Validity and reliability of positive attitudes toward and perceived importance of wearable display technology as an effective learning tool among nursing students.

AIM: This study aims to verify the validity and reliability of two separate instruments used for measuring nursing students' positive attitudes toward and perceived importance of wearable display technology as an effective learning tool. BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals and undergraduates, including nursing students, use wearable display technologies, such as smart glasses and head-mounted displays, as learning tools. However, the validation of the instruments used to evaluate the perception of such use is insufficient. DESIGN: This methodological study assessed an instrument used to measure nursing students' positive attitudes toward and perceived importance of wearable display technology. METHODS: In total, 284 students from eight universities in six regions across South Korea participated in this study. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 25.0 and Amos 22.0. The construct validity (exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and group comparison) and reliability (internal consistency) were analyzed. RESULTS: Three factors and thirteen items related to positive attitudes toward wearable displays were extracted through exploratory factor analysis, with a cumulative explanatory power of 66.22%. One factor and six items were extracted, with an explanatory power of 74.61% for the perceived importance of the wearable display subscale. In the group comparison, differences in the positive attitudes toward and perceived importance of wearable display technology were observed according to the level of satisfaction with college life, level of satisfaction with the nursing major, whether the participants owned a wearable display and whether they would consider purchasing a wearable display. Each factor loading was adequate, according to the confirmatory factor analysis results. Cronbach's α for positive attitudes toward wearable displays was.79, while that for perceived importance of wearable displays was.93. CONCLUSION: The developed instrument can be used to evaluate nursing students' positive attitudes toward and perceived importance of wearable display technology as an effective learning tool in the future. This study can serve as a basis for developing and applying wearable display technologies in nursing education.

Sex-Based Differences in Outcomes of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Korea.

PURPOSE: This study examined the factors affecting mortality and clinical severity score (CSS) of male and female patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) using clinical epidemiological information provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational cohort study. From January 21 to April 30, 2020, 5624 subjects who were released from quarantine or died were analyzed. RESULTS: The factors influencing relsease or death that differed by sex were high heart rate and malignancy in males and chronic kidney disease in females. In addition, the factors influencing progression to severe CSS were high BMI (severe obesity) and rheumatic disease in males and high temperature, sputum production, absence of sore throat and headache, chronic kidney disease, malignancy, and chronic liver disease in females. Older age, low lymphocyte count and platelets, dyspnea, diabetes mellitus, dementia, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission affected mortality in all the patients, and older age, low lymphocyte count and platelets, fever, dyspnea, diabetes mellitus, dementia, and ICU admission affected progression to severe stage of CSS. CONCLUSIONS: This study is expected to contribute to the general results by analyzing nationally representative data. The results of this study present an important basis for development of differentiated nursing and medical management strategies in consideration of factors that influence treatment effects and outcomes according to sex of COVID-19 patients.

Self-Management Support with Yoga on Psychological Health and Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Survivors.

The purpose of this study was to identify whether the improvement of self-management support (SMS) combined with yoga can improve anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life in female breast cancer survivors. The SMS combined with yoga group and control group (yoga only) were comprised of 21 and 20 participants, respectively. The SMS with yoga and yoga programs were provided to each group for 8 weeks. Data obtained from self-report questionnaires included details of anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life. The levels of anxiety, depression, and stress significantly decreased in both the SMS with yoga and control groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the quality of life improved significantly in the SMS with yoga group (p < 0.001). Among the five quality-of-life domains (physical, social/family, emotional and functional well-being, and breast cancer subscale), social/family well-being in the SMS with yoga group was significantly higher than that in the yoga-only group (p = 0.011). Conclusions: The results show that yoga is a beneficial activity for the psychological health of breast cancer survivors. Our findings suggest that SMS strategies can improve quality of life.