Evaluation of Patients' Satisfaction With Nursing Students' Care on a Perinatology Ward.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate patient satisfaction with the care provided by nursing students on a perinatology ward. METHOD: The sample for this descriptive study included 210 patients. Data were collected using an interview form and the Turkish version of the Oncology Patients' Perceptions of the Quality of Nursing Care Scale-Short Form. RESULTS: According to the mean scores for all subscales in the instrument, patients were highly satisfied with the care they received from the nursing students. Multivariate analysis revealed that the reason for hospitalization was found to be the most statistically significant factor affecting patient perceptions of quality of care. CONCLUSION: A high level of satisfaction with the care provided by nursing students indicates that the students were able to meet the patients' needs, which may serve as an indicator of the quality of nursing education and quality of care provided by future nurses.

Human papillomavirus vaccines and cervical cancer: awareness, knowledge, and risk perception among Turkish undergraduate students.

The aim of this study was to evaluate awareness, knowledge, and risk perception about human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, and HPV vaccines among undergraduate students in Turkey. The convenience sample of this descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of 605 undergraduate students in Istanbul University during a semester. Demographic characteristics of students, their reproductive health and lifestyle behaviors, and knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccine were questioned using self-administered forms. The overall proportion of students who had heard about HPV infection was 48.8%, while the proportion of students who had heard of the HPV vaccine was 44.5%. Forty eight percent of females and 60% of males reported never having heard of the HPV. Only 45.7% of females had knowledge about HPV as a cause of genital warts, and 58.1% correctly indicated that HPV caused cervical cancer. The majority of students in both genders (>80%) knew that the infection is primarily transmitted through sexual intercourse. Females were more concerned than males about having cervical/penile cancer associated with HPV in the future. Only 46.4% of females and 39% of males reported having heard of the HPV vaccine. The majority of the female and male students did not know who should get the HPV vaccine and when to get vaccinated. Among males, 25.8% reported that they would consider getting vaccinated (if available) and 38.4% intended to vaccinate their children. Turkish undergraduate students had a low to moderate level of knowledge regarding HPV infection and HPV vaccine. In order to increase awareness about HPV and develop positive behaviors, young people should be provided with accurate information through educational activities in the community and health care services.

Risk-taking behaviours and beliefs about fertility in university students.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk-taking behaviours and beliefs about fertility among university students in Turkey. BACKGROUND: Young people are usually ignorant about reproductive health and engage in risky practices. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: The convenience sample of the study was consisted of 1030 undergraduate students. Data were collected using a self-administered question form, and students' reproductive health and lifestyle behaviours related with infertility, their beliefs about the risk factors and fertility myths were questioned. RESULTS: The mean age of the students was 20.4 (SD = 2) and ranged between the ages of 16-37. Sexual activity rate was higher among men and 47% of men had more than one sexual partner. Condom use rate was low among women. Underweight was more common among women, while overweight was seen more among men. Students mostly did not exercise regularly. Alcohol was not common, and the rates of smoking were 15% and 23% for women and men, respectively. Only 35-50% of students thought that smoking, alcohol, stress, sexually transmitted diseases, infections, pollution, chemicals, radiation and cancer treatment could be risk factors for fertility. Advanced age and obesity were seen as risk factors for women. Of the students, 50-65% believed that having more than one sexual partner, being underweight, high-level exercise, excessive caffeine, chronic disease and medications could not have an effect on fertility. Women were more concerned about being infertile, and half of students believed that infertility is preventable. CONCLUSION: Turkish university students have insufficient knowledge of reproductive health, and they have false beliefs that might affect their risk perception or views about fertility. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Reproductive healthcare services for young adults should be made more widespread and accessible, and nurses, health providers and instructors should be supportive of them in these matters.

Development and psychometric testing of the scales for measuring maternal satisfaction in normal and caesarean birth.

OBJECTIVE: to develop a scale to measure maternal satisfaction with birth to evaluate women's experiences in labour and the early postpartum period. DESIGN: development and psychometric assessment of a multidimensional maternal satisfaction questionnaire. SETTING: maternity unit of a university hospital in Istanbul. PARTICIPANTS: 500 healthy postpartum women. METHODS: five steps were taken in development of the scale: literature review, generating item pool, content validity testing, administration of draft scale and psychometric testing. Two versions of the scale were developed: the Scale for Measuring Maternal Satisfaction-normal birth and the Scale for Measuring Maternal Satisfaction-caesarean birth. Content validity was evaluated by experts. The appropriate draft scale and the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale were administered to postpartum women before hospital discharge. FINDINGS: content validity index scores for the vaginal and caesarean birth scales were 0.91 and 0.89, respectively. Item-total and subscale-total scores correlated significantly for each scale. Evaluation of construct validity through factor analysis yielded 10 subscales: 'perception of health professionals', 'nursing/midwifery care in labour (in caesarean version: preparation for caesarean)', 'comforting', 'information and involvement in decision making', 'meeting baby', 'postpartum care', 'hospital room', 'hospital facilities', 'respect for privacy' and 'meeting expectations'. Both scales had good internal reliability, with Cronbach's α coefficients of 0.91. The scales established their convergent validity with significant correlations with the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale. CONCLUSION: the scales are valid and reliable tools for evaluating Turkish women's experiences in labour and the early postpartum period. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: the scales can contribute to the assessment of women's satisfaction with different aspects of care, the quality of care and developments in maternity services.

Biopsychosocial risk factors for preterm birth and postpartum emotional well-being: a case-control study on Turkish women without chronic illnesses.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine bio-psycho-social risk factors for preterm birth in a sample of Turkish women without chronic illnesses and evaluate their anxiety and depression in early postpartum period. BACKGROUND: Preterm birth is a devastating event with long-term health and social implications. Studies have identified several risk factors; however, the contribution of these causes differs by ethnic groups. DESIGN: This case-control study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Istanbul over one year. In total, 149 preterm mothers were included in the case group and 150 term mothers who delivered in the same day with a case group woman were included in the control group. Chronic illnesses and anomalies were excluded. METHOD: Data were gathered using a form that addressed risk factors for preterm birth. Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Beck Depression Inventory and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered within 24-72 hours after birth. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed that partner's lower education (≤ 8 years), history of preterm birth, antenatal hospitalisation, genitourinary infection and irregular prenatal care were significant risk factors. Perceived social support from family and friends were significantly lower in preterm group. Preterm mothers experienced significantly more anxiety and depressive symptoms in early postpartum. CONCLUSION: Many of the socio-economical and obstetric causes of preterm births were similar to other countries with higher preterm birth rates. Preterm births were associated with lower social support along with more anxiety and depressive symptoms in early postpartum. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Women who have established risk factors can be targeted for more intensive antenatal care for the prevention of preterm birth. Increased maternal anxiety and depression reveal the necessity of emotional support immediately after birth.

Prevalence and risk factors for low sexual function in women: a study of 1,009 women in an outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Istanbul.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual functioning is a common and multidimensional problem, associated with multiple biological, medical, psychological, sociocultural, political, economic, and interpersonal factors. AIM: The study was planned to determine the prevalence and risk factors for low sexual function in women in an outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Istanbul. METHODS: Totally, 1,009 women over 20 years of age or their healthy female companions were interviewed in the outpatient clinics of the Department of Internal Medicine in a university hospital in Istanbul. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used to evaluate sexual function. RESULTS: The mean age of women was 38.62 +/- 12.82 and 22.2% of women were postmenopausal. The mean FSFI score was found to be 24.25 +/- 9.50 out of a maximum total score of 36. Based on the total FSFI score, 43.4% of the women had scores less then 26. The mean domain scores were: desire 3.14 +/- 1.47, arousal 3.60 +/- 1.85, lubrication 4.53 +/- 2.01, orgasm 4.02 +/- 1.97, satisfaction 4.27 +/- 1.64, and pain 4.69 +/- 1.96 out of a maximum domain score of six. The rate of low sexual function by the age groups were 22% for those 20-29 years, 39.7% for those 30-39 years, 50.2% for those 40-49 years, 71.3% for those 50-59 years, 82.9% for those 60-64 years, and 87.8% for those 65 and over. Lower educational level, menopause, depression, presence of sexual dysfunction in their partner, and contraceptive use were found to be significantly associated with low sexual function in women. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of low sexual function in women was found to significantly increase with age. The most significantly affected domains were desire and arousal followed by orgasmic problems, satisfaction, and pain, respectively.

Congenital anomalies: parents' anxiety and women's concerns before prenatal testing and women's opinions towards the risk factors.

AIMS: The aims of the study were to determine parents' anxiety and women's concerns before prenatal testing and women's opinions towards the risk factors for congenital anomalies. BACKGROUND: Undergoing prenatal screening or diagnostic tests cause potential distress and worry for parents. Little attention has been paid to the psychological aspect of such testing in clinical and research areas. DESIGN: This descriptive study was conducted in a prenatal diagnosis unit in a university hospital in Istanbul. The convenience sample of the study consisted of 200 women and 104 partners who applied for prenatal screening or diagnosis tests. METHODS: Women were interviewed by the researcher before they underwent prenatal screening or diagnostic procedures. Data were gathered through interviews using an interview form that addressed women's evaluations for causes of fear and their opinions towards the risk factors for congenital anomalies. Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory was used to assess parents' anxiety before prenatal testing. RESULTS: Anxiety scores of women and their partners were higher in invasive tests group and suspicious findings group. The possibility of a malformation detected and of it being missed were major concerns of women. Receiving insufficient information about the procedure, undergoing this test for the first time, smoking and lower education was associated with increased anxiety scores in women. Although women knew about some certain risk factors for congenital anomalies like drug use, smoking and malnutrition, their knowledge about other risks were not sufficient. CONCLUSION: Prenatal tests, both routine screening and prenatal diagnosis, cause anxiety for parents. Understanding women's concerns and awareness of risk factors are important for providing care and counselling. Relevance to clinical practice. Nurses can provide appropriate information and support at each step in the screening and diagnosis process so that parents' psychological stress is minimised.

Effects of fathers' attendance to labor and delivery on the experience of childbirth in Turkey.

This study was planned to experimentally determine the effects of fathers' attendance to labor and delivery on the experience of childbirth. Fifty primigravidae low-risk women and their partners were recruited to the study. The first 25 women were included in the experimental group, and their partners were allowed to participate in birth. The remaining 25 women were included in the control group, and their partners were not allowed to participate in birth. Perception of Birth Scale and Father Interview Form were used to evaluate couples' experiences during labor and delivery. In conclusion, fathers' support in birth helped mothers to have more positive experiences in all aspects of childbirth. There was no relationship between fathers' support and length of labor, use of pain-relieving drugs, or obstetric interventions in birth. When mother and father were supported during labor and delivery, the rate of the fathers who adopted an active role was high.