The relationship between the COVID-19 anxiety and self-efficacy of patients undergoing hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The spread of the COVID-19 increased anxiety and stress among patients undergoing hemodialysis. Unpleasant experiences in the lives of these patients reduced their quality of life. Self-efficacy is an effective factor that can improve the quality of life of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the COVID-19 anxiety and self-efficacy in patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study used purposive sampling to select 110 patients undergoing hemodialysis in Sirjan from October to late November 2021. Demographic and clinical information questionnaire, the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS25. A significance level < 0.05 was considered. RESULTS: The results showed that the mean score of COVID-19 anxiety was 13.14 ± 7.38, which was lower than the midpoint of the questionnaire. The mean self-efficacy score was 57.72 ± 9.68, with 73.8% (N = 79) of the participants having high self-efficacy and 26.2% (N = 28) having moderate self-efficacy. We found no significant relationship between self-efficacy and the COVID-19 anxiety (P = 0.31), as well as between self-efficacy and the psychological dimension of the corona disease anxiety scale (P = 0.96), but we observed a negative, poor and significant relationship between self-efficacy and its physical dimension (P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing hemodialysis showed low anxiety and high self-efficacy. No significant relationship was found between COVID-19 anxiety and self-efficacy, but a weak correlation was observed with the physical dimension of anxiety. Increasing self-efficacy through patient education and support can improve outcomes and reduce hospitalizations for these patients.

The relationship between use of complementary and alternative medicine and health literacy in chronically ill outpatient cases: a cross-sectional study in southeastern Iran.

Background: Chronically ill outpatient cases use a variety of complementary and alternative medicines due to their diseases and therapeutic complications. Chronic condition, quality of life, and health literacy all affect the use of complementary medicine among chronically ill outpatient cases. Health literacy helps patients make fully informed decisions about the use of complementary and alternative medicine. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between complementary and alternative medicine and health literacy in chronically ill outpatient cases. Method: This cross-sectional analytical-descriptive study was conducted on 400 chronically ill outpatient cases referred to medical centers affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Convenience sampling was used. Research tools included the complementary and alternative medicine questionnaire and the health literacy questionnaire. SPSS25 was used to analyze data. Results: The mean use of complementary and alternative medicine in a recent year was 16.75 ± 7.89, which was lower than the mid-point of the questionnaire (84). Prayer, medicinal plants, vitamin supplements, music therapy, and art therapy were the mostly used complementary and alternative medicine methods. The most common reasons for using complementary medicine were to reduce physical complications and improve anxiety and stress. The mean satisfaction with the use of complementary and alternative medicine was 34.96 ± 6.69. The mean health literacy score was 67.13 ± 19.90. Decision-making and the use of health information had the highest mean score among the dimensions of health literacy, whereas reading skills received the lowest mean score. We found a significant and direct relationship between the use of complementary and alternative medicine, health literacy, and all its dimensions. Conclusion: The study results showed that health literacy predicted the use of complementary and alternative medicine. Health education and promotion programs may be useful for improvement of health literacy in the community.

The relationship between nurses' psychological resilience and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction and factors affecting them are among the most important social issues. Resilience has a moderating role in the relationship between stress and diseases, so it can affect a person's job satisfaction because it enables a person to deal with adverse conditions. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nurses' psychological resilience and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study (2022) used convenience sampling to select 300 nurses. The Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to collect data. The data were then analyzed with SPSS 22 and statistical methods (Independent t-test, Analysis of Variance, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Multiple linear regression). RESULTS: The study results showed a positive and poor relationship between resilience, some of its dimensions (trust in individual instincts, tolerance of negative affect (p = 0.006), positive acceptance of change and secure relationships (p = 0.01), spiritual influences (p = 0.04)) and job satisfaction (p < 0.001). In other words, nurses' high level of resilience increased their job satisfaction and vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: Enhancing the resilience of frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic improved their job satisfaction and affected care provided by them. Nurse managers can control nurses' resilience and offer interventions that would strengthen it, especially at crises.