Articles
Publication Date: 2025
Journal of Isfahan Medical School (10277595)43(832)pp. 1173-1181
Background: This study aimed to determine the relationship between COVID-19 infection and chronic fatigue syndrome. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on individuals aged 18 to 60 without underlying medical conditions who had contracted COVID-19 within the past 6 to 12 months and had visited selected COVID-19 centers in Isfahan for outpatient PCR testing. Inclusion criteria were PCR-confirmed infection and participant consent, while those with a history of hospitalization or physical/mental comorbidities were excluded. A sample of 386 participants was randomly selected from a list of 2,863 in the comprehensive COVID19 database. Fatigue was assessed using the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire, which had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.91, validated by Fallah and Taghizadeh in Iran. Findings: The average fatigue score among patients was 29.72 (ranging from 14 to 70), which is lower than the midpoint threshold of 42. There was no significant difference in fatigue levels between males and females, nor in average fatigue levels with age and BMI. However, with increasing age, the mean fatigue score decreased slightly. The mean fatigue score for individuals with a normal BMI was slightly lower than for those with an abnormal BMI. Fatigue levels were higher in less active occupations such as students, retirees, and homemakers compared to hospital staff, office workers, and laborers. Conclusion: The results suggest that chronic fatigue levels 6 to 12 months post-COVID-19 infection in individuals who had outpatient PCR testing are generally low or very low. © 2025, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2024
Journal of Health System Research (27834093)20(3)pp. 295-304
Background: In this research, the researcher aims to model the adherence of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) based on coping strategies and disease perception with the mediation of self-efficacy and psychological distress. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with CHD. The statistical population included patients with CHD in Isfahan Province, Iran, with the sample consisting of patients referred to Shahid Chamran Hospital in Isfahan City which were selected using purposeful sampling method. Data collection was done through the Adherence in Chronic Diseases Scale (ACDS), the Billings and Moss Coping Strategies Questionnaire, the Lovibond and Lovibond Psychological Distress Questionnaire, and the Cardiovascular Management Self-Efficacy Questionnaire developed by Steca et al. Comparative tests, correlation analysis methods, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to investigate the relationships between different factors. Findings: Coping strategies affected the adherence to treatment of patients with CHD, both directly and through the mediation of self-efficacy and psychological distress. The SEM method was used to test the mentioned model. The results of the analysis indicated that all the fit indices obtained from the analysis supported the fit of SEM with the compiled data [χ2 (degree of freedom or df = 94) = 157.54, χ2/df = 168, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.959, goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.915, adjusted GFI (AGFI) = 0.877, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.056]. Conclusion: It can be concluded that coping strategies have a causal effect on adherence to treatment in patients with CHD with the mediating role of psychological distress and self-efficacy. The model has a good fit. © 2024, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.
