Background: Quality of life (QOL) is impaired in multiple sclerosis (MS) in part due to physical disability. MS-associated fatigue and poor sleep are common and treatable features of MS that affect QOL. We assessed the association between fatigue, sleep quality, and QOL in people with MS. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 217 patients with MS. Health-related QOL (MS Quality of Life-54), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale [FSS]), and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory [PSQI]) were assessed. Expanded Disability Status Scale scores were also provided by a qualified neurologist. Results: The mean ± SD age of the 217 patients was 32.6 ± 8.6 years, and 79% were female. One hundred fifty-two patients (70.0%) were classified as poor sleepers based on PSQI scores; 122 (56.2%) had significant fatigue based on FSS results. The mean ± SE physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) health composite scores of the MSQOL-54 were 40.12 ± 1.27 and 43.81 ± 1.61, respectively. There was a strong statistically significant positive correlation between PCS scores and MCS (r = 0.58), FSS (r = 0.49), and PSQI (r = 0.52) scores. MCS scores were strongly correlated with FSS (r = 0.53) and PSQI (r = 0.35) scores. Age exhibited statistically significant negative correlations with PCS (r = −0.21) and MCS (r = −0.58) scores, and was statistically significantly correlated with FSS (r = 0.23) and PSQI (r = 0.21) scores. Expanded Disability Status Scale scores were strongly correlated with FSS scores. Conclusions: These findings support screening of fatigue severity and sleep quality and their effects on QOL.

Dysmenorrhea is one of the most prevalent gynecological disorders, experienced by approximately two third of young women during menstruation. According to literature, nutrition can play a key role in the prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhea. This study aims to investigate the relation between dietary patterns and the risk of dysmenorrhea among university students. A nested case control study was conducted among 293 students of Urmia University of Medical Sciences who were randomly recruited via a proportional cluster sampling method. From 293 students, 46 students with moderate to severe dysmenorrhea and 54 students without dysmenorrhea were assigned to the case and control groups, respectively. The major dietary patterns of students were identified by factor analysis and the association between dietary patterns and risk of dysmenorrhea was investigated using logistic regression analysis in SPSS 20. Three major dietary patterns were found and nominated as “Lacto-vegetarian”, “Snacks” and “Mixed food items” patterns. After controlling for family history of dysmenorrhea, subjects in the second and third tertiles of “snacks” pattern had a 4.23 (95% CI = 1.32–13.58, P = 0.01) and 3.41 (95% CI = 1.10–10.50, P = 0.03) times, respectively, higher chance to experience moderate to severe dysmenorrhea in comparison with subjects in the first tertile. There was no significant association between the risk of dysmenorrhea and two other dietary patterns. The results indicate that adherence to “snacks” pattern is associated with an increased risk of moderate to severe dysmenorrhea during menstruation among young women.

Moghaddam Tabrizi F, et al. Nutr Res Pract. 2012 Apr;6(2):132-137. http://dx.doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2012.6.2.132

Health Promoting Behavior and Influencing Factors in Iranian Breast Cancer Survivors Health promotion behavior;internal control;self efficacy;perceived health status social support; Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among the internal health locus of control, depression, perceived health status, self efficacy, social support, and health-promoting behavior in Iranian breast cancer survivors and to determine influential variables. Materials and Methods: A predictive design was adopted. By convenient sampling the data of 262 breast cancer survivors in Iran were collected by questionnaires during 2014. Data were analyzed applying descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The internal health locus of control, depression, perceived health status, self efficacy, social support and undergoing chemotherapy all correlated significantly with the health-promoting lifestyle. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that social internal health locus of control, depression, perceived health status, self efficacy and social support and chemotherapy accounted for about 39.8% of the variance in health promoting lifestyle. The strongest influence was social support, followed by self efficacy, perceived health status, chemotherapy and depression. Conclusions: The results of the study clarifed the seriousness of social support, self efficacy, perceived health status and depression in determining the health-promoting lifestyle among Iranian breast cancer survivors. Health professionals should concentrate on these variables in designing plans to promoting a healthy lifestyle.