Effect of a Home-Based Simplified Tai Chi Exercise Program on Sleep Quality, Daytime Sleepiness, Quality of Life, and Psychological Well-Being in Egyptian Older Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Introduction: Sleep disturbances are common among older adults and can have detrimental effects on their overall well-being. Tai Chi exercise has shown promise in improving sleep quality, quality of life (QoL), and psychological well-being in various populations. Objective: To investigate the effect of a home-based simplified Tai Chi exercise program on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, QoL, and psychological well-being in Egyptian older adults. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed, with 152 participants aged 60 years and above assigned to either an experimental group (n = 87) or a control group (n = 65). Thecontrol group received a health education program to improve their sleeping quality and life-style, while the experimental group received a similar health education program and Tai Chi exercise training program. The participants in the experimental group were instructed to perform 3 months Tai Chi exercise. Data on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, QoL, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and depression symptoms were collected at baseline, and one month, and 3 months post-intervention using validated questionnaires. Repeated measures ANOVA was done to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention programsover 3 time periods. Results: The results showed significant improvements in sleep quality (p < .001), QoL (p < .005), GAD (p < .005), and depression symptoms (p < .005) post-interventions. Also, there were significant difference in the effectiveness of the intervention programs between both the experimental and control groups. The experimental group exhibited greater improvements compared to the control group. Conclusion: The findings support the beneficial effects of a home-based simplified Tai Chi exercise program on sleep quality, QoL, and psychological well-being in Egyptian older adults. These results have important implications for promoting healthy aging and improving overall well-being in this population. Further research is recommended to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms of Tai Chi exercise on the outcomes of interest.

Older adults' acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine: Application of the health belief model.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among older adults and the factors that independently predict vaccine acceptance using the Health Belief Model (HBM). DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. METHODS: Consenting older adults aged 60 years and older (n = 384) from Primary Health Care Centers in rural and urban areas of Mansoura District, Egypt, who could interact adequately with researchers participated in the study. The data were collected through an electronic questionnaire that included socio-demographic data, health-related characteristics, and health beliefs based on the HBM framework. RESULTS: Overall, 46.9% were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, 19.5% declined, and 33.6% were undecided. Higher perceptions of COVID-19 severity, vaccine benefits, and action cues were associated with vaccine acceptance (p = 0.05). PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Vaccination campaigns that highlight the benefits of immunization should be prioritized by policymakers. In addition, vaccinated peoples should use social media to spread awareness about the advantages and challenges of vaccination. Nurse leaders should apply the HBM to forecast health-related behaviors, especially vaccination attitudes.

Satisfaction and anxiety level during clinical training among nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Quality is a primary concern of health care agencies worldwide. A conducive clinical training environment is essential for nursing students to be capable of enhancing their learning experiences and achieving the desired training outcomes. AIM: This study aimed to examine the satisfaction and anxiety levels during clinical training among nursing students. TYPE OF STUDY: A descriptive -analytical cross-sectional study design was utilized. The research was conducted at the Faculty of Nursing, Assiut University and Colleges of Applied Medical Sciences in Alnamas and Bisha, University of Bisha. Sampling method: A convenience sampling technique was used. SAMPLE SIZE: a sample of 1052 undergraduate nursing students. The data was gathered via a structured questionnaire including the socio-demographic characteristics and nursing students' satisfaction with the hospital and laboratory training. Additionally, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was adopted to measure the anxiety level. RESULTS: The mean age of the studied sample was 21.9 ± 1.83 years, and 56.9% are females. Moreover, 90.1% & 76.4% of the nursing students were satisfied with their hospital and laboratory training. Furthermore, 61.1% & 54.8% of the students had mild levels of anxiety regarding their hospital training and laboratory training, respectively. CONCLUSION: The undergraduate nursing students had a high level of satisfaction with their clinical training at the hospitals and laboratories. Moreover, they had mild anxiety related to hospital and laboratory clinical training. RECOMMENDATIONS: Developing clinical orientation and training programs and improvement strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the clinical training environment. The establishment of a modern, tastefully designed, and fully stocked skill lab for the college's student training should receive more attention. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Through the provision of ongoing education about different method of practice, nursing was intended to shape future professional nurses who master core competencies of the profession. Organizations may benefit from developing a comprehensive strategy to achieve an effective teaching program.