Association between religiousness and blood donation among Brazilian postgraduate students from health-related areas

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between religiousness and blood donation among postgraduate students. METHODS: The Portuguese-language version of the Duke University Religion Index was administered to a sample of 226 Brazilian students with ages ranging from 22 to 55 years. All study participants had completed undergraduate courses in health-related areas. RESULTS: In the present study, 23.5% of the students were regular donors. Organizational religiousness was found to be associated with attitudes related to blood donation. This study also shows evidence that regular blood donors have a higher intrinsic religiousness than subjects who donate only once and do not return. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the attitudes concerning blood donation may have some association with religiosity. .

Translation into Portuguese and validation of the Blood Donation Reactions Inventory

Background: The Blood Donation Reactions Inventory (BDRI) scale was proposed as part of a study about the predictors of psychological reactions in volunteer blood donors, as uncomfortable reactions are associated with a lower probability to return for further donations. Objective: to translate the Inventory into Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its psychometric properties (validity and reliability). The inventory has 11 items, but the literature suggests that shorter inventories, of four or six items, should be used. Methods: this study was carried out at the blood center of Franca, Brazil. Three people with knowledge of English and familiarity with medical terms translated the Blood Donation Reactions Inventory into Brazilian Portuguese. Aiming to evaluate the objectivity and relevance of the items of the translated instrument, its content was independently evaluated by a panel of eight assessors. After this, data on 1,001 blood donors was collected. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. An exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to analyze the measure for construct validity. Results: the sample consisted of 65.8% men, and 27.3% first time donors. Internal consistency determined by Cronbach's alpha coefficient was satisfactory for the 11, 6 and 4-item scales. Considering the factor analysis, the 11-item scale seems to measure more than one construct as three factors were identified with eigenvalues greater than 1. These factors correspond to 'vasovagal adverse reactions', 'fear' and 'anxiety/excitation'. Conclusion: the Portuguese version of the Blood Donation Reactions Inventory is a valid and reliable instrument for collecting information regarding systemic reactions experienced by blood donors. The 6-item scale seems to be useful when the objective is to measure only vasovagal adverse reactions.

Diagnósticos de enfermagem prevalentes em geriatria segundograu de dependência / Prevalent nursing diagnoses in geriatrics according to disabilitylevel / Diagnósticos de enfermería prevalentes en geriatría según el gradode dependencia

Este é um estudo quantitativo realizado no Ambulatório da Liga Acadêmica de Geriatria e Gerontologia daFaculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, tendo como objetivo conhecer o perfil dos idosos atendidos e seu grau de dependência em relação às atividades básicas da vida diária. A partir dessas informações, elaboramos osdiagnósticos de enfermagem presentes na população em estudo e selecionamos os mais frequentes com afinalidade de compor uma etapa do instrumento para a consulta de enfermagem em geriatria. Constatamos queos pacientes idosos dependentes são predominantemente do sexo feminino, viúvos, e têm, em média, 81 anosde idade e 4 anos de estudo. Dor crônica relacionada à incapacidade física e andar prejudicado relacionado àpresença de patologias osteo articulares são exemplos de diagnósticos mais frequentes na população estudada.É importante que o enfermeiro atuante na área geriátrica implemente a sistematização da assistência de enfermagem baseado no conhecimento da população com a qual trabalha, atentando para o grau dedependência dos idosos com relação às atividades básicas da vida diária, a fim de que o cuidado seja integral,individualizado, e preserve a autonomia ainda existente na vida do idoso.

This is a quantitative study conducted at the Outpatient Clinic of the Geriatrics and Gerontology Academic Leagueof Botucatu School of Medicine. It aimed at learning about the profile of elderly patients and their level of disabilityin relation to basic activities of daily living. Based on this information, nursing diagnoses for the population understudy were made, and the most frequent diagnosed were selected with the purpose of composing a stage of theinstrument for nursing consultation in geriatric. It was found that the disabled elderly patients were predominantlyfemales and widowed. They had a mean age of 81 years and had completed the first 4 grades of elementaryschool. Chronic pain related to physical disability and impaired ambulation related to the presence ofosteoarticular diseases are examples of the most common diagnoses in the studied population. It is important thatgeriatric nurses implement Nursing Care Systematization based on the knowledge of the population to which theyattend by considering the level of disability of elderly patients with respect to basic activities of daily living, so thatfull and individualized care can be provided and the patients’ remaining autonomy can be preserved.

Se trata de un estudio cuantitativo realizado en el Ambulatorio de la Liga Académica de Geriatría y Gerontologíade la Facultad de Medicina de Botucatu, que tiene como objetivo conocer el perfil de los ancianos atendidos y sugrado de dependencia con relación a las Actividades Básicas de la Vida Diaria. Con estas informaciones,elaboramos los diagnósticos de enfermería presentes en la población en estudio y seleccionamos los más frecuentes con el propósito de componer una etapa del instrumento para la consulta de enfermería en geriatría.Constatamos que los pacientes ancianos dependientes son predominantemente del sexo femenino, viudos ytienen en media 81 años de edad y 4 años de estudio. Dolor crónico relacionado con la incapacidad física yandar perjudicado relacionado con la presencia de patologías osteoarticulares son ejemplos de diagnósticos másfrecuentes en la población estudiada. Es importante que el enfermero actuante en el área geriátrica implementela Sistematización de la Asistencia de Enfermería basado en el conocimiento de la población con la cual trabaja,fijándose al grado de dependencia de los ancianos con relación a las Actividades Básicas de la Vida Diaria, paraque el cuidado sea integral e individualizado y preserve la autonomía aun existente en la vida del anciano.