Development and validation of the climate change health protection behaviors scale for adolescents: a methodological study.

This study aimed to develop and validate the Climate Change Health Protection Behaviors Scale for adolescents. A total of 1036 adolescents were recruited from middle and high schools. The development of the assessment scale was carried out in three steps: item generation, content validity evaluation, and psychometric evaluation. Psychometric testing was conducted to determine the relationship between the resulting factors and the Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale and Climate Change Awareness Scale. A 28-item scale was developed, consisting of four factors that account for 65.0% of the variance. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.874. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between the Climate Change Health Protection Behaviors Scale and both the Climate Change Awareness Scale and the Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale for adolescents. These results suggest that the Climate Change Health Protection Behaviors Scale is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating health protection behaviors related to climate change in adolescents.

The relationship between media exposure and mental health in children following Kahramanmaras earthquakes in Turkey.

PURPOSE: We aimed to explore the relationship between media exposure to the Kahramanmaras earthquakes and its impact on children's mental health difficulties. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 409 parents between March and July 2023. Parents were invited to participate in an online survey through social media platforms. The data was collected using the 'Descriptive Characteristics Form', the 'Media Exposure Form Related to the Earthquake', and the 'Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire'. RESULTS: The results indicated that exposure to images of earthquake-related events on the first day after the earthquake (p < 0.001), people rescued alive from the rubble on television (p < 0.001), earthquake victims staying on the streets/in tents on television (p = 0.006), and earthquake-related events while alone on the Internet (p = 0.02) were significantly associated with the impact of children's mental difficulties. Furthermore, exposure to images of people pulled deceased from the rubble (p < 0.001), exposure to images of demolished houses on the Internet (p = 0.007), and exposure to images of destroyed roads on the Internet (p = 0.01) were found to significantly predict the impact of children's mental difficulties (r2 = 0.29; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that children who are exposed to screen media may experience difficulties in coping mentally, leading to emotional and behavioral problems. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Children who have experienced natural disasters may be exposed to distressing images on screen, which can lead to difficulties and stress. To reduce the risk of mental health problems related to disasters, nurses may suggest that victims limit their exposure to television footage.

Turkish Cross-cultural Adaptation of the Post Hospitalization Behavior Questionnaire for Ambulatory Surgery (PHBQ-AS).

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to cross-culturally adapt the Post Hospitalization Behavior Questionnaire for Ambulatory Surgery (PHBQ-AS) to Turkish and test its validity and reliability. DESIGN: This is a methodological study. METHODS: This study was conducted with 121 children aged 1 to 12 years who underwent ambulatory surgery. The data of the study were collected using a Descriptive Information Form, PHBQ-AS, and the Parents' Postoperative Pain Measure. Data analysis and evaluation were performed using factor analysis, Cronbach's α analysis, item-total score correlation analysis, content validity, construct validity, and concurrent validity. FINDINGS: PHBQ-AS showed a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.801). The item-total correlation values of PHBQ-AS were found to be 0.458 to 0.753. PHBQ-AS was determined to be a single-factor scale explaining 66% of the variance in the examined variable. PHBQ-AS and Parents' Postoperative Pain Measure scores were moderately correlated. CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish version of PHBQ-AS was highly valid and reliable for the Turkish population. A recommendation for health care professionals in Turkey is to use the PHBQ-AS scale to evaluate posthospitalization behavioral changes in children who are admitted for ambulatory surgery.

Barriers experienced by nurses in communication for sexual health education for children with intellectual disability: a qualitative study.

Nurses have important responsibilities in the development of health and care services for children with intellectual disabilities. This is because it is usually the nurse who first encounters the child in all kinds of care and treatment services. Barriers to the provision of sexual healthcare by nurses have not yet been clearly discovered. This study aimed to identify the barriers experienced by nurses regarding communication for sexual health education for children with intellectual disabilities. This study was carried out with 19 nurses through in-depth interviews. The thematic analysis method was used for data analysis. Four themes emerged related to barriers in communication for sexual health education for children with intellectual disabilities by nurses as (1) communication of nurses with their patients, (2) communication on an individual level, (3) communication on the family level, and (4) institutional factors. These barriers included the lack of knowledge of children, families, and nurses, insufficient institutional support, attitudes towards sexuality and stigmatization of the family, and the prevention of sexual health education services by the aggressive behaviors of children. It is recommended to provide sexual health education to nurses and families to minimize problems in the sexual health of children with intellectual disabilities. Nurses should also be trained on sexual health policy and how to put it into practice.

"A Life Slips Through Our Fingers" Experiences of Nurses Working in Pediatric Intensive Care Units About Children's Death: A Qualitative Study.

Caring for a dying child can be an experience full of all kinds of negative emotions, pain and stress for the pediatric nurse. In this study, which was carried out in Turkey, we aimed to determine how nurses working in a pediatric intensive care unit remembered and made sense of their experiences regarding children's deaths. In-depth interviews were held with 13 nurses. The data were analyzed using the content analysis method. Three themes were identified. These were (1) Personal effects of death, (2) Difficulties in care, and (3) Coping with death. It was clear that the nurses were traumatised by their exposure to infant deaths. The findings showed that nurses experienced regret, fatigue and posttraumatic stress disorder. In addition, it was determined that nurses should be supported to cope with child deaths, which is a complicated process involving the child and the family, especially emotionally. Moreover, providing institutional support to nurses and referring them to cognitive-behavioral therapies may make it easier for them to cope with the emotional burden they carry, as well as the burnout they experience.

The effectiveness of sexual health and development education given to children with intellectual disabilities: A randomized controlled study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an educational program implemented to support the sexual health and development of children with intellectual disabilities, using the Mastery Learning Model, on their knowledge of sexual health and development, as well as on their mothers' awareness of their children's sexual development. METHOD: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial with 48 children who have intellectual disabilities, divided into two groups: an education group (n = 24) and a control group (n = 24). The program implemented was a sexual health and development education program based on the Mastery Learning Model. The data collection tools used were 'The Sexual Development Characteristics of Children with Adolescent Intellectual Disability Scale' for mothers and 'The Sexual Development Knowledge Assessment Scale for Children with Intellectual Disabilities' for children. RESULTS: Following the educational program, the children in the education group demonstrated an increase in knowledge regarding their sexual development and health. Additionally, the mothers in the education group showed an increased awareness of their children's sexual health and development. One month after implementing the education program, which utilized mastery learning, the children in the education group exhibited a greater level of knowledge compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: This study utilized the Mastery Learning Model to achieve effective and comprehensive sexual health and development education for children with intellectual disabilities. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Pediatric and school nurses are recommended to use the Mastery Learning Model for sexual health education in clinics and school health practices.

Effect of the Helfer skin tap technique on pain, anxiety, and fear in children undergoing intramuscular injection: An open-label randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Intramuscular injections, which children frequently experience during hospitalization, are one of the most significant causes of pain. Pain control is an important part of care. Therefore, it is necessary to provide practical methods in the field of nursing care to reduce injection-related pain. AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of the Helfer skin tap technique on pain, anxiety, and fear in children undergoing intramuscular injection. METHOD: This randomized controlled clinical study (NCT05250804) was conducted in a pediatric emergency department between January and July 2022. A total of 64 children aged 4-10 years were randomly divided into two groups: 32 children in the Helfer skin tap group (HG), and 32 children in the control group (CG). Data were collected using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, the Child Anxiety Scale-State, and the Child Fear Scale. RESULTS: After the intramuscular injection, children in the HG had significantly lower levels of pain, anxiety, and fear than those in the CG, with mean scores of 3.25±1.50 versus 5.18±1.51, 5.87±1.56, versus 6.23±1.46, and 1.68±0.53 versus 3.15±0.76, respectively (p<0.001 for all scores). CONCLUSION: The Helfer skin tap technique has positive effects on pain, anxiety, and fear in children during intramuscular injection. This technique can be used by nurses to reduce the pain, anxiety, and fear felt by children receiving an intramuscular injection.

Investigation of the relationship between nursing students' knowledge level of paediatric emergency practices and paediatric comfort and worry.

AIM: This study aimed to examine the relationship between nursing students' knowledge level of paediatric emergency practices and their clinical comfort and worry status. METHODS: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. Data was collected using the "Personal Information Form," "Paediatric Nursing Student Clinical Comfort and Worry Assessment Tool," and "Paediatric Emergency Practices Information Questionnaire. RESULTS: The nursing students' knowledge level of paediatric emergency practices was good (14.76 ± 2.67/2-20). Their level of worry in paediatric services was above average (14.14 ± 4.8/5-25), while their paediatric clinical comfort level was at an average level (17.61 ± 3.72/10-30). It was found that as the nursing students' knowledge level of paediatric emergency practices increased, their comfort in paediatric clinics improved (r = 0.11, p = 0.003), and their worry levels decreased (r = -0.382, p < 0.001). Variables such as knowing the emergency number to call in case of poisoning and taking the child to a health facility after an electric shock contributed to the students' clinical comfort and worry (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: The students' worry levels in paediatric clinics were above average, while their paediatric clinical comfort levels were average. As students' knowledge of paediatric emergency practices increased, they felt more comfortable in the clinical setting and had lower worry levels. IMPLICATION OF PRACTICE: Providing nursing students with theoretical and practical training centred on paediatric emergency situations before their clinical rotations are believed to enhance their comfort in paediatric clinics.

Hospital classroom experiences of hospitalized school-age pediatric oncology patients: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: In this study, it was aimed to examine the hospital classroom experiences of school-age children who received treatment and care at a pediatric oncology-hematology clinic in Turkey. METHODS: The study was conducted using the in-depth interview method with the participation of 17 children who were hospitalized in the pediatric oncology-hematology clinic of a research and training hospital in the Ankara province of Turkey. The data were collected using a "Semi-Structured Interview Form". The interviews started with the question "How do you perform the assignments given by your teacher while you are hospitalized?", and the interviews were recorded as audio with the consent of the children and their parents. RESULTS: As a result of the interviews, three main themes, (1) Learning, (2) Maintaining normalcy, and (3) Expectations, and 9 subthemes (teacher, continuation of learning, learning through play, feeling good, continuation of routines, peer interaction, communication with the school-teacher, basic sport activity, and tablet/internet access) were generated from the data. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital classrooms had a significant role in increasing the children's adaptation to hospital conditions and ensuring the continuation of school/learning. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Pediatric nurses can refer children with long and repeated hospitalizations (e.g., pediatric oncology patients and children with chronic diseases) to hospital classrooms. Thus, children can adapt more easily to the procedures performed in the hospital.

Developing the sexual and reproductive health knowledge scale in emergencies.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop the The Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge Scale in Emergencies (SRHKE) to evaluate the sexual and reproductive health knowledge of nurses in exceptional circumstances and cases. METHOD: This methodological study was conducted with a total of 311 nurses from two hospitals in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey between December 2021 and May 2022. The data were collected using a descriptive information form and SRHKE. The content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency of the scale were tested. RESULTS: The scale had a four-factor structure, and these factors explained 65% of the total variance in the measured variable. It had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient values were 0.826 for the 1st factor, 0.814 for the 2nd factor, 0.788 for the 3rd factor, 0.723 for the 4th factor, and 0.896 for the total scale). The item-total score correlation values of the scale ranged from 0.479 to 0.659. Pearson's correlation coefficients calculated for the evaluation of construct validity ranged from 0.519 to 0.749 (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: SRHKE has high validity and reliability. The scale can be used by nurses in Turkish society to determine their levels of sexual and reproductive health knowledge in emergencies.

"I Pumped That Milk Off My Breast and Dumped It in Trash": Breastfeeding Experiences of Mothers Working in Hospital Radiation Settings-A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: The qualitative study was conducted to determine the breastfeeding experiences of mothers working in radiation areas in hospitals. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Turkey between December 2022 and February 2023 through in-depth interviews held with 13 mothers who met the inclusion criteria. The content analysis method was used in the analysis of the data. Results: As a result of the analyses of the data obtained in the interviews, four themes regarding the breastfeeding experiences of health professionals working in radiation environments in hospitals were identified. These themes were institutional/administrative obstacles, support systems, unhealthy childcare, and feeling of incompetence as a mother. The main theme of unhealthy childcare consisted of four categories, which were low-quality breast milk, toxic breast milk, frequent diseases, and future risk of cancer. The main theme of feeling of incompetence as a mother was composed of three categories, which were fear, feeling of guilt, and "Am I a mother?" The theme of institutional/administrative obstacles consisted of three categories, namely working environment, working duration, and awareness of managers. Finally, the theme of support systems included two categories, positive perceptions and negative perceptions. Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that the mothers who worked in radiation areas in hospitals experienced problems due to individual, social, and institutional factors. The main concern of the mothers was found to be hurting their infants with their breast milk. Suitable working environments and the adequacy of practices related to daycare centers, social support, and motherhood rights are the main needs of working mothers aiming to keep breastfeeding their infants.

Children's perioperative multidimensional anxiety scale: Turkish cross-cultural adaptation.

RATIONALE: The number of pediatric surgeries is constantly increasing. Evaluating anxiety levels in pediatric surgical patients is highly important in terms of preventing complications. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to cross-culturally adapt to the Turkish version, and to test the validity and reliability of Children's Perioperative Multidimensional Anxiety Scale (CPMAS). METHOD: This methodological study was carried out with 50 children aged 7-10 years who underwent surgery at Bartin Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital between September 2021 and May 2022. The self-reported CPMAS and Children's Anxiety Meter-State (CAM-S) were administered before the surgery, on the day of the surgery, and 1 month after the surgery to collect data. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, parallel forms reliability, content validity, and construct validity of CPMAS were tested. RESULTS: Children's Perioperative Multidimensional Anxiety Scale showed a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.858, 0.916, 0.864). The item-total correlation values of CPMAS were found to be 0.58-0.71 before the surgery, 0.77-0.83 on the day of the surgery, and 0.60-0.80 1 month after the surgery. CPMAS was found to be a single-factor scale explaining 65% of the variance in the examined variable. The correlations between CPMAS and CAM-S (parallel forms) were found to be 0.474 before the surgery, 0.528 on the day of the surgery, and 0.599 1 month after the surgery. CONCLUSION: The CPMAS, which was developed by Chow et al. in English, had high validity and reliability levels for Turkey. It is recommended that the scale be used by healthcare professionals in Turkey in the assessment of surgery-related anxiety in children.

Postoperative recovery in children: Turkish cross-cultural adaptation.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative recovery is an individual process involving subjective experiences. The fact that children still experience high rates of complications associated with surgery requires the discovery of new evaluation methods. No studies in Turkey have reported a measurement instrument evaluating postoperative recovery in children. The purpose of this methodological study is to cross-culturally adapt the Postoperative Recovery in Children (PRiC) instrument into the Turkish language and test the validity and reliability of its Turkish version. METHODS: One hundred children (81% male) aged 4 to 12 years undergoing tonsillectomy at a hospital were included. The self-administered PRiC and Parents' Postoperative Pain Measure (PPPM) instruments were used to collect data on the 1st, 4th, and 10th days after surgery. Internal consistency, parallel-forms reliability, content validity, and construct validity of the instruments were determined. RESULTS: PRiC had a three-factor structure, and these factors explained 68% of the total variance in the variable it measured. It showed a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.842). The item-total score correlation coefficients for 23 of the items were ≥0.30. PRiC was moderately correlated with PPPM on the 1st day after surgery (r = 0.64, p < .01), on the 4th day after surgery (r = 0.69, p < .01), and on the 10th day after surgery (r = 0.51, p < .01). CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of PRiC has good reliability and validity. A validity and reliability study of PRiC to assess children's postoperative recovery in the context of different surgical operations should be conducted.

The Experiences of COVID-19 Patients in Intensive Care Units: A Qualitative Study.

This exploratory qualitative study explores the experiences of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units and after discharge. Semi- structured telephone interviews were conducted with 18 COVID-19 patients admitted to and discharged from intensive care units between March and September in 2020. The themes of this study were determined as "feelings about the illness and intensive care," "psychological and physical damages," "nurses' efforts and the importance of care.", and "protecting health and life". COVID-19 patients in intensive care units may experience permanent physical and psychological damages. The findings suggest that the first step in carrying out interventions in the intensive care units is to ensure that continuous communication with patients is maintained so that their orientation to the new circumstances can be achieved. Nursing interventions to patients missing their families can have compensated for the loss of family support and care during their critical illness.

Schoolchildren's Attitudes Toward Covid-19 Measures Scale: A Scale Development Study.

For schools and academic studies to continue, children as well must adhere to the measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The aim of this study was to develop a scale to assess schoolchildren's attitudes toward Covid-19 measures. The sample of this study, which was designed in a methodological type, consisted of 205 children. This study was conducted at primary schools in Zonguldak, Turkey. The validity of content and construct was examined to evaluate the validity of the Schoolchildren's Attitudes toward Covid-19 Measures Scale. This scale is a valid and reliable measure for assessing the attitudes of schoolchildren toward Covid-19 measures. The results of the factor analysis indicated a scale with 28 items and six factors. Cronbach's alpha value for the overall scale is 0.928. According to the results of the analysis, the developed scale was found to have excellent content and construct validity and reliability for schoolchildren.

Perception of Coronavirus in Children Through the Interpretation of Metaphors.

The purpose of this study is to determine the perception of coronavirus in children between the ages of 7-18 through the interpretation of metaphors. This qualitative study was conducted with a total of 34 children between the ages of 7-18 years The metaphors obtained from the content analysis were categorized into two main themes and sub-themes. The main themes were categorized as barrier at COVID-19 and fear at coronavirus as fear. The most striking metaphors in the study, such as death, deadly, disease, scary, germ, snake venom, black hole, darkness, gun, lead, were the metaphors in the "Deadly" category, which were revealed by children. In unexpected situations, it is beneficial for parents and health care professionals to establish clear, open, and reassuring communication with their children.

The relationship between sexual myths and intercultural sensitivity in university students.

PURPOSE: In the study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between sexual myths and intercultural sensitivity in university students. METHOD: The study designed as cross-sectional research was carried out with the participation of 1,061 university students. Data collection tools used were the Personal Information Form, Sexual Myths Scale, and Intercultural Sensitivity Scale. FINDINGS: It was determined that the students believed in myths at a moderate level. The students who thought that being together with different cultures did not have a positive contribution were found to believe in sexual myths at a higher level (p < 0.001). It was also determined that intercultural sensitivity was a significant predictor of sexual myths in university students (p < 0.001). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: While planning sexual education provided to relay sexual knowledge to societies accurately, cultural differences should be considered.

Difficulties Experienced by Turkish Parents With Children in Pediatric Palliative Care: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.

We aimed to identify the difficulties of the parents of pediatric palliative care patients and how they cope with these problems in this qualitative study in Turkey. This study was carried out with 20 parents by in-depth interviews. Content analysis was used for data analysis. Four themes were identified: The problems in the process of acceptance, the difficulties of being at the hospital, the expectations from the health staff, the coping strategies. The families had difficulties in coping with the end-of-life of their children. Future researches may focus on the effectiveness of family-centered care and the experience of parents with its implementation. The findings suggest that social support resources and coping strategies can play an important role in the acceptance of the child's disease process and maintenance of palliative care effectively.

Perceptions of Nurses in the Drawings and Comments of Hospitalized Children: A Qualitative Study.

A qualitative study evaluated perceptions of nurses in the drawings of 18 children ages 6-12 years hospitalized in pediatric units, and their expectations of nurses. The children made drawings of nurses and talked about the drawings with the researchers. The children's perceptions of nurses were categorized as 55.6% positive and 44.4% negative. Content analysis of the interviews generated themes of children's expectations of nurses: Health, compassion and support, and doing no harm. Analyzing pictures drawn by children is a useful method for health-care professionals to learn about children's thoughts and feelings.

The relationship of gambling with sensation-seeking behavior and psychological resilience in university students.

PURPOSE: We aimed to analyze the relationship of gambling with university students' sensation-seeking behavior and psychological resilience. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional and correlational research was performed with 650 students. Data collection tools were Personal Information Form, South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), Zuckerman Sensation-Seeking Scale (ZSSS), and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). FINDINGS: Of the students, 1.2% were probably pathological gamblers. There was a positive relationship between students' SOGS and ZSSS scores (p < 0.05). However, there was no relationship between students' SOGS and BRS scores (p > 0.05). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Psychological support units and instructors take an active role in determining the gambling behaviors of students and related factors in advance, raising awareness of gambling, and preventing the negative effects of these behaviors in faculty campuses.