Nursing students' conceptualization of environmental problems: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The significant challenges of the twenty-first century revolve around environmental issues. Knowing individuals' environmental attitudes and what they see as environmental problems is crucial to mobilizing them to action. Nurses hold a significant responsibility in addressing and combating environmental challenges. RESEARCH AIM: This study had two objectives: understanding how nursing students classify environmental issues and examining the effects of gender, economic status, school district, family environmental awareness, and perception of global responsibility on their conceptualization of environmental issues. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study using a questionnaire. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 1466 nursing students from four faculties of two public universities in Turkiye. The study was conducted between January and April 2023. METHODS: Data were collected using a form that included 19 issues ranging from ecological problems to social problems related to the environment, as well as the Global Social Responsibility Scale (GSRS). The data were analyzed using explanatory factor analysis, multiple regression, and mediator analysis. RESULTS: Participants classified the environmental issues as eco-social-oriented and human-oriented. First-year students (B = -0.201), male students (B = -0.263), those studying in rural schools (B = -0.123), and those who rarely discuss environmental issues in the family (B = -0.197) describe the problems in the eco-social oriented dimension as less "environmental." The increase in the action-oriented responsibility (B = 0.014) and ecological responsibility (B = 0.077) scores of The Global Social Responsibility Scale leads to an increase in recognizing the problems in this area as environmental issues. Similarly, first-year students (B = -0.340), male students (B = -0.293), and those who rarely discussed environmental issues in the family (B = -0.243) led to a decrease in recognizing problems as environmental in the human-oriented issues dimension. In contrast, poor socioeconomic perception (B = 0.245), negative perception of the future (B = 0.145), and increased action-oriented responsibility (B = 0.024) and ecological responsibility (B = 0.042) led to an increase in recognition of human-oriented issues. The increase in the national responsibility score decreased the score of environmental assessment of the problems in this area (B = -0.017). In addition, the perception of global responsibility partially mediates between students' sociodemographic characteristics and environmental issues recognition scores in both sub-dimensions. CONCLUSION: This study presents results that point to individual differences among nursing students in addressing environmental issues, reveal the impact of family on these differences, and finally show the importance of curricula to increase students' global social responsibility during their education.

Modification of the Public Attitude Towards Vaccination Scale for use in adult vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is a crucial protective intervention to prevent adult mortality and morbidity. Personal perceptions and resources have an important place in the vaccination decision. AIM: This study aimed to modify the Public Attitude Towards Vaccination-Health Belief Model scale for adult vaccines and evaluate its psychometric properties. METHODS: Overall, 626 people participated in this methodological study. Content validity index, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency and item-total score correlation were used for validity and reliability. The independent samples t test, logistic regression analysis and ROC analysis were used for criterion and concurrent validity. RESULTS: In confirmatory factor analysis, values of fit indices were excellent or acceptable. The Cronbach alpha value was between 0.83 and 0.92. According to criterion validity, the susceptibility, severity, benefit, and health motivation scores of those with the vaccine were higher than those without, whereas their barrier score was lower. The barrier subscale was a risk factor, whereas the benefit score was a protective factor that increased the likelihood of vaccination. The concurrent validity of the scale was tested with the COVID-19 vaccine. While the barrier subscale's ability to distinguish between vaccinated (specificity) and unvaccinated (sensitivity) individuals is excellent, it is acceptable for the other subscales. CONCLUSION: Modified PAVS-HBM is valid and reliable for adult vaccines. This scale was associated with vaccination behaviour and distinguished between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

Development and psychometric properties of the public attitude towards vaccination scale - Health belief model.

AIM: The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate the Public Attitude Towards Vaccination Scale - Health Belief Model. DESIGN: A methodological and prospective psychometric study. METHOD: A three-phase construct was used to develop the Public Attitude Towards Vaccination Scale - Health Belief Model and to determine its psychometric properties: (1) creation of the item pool/conceptualization; (2) evaluation of the items; and (3) psychometric evaluation. This scale was tested using the construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses) and the reliability analysis. A psychometric assessment of the scale was conducted with 586 individuals. Data were collected between January - April 2018. RESULTS: Items of the scale were obtained by appraising the literature concerning vaccination and the other Health Belief Model scale and conducting interviews with mothers. The content validity ratio of this scale calculated according to experts' opinions ranged between 0.769 and 1.00. According to the exploratory factor analysis, there were five factors with an eigenvalue higher than 1 in the scale. These five factors accounted for 68.9% of the total variance. In confirmatory factor analysis, values of fit indices were excellent or acceptable. This scale had high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. CONCLUSION: This study successfully developed the Public Attitude Towards Vaccination Scale - Health Belief Model. In addition to researchers, this scale can be used by nurses while providing counselling for people with vaccine hesitancy/refusal. IMPACT: This measurement tool can be used to understand and address 'vaccine hesitancy' by researchers. The results of the research using this measurement tool will provide valuable information to policymakers for preventing vaccine hesitancy. The validity and reliability of this scale can easily be conducted in different languages.