Association between Health Literacy, Self-care Behavior, and Blood Sugar Level among Older Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Rural Thai Communities.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a major problem worldwide. Moreover, older patients with significantly limited health literacy (HL) tend to have worse self-care behaviors and health outcomes. This study aimed to describe the associations of HL, self-care behavior, and blood sugar levels among older patients with type 2 diabetes in rural Thai communities. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 415 patients with diabetes who were purposively selected from rural Thai communities. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, Spearman rho, and stepwise multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The results revealed that most participants were women (66.50%). The respondents had moderate overall HL (2.68±0.64). On average, the respondents had fair overall self-care behavior (4.0±0.33). We discovered that HL was significantly positively correlated with self-care behavior (r=0.90) but not with blood sugar level. In addition, self-care behavior was significantly negatively correlated with blood sugar level (r=-0.50). Self-care behaviors and blood sugar levels were significant predictors of HL in patients with type 2 diabetes (total variance, 28.4%). CONCLUSION: The results suggested increased HL in patients with diabetes would improve self-care behavior and, consequently, decrease their blood sugar level. Our findings indicate the need to involve nurses and multidisciplinary healthcare teams when developing health promotion programs to encourage blood sugar control.

Assessment of the Health-Promoting Behaviors of Hospitalized Patients with Non-Communicable Diseases During the Second Wave of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the health-related behaviors of patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Thus, the factors predicting the health-promoting behaviors (HPBs) of hospitalized patients with NCDs during the second wave of COVID-19 should be examined. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to determine the relationships among the patients' characteristics, perceived self-efficacy, social support, perception of the benefits of and barriers, and HPBs, and to determine the predictive factors of HPBs among hospitalized patients with NCDs during the second wave of COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study had a cross-sectional predictive correlational design and included 250 patients with NCDs 18 years of age or older hospitalized in a tertiary hospital in Thailand. Descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, the Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Most of the participants had a cardiovascular disease (34.0%). Followed by diabetes (28.8%), cancer (11.2%), hypertension (10.0%), heart disease (9.6%), or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6.4%) and had a moderate level of overall HPBs (M = 106.09; SD = 4.66). Among the six components of the HPBs, the participants achieved the moderate levels in nutrition, interpersonal relations, spiritual growth, and stress management, and low levels in physical-activity and health responsibility. The patients' perception of the benefits and barriers to the adoption of HPBs and perceived self-efficacy and social support were able to predict their HPBs, accounting for approximately 38.0% of the variance of such behaviors. CONCLUSION: On the basis of our study's results, we suggest that researchers, multidisciplinary teams, the government, and policymakers establish effective interventions, guidelines, and policies for the development of HPBs to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 particularly among patients with NCDs, and to improve their capacity for high-quality and continuing self-care.

Predictors of Health Behaviors Among Undergraduate Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Predictive Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health behaviors of university students. Thus, factors influencing students' health behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak should be examined. PURPOSE: To our knowledge, little is known about stress, adversity quotient, and health behaviors of university students in Thailand. Therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the relationships among socioeconomic factors, stress, and adversity quotient influencing university students' health behavior during the COVID-19 crisis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional predictive study; it was included 416 undergraduate students ≥18 years of age at a university in Thailand. We used descriptive statistics, chi-squared test, and stepwise multiple linear regression for data analysis. RESULTS: The results indicated that most participants were women (71.90%), and the highest proportion of students were enrolled in College of Politics and Governance (25.24%). Most of the students had a high stress level (M = 3.54, SD = 0.53), high adversity quotient (M = 3.77, SD = 0.63), and good health behavior (M = 3.06, SD = 0.53). Adversity quotient, stress, and current faculty/college were significant predictors of health behaviors of undergrad students (total variance: 37.2%). CONCLUSION: Total adversity quotient was the strongest predictor of health behavior, followed by stress and current faculty/colleges. On the basis of our results, we suggested that faculty members, caretakers, and interdisciplinary care teams should consider adversity quotient and stress in developing activities to encourage and promote students' physical and mental health behaviors, particularly during the COVID-19.

Stress, adversity quotient, and health behaviors of undergraduate students in a Thai university during COVID-19 outbreak.

Background: University students are an essential human resource for national development. Thus, it is important to study the stress, adversity quotient, and health behaviors of these students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: This study aimed to identify stress, adversity quotient, and health behaviors and examine the relationship between these factors in undergraduate students during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: The current study was a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design conducted from 27 November to 10 December 2020. A total of 416 undergraduate students in a Thai university were selected using a convenience sampling technique. A questionnaire was used to collect the data on stress, adversity quotient, and health behaviors of undergraduate students during the COVID-19 outbreak. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. Results: This study indicated that stress was at a high level (3.54 ± .53; Mean ± SD), adversity quotient was at a high level (3.77 ± .63; Mean ± SD), and health behaviors were at a moderate level (3.06 ± .53; Mean ± SD). The current study also found that stress and adversity quotient were irrelevant. Stress and health behaviors were negatively correlated with a level of significance of .01 (r = -.31), and adversity quotient and health behaviors were positively correlated with a level of significance of .01 (r = .051). Conclusion: It is suggested that healthcare providers, families, and professors should consider stress and adversity quotient in developing interventions to promote healthy behaviors in terms of physical and psychological factors in university students.

The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS): Breast size dissatisfaction and its antecedents and outcomes in women from 40 nations.

The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS) was established to assess women's breast size dissatisfaction and breasted experiences from a cross-national perspective. A total of 18,541 women were recruited from 61 research sites across 40 nations and completed measures of current-ideal breast size discrepancy, as well as measures of theorised antecedents (personality, Western and local media exposure, and proxies of socioeconomic status) and outcomes (weight and appearance dissatisfaction, breast awareness, and psychological well-being). In the total dataset, 47.5 % of women wanted larger breasts than they currently had, 23.2 % wanted smaller breasts, and 29.3 % were satisfied with their current breast size. There were significant cross-national differences in mean ideal breast size and absolute breast size dissatisfaction, but effect sizes were small (η2 = .02-.03). The results of multilevel modelling showed that greater Neuroticism, lower Conscientiousness, lower Western media exposure, greater local media exposure, lower financial security, and younger age were associated with greater breast size dissatisfaction across nations. In addition, greater absolute breast size dissatisfaction was associated with greater weight and appearance dissatisfaction, poorer breast awareness, and poorer psychological well-being across nations. These results indicate that breast size dissatisfaction is a global public health concern linked to women's psychological and physical well-being.