ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine the relationship between cyberchondria and COVID-19 anxiety and internet addiction in nursing students. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 843 students studying in the nursing department of Adnan Menderes University. The mean age of the students was 20.8 ± 1.72 years and 61.2% were female. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale-Short Form, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and the Young Internet Addiction Test-Short Form were used to collect data. The study found a positive association between internet addiction, cyberchondria severity, and anxiety about COVID-19. It was found that the anxiety of COVID-19 had a mediating role in the association between internet addiction and cyberchondria severity. It was found that the use of the internet as a source of information on health problems and trusting the health information found had a significant effect on high cyberchondria levels (p < 0.05). Taken together, the findings of previous studies and this study on the role of the association between internet addiction and cyberchondria exacerbating anxiety due to the pandemic provide further evidence for healthcare professionals that greater focus is needed on the problems of the new era related to people-internet interaction. To reduce the negative effects of the current health crisis and future health crises, interventions for nursing students to control their internet use and cyberchondria behaviors should be prioritized.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Human milk banks (HMB) play an essential role by providing human milk to infants who would otherwise not be able to receive mother's milk. There is currently no donor milk bank in Turkey. For any new health intervention to be successful, determining its acceptability is a vital first step. This study intends to determine the opinions, knowledge, and attitudes of native Turkish and refugee women living in Çestepe, Aydin, a rural area in Turkey, about HMB. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was conducted. Qualitative study data were collected through in-depth interviews with 33 women, and quantitative study data were collected using a questionnaire. A total of 271 women in the region were included in the study. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed and then a conceptual framework was created. Logistic regression was performed for quantitative data. RESULTS: Fifty-seven point nine per cent of the women were willing to donate breast milk, whereas only 27.7% were willing to use donor milk for their babies. Religious concerns, fear of infectious diseases, and distrust in people they did not know were among the reasons for the negative attitudes of the women. Fear of infectious diseases was mentioned specifically by native Turkish women, and religious concerns were reported both by native Turkish and refugee women. The importance of breast milk and religion were among the reasons for positive attitudes. Additionally, odds of having a positive attitude were 4.19 times higher in homemaker women (95% CI 2.0, 8.76); 4.77 times higher in women with three or more children (95% CI 1.25, 8.15); 6.12 times higher in women who had a positive attitude towards wet nursing (95% CI 3.14, 9.63); and 2.68 times higher in those who had previously heard about human milk banking (95% CI 1.24, 5.79). CONCLUSION: Attitudes towards HMB are affected by religion, cultural beliefs, and concerns about the safety of breast milk in HMBs. Refugees and native Turkish women are found to have similar religious concerns. These findings should be taken into consideration in human milk banking initiatives and in activities to increase acceptance by the public.