The burden in family caregivers of people living with dementia: prevalence and predictors.

BACKGROUND: Providing care for people with dementia incorporates a level of burden which can affect quality of life for both the caregiver and the recipient of care. This study measures the level of burden experienced by Jordanian caregivers for people with dementia and explore related predictors. METHODS: Through a cross-sectional survey, participants were invited through convenience sampling to participate in a structured interview. RESULTS: A total of 406 participants completed the survey. According to Zarit Burden Interview, the mean burden score of the sample was 26.2 (SD = 16.2). This score falls under the mild to moderate burden level. Older age of the patient, severe dementia, lower number of caregivers, if the caregiving negatively affected family relations, and if the caregiving negatively affected jobs, were significant predictors of burden. CONCLUSION: Caregivers in the current study reported no burden to a minimum burden. This result does not mean that these caregivers have no or minimal stress or that they do not have psychological needs; on the contrary, these results call for more attention to providing extra psychological and emotional support to caregivers of patients with dementia in order to decrease the burden level and maintain their efforts in caregiving. Future studies are required to discern the shape and context of unmet caregiver needs, assessment, and support.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and associated factors among pregnant and lactating women attending maternity care clinics in refugee camps in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Despite the advantages of vaccination in preventing maternal and fetal problems, there were many concerns in the medical community regarding vaccine safety for pregnant women, and this has put obstetricians in a challenging situation when it comes to advising their pregnant patients on whether to obtain the vaccine. AIM: This study was performed to define the level of acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and assess the impact of COVID-19 attitudes and knowledge on vaccine acceptance between pregnant and lactating Syrian women who are seeking prenatal care services at the clinics in Azraq refugee camp in Jordan. METHOD: A quantitative, cross-sectional study utilizing a non-probability convenience sample. A validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire consisting of four sections was used. RESULTS: A total of 412 pregnant/lactating women was recruited The acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine among participants was 86.5%. There was a significant positive moderate association between respondents' attitudes and knowledge around the COVID-19 vaccine and their acceptance of the vaccine (r = .468, p < .001, r = .357, p < .001), respectively. CONCLUSION: To effectively mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve collective protection, decision-makers must intensify the efforts in promoting the importance of maternal vaccination, especially in vulnerable communities that suffer the most from pandemic outcomes.

Perceptions of Bedside Nurses Caring for Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD): A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Bedside nurses in the intensive care units are exposed to multiple challenges in their regular practice and recently have taken in ventricular assist device care in Lebanon since its introduction as a fairly new practice. Objectives: To explore the experiences of nursing staff who work in Lebanese hospitals with Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD). Methods: This study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design, where semi-structured interviews were carried out among fifteen LVAD nurses in an acute care hospital. Results: The qualitative data analysis produced six main themes. The first theme prevalent was "LVAD incompetence and shortage" and it reflected the deficit in properly structured training and the number of specialized LVAD nurses. The second theme that resulted from the analysis was titled, "Patient and family knowledge", which indicated the misconceptions that families and patients usually hold about LVAD which usually sugarcoats the situation. This was followed by "Burden of complications", "LVAD patient selection", "Perception of the LVAD team as invulnerable", and "High workload and patient frailty" which reflected the perspectives of LVAD nurses. Conclusion: This study shows that the Lebanese LVAD nurses who participated in this study perceived inadequate competence, yet lacked proper training and induction. The nurses reported multiple challenges relating to care tasks, workload, and patient and family interactions which need to be addressed by coordinators.

Prevalence and Triggering Factors of Headache among Jordanian Adolescents in Al-Mafraq Region.

Aims: This study evaluates the epidemiology of headache and migraine among adolescents aged 12 to 15. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted to collect and analyze data from students in grades 7-10 over the course of one month, using a simple random sampling method. The overall number of participants in this study was 692, with an average age of 13.9 years (SD = 1.3). Descriptive measures and Fisher's exact test were computed. Multivariate regression was calculated to assess the predictors of headache and migraine. Findings. Approximately one-half of the students reported having headaches: tension-type headaches (10.3%), migraines (4.8%), and other headache types (31.5%). Moreover, girl students in the age group of 14-15 reported more headaches and migraines. Conclusion: The prevalence of headache and migraine in Jordan is high and increasing as students grow older. Health education programs led by school nurses and other healthcare practitioners are urgently needed.

Factors correlating with self-care behaviors among patients with coronary artery disease: a cross-sectional study.

Background: In Palestine, there is a lack of studies that examined self-care behaviors among patients with coronary artery disease in outpatient clinics.Objective: This study purposed to evaluate self-care behaviors, examine the relationship between self-care behaviors and selected sociodemographic and psychosocial factors (e.g. depression, anxiety, stress, and social support), and self-efficacy, and determine predictors of self-care behaviors among patients with coronary artery disease in outpatient clinics in the West Bank/Palestine.Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted.Methods: A total of 430 Palestinian adult patients suffering from coronary artery disease attended outpatient clinics were recruited. A self-reported questionnaire consisting of the following tools: Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale 21, Sullivian's Self-efficacy scale, and Multidimensional Social Support Scale was used to collect data during the period from the beginning of April to the beginning of July 2022. Descriptive and inferential statistics (Pearson's and Point-biserial correlation tests and multiple linear regression) were used for analyzing data.Results: The patients reported low self-care behaviors levels and high self-efficacy levels. The psychosocial reactions endorsed by the patients were 86.3% for depression, 76.3% for anxiety, 43.3% for stress, and 98.6% had moderate and normal social support. A positive correlation was found between self-care behaviors and age (r = 0.160, p < 0.01), duration of disease (r = 0.095, p < 0.05), self-efficacy (r = 0.443, p < 0.01), and social support (r = 0.266, p < 0.01). Self-efficacy (B = 0.401, p < 0.01), social support (B = 0.160, p < 0.01), and age (B = 0.109, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of self-care behaviors in those patients.Conclusion: Low self-care behaviors were a significant issue among patients with coronary artery disease in outpatient clinics. This study may help healthcare professionals develop health promotion programs for patients with coronary artery disease to improve self-care behaviors.

Vaginal schwannoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Schwannomas (peripheral nerve sheath tumors) of the female genital tract are extremely rare. CASE: A 31-year-old woman developed a benign schwannoma involving the anterior vaginal wall. CONCLUSION: Schwannomas of the female genital tract are extremely rare. They are generally benign, and simple excision is adequate treatment.

Induction of labor and perinatal outcome: the impact of the amniotic fluid index.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to determine the impact of the amniotic fluid index on the perinatal outcome of patients admitted for induction of labor at term. STUDY DESIGN: Patients (n=180) included in the study were those admitted for induction of labor at 37-42 weeks' gestation, with unfavorable cervix and intact membranes. The amniotic fluid index (AFI) was determined in all patients using the four-quadrant technique within 24 h of the induction of labor. Patients were divided into two groups based on their AFI: the oligohydramnios group with AFI < or = 5 cm (n = 66) and a normal group with AFI > 5 cm (n = 114). The perinatal outcomes of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The two groups were similar with regard to maternal age, gestational age, and birth weight. Meconium staining of the amniotic fluid was significantly higher in the group with AFI < or = 5 cm (p = 0.040). The number of cesarean deliveries due to fetal distress was significantly higher even after adjusting for other confounding factors in the group with AFI < or = 5 cm (adjusted OR 6.52 [95% CI 1.82, 23.2]; p < or = 0.0001). There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to Apgar scores or neonatal admission. CONCLUSION: Induction of labor at term in patients with oligohydramnios is associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery due to fetal distress.