The effect of online and face-to-face active learning methods on learning attitudes.

AIM: This study aims to compare the effects of online and face-to-face education models using active learning methods on students' learning attitudes. METHODS: This retrospective and quasi-experimental study included total 203 third-grade nursing students who took the Obstetrics and Gynecological Health Nursing course face-to-face and online in the fall semester of the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Active Learning Methods Questionnaire and the Scale Attitude Towards Learning (SATL) were used. RESULTS: The mean score of active learning methods of the students receiving online education (77.35 ± 18.63) was higher than the face-to-face education group (67.00 ± 20.67). Although there was no difference between the face-to-face and online education groups in terms of the effort to learn and caring for learning, online students had a lower attitude towards learning avoidance (t: 6.540, p: 0.000). There was a negative and low-level significant correlation between the evaluation of active learning methods and the total score of SATL in the online education group (r = -0.200; p = .043), no correlation in face-to-face group (r: 0.004; p: 0.963). CONCLUSION: Online education, which uses active learning methods, affected positively students' attitudes towards learning and decreased their avoidance of learning more than face-to-face education. This study has shown that active learning methods allow online students to question theoretical knowledge, convey it to patient care, contribute to clinical knowledge, and facilitate their learning and analytical thinking based on the more positively evaluation by online students.

Emotions, thoughts, and coping strategies of women with infertility problems on changes in treatment during Covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

This study assesses the emotions, thoughts, and coping strategies of women with infertility problems associated with the changes in treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic using Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. This qualitative study was based on two Internet forums between October-December 2020, and the comments of 30 women. Four themes were assessed: psychological changes, cognitive changes, changes in social life, and coping strategies. Women reported that the closure of fertility clinics negatively impacted their lives. They experienced despair, uncertainty, disappointment, anger, sadness, and exhaustion from waiting. The expressions of women about coping strategies mostly include emotion-based coping strategies. This study illustrated the importance of using qualitative methods to describe and specify stress and coping strategies in women whose infertility treatment was delayed. It is believed that approaches based on Lazarus and Folkman's model could help healthcare professionals to determine potential stressors for women with infertility during the pandemic, and to identify areas that required improved personal coping strategies.

Communication between infertile women and nurses: facilitators, barriers and requirements for improving.

Nurses working in infertility clinics need to know effective ways of communicating with infertile women to help them experience their treatment period comfortably. However, they can face various stressors which can reduce the motivation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate communication between nurses in infertility clinics and infertile women from the perspective of both groups. The qualitative study was conducted in an InVitroFertilization clinic, in Turkey with five nurses and seven female patients. Data obtained from semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed. Three main themes were identified: facilitators of communication (verbal and nonverbal facilitator), barriers to communication (related to nurses and women), and requirements for improving communication. Factors such as appropriate tone of voice, smiling, provide eye-to-eye contact are expressed by women and/or nurses as facilitators. The high tone of voice, yelling, etc. for women, stress and the low education level of women for nurses were barriers. The requirements expressed by women were nurses receiving training to improve their communication skills, and not having prejudice, while requirements for nurses were enough time, women being sincere, taking psychological support. This paper may provide nurses recognize facilitators and barriers to effective communication with women and include in their care plans.

Does conception spontaneously or with ART affect postpartum parenting behaviors?

Pregnancy and parenting may be psychologically more complex after assisted conception than after spontaneous conception. On the other hand, the literature demonstrates that mothers who conceived with ART comply with transition to parenting easily although they experience more problems in pregnancy and postpartum. This study aimed to compare postpartum parenting behaviors of women who conceived spontaneously or with ART. This descriptive, cross-sectional and comparative study was conducted between October 2017 and June 2018 in Dokuz Eylul University postpartum clinic with 50 spontaneous mother and 50 ART mothers. After a brief explanation of the study, the personal information form was applied to women and the parenting behaviours were observed by using Postpartum Parenting Behavior Scale. The total PPBS average score in the ART group was 5.40 ± 1.41 compared with 3.62 ± 2.24 in the comparison group. The ART mother displayed significantly a more positive attitude toward their infant than spontaneous mother (p = 0.00). Also, in six components of PPBS separately it was determined higher score in ART group, respectively (p = 0.04, p = 0.00, p = 0.00, p = 0.00, p = 0.00, p = 0.00). Mothers who were conceived with ART exhibit more positive parenting behaviors.

Development of Fertility Preparedness Scale for Women Receiving Fertility Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Stress has a negative impact on fertility by suppressing the secretion of fertility hormones. Although it is known that stress reduces the probability of conception and affects fertility negatively, scales that are now widely used to evaluate fertility preparedness include negative items. Positive statements are crucial to relieving stress in women. Using positive items in assessments of fertility preparedness in women may help reduce related stress. PURPOSE: This study was designed to develop the Fertility Preparedness Scale for women receiving fertility treatments. METHODS: A methodological study was conducted in four fertility clinics between December 2015 and March 2016. Two hundred thirty women who had been diagnosed with primary or secondary infertility were enrolled as participants. A personal information form and the Fertility Preparedness Scale were used to collect data. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha was .84 for the total scale and .76-.79 for the subscales. Factor analysis extracted three subscales that explained 52.93% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis found a goodness of fit index of .80, a comparative fit index of .95, and a nonnormed fit index of .94. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This scale is valid and reliable for measuring the fertility preparedness of women who receive fertility treatment.

Feelings, opinions and experiences of Turkish women with infertility: A qualitative study.

Many studies have shown that women's experiences, feelings and opinions during their infertility treatment play an important role in treatment outcomes. This qualitative study aimed to reveal the experiences, feelings and opinions of Turkish women with infertility. The data were collected from two Internet forums between October 2016 and November 2016, and the writings of 26 women were explored. The key words "woman with infertility," "feelings, opinion, experience and blogs" and "infertility and blogs" were browsed. The obtained data were analyzed using the method of content analysis. Those expressing feelings, opinions and experiences were underlined and codes, subthemes and themes were created by three researchers separately. Then they came together, discussed the codes and agreed on the thematic statement. The themes which emerged were psychological changes, changes in social life and changes related to treatment themes. Holistic approach and patient-specific interventions can help turn the abovementioned vicious cycle into positive.

Postpartum education and lifestyle changes for preventing type 2 diabetes in Turkish women with previous gestational diabetes: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have at least sevenfold increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared with non-GDM mothers. The risk can be decreased by self-care measures. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the postpartum education and lifestyle changes of Turkish women with previous GDM. METHOD: This was a retrospective descriptive epidemiological study. A total of 111 women who had given birth within the previous 3-4 years were interviewed by telephone between December 2013 and April 2014. RESULTS: The 83.8% of the women with GDM had not received education related to exercise, while 40.5% received no education regarding the importance of diet. More importantly, while 68.5% had been informed about testing blood glucose levels postpartum, a large majority, 69.3%, did not know for how long they would have had to continue testing their glucose levels. However, 31.3% of those who monitored their glucose levels had glucose intolerance. In terms of lifestyle changes, less than half of the women, 48.6%, had made changes in their diet and the majority, 51.4%, were inactive. CONCLUSION: Women need access to sustained education and supportive counselling both to motivate and to minimize the risk of type 2 diabetes after GDM.

Psychometric evaluation of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale-Turkish version (TPDS-T).

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale-Turkish version (TPDS-T). METHODS: The sample consisted of 214 healthy pregnant women in maternity clinics in an urban center in western Turkey. The instruments included a demographic questionnaire and TPDS-T. RESULTS: The internal consistency reliability coefficient of the TPDS-T was .70. The correlation coefficients between the lower dimension item scores and lower dimension total scores were .20 to .73. According to the confirmatory factor analysis, the model fit indexes of the scale were determined as root mean square error of approximation = .051, goodness-of-fit index = .91, comparative fit index = .92, and nonnormed fit index = .90. CONCLUSION: The TPDS-T is a valid and reliable scale that can be used to determine distress of pregnant women in Turkey. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This scale can be used as a guide by Turkish midwives and obstetric nurses planning pregnancy follow-up care.

Early postpartum breast-feeding outcomes and breast-feeding self-efficacy in Turkish mothers undergoing vaginal birth or cesarean birth with different types of anesthesia.

PURPOSE: To compare the breast-feeding outcomes and breast-feeding self-efficacy, in the first 24 postpartum hours, of mothers who underwent vaginal birth, cesarean birth with epidural anesthesia, and cesarean birth with general anesthesia. METHODS: A comparative study was conducted in Turkey. A total of 334 mothers participated. Data were evaluated through descriptive data form, breast-feeding outcomes form, and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale. FINDINGS: It was observed that the mothers who had cesarean birth with general anesthesia experienced more breast-feeding problems. With regard to breast-feeding self-efficacy, all the groups were similar. CONCLUSION: For reducing breast-feeding problems, nurses should provide more care and support to mothers undergoing cesarean birth. Therefore, the fact that the breast-feeding self-efficacy was similar among the groups might be related to culture.

Translation and psychometric assessment of the Breast-feeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form among pregnant and postnatal women in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: most women stop breast feeding before the recommended 6 months post partum. If health professionals are to improve low breast-feeding duration and exclusivity rates, they need to assess high-risk women reliably and identify predisposing factors amenable to intervention. One possible modifiable variable is breast-feeding confidence. The Breast-feeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF) is a 14-item measure designed to assess a mother's confidence in her ability to breast feed her baby. OBJECTIVES: to translate the BSES-SF into Turkish and assess its psychometric properties among women in the antenatal and postnatal periods. DESIGN: a methodological study to assess the reliability, validity and predictive value of the BSES-SF. SETTING: two private and two public hospitals and their outpatient health clinics in Izmir, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: 144 pregnant women and 150 postnatal breast-feeding mothers were recruited using convenience sampling. METHODS: following back-translation procedures, questionnaires were completed in the third trimester by pregnant women and in the hospital by postnatal women. All mothers were telephoned at approximately 12 weeks after the birth to determine how they were feeding their babies. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was 0.87 antenatally and 0.86 postnatally. Antenatal and postnatal BSES-SF scores were significant predictors of breast-feeding duration and exclusivity at 12 weeks after the birth. Differences were found between antenatal and postnatal BSES-SF scores for mothers with previous breast-feeding experience compared with scores for mothers with no breast-feeding experience. Demographic response patterns suggest that the BSES-SF is a unique tool to identify pregnant women and new mothers at risk of early cessation of breast feeding. CONCLUSIONS: this study provides evidence that the translated version of the BSES-SF may be a valid and reliable measure of breast-feeding self-efficacy among a perinatal sample in Turkey.