Investigation of breast cancer risk factors in northern states of Sudan using logistic regression analysis

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancers and leading cause of death among women worldwide. In Sudan breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and its incidence has been raising for the past two decades. To investigate whether the breast risk factors of northern states [Northern and River Nile] are different from other states in Sudan. A case-control study was conducted in Radiation and Isotopes Centre Khartoum RICK targeting the breast cancer patients who came to get treatment or follow-up during 2010. A total of 60 breast cancer patients from northern states and 60 control breast cancer patients from other Sudan states were interviewed using purposively designed questionnaires. Logistic regression has been used for modeling the probability that a breast cancer could be developed as a function of risk factors. This study showed that risk factors of breast cancer do not differ significantly between northern states [Northern and River Nile] and other Sudan states except the education level, are the patient alive, disease history and lactation. There is no difference between risk factors of breast cancer in all Sudanese states; all Sudanese women are exposed to breast cancer with matching risk factors

Stressors and coping patterns of mothers having preterm infants

The preterm infant is traditionally defined as a live-born infant who born before the end of 37 weeks of gestation, regardless of birth weight. This study was aimed to assess stressors and coping patterns of mothers having preterminfants. The study subjects consisted of sixty mothers and their preterm infants at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU] at Maternity and Gynaecological Hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals. The study tools of data collection were; 1] Pre-designed Questionnaire Format; to assess socio-demographic characteristics of the studied mothers and their preterm infants. 2] Parental Stressors Scale [related to Infant Hospitalization]; to measure mothers' perception of stressors arising from the physical and psychosocial environment of the neonatal intensive care unit [hospitalization]. 3] Stressors Scale for Mothers of Preterm Infants; to determine types and degrees of stressors experienced by mothers of preterm infants in addition to physical signs and symptoms of stress. 4] Coping Scale for Mothers of Preterm Infants; to determine coping patterns of mothers of preterm infants. The results of the study revealed that, high total mean scores of maternal stressors were observed among the studied mothers. High mean score of physical signs and symptoms of mothers stressors with low total mean score of positive coping was observed among the studied mothers. The study concluded that mothers were experienced high stressors levels when their infants are admitted to a NICU. Nursing intervention was recommended to decrease levels of stressors experienced by mothers of preterm infants in NICU and improve their coping pattern to overcome this highly stressful period