs (OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.38–1.20).ConclusionThe DASH score was inversely associated with MUO based on HOMA-IR, but not associated with MUO based on cardiometabolic RFs in this sample of children and adolescents. A DASH-style diet may have favourable effects on insulin sensitivity among children and adolescents with excess weight. Universal definitions for MHO/MUO are required, and longitudinal studies recommended to shed light upon this subject.

Comparison of the effectiveness of GOD oriented multidimensional spiritual parenting and positive parenting on mothers with high stress

Background and Objective: Today, the connection between spirituality, religion, and parenting are unquestionable. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of God's spiritual oriented multidimensional parenting and positive parenting on mothers with high stress. Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental study. The statistical population was all mothers of 8-11-year-old boys and girls who were studying in schools of Tehran, 15th district in the academic year of 2016-2017; among the mothers of these students, 30 were selected by convenient sampling method and were randomly assigned to three experimental and control groups (15 each). Subjects in the multidimensional spiritual-religious parenting experimental group (12 sessions of 120 minutes) and the positive parenting group (10 sessions of 120 minutes) were trained weekly and the control group received no training. The results were analyzed using an Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Based on the results, the mean and standard deviation of the age of mothers spiritual multidimensional parenting group (M = 34.2; SD = 3.19); the positive parenting group (M = 33.8; SD = 7.14); and the control group were equal (M = 36.3; SD = 6.16). parental satisfaction (P <0.001, F = 10.66), parenting style (P <0.01, F = 5.19), and parental self-efficacy (P <0.05). F= 3/70), in God's spiritual oriented multidimensional parenting group is significantly higher than the scores of the positive parenting group and the control group (P <0.05). Conclusion: According to recent research and that achieving spiritual transformation and growth can facilitate the mental and physical health of mothers and children. The role of parents in moderating children's development, especially children's spiritual development, needs more attention.

Skills-Based Education for Promoting Healthy Diet Among Female Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Poor dietary habits among adolescents could cause serious health conditions in adulthood. Skill-based health education seems to be more effective than structured educational methods in increasing knowledge, changing attitudes, and improving dietary behavior among adolescents. This study aimed to assess the effects of a skills-based healthy diet education program on female adolescents' dietary knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. This was a randomized trial study on 80 female students of two randomly selected public female high schools in Tehran, Iran. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention and a control group. The intervention group underwent a skills-based educational program and the control group educated by a conventional lecture method. The demographic questionnaires were completed before the intervention and the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) questionnaires were completed three times: before, immediately after, and two months following the interventions. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21 and Repeated Measure ANOVA (RMANOVA), t-test, Mann–Whitney, Fishers exact test, and Chi Square. The knowledge increased significantly in both groups after the educational programs (p < .001). The behaviors were significantly improved only in the skills-based-education group after the intervention (p < .001). In both follow-up phases, knowledge and behaviors were significantly higher in the intervention group comparing to the control group (p < .05). Skills-based health education is more effective than routine lecture method on dietary behaviors of female adolescent. Therefore, these methods are recommended for promoting of healthy dietary behaviors. Trial Registration IRCT201311278801N6, 2013, Iranian registry of Clinical Trial.

Situational Modulation of Emotion Recognition Abilities in Children With Secure and Insecure Attachment: The Role of Gender

Objective: Considering the role of attachment in the emotional development of children, the purpose of this study was to test the situational modulation of emotion recognition in children with secure/insecure attachment with regard to gender in Iranian students. Methods: this casual comparative study was done on a pool of 200 students aged 7-9 years from elementary schools of Tehran, Iran. The participants completed the Middle Childhood Attachment Scale (MCSA), of whom 60 children were assigned to two groups based on their scores on MCAS (secure vs. insecure). They read stories developed to manipulate the attachment schema, and after each story, they were tested for emotion recognition abilities (classification and intensity rating). Happy, sad, angry, and fearful faces were presented and reaction time was recorded using the AFFECT4.0 software. Results: All children irrespective of attachment style, were faster in the identification of others’ emotional expressions in attachment situations than in a neutral situation. Boys made more errors in attachment situations than in the neutral situation, while for girls it did not differ. Among children with secure attachment, boys were faster than girls in recognition of emotion. Conclusion: In terms of attachment theory, attachment styles could have an important impact on the development process of the child’s emotional skills.

Academic Hardiness as a Moderator between Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism and Academic Procrastination in Students

Academic procrastination is a common phenomenon in students that can have a negative impact on effective learning, academic achievement, self-esteem, and quality of life. This study examined the associations among the two dimensions of perfectionism (personal standards perfectionism and evaluative concerns perfectionism), academic hardiness, and academic procrastination, as well as the moderating role of academic hardiness in the relationship between the two dimensions of perfectionism and academic procrastination. Participants of this study included 410 high school students in grades 9 to 12 from six schools in Tehran, Iran who completed the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, the Academic Hardiness Scale, and the Procrastination Assessment Scale. The results indicated that personal standards perfectionism and academic hardiness had negative relationships with academic procrastination, whereas evaluative concerns perfectionism had a positive relationship with academic procrastination. Interaction-moderation analysis demonstrated that academic hardiness only played a buffering role in the relationship between evaluative concerns perfectionism and academic procrastination. The results of this study elucidate the experience of academic procrastination in students and highlight the role of academic hardiness and personal standards perfectionism. Implications for educators and psychologists are discussed.

Emotional intelligence: Quality of life and cognitive emotion regulation of deaf and hard-of-hearing adolescents

ABSTRACT There is a growing interest in the quality of life and cognitive emotion regulation of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) adolescents. Hence, the present study examined the effects of emotional intelligence training on quality of life and cognitive emotion regulation of DHH adolescents. The participants were 36 female DHH adolescents aged 16–20 years who were selected by a cluster random sampling method. Initially, two schools were randomly selected from DHH schools in Tehran, Iran. Subjects were selected from these schools and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 18) and control (n = 18) groups. The experimental group participated in emotional intelligence training programme for 12 sessions. The intervention was implemented for 45 min a day over six weeks. All participants completed the Youth Quality of Life Instrument–Deaf and Hard of Hearing Module (YQOL–DHH) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-short). Data were analysed by Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA). The results indicated that emotional intelligence intervention significantly influenced the quality of life and cognitive emotion regulation in DHH adolescents. The findings of this research suggest that emotional intelligence training might result in effective and positive outcomes and might play a critical role in the quality of life and emotions regulation of DHH adolescents.

The Effect of an Anger Control Training Program on Resilience, Hardiness and General Health of School Girls

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an anger control training program on resilience, hardiness and general health of school girls. Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test, follow-up design using control group. The study population consisted of all female students of technical vocational schools in Tehran, Iran (district 13) in 2017. Of these, 60 were selected using a convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n=40) and control (n=20) groups. The instruments were State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Kobasa’s Hardiness Scale, 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The anger control training was presented in 12 sessions, one session per week. Collected data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS v. 24. Results The anger control training program could significantly reduce the amount of anger and increased the levels of resilience, hardiness and general health in the intervention group compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Psychoeducational interventions such as anger control training can improve the mental health of school girls. © 2020, Iran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.

Developing the Persian Version of Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (Original and Short Form) and Assessing Its Psychometric Properties

Objectives This study aimed to develop and validate the Persian version of original and short forms of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C) and evaluates its psychometric properties. Methods The is a cross-sectional study conducted on male and female students of public elementary and secondary schools in Tehran, Iran in the academic year 2017-2018. The samples were 412 students (56.8 female) selected using cluster sampling method. The data collection tools included PANAS-C,Emotion Regulation Questionnaire For Children And Adolescents (ERQ-CA), Children�s Depression Inventory (CDI) and Spence Children�s Anxiety Scale (SCAS). Data analysis were performed in SPSS v.20 using descriptive and inferential statistics (exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach�s alpha and Pearson correlation test). Results The factor analysis revealed that the two factors (Positive and Negative Affect) for original and short forms of PANAS-C. Cronbach�s alpha for the total items of original and short forms were 0.85 and 0.81, respectively Moreover, the correlation of positive and negative affects with reappraisal and suppression strategies, anxiety disorders (except obsessive-compulsive) and depression was significant (P=0.01, and 005). Conclusion The Persian version of both original and short forms of PANAS-C had good psychometric properties and it can be used for research and evaluation of positive and negative affect in Iranian children and adolescents. © 2020, Iran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Co-Rumination Questionnaire

Background: Although growing studies support features of co-rumination as a vulnerability factor in internalizing symptoms and positive factor in friendship, little attention has been paid to the psychometric properties of the Co-Rumination Questionnaire (CRQ). Objectives: This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of this questionnaire. Methods: This research is a descriptive-exploratory study and 550 high school students who were selected by random cluster sampling from schools in Tehran. They completed CRQ, Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II), and ruminative response scale (RRS) from winter 2014 to summer 2015. Construct validity, internal consistency reliability, and factor structure were investigated. Results: The factor analysis identified two interpretable factors with the eigenvalue higher than 2. The results from concurrent validity measurement in the current study showed that co-rumination has a positive correlation with depression signs (P &lt; 0.01) and rumination response style (P &lt; 0.01). The CRQ validity was determined using the half-split method employing Spearman-Brown (0.82) and Guttman correlation test (0.81) and internal consistency (0.90). According to these values, this questionnaire has acceptable internal consistency reliability. Conclusions: The Persian version of CRQ has reliability and validity for assessing co-rumination among adolescent participants. This study provides primary evidence on the applicability of the Persian version of the CRQ in the Iranian population.