Development and psychometric properties of the maternal health needs scale in Chinese maternal women.

OBJECTIVES: There is very limited research on maternal health needs and no reliable validated research tools have been developed. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a Maternal Health Needs Scale (MHNS) in Chinese maternal women. METHODS: Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs as the theoretical model, the pool of items regarding maternal health needs was developed through existing literature, expert evaluation and modification, and a pilot study's feedback. One hundred pregnant women without pregnancy complications were recruited from the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in China for the pilot study to select appropriate items and form the MHNS. The reliability and validity of MHNS was tested using data collected in two tertiary hospitals in China, with 1304 pregnant women enrolled and 1050 of them with completed questionnaires. The MHNS was modified and finalized according to the analyzed results. RESULTS: The final version of MHNS had six dimensions with 23 items. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.94 for the total scale; the test-retest reliability was 0.85; and the split-half reliability was 0.85. The MHNS showed great validity: model Chi-Square was 693.07; Minimum Discrepancy (Chi-square Mean/Degree of Freedom) was 3.22; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation was 0.07; Comparative Fit Index was 0.94; and Tucker-Lewis Index was 0.93. The item with the highest score of maternal health needs was knowing the symptoms and coping strategies when the baby is abnormal; the item with the lowest score of MHNS was knowledge of sexual intercourse during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The MHNS is reliable and valid for assessing maternal health needs and could be used in future studies for the health needs of Chinese maternal women without pregnancy complications or cognitive impairment.

Healthy aging: A bibliometric analysis of the literature.

Due to dramatic growth of the aging population worldwide, there has been an urgent call for a public health strategy to manage healthy aging, with the ultimate goal being advancement of aging research. Considerable progress has been made in uncovering the mystery of aging process using multidisciplinary methods. There is a growing consensus in the field that aging traits which were originally thought to be disparate are likely to be interconnected. Thus, emerging research is needed to incorporate current findings of aging by building multiscale network models. This study reported the network of healthy aging research using bibliometric approaches. Based on the results, aging of the brain and muscle is a primary research focus which is a critical part of the multiscale network regulating the aging process. Among aging-associated diseases, Alzheimer's disease and frailty are among the main research focuses, and emerging work has focused on developing diagnostic tools for these diseases. For research on anti-aging interventions, calorie restriction, physical activity, and anti-aging pharmacology are the main interventions, of which the underlying mechanisms have been comprehensively studied in animal models.

Chinese version of the clinical learning environment comparison survey: Assessment of reliability and validity.

BACKGROUND: Simulation is recommended as a substitute for clinical practice among nursing students. No current guidelines exist regarding the accurate percentage of simulation hours versus clinical practice hours. Comparing simulation with clinical practice is needed so that both strategies can be optimally combined in nursing education. The 29-item Clinical Learning Environment Comparison Survey (CLECS) is validated to compare the traditional and simulated clinical environment in meeting nursing students' learning needs. This type of tool is not available in China. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to translate and test the psychometric properties of CLECS for Chinese undergraduate nursing students. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Two nursing schools in Central and East China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 179 undergraduate nursing students who had participated in both traditional and high fidelity simulated clinical practice were recruited. METHODS: A standard procedure with forward translation, back translation, cultural adaptation and pilot testing was followed to test the CLECS (Chinese version). An exploratory factor analysis was used to establish a modified factor structure of CLECS (Chinese version); a confirmatory factor analysis verified its construct validity. Reliability of the CLECS (Chinese version) was estimated using the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Cronbach's alpha coefficients. RESULTS: The exploratory factor analyses explained 61.43% and 60.11% of the total variances in traditional and simulated clinical environment. The proposed factor solution of the CLECS (Chinese version) obtained satisfactory model fit and nesting model between two nursing schools. In the proposed model, ICCs were 0.61 and 0.93, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.75 and 0.95 in the traditional and simulated clinical environment. CONCLUSIONS: The CLECS (Chinese version) showed satisfactory reliability and validity among Chinese undergraduate nursing students. Further validation of the CLECS (Chinese version) is needed in a more representative and larger sample. The CLECS (Chinese version) should be further tested as an effective tool to compare the traditional and simulated clinical practice among Chinese nursing schools.

Osteoporosis Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Beliefs among College Students in the USA and China.

This study investigated differences in osteoporosis knowledge, self-efficacy, and health beliefs among Chinese and American college students. Information obtained will be used in developing osteoporosis prevention programs for younger adults. Methods. Chinese (n = 409) and US (n = 408) college students completed the Osteoporosis Health Belief, Self-Efficacy, and Knowledge Tests. Results. Differences were seen in osteoporosis knowledge (M(us) = 14.52, M(Chinese) = 11.82), exercise knowledge (M(us) = 8.16, M(Chinese) = 9.04), calcium knowledge (M(us) = 8.47, M(Chinese) = 9.73), perceptions of exercise benefits (M(us) = 24.07, M(Chinese) = 21.09), calcium benefits (M(us) = 23.17, M(Chinese) = 18.36), exercise barriers (M(us) = 11.75, M(Chinese) = 14.96), calcium barriers (M(us) = 13.04, M(Chinese) = 15), and exercise self-efficacy (M(us) = 73.71, M(Chinese) = 63.81). Conclusion. US college students know more about osteoporosis and its risk factors; however, there are similarities in perception of risk between US and Chinese students. Chinese students perceive greater barriers to reducing their risk through exercise and dietary calcium intake.