Long-term care facilities' response to the COVID-19 pandemic: An international, cross-sectional survey.

AIMS: To (i) assess the adherence of long-term care (LTC) facilities to the COVID-19 prevention and control recommendations, (ii) identify predictors of this adherence and (iii) examine the association between the adherence level and the impact of the pandemic on selected unfavourable conditions. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: Managers (n = 212) and staff (n = 2143) of LTC facilities (n = 223) in 13 countries/regions (Brazil, Egypt, England, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand and Turkey) evaluated the adherence of LTC facilities to COVID-19 prevention and control recommendations and the impact of the pandemic on unfavourable conditions related to staff, residents and residents' families. The characteristics of participants and LTC facilities were also gathered. Data were collected from April to October 2021. The study was reported following the STROBE guidelines. RESULTS: The adherence was significantly higher among facilities with more pre-pandemic in-service education on infection control and easier access to information early in the pandemic. Residents' feelings of loneliness and feeling down were the most affected conditions by the pandemic. More psychological support to residents was associated with fewer residents' aggressive behaviours, and more psychological support to staff was associated with less work-life imbalance. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-pandemic preparedness significantly shaped LTC facilities' response to the pandemic. Adequate psychological support to residents and staff might help mitigate the negative impacts of infection outbreaks. IMPACT: This is the first study to comprehensively examine the adherence of LTC facilities to COVID-19 prevention and control recommendations. The results demonstrated that the adherence level was significantly related to pre-pandemic preparedness and that adequate psychological support to staff and residents was significantly associated with less negative impacts of the pandemic on LTC facilities' staff and residents. The results would help LTC facilities prepare for and respond to future infection outbreaks. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.

Adaptation of Caregivers of Individuals on Mechanical Ventilation to Caregiving Role.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the adaptation of caregivers of individuals on mechanical ventilation (MV) at home to their caregiver role. Study design: The phenomenological research method, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed in the study. Materials and methods: The sample consisted of 21 individuals who agreed to participate in the research. Necessary legal permissions were obtained to conduct the study. Results: The data were analyzed according to the Roy adaptation model (RAM). Accordingly, the domains of the RAM were expressed with the following themes: Physiologic domain: The effects of care on the caregiver (reluctance toward self-care, psychological fatigue, insomnia, and limitation of social life); Self-concept domain: Supportive situations (trust in God and spiritual practices) and non-supportive situations (fear of losing and self-blame); Role-function domain: Adaptation of the caregiver role (thinking no one else can give similar care) and maladaptation of the caregiver role (fear of failing to cope with suddenly emerging situations, failing to fulfill roles and responsibilities, and economic inadequacy); Interdependence domain: Receiving support (support of healthcare professionals and support of family members) and lack of support (inadequacy of health services and loneliness). Conclusion: It was concluded that individuals who provided care for patients on MV experienced many difficulties and that these difficulties increased their care burden and made it difficult to adapt to their caregiving roles. How to cite this article: Aydin M, Bulut TY, AvcI IA. Adaptation of Caregivers of Individuals on Mechanical Ventilation to Caregiving Role. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(1):41-47.

Urinary Incontinence Awareness and Attitude Scale (URINAS): A Reliability and Validity Study.

PURPOSE: This purpose of this study was to develop an instrument, the Urinary Incontinence Awareness and Attitude Scale (URINAS), to measure incontinence awareness and attitude, and to evaluate its reliability and validity. DESIGN: Instrument development and psychometric evaluation. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The URINAS was validated in a group of individuals cared for at a family health center in Samsun, in northern Turkey. The sample comprised 637 respondents. Nearly three-fourths of participants (74.3%, n = 473) were female; their average age was 30.2 years. More than one-third of participants (35.6%, n = 227) reported urinary incontinence (UI). METHODS: Participants completed a questionnaire designed for the study that queried demographic and pertinent clinical data; they also completed the URINAS and the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6). Explanatory factor analysis was then performed to evaluate validity of the URNAS. Parallel from reliability was evaluated by comparing URINAS and UDI-6 scores to determine parallel form reliability, and the Cronbach α was used to evaluate internal consistency. RESULTS: The URINAS comprises 26 items, divided into 5 subdimensions. The total explanatory variance of the scale is 65.3%, and the factor loadings of the scale items range from 0.38 to 0.85. A significant relationship was found in the correlation analysis between the UDI-6 used for the parallel form and the URINAS. Cronbach α coefficients vary from 0.60 and 0.92. CONCLUSIONS: The URINAS is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used for measuring awareness and attitudes toward UI.

The Effect of Provision of Information and Supportive Nursing Care on Blood Gas, Vital Signs, Anxiety, Stress, and Agitation Levels in COPD Patients Treated with NIV: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Informative and supportive nursing care is essential to reduce complications and improve outcomes in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treated with noninvasive ventilation (NIV). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of provision of information and supportive nursing care on blood gas, vital signs, anxiety, stress, and agitation levels in people with COPD treated with NIV. Materials and methods: A randomized controlled design was used between September and December 2019. Patients with COPD treated with NIV in the intensive care unit (ICU) in a state hospital were included. A total of 60 patients, composed of 30 interventions and 30 controls, were randomly included in the sample. Provision of information and supportive nursing care was applied to the patients in the intervention group. Results: Following the intervention, the findings showed that the provision of information and supportive nursing care has a positive effect on the blood gas, vital signs, anxiety, stress, and agitation levels of patients. It was determined that the change in the averages of DASS-Anxiety, DASS-Stress, and RASS-Agitation of the intervention and control groups were statistically significant in terms of group × time (respectively, F = 41.214, p = 0.003; F = 7.561, p = 0.008; F = 65.004, p = 0.000) interaction (p <0.05). Conclusion: The provision of information and supportive nursing care is recommended to alleviate anxiety, stress, and agitation in people with COPD treated with NIV. How to cite this article: Cekic Y, Yilmaz Bulut T, Aydin Avci I. The Effect of Provision of Information and Supportive Nursing Care on Blood Gas, Vital Signs, Anxiety, Stress, and Agitation Levels in COPD Patients Treated with NIV: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(9):1011-1018.

Impact of Urinary Incontinence on Quality of Life Among Older Adults Living in a Rural Area of Turkey.

The current study aimed to identify the frequency of urinary incontinence (UI), its effects on quality of life, and risk factors in older adults living in rural areas of Turkey. For this descriptive study, 400 older adults aged 65 to 96 years were interviewed. Data were collected using a sociodemographic form and the Incontinence-Quality of Life Scale (I-QOL). Among those interviewed, 56.3% experienced UI. Logistical regression analysis revealed chronic illness, gender, and level of education as risk factors for UI. Significantly lower (p < 0.05) I-QOL scores were found for older adults having UI, holding urine, leaking urine while coughing/sneezing, involuntarily urinating more than once per day, or wetting themselves. Most participants did not seek help, citing embarrassment or viewing UI as normal. UI significantly reduces older adults' quality of life. Educational and consultation services, especially for older, illiterate, married women with chronic illness, would help these individuals sustain healthy lives. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(6), 43-52.].

Effect of Planned Follow-up on Married Women's Health Beliefs and Behaviors Concerning Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings.

The objective of this study was to identify the effect of planned follow-up visits on married women's health beliefs and behaviors concerning breast and cervical cancer screenings. The study was conducted using the single-group pre-test/post-test and quasi-experimental study designs. The sample of the study included 153 women. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Health Belief Model (HBM) Scale for Breast Cancer Screening, the HBM Scale for Cervical Cancer Screening, and a Pap smear test. Data were collected using the aforementioned tools from September 2012 to March 2013. Four follow-up visits were conducted, nurses were educated, and telephone reminders were utilized. Friedman's test, McNemar's test, and descriptive statistics were used for data analyzing. The frequency of performing breast self-examination (BSE) at the last visit increased to 84.3 % compared to the pre-training. A statistically significant difference was observed between the pre- and post-training median values in four subscales except for the subscale of perceived seriousness of cervical cancer under "the Health Belief Model Scale for Cervical Cancer and the Pap Smear Test" (p < 0.001). The rate of performing BSE significantly increased after the training and follow-up visits. Also, the rate of having a Pap smear significantly increased after the follow-up visits.

The influence of the pandemic on fear of contagion, blood pressure management and adherence to medication in hypertensive older adults in Turkey.

The study was conducted to identify the impact of the pandemic on hypertensive older people's COVID-19 fear, blood pressure control, and medication adherence. In this descriptive, correlational study, mean medication adherence was taken as 45.6 ± 6.06% based on the literature, with a 5% margin of error, and the sample size was determined as 292 with 95% confidence interval and 80% power. Data were collected from 419 older individuals using a sociodemographic information form, an infodemic-related questionnaire, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Medication Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale via Google Forms. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 23 software via independent sample t test, one-way variance analysis, χ2 analysis, and the Pearson correlation coefficient. It was found that, rather than avoiding hospitals during a pandemic, one out of two older people had had their blood pressure checked. One out of every five had abnormal/uncontrolled blood pressure during the pandemic. The infodemic was found to increase concern levels, and those with high fear scores had abnormal/uncontrolled levels of blood pressure. Moreover, a low-level positive correlation was found between medication adherence and the level of fear of COVID-19. As the pandemic continues, older people with hypertension need support in terms of monitoring blood pressure and medication adherence as well as increased awareness about the pandemic.

Evaluation of Illness Perception of Women with Breast Cancer in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the illness perceptions of women with breast cancer and possible relationships between these perceptions and descriptive characteristics such as sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in compliance with correlational, descriptive research principles. Three hundred eighty women with breast cancer who were treated in various hospitals in seven regions of the country were included in the study. A sociodemographic and clinical characteristics form, and The Illness Perception Questionnaire were used for data collection. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients with breast cancer was 49.8±11.5, among them, 83.95% were married, 37.37% were at stage 2 breast cancer, and 67.11% experienced mastectomy. It was found that the patients perceived higher personal control over illness (20.88±4.76). The patients perceived most common risk factors as the cause of the illness (19.42±6.38). This study show that variety sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients affected their perceptions of illness. CONCLUSION: The meaning of illness from the perspective of patient with breast cancer should be assessed. The care, education and counselling programs should be planned according to the patient's illness perceptions.

Factors associated with breast self-examination practices and beliefs in female workers at a Muslim community.

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to identify knowledge levels and performance frequency of breast self-examination (BSE) and to examine variables related to breast cancer screening behaviors in a sample of Turkish women. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 103 Muslim female workers at a hazelnut factory in Ordu city, Turkey, using an adapted version of Champion's revised Health Belief Model Scale. Results showed that 26.2% of the women reported knowledge of BSE and 4.3% reported that they perform BSE. Higher health motivation, higher perceived self-efficacy of BSE, marital status, and familial breast cancer history were significantly associated with BSE performance. Higher levels of health motivation and higher perceived self-efficacy of BSE were also significantly associated with knowledge of BSE.

The problems encountered by midwives during breast self-examination training.

UNLABELLED: The second leading cause of cancer death in Turkey, breast cancer accounts for 24% of female cancers, with a crude incidence rate of 7.2 per 100,000 women in 1999. It was determined that breast self-examination (BSE) is carried out effectively if it is taught by a physician or a midwife/nurse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive study was performed in 16 health centers found in the city center of Samsun between 01.09.2006 and 30.12.2006. A total of 124 midwives work in the health centers found in the city center of Samsun. It tried to cover the total population rather than sampling part of it. However, 11 midwives, where there was error detected in their data coding paper, and who did not accept to join the study, were excluded from the study. A total of 103 midwives (response rate=83.06%) were included in the study group. The data were collected using a questionnaire form and a problem definition list prepared according to the literature. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the data. RESULTS: While 90.3% of the midwives stated that they performed BSE, it was seen that 82.6% of the midwives performed BSE irregularly. While 97.1% of the midwives considered BSE as important, 78.6% of them stated that they had had on-the-job training about BSE. About 82.5% of the midwives stated that they educated women about BSE and 75.7% of them said that they did not feel as sufficient themselves for BSE training. The midwives stated that the most frequent problems encountered were that the women were not willing to apply BSE (43.7%), the women were not able to distinguish the masses from normal breast tissue (48.5%), the women did not feel confident in detecting the masses (49.5%) and the women were not willing to think about cancer (41.7%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that multiple reasons are affecting women's BSE practices, which midwives should address when delivering their training sessions.

The Validity and Reliability of Health Belief Scale for Testicular Cancer Self-Examination.

This study aimed to create a measurement tool for the determination of university students' health beliefs about testicular cancer (TC) and self-examination. This is a methodological and cross-sectional study. The study sample included 425 university students. Consents and approvals were obtained from the relevant institutions and the ethics committee prior to the research. The data were collected using an interview form that included questions about descriptive characteristics, family history of TC, and knowledge, beliefs, and practice of self-examination. The health belief model including 41 questions about self-examination and the interview form were administered to the students in their classrooms at a suitable time. Principal components analysis and varimax rotation were used for the examination of the structures of the factors. Accordingly, factor patterns, self-values, and the variance percentages they explained were evaluated. The average age of the participants is 22.2 ± 2.3 (min = 17; max = 40). Of them, 98.8% of the participants are single ( n = 420). Of them, 56.2% have heard about TC before, and 18.4% said they were informed about TC. Factor loading of the items in the first factor was 0.64 to 0.89, while it was 0.48 to 0.75 for the items in the second factor, 0.50 to 0.87 for the items in the third factor, 0.37 to 0.68 for the items in the fourth factor, 0.51 to 0.68 for the items in the fifth factor, and 0.65 to 0.79 for the items in the sixth factor. The health belief model scale may be used in TC screenings for males to measure susceptibility, seriousness, health motivation, barriers, benefits, and self-efficacy.

Needs of Patients with Prostate Cancer for Home Care.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the needs for home care of patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: A correlational descriptive study was conducted with 116 patients with prostate cancer who were admitted to a university hospital. The data were collected usingby means of surveys developed by the researchers. The analysis was carried outperformed with SPSS 20, using the t- test, Chi-square, post hoc test, and logistic regression. RESULTS: It was found that the level of need for home care was high among the patients who had low education level and were residing in villages with a nuclear family. In addition, the level of need for home care increased among the patients who were in the recurrence phase of their illness, who had somebody in the family to meet the need for home care, and who had other family members in need of care. It was found that the level of the need for home care was high among patients whose lives were severely affected by prostate cancer and who considered their health to be poor. Within this context, it is advisable for medical staff to include training and consultancy services in their caring process to promote patient independence. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that patients with prostate cancer have some needs for home care. The professional medical staff in this field should carry out studies to define the needs for home care that will be a benefit in improving men's health.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Turkish Adaptation of the Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to explore the construct validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the 34-item Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form (SCNS-SF34), which was developed by Boyes, Girgis, and Lecathelinais (2009), to assess the needs of cancer patients in Turkey. METHODS: The SCNS-SF34 has been translated and tested in various studies in other countries and cultures. The current study examined the validity and reliability of the Turkish adaptation of this survey among Turkish cancer patients. The instrument was translated using a back-translation technique, which includes the use of a panel of experts and interpreters to translate the items from the source language to the target language and then back-translate them into the source language. The study was conducted in Samsun, a city in north Turkey. A total of 573 cancer patients participated in this study. Statistical analyses were made using R program and SPSS, and included internal consistency, reliability, confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis adjusted a 5-factor structure (psychological, health systems and information, patient care and support, physical and daily living, and sexuality) explaining 74% of the variance. Cronbach's α ranged from .71 to .90. CONCLUSION: Psychometric testing demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency and validity of the instrument for cancer patients. The Turkish version of the SCNS-SF34 can be used in planning and testing interventions to improve supportive care needs for cancer patients in Turkey.

Attitude and practice of family planning methods among Roma women living in northern Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the attitude and practice of family planning (FP) methods among Roma women living in northern Turkey. METHODS: A total of 120 Roma women living in northern Turkey participated in this descriptive study. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The scale of FP attitude was used. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 28.9 ±â€¯1.8. Among the participants, 37.5% (45/120) were primary school graduates, 70.8% (85/120) were unemployed, 73.4% (88/120) were in a consensual marriage and 94.2% (113/120) had children. The majority or 85.8% (103/120) of the participants stated that they used FP methods. Intrauterine device (57.4%, 69/120) and withdrawal method (22.3%, 27/120) were the most frequently used FP methods. CONCLUSIONS: The rates at which Roma women use FP were high. Their attitudes towards FP tended to be negative and the methods used were primarily related to females.

Experiences of Caregivers with Spouses Receiving Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer and their Expectations from Nursing Services.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to reveal experiences of caregivers whose spouses were receiving chemotherapy for colorectal cancer and their expectations from nursing services. METHODS: This is a qualitative study. The caregivers were interviewed at their home. Sampling criteria were volunteering to participate in the study, being able to understand Turkish, not having speech or hearing problems and offering care to spouses with primary colorectal cancer. The interviews continued until concepts likely to be responses to research questions repeatedly appeared. Fourteen caregivers with spouses receiving chemotherapy for colorectal cancer comprised the study sample. Data were collected with a descriptive characteristics form and a semi-structured interview at in-depth interviews after making appointments with the caregivers on the phone. The steps followed in the content analysis were coding data, an organization of codes and themes, description of findings and evaluation of findings. RESULTS: Experiences of the caregivers whose spouses were receiving chemotherapy for colorectal cancer and their expectations from nursing services were found to comprise the following themes "Facing the Disease," "Difficulties Encountered," "Continuing to Live," and "Provision of Health Care Services." CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study revealed that cancer and its treatment affected not only cancer patients but also their spouses offering care. Nurses giving care at oncology clinics, public health centers, and home can make care plans based on the four themes emerging in this study and can detect problems earlier and create appropriate solutions to them. They will contribute to the literature revealing needs of people offering care to oncology patients as well.

University Students' Awareness of Breast and Cervical Cancers: A Comparison of Two Countries and Two Different Cultures.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate Turkish and Polish female university students' awareness of breast and cervical cancers. The study was conducted in Turkey and Poland with 350 female students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study's data were collected using Self-Administered Form questioning students' sociodemographic characteristics and awareness of breast and cervical cancer. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16.0 for Windows with number, percentage, and chi square test. RESULTS: According to the findings, a significant difference was found between Turkish and Polish students on knowing and applying Breast Self-Exam (BSE) (p<0.05). No difference was found between the two student groups on considering mammography as required. 81.1% of Turkish and 68.1% of Polish students considered Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) as required; the difference was significant. A significantly higher number of Turkish students knew high-fat diet, overweight, first childbirth at advanced ages, and not having given birth as risk factors, while a higher number of Polish students knew using oral contraceptive as risk factor for breast cancer. A significantly higher number of Turkish students knew cancer history in family, Human Papilloma Virus, smoking, immunodeficiency, overweight, three or more full-term pregnancies, the first pregnancy at advanced ages, and poverty as risk factors for cervical cancer. A greater number of Polish students only knew using oral contraceptive as a risk factor; the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that breast and cervix cancer awareness is similar among university students in both countries.

The Effect of Training and Monitoring at Home on the Knowledge Level and Practices of Married Women Regarding Breast and Cervical Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed as a semi-experimental study to determine the effects of training and monitoring at home on the knowledge level and practices of married women regarding breast and cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research sample consisted of 153 women. Data was collected by the "Introductory Questionnaire" and "Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer symptoms, prevention, early diagnosis information and application form." After the data was collected, women received training. After training, to monitor changes, phone calls were made along with home visits for 6 months. After the end of the visits, forms were re-administered. For statistical analysis, the Shapiro-Wilk test, Friedman analysis, and Student-Newman-Keuls test were performed. RESULTS: According to the findings, women increased their score from the information form after planned monitoring at home, and the difference between the first and last measurement points was statistically significant (p<0.001). Similarly, it was found that women increased their score from the information form about cervical cancer, and the difference between the first and last measurement points was statistically significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: At the end of the study, 84% of women were found to begin the application of breast self-examination (BSE). As a result, women's knowledge concerning breast and cervical cancer has changed in a positive manner with planned monitoring and training.

Breast and cervical cancer knowledge and awareness among university students.

BACKGROUND: Breast and cervical cancers are the most common types of cancer in women worldwide. Previous studies in Asia have shown that related knowledge and awareness is low among female university students. The goal of this study was to assess breast and cervical cancer knowledge, practices, and awareness among female university students in Samsun,Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was a cross-sectional survey of female university students using a self-administered. questionnaire to investigate participant awareness and knowledge of breast and cervical cancer. A total of 301 female university students participated. Descriptive statistics and chi square tests were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants in this study was 22.0 ± 5.91 years. Regarding family history, 89.7 % of the students had no known familial history of breast cancer. Students (65.4%) had knowledge about breast self examination and 52.2 % of them had performed breast self examinationm while 55.1% of them had knowledge about prevention of cervical cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Although the results are preliminary, the study points to an insufficient knowledge of university students in Samsun about breast and cervical cancer.

Turkish female academician self-esteem and health beliefs for breast cancer screening.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyse female academician health beliefs for breast cancer screening and levels of self-esteem. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2010 and March 2011, covering female academicians working in all faculties and vocational schools at Ondokuz Mayis University, except for the ones in the field of health (n=141). Data was collected using a questionnaire developed by researchers in the light of the related literature, the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale for Breast Cancer, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Descriptive statistics, the t-test, Mann-Whitney U and correlation analysis were used to analyze the data with the SPSS 13.0 statistical package. RESULTS: 53.8% of the participants were single, 58.6% did not have children, 80.7% had regular menstrual cycles, 28.3% was taking birth control pills, 17.9% were undergoing hormone therapy, 11% suffered breast problems, 8.3% had relatives with breast cancer, 78,6% knew about breast self-examination (BSE), 68.3% was performing BSE, 16.2% were performing BSE monthly, 17.9% had had mammograms, and 30.3% had undergone breast examinations conductedby physicians. The women who had breast physical examinations done by physicians had higher susceptibility, self-efficacy and health motivation, and fewer barriers to mammography than those who did not have breast physical examinations. CONCLUSIONS: There was a relationship between the female academician self-esteem and their perceived seriousness of breast cancer, perceived barriers to BSE and health motivation. Our Turksih female academicians had medium levels of self-esteem.

Marital adjustment and loneliness status of women with mastectomy and husbands reactions.

AIM: The present descriptive analysis of breast-cancer women with mastectomy surgery was conducted to assess husband partner compatibility and level of loneliness during the post-surgery period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out in Ondokuz Mays University, Medical Faculty surgical clinic. A sample of 48 women with mastectomy and 44 husbands were included in the study. A questionnaire form, the dyadic adjustment scale, and UCLA loneliness scale were used to process the data. Descriptive statistics, correlations, Mannhitney U and Kruskalallis tests were used for data analysis with the SPSS 13.0 statistical package for Windows. RESULTS: It was determined that the education background of husbands influenced marital adjustment, this being better with a high school or further diploma. Husbands who described their marriage as bad after the surgery had higher marital adjustment scores (p < 0.01). A connection was found between loneliness status of participant women and their marital adjustment (r = 0.373; p = 0.009). Similar findings were obtained for their husbands (r = 0.412; p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: At the end of this research, women with mastectomy and their husbands described their marital relations before the surgery as good but as bad after the surgery. Women with mastectomy and their husbands stated that they did not feel lonely before or after the surgery. It is critical that nursing initiatives be arranged in line with health training on marital adjustment and loneliness and psycho-social approaches and communications are adjusted to meet the needs of women and husbands.