The aim of this study was to screen for and estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in Kazeroon, Iran. In November 2007, multistage cluster sampling was employed to recruit 702 women to participate in the study. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed. The prevalence of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse against women was 43.7%, 82.6%, and 30.9%, respectively, and there was a significant relationship between IPV and family income, education level, and level of religious commitment in both women and husbands. The study suggests that major strategies for prevention of IPV are empowering women and improving their status in the society by promoting of sexual equality in all rights, especially in employment and education.

The WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index and Lequesne Algofunctional Index have not been translated and validated for Iranian patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee or hip. The aim of this study was to validate the Persian form of WOMAC OA Index and Lequesne Algofunctional Index and to assess their test-retest reliability and convergent validity. Forward/backward translations and consensus panels were conducted to obtain the Persian versions of WOMAC OA Index and Lequesne Algofunctional Index. A non-probability sample of 116 patients with knee/hip osteoarthritis was asked to complete the WOMAC OA Index and Lequesne Algofunctional Index as well as Medical Outcomes Study-20-Item Short Form (SF-20) questionnaires, a visual analogue scales (VAS) of pain and demographic information form. Internal consistency (using Cronbach's alpha) and convergent validity (by examining the Pearson's correlation coefficients) were evaluated to determine the psychometric properties of the questionnaires. In order to evaluate test-retest reliability, 20 randomly selected patients completed the questionnaires, on a second occasion, 7-10 days later. Cronbach's alpha coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients for the WOMAC OA Index and Algofunctional Index subscales ranged from 0.63 to 0.94 and from 0.53 to 0.96, respectively. Statistically significant correlations were found between WOMAC OA Index, Algofunctional Index and SF-20 subscales and VAS for pain. The Persian version of WOMAC demonstrated a more acceptable validity, internal consistency and reliability compared with the Lequesne Algofunctional Index. However, both indices are valid and reliable instruments for evaluating the OA severity of knee/hip in Iran.

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This paper reports on the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) as well as individual, socioeconomic, and family function characteristics associated with IPV among women attending public health services in Marivan County, Iran. Multistage cluster sampling was employed to recruit 770 women to participate in the study. This descriptive, cross-sectional study took place from May to November 2009. The majority of the women (79.7 %) had experienced psychological IPV, followed by physical IPV (60 %) and sexual IPV (32.9 %). There was a positive significant relationship between IPV and education level of women and the level of religious commitment in both women and spouses. Spouse's smoking, addiction to drugs, mental illness, and weakness in religious persuasion were statistically significant predictors of IPVand accounted for 36 % of the variation. This correlational study suggests that educational programs regarding these risk factors and their associations with the outcome of IPV should be designed by healthcare providers and implemented not only in healthcare facilities, but presented from local media. Public health services and healthcare facilities can play an important role in the detection of IPV and improve responses to victims by establishing education centers and informing women of the best ways they can confront this deleterious problem.

Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness 2, 32-40 Utilising the PRECEDE model to predict factors related to self-care behaviours in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Yazd (Iran) Aim. To explore the influences of predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors on rheumatoid arthritis patients' self-care behaviour. Design and methods. A non-probability sample of 181 outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis, referring to a rheumatology clinic in the city of Yazd in central Iran, participated in the study. Appropriate instruments were designed to measure the variables of interest (predisposing, reinforcing and enabling factors along with selfcare behaviours). Reliability and validity of the instruments were examined and approved.Results. Attitude and self-efficacy, as predisposing factors, were related to self-care behaviour of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Social support as a reinforcing factor and also enabling factors showed significant relationship with self-care behaviour. All of PRECEDE variables were statistically significant predictors of self-care behaviour and accounted for 44AE3% of the variation. 32Ó 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation Ó 2010 Blackwell Publishing LtdConclusions. It was concluded that the PRECEDE model may be used in developing countries, like Iran, as a framework for planning intervention programmes in an attempt to improve the self-care behaviours of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Relevance to clinical practice. In order to promote self-care behaviours of RA patients, it is worth focusing on predisposing and enabling factors by developing stage-specific intervention programmes based on the PRECEDE model.