Alcohol Consumption in Nursing Students after the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a major public health issue that can negatively affect behavior among university students. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of alcohol consumption in nursing students as well as to describe the pattern of alcohol consumption after COVID-19 lockdown. A descriptive, cross-sectional observational study was carried out, in which 1162 degree-level nursing students were evaluated. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyles and levels of physical activity were determined using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire: Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and alcohol consumption was determined using the ISCA (Systematized Alcohol Consumption Questionnaire) and AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Test) questionnaires. According to the AUDIT questionnaire, 36.7% of the students met the criteria for excessive alcohol consumption (26.8% men vs. 39.9% women; p < 0.001). The prevalence of hazardous drinkers was found to be 10.2% (95% CI 5.6-11.7), with the difference between men and women being statistically significant. The IPAQ-SF questionnaire indicated that 26.1% of students were sedentary. No relationship was observed between alcohol consumption and the level of physical activity. The frequency of hazardous drinkers was significantly higher in women (OR: 2.2) and in smokers (OR: 4.2). In conclusion, approximately 10% of nursing students can be considered hazardous drinkers, with significant differences between the sexes. The percentage is higher in women and in smokers. Strategies should be created that encourage healthy lifestyles, emphasizing preventive activities against excessive alcohol consumption. Furthermore, given the differences in excessive alcohol consumption between men and women, it would be advisable to include the gender perspective in these activities.

Longitudinal Study of the Mental Health, Resilience, and Post-Traumatic Stress of Senior Nursing Students to Nursing Graduates during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study analyzed changes in the psychological health of students who were in the final year of their nursing degree during the COVID-19 pandemic and later served as nursing professionals in hospitals. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted over two periods of time (the first in April 2020 and the second 6 months later, in December 2020) with 296 students for a T0 baseline (rate response 68.83%) and 92 students for a T1 post-test sample (response rate 31.08%). The data were electronically collected using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Resilience Scale, and a post-traumatic stress questionnaire. The mean age of the sample participants was 24.17 years (SD = 5.51), and 89.11% were female. During the pandemic, 14.11% of students showed scores that indicated depression, and 32.61% showed scores that indicated anxiety. In December 2020, 86.5% of the participants were working as nurses, and the percentages of those with anxiety (12%) and depression (4.3%) were significantly lower than in the first sample period. A total of 20.7% of the participants had post-traumatic stress. High scores for resilience were significantly associated with better quality of life and lower levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Conclusions: Although the percentages of participants with anxiety and depression decreased, they still presented with mental health problems.

Predictors of nurses' intention to accept COVID-19 vaccination: A cross-sectional study in five European countries.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate nurses' intention in accepting COVID-19 vaccination and the factors affecting their decision. BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccination has started in most European countries with healthcare personnel being the first group receiving the vaccine shots. Their attitude towards vaccination is of paramount significant as their role in the frontline could help in the awareness of general population. METHODS: A study was conducted in Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Kosovo with the use of an online questionnaire. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used. The STROBE checklist was followed for this cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Study population consisted of 1135 nurses. Mean age of the participants was 38.3 years, while most of them were female gender (84.7%) and married (53.1%). Acceptance of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine was higher among Greek (79.2%) and Spanish (71.6%) nurses, followed by Cypriot (54%), Albanian (46.3%) and Kosovo (46.2%) nurses. Key factors for willingness to get vaccinated were male gender, living in a country with a high mortality rate in comparison with low mortality, being not infected with COVID-19, having high level of knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines and having been vaccinated for influenza in the last 2 years. Moreover, trusting the government and doctors regarding the information about the COVID-19 and having high level of fear about this virus were key factors for willingness to get vaccinated. CONCLUSION: Vaccination of healthcare personnel is a crucial issue not only for their own safety but also for their patients'. Healthcare acceptance to get vaccinated can work as a role model for general population. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Gender, country, mortality rate, trust in government and health professionals and the level of fear were key factors that should be managed in clinical practice.

Nursing students, mental health status during COVID-19 quarantine: evidence from three European countries.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV2 pandemic obligated most of the European countries to implement strict measures and lockdowns to minimize the spread of the virus. Universities closed and on-line classes started. However, COVID-19 epidemic has significant impact on mental health of population. AIM: To assess depression level of nursing students (undergraduate and master) in Greece, Spain and Albania during COVID-19 pandemic as well as to identify possible determinants of depression level. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted between April and May 2020. An on-line questionnaire was used to collect the data. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to evaluate the depression levels of nursing students. RESULTS: Seven hundred and eighty-seven nursing students participated in the study out of which 83.9% were of female gender, 92.9% single and 94.7% lived with others. One third of the nursing student population experienced mild depression, with higher depression levels noted for Spanish students (59.1%) followed by Albanian (34.5%) and Greek (21.8%) students. Multivariate linear regression analysis identified that Spanish students experienced more depression than Greek and Albanian (p < 0.001). Also, decreased age was associated with increased depression. CONCLUSION: The impact of lockdown and quarantine on nursing students mental health is clear. Provision of university based mental health interventions should be a priority.