IntroductionAn individual’s social and marital function, interpersonal relationships, and quality of life may, sometimes be affected by negative body image. This study is aimed at determining the relationship between body image and sexual function in middle-aged women.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 437 middle-aged women, who were referred to various public healthcare centers in Ahvaz, Iran during 2014–2015, were selected. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) were used for data collection. Chi-square, one-way analysis of variance, Spearman’s correlation test, and logistic regression analysis were performed for statistical analysis.ResultsApproximately 58% of the participants expressed satisfaction with their body image, 35% were mildly dissatisfied, and 7% were moderately dissatisfied with their body image. Body image had a significant negative relationship with sexual satisfaction and sexual function (p=0.005). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between body image and sexual desire (p=0.022), pain (p=0.001), sexual arousal (p<0.0005), sexual orgasm (p=0.001), and sexual satisfaction (p<0.0005).ConclusionAs the results indicated, body image is an important aspect of sexual health. In this study, women with a positive body image had higher sexual function valuation, compared to women with a negative body image. Also, body shape satisfaction was a predictor of sexual function.

The present study aimed to evaluate the relation between stress and different aspects of female sexual function and satisfaction. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 228 reproductive-age women who were referred to the public Health Centers in Ahvaz, Iran. All eligible participants were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index, and the Perceived Stress Scale. The data were analyzed using independent t test, Pearson correlation, and logistic regression. The mean score of stress was 32.9 (SD = 4.7) in the normal sexual function group and 33.3 (SD = 5.5) in the unfavorable sexual function group. There was a significant correlation between stress and sexual function score, sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, lubrication, sexual pain, and satisfaction (p <.001). Spouses' education (OR = 0.15, CI [0.02, 0.97], p =.04) and frequency of sexual intercourse per week (OR = 1.8, CI [1.3, 2.5], p <.001) had a significant relation with stress. There is a significant relation between women's perceived stress and sexual function and satisfaction. Further analytical studies are needed to show the harmful effects of stress on women's sexual activity and satisfaction.

Objective To investigate the relationship between weight gain in pregnancy and postpartum depression (PPD) in normal and overweight pregnant women. Methods The participants of this prospective cohort study were 223 healthy pregnant women with the first trimester body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 30 and the gestational age of 10-14 weeks and depressed women were excluded with Beck questionnaire in the first trimester. The evaluation included weight gain at the end of the second and third trimesters and the screening of PPD in 6-8 weeks after delivery by Edinburgh scale. Results 49 participants were excluded from the study and data from 174 people were analyzed. 32.2% of mothers were scored above 12 in the Edinburgh scale. The only variable associated with depression was the third trimester weight gain (OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.04-1.32). Conclusion In addition to considering other risk factors for postpartum depression, health care providers should consider the higher probability of PPD in prepregnancy normal and overweight women who have excessive weight gain especially in the third trimester of pregnancy.

BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to test the validity, reliability and factor structure of the original Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) for use in an Iranian population.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted on 150 women who attended four athletic gyms and met the inclusion criteria in Ahvaz city in July of 2015. After linguistic validation of the Iranian version of the MEQ, the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) were assessed by an expert panel. Then, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the scale constructs and scale reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability) was assessed with respect to the psychometric properties of the scale.ResultsThe CVR and CVI scores for the MEQ were 0.89 and 0.93, respectively. EFA loaded all 28-items with a 5-factor solution (‘awareness’, ‘distraction’, ‘disinhibition’, ‘emotional response’ and ‘external cues’) that jointly accounted for 53.78% of the observed variance. The results of the EFA supported the item ‘When a restaurant portion is too large, I stop eating when I’m full’ being placed in the external cues rather than the disinhibition subscale. This displacement improved the reliability coefficient for this subscale.The results of internal consistency analysis, including Cronbach’s alpha (ranging from 0.73 to 0.81) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ranging from 0.73 to 0.91) were satisfactory.ConclusionsThe Persian version of the MEQ appears to be valid and reliable; therefore, it can be an effective tool in designing mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of individuals with eating disorders, overweight and obesity in an Iranian population.

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Background:The most common symptom in early menopausal women is depression. Depression is a type of chronic disease that impacts on postmenopausal women's life. Social support plays a protective role for women and enables them to solve their life problems and thus, feel less depressed. Objectives:We assessed depression as a chronic disease and evaluated the association between perceived social support and depression in postmenopausal women. Patients and Methods:This correlation-analytic study was conducted on 321 postmenopausal women using 2-stage cluster sampling in Ahvaz in 2014. Data collecting instruments were comprised of a demographic questionnaire, a depression scale (Beck Depression Inventory-II), and a social support questionnaire (PRQ 85-Part 2). Data analysis was done using SPSS, version 20. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between perceived social support and depression, and the χ 2 test was employed to assess the relationship between perceived social support and demographic characteristics. Results: The Spearman correlation test revealed a significant reverse relationship between perceived social support and depression (r = -0.468; P = 0.001). There were significant relationships between perceived social support and some personal variables such as marital status, education level, and job status (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant relationships between perceived social support and some other personal characteristics such as income and ethnicity (P > 0.05). Conclusions:We found a reverse relationship between perceived social support and depression in postmenopausal women. Raising awareness in society apropos the relationship between social support and depression in postmenopausal women can enhance their quality of life.

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