The effect of empathy training given to midwives on the empathic communication skills of midwives and the birth satisfaction of mothers giving birth with the help of these midwives: A quasi-experimental study.

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: Empathic attitudes and behaviours of midwives directly affect obstetric outcomes. The study aims to examine the effect of empathy training on the empathic communication skills of midwives and the childbirth satisfaction of primiparous mothers. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study has two sample groups including midwives working in the delivery unit (n = 15) and mothers giving birth with the help of these midwives (n = 134). Empathy training was given to the midwives through a 32-hour program involving didactic narrative, creative drama, and psychodrama techniques. A "Descriptive Information Form," and the "Empathic Communication Skills" and "Empathic Tendencies" scales were used to collect data from the midwives, and another "Descriptive Information Form" and the "Scale for Measuring Maternal Satisfaction in Normal Birth" were used for the maternal data. RESULTS: Empathic communication skills and empathic tendencies of the midwives were found to be higher right after and 8 weeks after the training than before the training (P = .001, P = .040, respectively). The total score and sub-dimensions of the maternal satisfaction scale (ie, midwifery care, respect for privacy, meeting expectations, postpartum care) were found to be higher in mothers giving birth after the midwives' empathy training than those giving birth before (P < .001). A higher level of maternal birth satisfaction was seen in mothers giving birth right after the training (94%) than those giving birth before training (3%). CONCLUSION: The empathy training improved both the empathy skills of midwives, and translated to improved maternal satisfaction with birth among their mothers. It is recommended to increase the number of follow-ups to evaluate the long-term effect of empathy training.

Determination of Intercultural Sensitivity Among Nurses.

This descriptive study was carried out between July 2017 and August 2017 in an Obstetrics/Gynecology and Children Hospital affiliated to Gaziantep provincial directorate of health. The study population consisted of 363 nurses working in the aforementioned Obstetrics/Gynecology and Children Hospital, and the non-probability sampling method was implemented to reach them. Of the nurses included in the study population, 183 who volunteered to participate in the study comprised the sample of the study. The data were collected from the nurses who filled in the data collection forms given by the researchers using the paper pencil technique. To collect the study data, the Personal Information Form questioning the participants' socio-demographic characteristics, and the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) were used. The mean scores the participants obtained from the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale and its subscales are as follows: 24.18 ± 3.87 for the Interaction Engagement subscale, 20.68 ± 4.41 for the Respect for Cultural Differences subscale, 17.10 ± 3.27 for the Interaction Confidence subscale, 10.27 ± 2.81 for the Interaction Enjoyment subscale, 10.64 ± 2.06 for the Interaction Attentiveness subscale and 82.62 ± 12.83 for the overall Intercultural Sensitivity Scale. In conclusion, the cultural sensitivity levels of the nurses in this study were above average.

Males' attitudes towards violence against women and the affecting factors.

PURPOSE: The present study aims to identify the attitudes of men living in two different cities of Turkey towards violence against women and to investigate the variables affecting their attitudes towards violence. DESIGN AND METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in two factories in Agri and Kahramanmaras cities between October and November 2019. FINDINGS: Participants' ISKEBE Violence against Women Attitude Scale mean score was 98.14 ± 20.30, Attitudes towards Body subscale mean score was 64.73 ± 11.99, and Attitudes towards Identity subscale mean score was 33.41 ± 10.45. Of all the participants, 32.6% demonstrated positive attitudes towards violence against women, and 67.4% demonstrated negative attitudes towards violence against women. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Knowing males' attitudes towards violence against women can contribute to the development of violence policies towards women.

The effect of yoga on stress level in infertile women.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of planned yoga practices on stress levels in infertile women. DESIGN AND METHODS: This randomized controlled study included 128 volunteer women who were registered at a private in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic and received infertility treatment. The patients in the experimental group took part in the yoga program twice a week for 6 weeks. A personal information form and The Copenhagen Multi-center Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Fertility Problem Stress Scale were used to collect data. FINDINGS: The differences between the mean scores of the control and experimental groups on the COMPI Fertility Problem Stress Scale at pre- and posttests were statistically significant (P < 0.05). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Because yoga practices may be effective in reducing stress in infertile women, these applications can be performed before treatment. It may reduce patients' stress and increase the success of the treatment. These findings indicate that yoga could reduce stress levels in infertile women.

Reliability and Validity of a Turkish version of the Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale.

AIM: This study aims to conduct reliability and validity study of the Turkish version of the "Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale", which determines pregnant women's perception of breastfeeding self-efficacy in the prenatal period. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This methodological research was carried out between December 2014 and May 2016 in maternity clinics of the Erzurum Nene Hatun Maternity Hospital and Atatürk University Research Hospital. The study population consisted of pregnant women, admitted to the specified clinics for prenatal controls. The study was carried out with 326 pregnant women, who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the research without any sample selection. "Personal Information Form" and "Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale - Turkish Form" were used for data collection. The data were collected by the face-to-face interview method, and analyzed by SPSS 18 software. In the validity-reliability analysis of the scale, language and content validity, explanatory factor analysis, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, item-total score correlation, and testretest methods were used. RESULTS: Linguistic validity was verified by the translation-backtranslation of the Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale, then the necessary corrections were made according to the recommendations of the expert opinions, to ensure the content validity. As a result of the explanatory factor analysis, performed to determine the construct validity of the scale, a single factor structure was found, having factor loadings in the appropriate range (0.30-0.76). In the internal consistency analysis of the scale, Cronbach's Alpha was 0.86, and the item-total score correlations were between 0.23 and 0.65, and no item was removed from the scale. In order to test the time-invariance of the scale, the test-retest correlation value was found to be 0.94. The relationship between the two applications were determined to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Turkish version of the Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale was evaluated in Turkish women and found to be a valid and reliable measurement instrument.

The Effect of Nursing Care Based on Comfort Theory on Women's Postpartum Comfort Levels After Caesarean Sections.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nursing care based on comfort theory on women's postpartum comfort levels after C-sections. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used. The sample comprised 100 women who had C-sections (50 experimental, 50 control). RESULTS: A total of 27 nursing diagnoses were determined. The physical (p = .000), psychospiritual (p = .249), and sociocultural (p = .001) subdimension mean scores on the Postpartum Comfort Scale were higher in the experimental group than they were in the control group. The mean total scores on the Postpartum Comfort Scale were 138.70 ± 8.79 in the experimental group and 131.06 ± 9.30 in the control group (p = .000). CONCLUSION: Nursing care based on comfort theory for women having C-sections met their comfort needs and increased their postpartum comfort levels. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: It is recommended that nursing care outcomes be compared using different nursing models.

Midwifery education in Turkey.

Midwives are the most important health workers for the protection and improvement of maternal and infant health. A well organized health system and qualified midwife education programs developed in accordance with contemporary requirements are required to ensure the competence of midwives in their practice.

Determination of the motherly reactions to adolescents' experience of menarche. II.

OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to identify mothers' reactions to adolescent girls' experience of menarche. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of the University Hospital in Eastern Anatolia in Erzurum, Turkey, between April and May 2009. The study comprised mothers of adolescent girls who had experienced menarche during the last 12 months. Two hundred and four mothers formed the sample for this study. However, 10 were removed from the study because their daughter did not inform them about their menarche experience and the mothers could not answer some questions. The study was thus conducted with 194 mothers. The data were collected via a questionnaire prepared by the researchers and the data were evaluated using percentages. Approval for the research was obtained from the hospital and the ethics committee before commencement. The researchers provided the women with information about the survey. RESULTS: The average age of mothers was 41.37 ± 6.5. A total of 44.3% of mothers had achieved primary school educational level and 78.9% of mothers have lived in a nuclear family. Mothers' reactions to their daughters' experience of menarche largely consisted of providing them with information about what to do (72.2% of them gave information about bathing, 59.3% of them gave information about genital hygiene). Mother' positive attitudes were very low (18% of them kissed their daughters, 11.3% of them congratulated their daughters). There were 12.4% of mothers who were sad about their daughters' experience of menarche. CONCLUSIONS: It was determined in this study that the extent to which mothers showed reactions of happiness to their daughters' experience of menarche is rather low, but the rate of mothers telling their daughters what to do in this period was quite high.

Prospective study of postpartum depression in eastern Turkey prevalence, socio-demographic and obstetric correlates, prenatal anxiety and early awareness.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The study was undertaken to provide an estimate of the prevalence of postpartum depression and its correlates. Further, we sought to evaluate the predictive power of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale when administered at postpartum week one for symptoms of depression at postpartum week six. BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression is a major health issue for women worldwide with well-documented negative health consequences for the mother and family. It is therefore important to evaluate prenatal detection of women at risk for developing postpartum depression. DESIGN: A prospective study. METHODS: The study involved 479 pregnant women in Erzurum, Turkey who were evaluated during the third trimester of pregnancy and at one and six weeks postpartum by community midwives. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Anxiety/social support scales were used for baseline evaluation, and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale was administered at one and six weeks postpartum. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms according to the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale was 17.7% at first week and 14% at sixth week postpartum. The factors that were most predictive of postpartum depression were psychiatric history during pregnancy; prenatal anxiety; poor marital relationship in the first postpartum weeks; lack of health insurance and lack of contraceptive use. The correlation between symptoms of depression at one and six weeks in the postpartum period was significant. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of postpartum depression and its correlates were similar to the results of Western studies. Early identification of potential risk factors may aid in recognition of and treatment for postpartum depression. The Edinburgh scale is a simple yet useful tool to use during the early postpartum period for evaluation of depressive symptoms. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study highlights the utility of screening for risk of postpartum depression during pregnancy and also during the early postpartum period.

Dysmenorrhea prevalence among adolescents in eastern Turkey: its effects on school performance and relationships with family and friends.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of menstrual pain duration and severity on education performance and attitudes towards family and friends among Turkish female adolescents. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: 26 high schools located in Erzurum, Northeastern Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1951 single female adolescents, aged 13 to 18 years, were selected for this study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The effect of dysmenorrhea on female adolescents' relationships with families and friends and school performance. RESULTS: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was high among female adolescents (68.1-72.2%). Pain mostly lasted for one to three days (56.6%), followed by less than 1 day (23.5%) and more than 4 days (14.9%), respectively. Several symptoms were observed including sweating, appetite loss, headache, distraction, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, diarrhoea, and fainting. School performance was negatively affected by dysmenorrhea. The main visible adverse effects were an inability to focus on the courses, absenteeism from school, and missing exams. One third of the subjects had problems with their families, and they reflected their problems onto family members. This situation also negatively affected their relationships with friends. Statistically significant correlations were observed between pain duration and severity, and school performance (P < 0.0001), relationships with their families (P < 0.001) and friends (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this research suggested that dysmenorrhea prevalence was high among female adolescents. The duration and intensity of pain adversely affected school and social attitudes towards their families and friends.

Determination of the motherly reactions to adolescents' experience of menarche.

OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to identify mothers' reaction to adolescent girls' experience of menarche. METHODS: This retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in the Nursing School and Erzurum Health School of Atatürk University in Erzurum, Turkey, in October 2008. The study comprised 191 first-year students. The data were collected via a questionnaire prepared by the researchers. The data were evaluated using SPSS software, using percentage, arithmetical average, and standard deviation. RESULTS: The average age of the students was 18.82 +/- 1.1 years. A total of 92.1% of students had a democratic family structure. It was also determined that the age of the mother when the student experienced menarche was generally 30-39 years (71.7%). For 48.2 % of the students, menarche occurred at 12-13 years of age; 52.9% of them found menarche a normal event and 69.1% of them first reported their experience of menarche to their mothers. Mothers' reactions to their daughters' experience of menarche largely consisted of giving information about what to do in this period. CONCLUSIONS: It was determined in this study that the extent to which mothers showed reactions of happiness to their daughters' experience of menarche is rather low, but the rate of mothers telling their daughters what to do in this period was quite high.

Relationship between age of menopause and cell-mediated immune hypersensitivity in right- and left-handed women.

The aim of this work was to study the relationship between age of menopause and cell-mediated immune hypersensitivity in right- (N = 32) and left-handed (N = 15) women who had experienced menopause after age of 34 at least one year before interview. Age of menopause was higher in right-handed than left-handed women. Cell-mediated immunity was higher in left-handers than right-handers. Hand-preference correlated with age of menopause, but inversely correlated with tuberculin reaction and percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes; age of menopause correlated with cell-mediated immunity. The results suggested that early menopause in left-handed women may be due to a more active immune system, especially cell-mediated immunity.

Health education for pregnant women: the role of background characteristics.

This was a pilot study with the purpose of determining the effect of health education in enhancing the self-care agency of pregnant women and to define the role of their background characteristics in the success of this education. Subjects of this study were 30 pregnant women who visited a university hospital for check. The success of the given education was measured by pre- and post-tests that were applied before and after health education using "self-care agency scale". Data were evaluated according to t-test and variance analysis. After health education, the self-agency scores of the pregnant women increased significantly (P < 0.05). It was defined that pregnant women with the least self-care agency scores before health education, displayed the best progress after the education.

Effect of left- or right-handedness on nursing practice.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of hand preference of nursing and the success of the nursing practice. The study included 24 students, all of whom attend different classes in the School of Nursing. The status of left- or right-handedness of the students included in the research was determined using Oldfield (Edinburgh Handedness Inventory) Index. The students were divided into two equal groups according to their right or left hand use. Then the students were categorized in four groups (Very good: 81-100, Average: 61-80, Pass: 50-60, and Fail: <50) according to the scores they received from the practice and theory tests of the lesson "Fundamentals of Nursing" the lesson requiring hand skills most. The test for the difference between two population proportions was used for statistical analysis. Left-handed nurses were found to be more successful than right-handed nurses in nursing practice. The difference between them was found significant (p < .01). It was concluded that left-handed nurses should never be forced to convert into right-handedness; instead they should be supported both verbally and in terms of equipment, and they should be motivated, because the data obtained proved that left-handedness means success.