Evaluation of adolescents' cardiovascular health behaviors and health literacy levels in Turkey.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to examine the relationship between cardiovascular health behaviors and health literacy levels of adolescents. DESIGN AND METHODS: Cross-sectional design was used in this study. The sample consisted of 1228 students from two secondary schools in Turkey. The study data were collected in 2020. The data were collected via the Cardiovascular Health Behavior Scale and the The Health Literacy Scale. RESULTS: Cardiovascular Health Behavior Scale for Children mean score was 56.07 ± 10.80. The Health Literacy Scale total mean score of the students was 30.93 ± 5.31. The mean scores of the Cardiovascular Health Behavior Scale for those who were 14 years old, female, studying in the 8th grade, whose parents were primary school graduates, and presence of a person who has had a heart attack in the family were found to be statistically significantly higher. The average health literacy score of students who were female, high income, and who had parents with a baccalaureate or graduate degree was found to be statistically significantly higher. The Cardiovascular Health Behavior Scale and The Health Literacy Scale showed a weak negative correlation. CONCLUSIONS: The cardiovascular health behaviors and health literacy of adolescents were found to be moderate. In order to improve adolescents' health literacy and help them develop good cardiovascular health habits from an early age, interventions should be planned and overseen in collaboration. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Adolescent health promotion requires that nurses assess adolescents' cardiovascular health behaviors and health literacy levels. To achieve the objectives of enhanced cardiovascular health behaviors and better health literacy, parent cooperation is also required.

Effect of Laughter Yoga on Sleep and Quality of Life in Individuals With Fecal Ostomies: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of laughter yoga on the quality of life and sleep quality in individuals with fecal ostomies. DESIGN: This was randomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 55 individuals with an ostomy who received care at Ankara University's I˙bni Sina Hospital Stoma Therapy Unit in Ankara, Turkey. Data were collected over a 2-month period (January and February 2020). METHODS: Participants were allocated into an intervention group (n = 27) who received a yoga therapy intervention and a control group (n = 28) who received no intervention via simple randomization. Demographic and pertinent clinical variables were obtained during a baseline visit in both groups, along with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Stoma-Quality of Life (Stoma-QOL) instruments. The intervention group received laughter yoga weekly over a period of 8 weeks. RESULTS: Mean scores on the PSQI and the Stoma-QOL at baseline were compared. Participants in the intervention had a significant decline in mean PSQI scores (6.85 vs 5.48, P = .044) indicating improvement in sleep quality following the intervention. Analysis revealed no significant difference in mean Stoma-QOL scores (P = .077). Control group participants had no significant difference in either mean PSQI or Stoma-QOL scores following data collection at the end of 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Laughter yoga had a positive effect on the sleep quality in individuals with fecal ostomies. Further research is recommended to evaluate the effect of the number of laughter yoga sessions on the sleep quality and quality of life in individuals with ostomies.

The effect of laughter yoga on loneliness, psychological resilience, and quality of life in older adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

This study aims to examine how laughter yoga affects the loneliness, psychological resilience, and quality of life of older adults living in a nursing home. The sample of this intervention study, made using a control group with a pretest/posttest design, consists of 65 older adults living in Turkey. The data were collected in September 2022 using the Personal Information Form, the Loneliness Scale for the Elderly, the Brief Psychological Resilience Scale, and the Quality of Life Scale for the Elderly. The intervention group (n=32) took part in laughter yoga twice a week for four weeks. No intervention was made with the control group (n=33). A statistically significant difference was found between the groups' mean post-test scores for loneliness, psychological resilience, and quality of life (p < 0.05) after the laughter yoga sessions. The eight-session laughter yoga program was found to reduce loneliness and increase resilience and quality of life in older adults.

Health Literacy and COVID-19 Awareness Among Preservice Primary School Teachers and Influencing Factors in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Primary school teachers play an important role in furnishing children with basic knowledge about health literacy and awareness of COVID-19. This study was conducted to determine the levels of health literacy and COVID-19 awareness among preservice primary school teachers and the factors associated with this. METHODS: The sample of this cross-sectional and correlational study consists of 978 preservice primary school teachers studying at 4 major universities in Turkey. The participation rate was 90.14%. Data were collected with 3 questionnaires, the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Health Literacy Scale, and the COVID-19 Awareness Scale. RESULTS: The mean score of the Health Literacy scale was 105.16 (SD = 13.04). The mean scores of the Contagion Precaution Awareness, Awareness of Following Current Developments, and Hygiene Precaution Awareness subscales of the Coronavirus Awareness Scale were 34.27 (SD = 6.19), 12.94 (SD = 4.34), and 11.69 (SD = 3.60), respectively. It was determined that the total health literacy score was affected by gender, school, and grade/year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and that COVID-19 awareness was affected by gender, age, grade/year, school, having contracted COVID-19 or not, and being vaccinated or not in the various subscales (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Preservice primary school teachers' health literacy was found to be sufficient with a moderate level of COVID-19 awareness. We recommend planning interventions for preservice primary school teachers that will improve their health literacy and COVID-19 awareness, taking influential factors into account when doing this planning.

Self-control and problem-solving skills of undergraduate nursing program students, and an analysis of influential factors.

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to evaluate the self-control and problem-solving skills of nursing students, and to identify any influential factors in this regard. DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted for the study, involving 473 undergraduate nursing students. The data collection instruments were the Personal Information Form, the Self-Control Scale (SCS), and the Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI). FINDINGS: The mean SCS score of the student nurses was 22.54 ± 19.5, and the mean PSI score was 100.31 ± 17.3. The SCS and PSI scores were moderately negatively correlated. Gender was found to be a significant factor in self-control and problem-solving skills. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Determining deficiencies through the evaluation of the self-control and problem-solving skills of nursing students before graduation can support them in becoming healthier and more successful candidates.

Evaluating Occupational Stress Levels of the Railway Workers.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the levels of stress that are experienced by railway workers. METHOD: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the facilities of Turkish State Railways. The study sample included 322 male workers. The study data were collected between February and April 2015. A personal information form and the Doetinchem Organizational Stress Questionnaire were used to collect data. RESULTS: It was determined that the employees are influenced by all sub-dimensions of the groups of stressors, social changes, psychological tensions, and complaints about health, and they have a medium level of stress. The study found that the workers were mostly influenced by their responsibilities and occupational uncertainty in future. CONCLUSION: Descriptive characteristics of the workers and work-related and occupational characteristics showed statistically significant difference in mean scores of the subscales of stressors, social variables, psychological variables, and health complaints. In future, defining stress-related factors by determining the stress levels of employees will guide the initiatives intended to reduce work-related stress.

Determining the healthy lifestyle behaviors and e-health literacy levels in adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the healthy lifestyle behaviors and e-health literacy levels of adolescents. METHOD: A descriptive research design was used in this study. It was conducted with a total of 390 students in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The data were collected using a personal information form, the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II and the e-Health Literacy Scale for Adolescents. For data analysis, descriptive analyses, t-test, variance, Kruskal-Wallis, the Mann-Whitney U and Pearson Correlation tests were used. Necessary approvals were obtained to conduct this study. RESULTS: The present study found that the e-Health Literacy Scale mean score of adolescents was 27.51 and their HLBS-II mean score was 129.01. A positive significant relationship was found between the e-health literacy and healthy lifestyle behavior in adolescents. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the importance of e-health literacy in developing nursing procedures designed to increase the healthy lifestyle behaviors of adolescents.

The effect of nursing approaches applied according to Meleis' Transition Theory on menopause-specific quality of life.

This is a randomized controlled experimental study aimed to determine the effect of nursing approaches applied according to Meleis' Transition Theory on menopause-specific quality of life. The study participants consisted of 64 women. A personal information form and the menopause-specific quality-of-life (MENQOL) questionnaire were used to collect data. The MENQOL pretest mean score was 4.61 ± 1.00 in the experimental group and 4.57 ± 1.18 in the control group; post-test scores were 3.88 ± 1.10 and 4.81 ± 1.10, respectively. The nursing approaches applied in this study significantly reduced the MENQOL scores of women in the experimental group.

Effect of laughter yoga on mental symptoms and salivary cortisol levels in first-year nursing students: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: University students are faced with several stress factors affecting their mental health. Therefore, the first year at university is a period that calls for careful attention and research. AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of laughter yoga on mental symptoms and cortisol levels in nursing students. METHODS: This study is a randomized controlled study employing a pre-/post-test design with a control group. A total of 75 healthy university students were assigned to the intervention group and control group. The Brief Symptom Inventory was applied to both groups before Session 1 and after Session 8. Saliva samples were taken from the students to measure their cortisol levels before and after each session. RESULTS: Evaluation of the mean scores obtained from the Brief Symptom Inventory before and after the intervention showed a significant decrease in the scores between groups (P < 0.05). In three out of the eight sessions, there was a significant decrease in the intervention group compared with the control group regarding the mean values of pre-test and post-test salivary cortisol levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Laughter yoga can provide an effective means to help first-year nursing students cope with stress and reduce mental symptoms.

Determining the healthy lifestyle behaviors and e-health literacy levels in adolescents / Determinando os comportamentos de estilo de vida saudáveis e os níveis de letramento e-Saúde em adolescentes / La determinación de los hábitos de vida y el nivel de alfabetización e-Salud en adolescentes

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study is to determine the healthy lifestyle behaviors and e-health literacy levels of adolescents. Method A descriptive research design was used in this study. It was conducted with a total of 390 students in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The data were collected using a personal information form, the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II and the e-Health Literacy Scale for Adolescents. For data analysis, descriptive analyses, t-test, variance, Kruskal-Wallis, the Mann-Whitney U and Pearson Correlation tests were used. Necessary approvals were obtained to conduct this study. Results The present study found that the e-Health Literacy Scale mean score of adolescents was 27.51 and their HLBS-II mean score was 129.01. A positive significant relationship was found between the e-health literacy and healthy lifestyle behavior in adolescents. Conclusion This study emphasizes the importance of e-health literacy in developing nursing procedures designed to increase the healthy lifestyle behaviors of adolescents.

RESUMO Objetivo O objetivo deste estudo é determinar os comportamentos de estilo de vida saudáveis e os níveis de letramento e-Saúde de adolescentes. Método Um desenho de pesquisa descritivo foi utilizado neste estudo. Foi realizado com um total de 390 alunos da Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um formulário de informações pessoais, a Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II e a e-Health Literacy Scale for Adolescents. Para a análise dos dados, foram utilizadas análises descritivas, teste t, variância, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U e testes de correlação de Pearson. As aprovações necessárias foram obtidas para conduzir este estudo. Resultados O presente estudo constatou que o escore médio dos adolescentes da e-Health Literacy Scale foi de 27,51 e o escore médio da HLBS-II foram de 129,01. Uma relação positiva significativa foi encontrada entre o letramento e-Saúde e o comportamento de estilo de vida saudável em adolescentes. Conclusão Este estudo enfatiza a importância do letramento em e-Saúde no desenvolvimento de procedimentos de enfermagem que visam aumentar os comportamentos de estilo de vida saudáveis dos adolescentes.

RESUMEN Objetivo El objetivo de este estudio es determinar los hábitos de vida saludables y los niveles de alfabetización e-Salud en los adolescentes. Método En este estudio se utilizó un diseño de investigación descriptivo. Se realizó con un total de 390 estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Los datos se recopilaron mediante un formulario de información personal, la Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II y la e-Health Literacy Scale for Adolescents. Para el análisis de datos se utilizaron análisis descriptivos, t-test, varianza, Kruskal-Wallis, la U de Mann-Whitney y las pruebas de Correlación de Pearson. Se obtuvieron las aprobaciones necesarias para realizar este estudio. Resultados El presente estudio encontró que la puntuación media de la e-Health Literacy Scale de los adolescentes fue de 27,51 y la puntuación media de la HLBS-II fue de 129,01. Se encontró una relación positiva significativa entre la alfabetización en e-Salud y el comportamiento de estilo de vida saludable en los adolescentes. Conclusión Este estudio enfatiza la importancia de la alfabetización en e-Salud en el desarrollo de procedimientos de enfermería diseñados para aumentar los comportamientos de estilo de vida saludable de los adolescentes.

Evaluation of nursing students' self-control in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the self-control of nursing students. METHODS: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from April to October, 2017, at the Nursing Department of Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey, and comprised nursing students of either gender aged >18 years. Data was collected using a personal information form and the self-control scale, and was subsequently analysed. RESULTS: Of the 488 subjects, 411(84%) were females and 77(16%) were males. The overall mean age was 20.91±09 years. Mean self-control score was 22.5±19.51. Female students with regular attendance and without negative life experiences had significantly high self-control (p<0.05). Age, class, place of residence, academic grade-point average, smoking habit, economic status and family type showed no significant differences (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Gender, absence from school, and negative life experiences significantly affected self-control of the nursing students.

Determination of the life quality and self-care ability of the mothers in post-partum period.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the life quality and self-care ability of mothers in the post-partum period. . METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted at a family health centre based in Kars Province of Turkey from May to September 2015, and comprised mothers who were in the post-partum period. Personal information form, maternal post-partum quality of life questionnaire and self-care ability scale were used to collect data. SPSS was used for data analysis. RESULTS: There were 290 participants with a mean age of 26.81±6.21 years (range: 16-45 years). Mean scores for sub-dimensions in the maternal post-partum quality of life questionnaire were recorded at 19.00±6.23 for affinity/family/friend, 21.05±6.10 for socio-economic, 20.79±5.97 for spouse, 20.56±6.23 for health, and 19.86±6.21 for psychological/baby. The total maternal post-partum quality of life mean score was 20.17±5.51. The mean score for the self-care ability scale was 84.56±21.39. CONCLUSIONS: The self-care ability and post-partum life quality were substantially affected by educational status, economic condition, family type and post-partum week.

Effect of parity on healthy promotion lifestyle behavior in women.

BACKGROUND: Health-promoting lifestyle behaviors are not only for the prevention of a disease or discomfort, but are also behaviors that aim to improve the individual's general health and well-being. Nurses have an important position in the development of healthy lifestyle behaviors in women. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of parity on health-promoting lifestyle behaviors in women. METHOD/DESIGN: This descriptive and cross-sectional survey was performed in Adana, Turkey. This study was conducted with 352 women. The questionnaire consisted of two parts; the first part consisted of questions that assessed the socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics, and the second part employed the "Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile Scale" (HPLP). Data analysis included percentage, arithmetic average, and ANOVA tests. RESULTS: The results revealed that 24.1% of the women had no parity, 13.6% had one parity, 30.7% had two parities, 14.6% had three parities, and 17% had four and above parities. The mean total HPLP was 126.66±18.12 (interpersonal support subscale, 24.46±4.02; nutrition subscale, 21.59±3.92; self-actualization subscale, 24.42±4.30; stress management subscale, 18.73±3.81; health responsibility subscale, 21.75±4.31; and exercise subscale, 15.71±4.22). CONCLUSIONS: The health behavior of women was moderate. A statistically significant correlation was found between the number of parities and the Health Responsibility, Nutrition, Interpersonal Support, which is the subscale of the HPLP Scale.

Depression and perceived social support from family in Turkish patients with chronic renal failure treated by hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Dialysis patients experience psychosocial problems, such as anxiety, depression, social isolation, loneliness, helplessness, and hopelessness. All of these psychosocial problems can increase patients' need for holistic care, including attention to the person's environment and receiving support from family. If dialysis patients are better supported and cared for, these negative consequences might be prevented or at least decreased. This study was performed to determine the perceived social support from family and depression level of hemodialysis patients. METHODS: In this study, descriptive design was used. Data were collected during structured interviews in an outpatient clinic using a questionnaire. The questionnaire aimed to determine the patients' descriptive characters and the scores of Beck Depression Inventory and Perceived Social Support from Family Scales. In data evaluation, descriptive statistics, Student's t tests, Kruskal Wallis tests, Mann-Whitney U tests and Pearson product moment correlations were used. RESULTS: The mean depression score was very high (23.2 ± 10.5). Significant differences were found between employment status and level of depressive symptoms. The mean level of perceived social support from family was 15.23 ± 5.37. There were no statistically significant differences between all the variables for the level of perceived social support from family. Perceived social support from family was negatively correlated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that Turkish hemodialysis patients experience depression. However, patients who were dissatisfied with their social relationships had higher depression scores.

Reasons for clinical breast examination in women applying at a cancer screening center in Erzurum.

UNLABELLED: This study was conducted to investigate the reasons for application of women for Clinical Breast Examination (CBE). METHODS: This descriptive study involved 155 women who applied to Cancer Screening and Education Center of Numune Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey between December 1, 2008 and January 30, 2009. The data collection was performed by evaluation of demographic characteristics of the participants using a descriptive information form to identify the application reasons. RESULTS: The age range of the participants was 37-68 years (mean: 48.7 years). Of the participants, 43.9% applied for breast screening; 31.0%, for pathological changes in the breast; 17.4%, for breast check-up, and 7.7%, for concerns over familial risk. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the women (69.0%) applied to the center without any pathological changes in their breasts.

The pain response of infants in Turkey to vaccination in different injection sites.

This study was carried out with the aim of comparing pain responses of children who receive intramuscular (IM) vaccination in deltoid muscle versus the pain responses of those who receive IM vaccination in the vastus lateralis. A total of 185 infants were randomly assigned to one of the two study groups. The deltoid group and the vastus lateralis group were vaccinated respectively in the deltoid muscle and the vastus lateralis. Our results indicated that pain response of infants was similar in each group. However, crying duration of the children who received the vastus lateralis vaccination was shorter than that of the deltoid group after the procedure.

Depression and hopelessness in Turkish patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the levels of depression and hopelessness of patients receiving chemotherapy. Through knowledge of the levels of hopelessness and depression in such patients, this study could contribute to the planning of nursing interventions. METHODS: The study involved 101 patients with cancer who presented to the outpatient unit of a medical oncology clinic to receive outpatient chemotherapy between January and March 2006. Data on the patients' sociodemographic features, as well as their scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory, were obtained. RESULTS: The patients' mean total depression score was 16.0 +/- 8.3 and their mean hopelessness score was 6.9 +/- 3.4. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between depression and hopelessness. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that depression and hopelessness were strongly and positively correlated.

Comparison of effects of nursing care to problem solving training on levels of depressive symptoms in post partum women.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of nursing intervention to the effect of problem solving training on the level of postpartum depressive symptom. METHODS: We utilized a pretest-posttest mutual controlled semi experimental model for this study. The study consisted of 62 women (30 in care group and 32 in training group), all of who were at risk for postpartum depression, but without major depressive symptoms. These women were not undergoing pharmacologic or psychotherapeutic treatment, were all literate and consented to join the study in Erzurum, Turkey. Participants (N=62), recruited over a 9 month, were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Women in care group (average age=21, 33.3% primaparus) were given nursing care for her depressive symptoms. Women in training group (average age=25, 33.9% primaparus) were taught problem solving skills. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms were assessed before and after nursing interventions. We found that nursing care was effective women for with depressive symptoms (McNemar test, p<0.001), and problem-solving training was also effective (McNemar test, p<0.05). When the effectiveness of nursing care and the problem solving education was compared utilizing the BDI, it was found out that the nursing care was more effective than education alone (t=4.529, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Results from this study suggest that nursing care and problem solving training may be use confidently in the primary care setting by nurses for women with postpartum depressive symptoms. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: Nurses play on important role in its detection and can reduce depressive symptoms. Public health nurses are equipped with care paths addressing specific health needs of depressed women in the primary care setting. Our finding indicate that these two programs of study can converge with meaningful results, and perhaps future research could address these points in a theoretical framework.

Musculoskeletal complaints among a group of Turkish nurses.

The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence and distribution of symptoms of musculoskeletal complaints among Turkish nurses who are practicing general nursing. The study population consisted of 120 nursing staff from four large general hospitals in Erzurum, Turkey. In every hospital six departments (surgery, medical, obstetric and gynecology, psychiatry, pediatric, and neurology) were selected. A Nordic standardized questionnaire described by Kuorinka et al. (1987) about complaints of the musculoskeletal system and a self-administered questionnaire involved information on the respondent's job and employment history, individual characteristics, physical and psychosocial risk factors at work, and general health status, were used by the researchers. Test data were analyzed for the difference between two population proportion and percentage. In the total population, 90% of all nurses reported at least one musculoskeletal complaint, 60% reported at least two, and 36% reported spells of three complaints in the past 6 months. Low back complaints were the most prevalent of musculoskeletal complaints, reported by 69% of the nurses. Neck complaints were less prevalent than shoulder (46% and 54%, respectively). Nurses with back complaint more often reported neck (28%) and shoulder (34%) complaints. Chronic low back, neck, and shoulder complaints were experienced by 41%, 25%, and 33% nurses, respectively. On the other hand, chronic complaints showed a correlation with working departments. The nurses working in surgery and obstetric and gynecology departments have more chronic complaints than the nurses working in other department (p<.05). The article's findings do not differ from those of other countries. Despite its limitations, this study points to the importance of perceived worked-related physical demands in relation to reported neck, shoulder, and back musculoskeletal complaints in Turkish nurses. But, further inquiries are needed to identify other physical exposures that may be related to musculoskeletal complaints.

Musculoskeletal disorders in left- and right-handed Turkish dental students.

The purpose of this study was two-fold: first, to find out the musculoskeletal disorders between left- and right-handed dentists and second, to describe the prevalence and distribution of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders among Turkish students who are practicing general dentistry. The investigation was carried out on 221 dental students; group I consisted of 24 left-handed students (18 male, 6 female), aged 24.2+/-2.24 years; group II comprised 24 right-handed students (14 male, 10 female), aged 25.1+/-3.14 years; and group III included 173 right-handed students (102 male, 71 female), aged 24.3+/-1.45 years. The study consists of a questionnaire to identify work tasks and working conditions, and a field study to assess the pain of the neck, shoulders, and other disorders during the dental practice. Data were analyzed through tests for the difference between two population proportion, percentage, and Chi-square. Left- and right-handed students had headaches (34%, 22%), pins and needles (35%, 22%), weakness (42%, 40%), numbness (23%, 19%), neck pain (67%, 43%), back pain (56%, 47%), upper limp pain (46%, 43%) and shoulder pain (78%, 58%), respectively (Table 3). Female students were not significantly different from males in musculoskeletal symptoms (p>.05). The position adopted by the student was significantly related to the intensity of pain. Left-handed students especially suffered from neck and shoulder pain when compared with right-handed students (p<.06). The authors think that a modification of work practices appears to be effective in decreasing the prevalence of symptoms. The best ergonomic working principles should be taught to the students, dental schools should provide a comfortable working environment, and further study is required to identify factors that will reduce the prevalence of symptoms among those practicing general dentistry.