Mental disorders/difficulties in the postpartum period.

INTRODUCTION: Mental difficulties are common in the postpartum period. They can manifest in a mild form, but also as serious disorders which need to be treated in a timely manner. The most common psychological problem is "Baby blues" characterized by relatively short duration without consequences and treatment is largely unnecessary. Postpartum depression is characterized by a sense of sadness, loss of interest, insomnia, discomfort, loss of energy, reduced concentration. Postpartum psychosis is the most serious disorder but is also rare and may have serious consequences for the mother and child. Important factors in the postpartum mental problems/difficulties are genetic factors, situation of unwanted pregnancy, a feeling of discomfort with the role of motherhood and sudden hormonal changes. AIM: to investigate the frequency and type of mental problems in postpartum period, as well as possible type of help needed by the women in postpartum period. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred (112) respondents participated in the survey. The survey was conducted from November to December 2017 through a "google docs" application. The survey was placed on different social networks, and the participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymous. A series of 14 questions with the offered answers was used in the survey. RESULTS: The results of the survey have shown that psychological difficulties and disturbances in the postpartum period to be common problems encountered by almost 50% of women (44.46%). The most common difficulty is Baby blues, followed by postpartum depression and anxiety disorders. Age and the mode of birth did not affect the emergence of changes, while social factors such as family support had a great impact. CONCLUSION: The provision of information to the mothers can help, but inaccurate information can do the opposite. Thus, the role of health care professionals is important for helping mothers in that period to prevent certain difficulties as well as in identifying and referring mothers to seek help in a timely fashion.

Attitudes and factors that affect Croatian nursing students' choice of thesis type: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Research in nursing, as in other biomedical professions, is of paramount importance. Nursing students are required to attend research methodology courses during their studies. However, nursing research is lagging behind other biomedical fields. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine attitudes and factors that influence the choice of thesis type (original research versus essay-type literature review) among Croatian nursing students. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included nursing students from 8 health sciences studies in Croatia in the 2020/2021 academic year. Data were collected using the Students' Attitudes Toward Research (SAR) questionnaire and questions assessing potential barriers toward research. RESULTS: There were 912 students (25 % response rate) included in the study. In the regression analysis of the total sample, mentor encouragement (ß 0.200; P < 0.001), knowledge (ß 0.137; P = 0.011), and sense of ability to conduct research (ß 0.191; P < 0.001) were positively associated with the SAR score, while the expectation that a research-based thesis will extend the study duration was negatively associated with the SAR score (ß -0.124; P = 0.036). Among bachelor's students, the sense of ability to conduct research (ß 0.255; P < 0.001) was positively associated, while the expectation that a research-based thesis will extend the study duration was negatively associated with the SAR score (ß -0.157; P = 0.053). Among master's students, mentor encouragement (ß 0.415; P < 0.001), knowledge (ß 0.261; P < 0.001), and sense of ability to conduct research (ß 0.151; P = 0.045) were positively associated with the SAR score. A higher SAR score was associated with a higher likelihood of selecting a research thesis (OR [95 % CI]; P: 1.026 [1.014-1.038]; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed modifiable factors associated with positive attitudes toward scientific research and preference for a research-based thesis among nursing students. Policy-makers should consider our results and change nursing studies' curricula and mentors should encourage students to engage in research and conduct research-based thesis even if there are other thesis options available.

Determination of the Personal Nutritional Status of Elderly Populations Based on Basic Foodomics Elements.

Nutritional status is a series of related parameters collected using different available methods. In order to determine the nutritional status of elderly populations and ensure nutritional support based on an individual approach, the implementation of the increasingly used foodomics approach is available; this approach plays a key role in personalized diets and in the optimization of diets for a population group, such as an elderly population. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) method and the Nottingham Screening Tool (NST) form were used on 50 users in a home for the elderly in northwest Croatia. A loss of body mass (BM) was statistically significantly higher for those who had the following: decreased food intake in the last week and users who had complete and partial feeding autonomy. Additionally, the obtained data on drug intake, fluid, individual nutrients, and physical activity are based on an individual approach. The available documentation provides insight into nutritional values and food preparation in an attempt to satisfy a holistic approach in the evaluation of exposure while trying to achieve as many elements of foodomics as possible.