The Relationship Between the Sense of Professional Belonging and Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Among Turkish Midwifery Students.

This study examined the relationship between the sense of professional belonging and perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care among midwifery students. This cross-sectional study's sample included 194 third- and fourth-year midwifery students associated with the Faculty of Health Sciences at two universities in western Turkey. Data were collected using web-based surveys. The results indicate a positive relationship between total scores on the Midwifery Belonging Scale and scores on the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. As the students' spirituality and spiritual care perceptions increased, their feelings of professional belonging as midwives also increased. Therefore, including the concepts of spirituality and belonging in the midwifery curriculum can increase students' spiritual perceptions and sense of professional belonging, thereby enhancing the quality of the care they ultimately provide.

Prevalence and causes of social media usage and addiction status of pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and causes of social media usage and the addiction status of pregnant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study, which was conducted in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinics of a university and state hospital between December 2019 and February 2020 in a city in the west of Turkey, aims to determine the prevalence and causes of social media usage and the addiction status of pregnant women. 500 people were included in the study. The data were collected with the face-to-face interview technique in the outpatient clinics. RESULTS: The prevalence of the pregnant women's social media usage was found to be 100%. The average daily social media usage was 3.5 h, whereas the social media addiction index was X̅ = 65.58. There were 358 pregnant women (71.6%) with high social media addiction scores. CONCLUSIONS: In the study, it was concluded that all the pregnant women used social media and that most of them had a high level of social media addiction. Healthcare professionals should promote the conscious and balanced use of social media by organizing educational programs related to the accessibility of accurate and reliable online content for pregnant women at every stage of healthcare, and the dangers and addiction of social media.

The Relationship Between eHealth Literacy and Self-Efficacy Levels in Midwifery Students Receiving Distance Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic period, most university courses in Turkey have been taught via distance education. Beyond knowledge of digital technologies, self-efficacy is known to affect the learning motivation and learning goals of students. PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between eHealth literacy and self-efficacy levels in midwifery students receiving distance education during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The research data were collected using a literature-based questionnaire developed by the researchers, the eHealth Literacy Scale for Adolescents, and the Online Technologies Self-Efficacy Scale. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0, with values of p < .05 considered to be significant. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic on a sample of 578 female midwifery students. Snowball sampling method was used for data collection using an online questionnaire. RESULTS: On the basis of the results, eHealth literacy and self-efficacy levels were relatively low in students who were 20 years old or below, who were in their first year, who were from low-income families, who spent less than an hour a day on the Internet, who had a low level of satisfaction with distance education, and who wanted to continue taking theoretical courses via distance education. In addition, self-efficacy related to online technologies was shown to be relatively low in students who found Internet services to be expensive, who had Internet connection problems, and who preferred asynchronous courses. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between eHealth literacy and self-efficacy levels for online education. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: In the context of distance education, integrating the teaching/promotion of self-efficacy with regard to eHealth literacy and online technologies into midwifery education curriculum should better enable midwives to increase the quality of healthcare they provide and improve patient safety.

The relationship between COVID-19 knowledge levels and anxiety states of midwifery students during the outbreak: A cross-sectional web-based survey.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between the anxiety states and knowledge levels of female midwifery students about COVID-19 during the outbreak. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study carried out with online participation of 972 female midwifery students. FINDINGS: The anxiety levels of the female midwifery students were high among those visiting the hospital during the pandemic and having parents or relatives who had chronic diseases. Female midwifery students had a high level of knowledge regarding COVID-19. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Female midwives of the future will take part in primary health care services in the protection and promotion of health as an important occupational group in the public health system. To determine mental health and psychological needs of them during the outbreak will greatly contribute to the pandemic management process.

The Effect of a Breastfeeding Motivation Program Maintained During Pregnancy on Supporting Breastfeeding: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding is the recommended breastfeeding method for infants during the first 6 postnatal months. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to increase breastfeeding duration and frequency using a breastfeeding motivation program (BMP), which was structurally based on Pender's Health Promotion Model (HPM) and administered during pregnancy and the postnatal period. The study was also designed to determine the BMP effectiveness in supporting exclusive breastfeeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample of this randomized controlled trial included 100 pregnant women (50 in the BMP, 50 in the control group) who applied to the pregnancy preparation course in a state hospital located in Usak, western Turkey. Participants in the study were allocated into either the BMP group or control group through systematic sampling and randomization. The BMP was structured based on the HPM and was carried out with the BMP study group four times: during the antenatal period, on the first postnatal day, between the fourth and sixth postnatal weeks, and during the fourth postnatal month. Data were analyzed using the descriptive statistical test, Pearson's chi-square test, independent samples t test, and ANOVA. RESULTS: The mothers in the BMP group started breastfeeding earlier than the mothers in the control group (97.1%) and had fewer problems with their first breastfeeding experience. The average score of perceived self-efficacy in breastfeeding and the rate of first breastfeeding experience (70.6%) were higher in the BMP group by a statistically significant amount. CONCLUSION: BMP for breastfeeding, structurally based on Pender's HPM, can help in supporting and maintaining exclusive breastfeeding.