Physical Restraint Use in Nursing Homes-Regional Variances and Ethical Considerations: A Scoping Review of Empirical Studies.

BACKGROUND: Physical restraints are known to violate human rights, yet their use persists in long-term care facilities. This study aimed to explore the prevalence, methods, and interventions related to physical restraint use among the elderly in nursing homes. METHODS: The method described by Joanna Briggs was followed to conduct a scoping review without a quality assessment of the selected studies. An electronic search was conducted to find eligible empirical articles using MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and grey literature. The database search was performed using EndNote software (version X9, Clarivate Analytics), and the data were imported into Excel for analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of physical restraint use was found to be highest in Spain (84.9%) and lowest in the USA (1.9%). The most common device reported was bed rails, with the highest prevalence in Singapore (98%) and the lowest (4.7%) in Germany, followed by chair restraint (57%). The largest number of studies reported the prevention and/or risk of falls to be the main reason for using physical restraints, followed by behavioral problems such as wandering, verbal or physical agitation, and cognitive impairment. Most studies reported guideline- and/or theory-based multicomponent interventions consisting of the training and education of nursing home staff. CONCLUSIONS: This review provides valuable insights into the use of physical restraints among elderly residents in nursing homes. Despite efforts to minimize their use, physical restraints continue to be employed, particularly with elderly individuals who have cognitive impairments. Patient-related factors such as wandering, agitation, and cognitive impairment were identified as the second most common reasons for using physical restraints in this population. To address this issue, it is crucial to enhance the skills of nursing home staff, especially nurses, in providing safe and ethical care for elderly residents with cognitive and functional impairments, aggressive behaviors, and fall risks.

Welfare technology interventions among older people living at home-A systematic review of RCT studies.

The main goal of health services is for the elderly to maintain their mental and physical health and live at home independently for as long as possible. Various technical welfare solutions have been introduced and tested to support an independent life. The aim of this systematic review was to examine different types of interventions and assess the effectiveness of welfare technology (WT) interventions for older people living at home. This study was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020190316) and followed the PRISMA statement. Primary randomized control trial (RCT) studies published between 2015 and 2020 were identified through the following databases: Academic, AMED, Cochrane Reviews, EBSCOhost, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Ovid MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Twelve out of 687 papers met the criteria for eligibility. We used risk-of-bias assessment (RoB 2) for the included studies. Based on the RoB 2 outcomes that showed a high risk of bias (>50%) and high heterogeneity of quantitative data, we decided to narratively summarize the study characteristics, outcome measures, and implications for practice. The included studies were conducted in six countries, namely the USA, Sweden, Korea, Italy, Singapore, and the UK. One was conducted in three European countries (the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland). A total of 8437 participants were sampled, and individual study sample sizes ranged from 12 to 6742. Most of the studies were two-armed RCTs, except for two that were three-armed. The duration of the welfare technology tested in the studies ranged from four weeks to six months. The employed technologies were commercial solutions, including telephones, smartphones, computers, telemonitors, and robots. The type of interventions were balance training, physical exercise and function, cognitive training, monitoring of symptoms, activation of emergency medical systems, self-care, reduction of death risk, and medical alert protection systems. The latter studies were the first of their kind and suggested that physician-led telemonitoring could reduce length of hospital stay. In summary, welfare technology seems to offer solutions to supporting elderly people at home. The results showed a wide range of uses for technologies for improving mental and physical health. All studies showed encouraging results for improving the participants' health status.

Cultural Sensitivity in Interventions Aiming to Reduce or Prevent Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy: A Scoping Review.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) around the time of pregnancy is a recognized global health problem. Ethnic minorities and immigrant pregnant women experiencing IPV require culturally responsive health services. The aim of this scoping review was to identify aspects of cultural sensitivity in interventions to prevent or reduce IPV among ethnic minorities and immigrant pregnant women in high-income countries. Eight databases were searched in November 2019. Any type of scientific research, quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies regarding interventions against IPV among pregnant women were considered for inclusion. Resnicow et al.'s definition of cultural sensitivity was used to identify aspects of cultural sensitivity. Ten papers relating to nine interventions/studies met our inclusion criteria. These studies, which included randomized controlled trials, a mixed methods study, a program evaluation, and a longitudinal study, were conducted in Australia, Belgium, Norway, and the United States. Aspects of surface cultural sensitivity, including the translation of intervention content into the language of the target group(s) and the involvement of bilingual staff to recruit participants, were identified in eight studies. Deep structure aspects of cultural sensitivity were identified in one study, where the intervention content was pretested among the target group(s). Results that could be related to the culture-sensitive adaptions included successful recruitment of the target population. Three studies were planning to investigate women's experiences of interventions, but no publications were yet available. This scoping review provides evidence that culturally sensitive interventions to reduce or prevent IPV among immigrant pregnant women are limited in number and detail.

Domestic Violence Against Women in North African and Middle Eastern Countries: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review aimed to identify the scope of the current literature on the prevalence, consequences, and risk factors of domestic violence (DV) against women by their husbands or male partners in North African and Middle Eastern countries. The methodology for this scoping review was based on the framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. Studies published on DV against women over the age of 15 by partner or husband and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals between January 1970 and April 2018 were included in the review. The databases MEDLINE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, HealthSTAR, EMBASE, Scopus, African Journals Online, Turkish Journal Database, and gray literature sources were searched. On completion of the review process, 151 full-text articles were identified for charting. This review demonstrated that women's age, women's education level, duration of marriage, history of childhood abuse/witnessing family violence, living in the rural region, and family income level were negatively associated with DV, indicating that younger women, women with lower education, a longer marriage duration, and a lower income level had a higher risk of exposure to DV in this region. Anxiety, depression/insomnia, and physical injury were the most common health problems reported by victims in the region. The highest proportion of women with no response to violence was reported in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The findings of this scoping review represent the first attempt to summarize the literature from North African and Middle Eastern countries and demonstrate the similarity in DV-related behaviors among women despite the cultural and regional diversity of the studies.

Changes in life expectancy and disease burden in Norway, 1990-2019: an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

BACKGROUND: Geographical differences in health outcomes are reported in many countries. Norway has led an active policy aiming for regional balance since the 1970s. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019, we examined regional differences in development and current state of health across Norwegian counties. METHODS: Data for life expectancy, healthy life expectancy (HALE), years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in Norway and its 11 counties from 1990 to 2019 were extracted from GBD 2019. County-specific contributors to changes in life expectancy were compared. Inequality in disease burden was examined by use of the Gini coefficient. FINDINGS: Life expectancy and HALE improved in all Norwegian counties from 1990 to 2019. Improvements in life expectancy and HALE were greatest in the two counties with the lowest values in 1990: Oslo, in which life expectancy and HALE increased from 71·9 years (95% uncertainty interval 71·4-72·4) and 63·0 years (60·5-65·4) in 1990 to 81·3 years (80·0-82·7) and 70·6 years (67·4-73·6) in 2019, respectively; and Troms og Finnmark, in which life expectancy and HALE increased from 71·9 years (71·5-72·4) and 63·5 years (60·9-65·6) in 1990 to 80·3 years (79·4-81·2) and 70·0 years (66·8-72·2) in 2019, respectively. Increased life expectancy was mainly due to reductions in cardiovascular disease, neoplasms, and respiratory infections. No significant differences between the national YLD or DALY rates and the corresponding age-standardised rates were reported in any of the counties in 2019; however, Troms og Finnmark had a higher age-standardised YLL rate than the national rate (8394 per 100 000 [95% UI 7801-8944] vs 7536 per 100 000 [7391-7691]). Low inequality between counties was shown for life expectancy, HALE, all level-1 causes of DALYs, and exposure to level-1 risk factors. INTERPRETATION: Over the past 30 years, Norway has reduced inequality in disease burden between counties. However, inequalities still exist at a within-county level and along other sociodemographic gradients. Because of insufficient Norwegian primary data, there remains substantial uncertainty associated with regional estimates for non-fatal disease burden and exposure to risk factors. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Research Council of Norway, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

The burden of mental disorders, substance use disorders and self-harm among young people in Europe, 1990-2019: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Background: Mental health is a public health issue for European young people, with great heterogeneity in resource allocation. Representative population-based studies are needed. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 provides internationally comparable information on trends in the health status of populations and changes in the leading causes of disease burden over time. Methods: Prevalence, incidence, Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) from mental disorders (MDs), substance use disorders (SUDs) and self-harm were estimated for young people aged 10-24 years in 31 European countries. Rates per 100,000 population, percentage changes in 1990-2019, 95% Uncertainty Intervals (UIs), and correlations with Sociodemographic Index (SDI), were estimated. Findings: In 2019, rates per 100,000 population were 16,983 (95% UI 12,823 - 21,630) for MDs, 3,891 (3,020 - 4,905) for SUDs, and 89·1 (63·8 - 123·1) for self-harm. In terms of disability, anxiety contributed to 647·3 (432-912·3) YLDs, while in terms of premature death, self-harm contributed to 319·6 (248·9-412·8) YLLs, per 100,000 population. Over the 30 years studied, YLDs increased in eating disorders (14·9%;9·4-20·1) and drug use disorders (16·9%;8·9-26·3), and decreased in idiopathic developmental intellectual disability (-29·1%;23·8-38·5). YLLs decreased in self-harm (-27·9%;38·3-18·7). Variations were found by sex, age-group and country. The burden of SUDs and self-harm was higher in countries with lower SDI, MDs were associated with SUDs. Interpretation: Mental health conditions represent an important burden among young people living in Europe. National policies should strengthen mental health, with a specific focus on young people. Funding: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Prevalence of Fatigue and Associated Factors Among Cancer Patients Attending Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a subjective and distressing symptom in cancer patients and has profound effects on daily life. The rates of fatigue during treatment are reported to be 25-90%. Its causes are secondary to their treatment course, cancer itself and associated factors. PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of fatigue and associated factors among cancer patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was conducted on cancer patients undergoing treatment in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. A sample of 278 was selected using systematic random sampling technique and Brief Fatigue Inventory questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were entered into EPI data version 3.1 and transferred to SPSS version 24 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to summarize the data. The significant statistical test was determined at 95% confidence interval and at p<0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 44.9 ± 14 years. The prevalence of fatigue identified by this study was 208 (74.8%). Age, stage of cancer, presence of infection, type of cancer, and type of treatment had shown a significant association with fatigue [AOR = 3.15, 95% CI: (1.35-7.34)], [AOR = 0.02, 95% CI: (0.003-0.172)], [AOR = 4.15, 95% CI: (1.06-16.07)], [AOR = 5.19, 95% CI: (1.59-16.90)], [AOR = 0.18, 95% CI: (0.07-0.462)] respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of fatigue in cancer patients in this study was high. Risk factors were age of the patients, stage of cancer, presence of infection, cervical cancer and radiation therapy.

Dysphagia and its impact on the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients: institution-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Impaired swallowing is a primary medical concern in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Swallowing therapy and supportive care to relieve swallowing problems among HNC patients are recommended. However, no data shows the effect of dysphagia on the quality of life (QoL) among Ethiopian patients. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess swallowing function and its impact on QoL. RESULTS: The sample included 102 HNC patients who visited oncology clinics at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. Majority were male (53.90%), employed (70.6%), single (57.80%), and completed some level of formal education (66.60%) with a mean age of 42.58 years (SD ± 14.08). More than half of the patients (69.6%) medical expenses were covered by the government. Most were suffering from advanced stage HNC (59.80%), squamous cell carcinoma (62.70%), and the most prevalent tumor location was nasopharynx (40.20%). The mean MDADI score was 53.29 (SD ± 15.85). Being female, low income, suffering from laryngeal cancer, advanced tumor, and undergoing a single modality therapy were crucial determinants of poor QoL related to swallowing problems. It is recommended to assess swallowing related QoL of patients using a validated tool and be included in treatment protocols.

Under-reporting of COVID-19 cases in Turkey.

Having an accurate account of the number of national COVID-19 cases is essential for understanding the national and global burden of the disease and managing COVID-19 prevention and control efforts. There is also substantial under-reporting of COVID-19 cases and deaths in many countries. In this article, the COVID-19 under-reporting problem in Turkey is addressed, and examples and reasons for the under-reporting are discussed.

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Calcific Aortic Valve and Degenerative Mitral Valve Diseases, 1990-2017.

BACKGROUND: Nonrheumatic valvular diseases are common; however, no studies have estimated their global or national burden. As part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, mortality, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), degenerative mitral valve disease, and other nonrheumatic valvular diseases were estimated for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. METHODS: Vital registration data, epidemiologic survey data, and administrative hospital data were used to estimate disease burden using the Global Burden of Disease Study modeling framework, which ensures comparability across locations. Geospatial statistical methods were used to estimate disease for all countries, because data on nonrheumatic valvular diseases are extremely limited for some regions of the world, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Results accounted for estimated level of disease severity as well as the estimated availability of valve repair or replacement procedures. DALYs and other measures of health-related burden were generated for both sexes and each 5-year age group, location, and year from 1990 to 2017. RESULTS: Globally, CAVD and degenerative mitral valve disease caused 102 700 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 82 700-107 900) and 35 700 (95% UI, 30 500-42 500) deaths, and 12.6 million (95% UI, 11.4 million-13.8 million) and 18.1 million (95% UI, 17.6 million-18.6 million) prevalent cases existed in 2017, respectively. A total of 2.5 million (95% UI, 2.3 million-2.8 million) DALYs were estimated as caused by nonrheumatic valvular diseases globally, representing 0.10% (95% UI, 0.09%-0.11%) of total lost health from all diseases in 2017. The number of DALYs increased for CAVD and degenerative mitral valve disease between 1990 and 2017 by 101% (95% UI, 79%-117%) and 35% (95% UI, 23%-47%), respectively. There is significant geographic variation in the prevalence, mortality rate, and overall burden of these diseases, with highest age-standardized DALY rates of CAVD estimated for high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: These global and national estimates demonstrate that CAVD and degenerative mitral valve disease are important causes of disease burden among older adults. Efforts to clarify modifiable risk factors and improve access to valve interventions are necessary if progress is to be made toward reducing, and eventually eliminating, the burden of these highly treatable diseases.

Global trends of hand and wrist trauma: a systematic analysis of fracture and digit amputation using the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study.

BACKGROUND: As global rates of mortality decrease, rates of non-fatal injury have increased, particularly in low Socio-demographic Index (SDI) nations. We hypothesised this global pattern of non-fatal injury would be demonstrated in regard to bony hand and wrist trauma over the 27-year study period. METHODS: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 was used to estimate prevalence, age-standardised incidence and years lived with disability for hand trauma in 195 countries from 1990 to 2017. Individual injuries included hand and wrist fractures, thumb amputations and non-thumb digit amputations. RESULTS: The global incidence of hand trauma has only modestly decreased since 1990. In 2017, the age-standardised incidence of hand and wrist fractures was 179 per 100 000 (95% uncertainty interval (UI) 146 to 217), whereas the less common injuries of thumb and non-thumb digit amputation were 24 (95% UI 17 to 34) and 56 (95% UI 43 to 74) per 100 000, respectively. Rates of injury vary greatly by region, and improvements have not been equally distributed. The highest burden of hand trauma is currently reported in high SDI countries. However, low-middle and middle SDI countries have increasing rates of hand trauma by as much at 25%. CONCLUSIONS: Certain regions are noted to have high rates of hand trauma over the study period. Low-middle and middle SDI countries, however, have demonstrated increasing rates of fracture and amputation over the last 27 years. This trend is concerning as access to quality and subspecialised surgical hand care is often limiting in these resource-limited regions.

Survival status and associated factors of death among cervical cancer patients attending at Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is a cancer of uterine cervix caused mostly by sexually-acquired infection called Human papillomavirus (HPV. In developing region of the globe, fewer than 50% of women with cervical malignancy survive more than 5 years. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess survival status and associated factors of death among cervical cancer patients attending at Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital (TASH), Ethiopia. METHODS: Facility based retrospective cohort study was conducted from March to April 2019 at Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital oncology center. Data was collected from patient's chart using pre-tested and structured checklist prepared in English and analyzed using STATA14.2. Cox regression model was used to identify Variables that affected survival. RESULT: The overall survival rate was 38.62% at 5 years. There were a significance differences in survival experience between categories of stage of cervical cancer, age of patients, comorbidity, substance use, base line anemia and treatment modalities. Being stage IV [AHR = 11.76; 95% CI (4.02-34.4)],being advanced age [AHR = 5.99; 95% CI (2.1-17.08)], being comorbid [AHR = 1.58; 95%CI(1.14-2.19)], using substance [AHR = 1.56;95% CI(1.09-2.22)] and being anemic [AHR = 1.6;95% CI(1.11-2.36)] increased the risk of death. CONCLUSION: The overall survival rate was lower than high- and middle-income countries and Significant factors of death after diagnosis of cervical cancer were; advanced FIGO stage, base line anemia, comorbidity, substance use, advanced age and treatment modality. Authors recommend that it is better to expand cervical cancer early screening programs and treatment facilities, strengthen awareness in collaboration with public medias about cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment options.

Intermittent auscultation fetal monitoring during labour: A systematic scoping review to identify methods, effects, and accuracy.

BACKGROUND: Intermittent auscultation (IA) is the technique of listening to and counting the fetal heart rate (FHR) for short periods during active labour and continuous cardiotocography (CTC) implies FHR monitoring for longer periods. Although the evidence suggests that IA is the best way to monitor healthy women at low risk of complications, there is no scientific evidence for the ideal device, timing, frequency and duration for IA. We aimed to give an overview of the field, identify and describe methods and practices for performing IA, map the evidence and accuracy for different methods of IA, and identify research gaps. METHODS: We conducted a systematic scoping review following the Joanna Briggs methodology. Medline, EMBASE, Cinahl, Maternity & Infant Care, Cochrane Library, SveMed+, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs and African Journals Online were searched for publications up to January 2019. We did hand searches in relevant articles and databases. Studies from all countries, international guidelines and national guidelines from Denmark, United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Australia, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway were included. We did quality assessment of the guidelines according to the AGREEMENT tool. We performed a meta-analysis assessing the effects of IA with a Doppler device vs. Pinard device using methods described in The Cochrane Handbook, and we performed an overall assessment of the summary of evidence using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: The searches generated 6408 hits of which 26 studies and 11 guidelines were included in the review. The studies described slightly different techniques for performing IA, and some did not provide detailed descriptions. Few of the studies provided details of normal and abnormal IA findings. All 11 guidelines recommended IA for low risk women, although they had slightly different recommendations on the frequency, timing, and duration for IA, and the FHR characteristics that should be observed. Four of the included studies, comprising 8436 women and their babies, were randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effect of IA with a Doppler device vs. a Pinard device. Abnormal FHRs were detected more often using the Doppler device than in those using the Pinard device (risk ratio 1.77; 95% confidence interval 1.29-2.43). There were no significant differences in any of the other maternal or neonatal outcomes. Four studies assessed the accuracy of IA findings. Normal FHR was easiest to identify correctly, whereas identifying periodic FHR patterns such as decelerations and saltatory patterns were more difficult. CONCLUSION: Although IA is the recommended method, no trials have been published that evaluate protocols on how to perform it. Nor has any study assessed interrater agreements regarding interpretations of IA findings, and few have assessed to what degree clinicians can describe FHR patterns detected by IA. We found no evidence to recommend Doppler device instead of the Pinard for IA, or vice versa.

Perceptions and predictors of dating violence among nursing and midwifery students.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence and predictors of victimization and perpetration of dating violence among nursing and midwifery students. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study design. METHODS: The sample consisted of nursing and midwifery students (N = 603) at the largest state university in southeastern Turkey. Data were collected with a validated, investigator-designed survey instrument between September 2015 and January 2016. FINDINGS: Most participants had been exposed to dating violence. Jealousy, controlling behaviour, and restrictions on another's social life were not perceived as violent behaviour in dating relationships. There was no significant relationship of dating violence with gender, smoking, place of residence, or marijuana use. Exposure to parental violence and alcohol use were found to be the strongest predictors of being a perpetrator of violence in the dating violence perpetration model. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the lack of recognition of dating violence among nursing and midwifery students. The perceptions of students should be enriched by adding content on violent behaviours in the curriculum of nursing and midwifery programmes. IMPACT: Efforts to reduce and stop dating violence have a crucial role in preventing future violence in established relationships. We acknowledge that the prevalence of dating violence among nursing and midwifery students is high. Psychological and verbal violence are extremely common and most are not recognized as violent behaviours by the students. This study contributes to the understanding of violent behaviours related to dating violence among nursing and midwifery students for establishing healthy relationship.

The Level of Hopelessness and Psychological Distress among Abused Women in A Women's Shelter in Turkey.

Hopelessness prevents abused women from participating in social life and increases the risk of suicide. The aim of this study was to determine the level of hopelessness and psychological distress among abused women admitted to shelter in a conservative country. The sample included 40 abused women. A questionnaire, Beck Hopelessness Scale and the General Health Questionnaire were used to collect data. Chi-square, the Pearson correlation analysis test, and variance analysis were performed. Half of the women experienced moderate and severe hopelessness. Higher levels of hopelessness were found to be associated with higher psychological distress. Women had problems with decision-making, concentrating on a job, felt unhappiness, and depression. The results of the study would be useful in designing training programs for nurses, social workers and counselors as well as policy makers who assist women facing domestic violence to provide better physiological and psychological care for sheltered women in conservative countries.

Knowledge and perception of female nursing students about human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, and attitudes toward HPV vaccination.

Objective: The researchers aimed to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of first-year female nursing students about human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer (CC), and HPV vaccination. Participants: The sample included 690 female nursing students from sampled universities between April and June 2015. Methods: Students were surveyed by using a pretested HPV and CC awareness questionnaire. Results: More than half of the students (65.1%) answered questions incorrectly with a mean HPV knowledge score of 6.085 ± 3.38. The majority of students (82.6%) did not hear HPV vaccine. Only, 2.8% of the students had been vaccinated. A statistically significant relationship was found between HPV knowledge score and hearing about HPV vaccine (U = 28280.500, p = .015), and believing HPV vaccine protectiveness (χ2 = 14.153, p = .001). Conclusions: This study highlights the lack of knowledge and low level of awareness about HPV, CC, and HPV vaccination among first-year nursing college students.

Predictors of marital adjustment among child brides.

The researchers aim was to examine the predictors of marital adjustment among child brides in Turkey. The sample included 246 women who were between 18 and 49 years of age, got married while under the age of 18, not divorced, who spoke Turkish or Kurdish, by using convenience sampling method. We used a marital adjustment scale and a survey form to collect data. Our findings indicated that marital adjustment was low among child brides. The factors affecting women's marital adjustment were duration and types of the marriage, number of pregnancies and physical violence. The incidence of physical violence was inversely correlated with the scores of marital adjustment of women, while the women's age, education, income level, number of living children, age, and the education level of their partner was not correlated. The results of this study would be useful for nurses, midwives, social workers, and counselors who assist women who are facing domestic violence.

Traditional practices for maternal and newborn care among Turkish postpartum women.

AIM: Researchers used descriptive study design to examine the traditional practices of women in relation to maternal and newborn care in the postpartum period. METHODS: 523 postpartum women included who were between 15 and 49years of age, had at least one child, and had no medical complications that affect the mother-infant health. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Comparisons were made between the responses about the women's knowledge of traditional practices and other variables. RESULTS: We found that women widely used traditional practices such as putting Koran (Holy book for Muslims) and packing needle under the mother's pillow to prevent mother from "al basmasi", pouring lead in a cup over the head of the newborn to repel evil spirits, and covering the baby's face with a piece of yellow cloth to prevent neonatal jaundice. The rate of using postpartum traditional practices increased with age and number of pregnancies and decreased with education (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Educational activities are recommended to increase awareness of harmful traditional practices in the field of reproductive health for nurses and midwives. Health professionals should pay special attention to less educated, older and primiparous women from rural areas enable them to reinforce positive cultural practices, and discourage them from using harmful ones by providing non-critical scientific explanations.

Opinions and attitudes of obstetricians and midwives in Turkey towards caesarean section and vaginal birth following a previous caesarean section.

Aim To determine the opinions and attitudes of Turkish obstetricians and midwives to caesarean section (C-section) and vaginal birth following a C-section. Methods The study involved obstetricians and midwives who were working in a state women's hospital and two private hospitals in Gaziantep, Turkey. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires on sociodemographic data and provide opinions about C-section. Results A total of 88 midwives and 22 obstetricians participated in the study. Approximately one-third of midwives believed caesarean rates were high at their institution and more than 50% thought that the rate should be reduced. In contrast, although approximately 80% of obstetricians thought that caesarean rates in their institutions ranged between 25-50%, only 18% believed the rate was high and 68% believed that the rate of should be reduced. Midwives and obstetricians tended to agree on most suggested reasons for high C-section rates. When asked about interventions that may reduce the C-section rates, midwives and obstetricians had opposing views. However, most participants agreed that prenatal childbirth preparation courses would be beneficial. Conclusions This study showed that most midwives and obstetricians believe the rate of C-section at their institution is high and should be reduced.

Predictors and measurement of satisfaction with postpartum care in a government hospital.

In this study, the predictors of satisfaction with postpartum care at a government hospital were evaluated. The descriptive research sample included 300 mothers in their postpartum period. Data were collected using a questionnaire and the Postpartum Nursing Care Evaluation Scale. The regression analysis undertaken showed that mothers who received prenatal care had a significantly higher evaluation score (compared to those who had not received prenatal care), as had mothers who had a caesarean delivery (compared to vaginal birth), as well as those who had received support from friends and relatives during their postpartum period (compared to those who did not receive such support). Our recommendation is that postpartum nursing care be improved for mothers who deliver vaginally, have not received prenatal care, were unintentionally pregnant, and have problems with breastfeeding. The results will help nurses who work with an international population of postpartum women to give professional, systematic, and patient-centered care to postpartum mothers in order to increase patient satisfaction.