Early Detection and Prevention of Osteoporosis Among Pre- and Postmenopausal Women in Saudi Arabia.

Osteoporosis is difficult to treat and is still incurable, and thus prevention is critically important. The aim of this study was to find out the high-risk women for osteoporosis and to correlate their bone mineral density (BMD) with their investigated risk factors. Cross-sectional design was used and it was conducted among 200 pre- and postmenopausal Saudi women. The study documented that postmenopausal females had high prevalence of osteopenia and majority of them had low serum calcium. Significant correlation was found between low BMD and family history of osteoporosis; increased BMD was seen in women, who consumed calcium-rich foods, exposure to sun light, and longer fertility period. Majority of the women 94.5% had inadequate knowledge on preventive measures of osteoporosis. The high prevalence of osteopenia in postmenopausal women indicates the ultimate importance of early intervention to prevent development of osteoporosis in later life.

Quality of life of nursing students from nine countries: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing student life is stressful as a result of the work they exert to learn concepts ranging from basic to complicated issues and health concerns for maintaining overall human health. Hence, assessing the quality of life (QOL) of nursing students is important to determine if they have excellent well-being levels as they go through the learning process. OBJECTIVES: This study measured and compared QOL of respondents by country of residence, and identified the QOL predictors of students. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional design. SETTINGS: A multi-country study conducted in Chile, Egypt, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 2012 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire containing demographic characteristic items and the World Health Organization QOL-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to gather data from respondents. RESULTS: The highest overall QOL was recorded in the physical health domain, whereas the lowest was in the social health domain. The perceived highest and lowest QOL dimension varied between countries. Age, country of residence, and monthly family income showed statistically significant multivariate effect on the aspects of QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Considering their stressful lives, the present study underscores the importance of ensuring the highest level of well-being among nursing students. The maintenance of high levels of well-being among nursing students should also be prioritized to maximize their learning and ensure their satisfaction in their student life.

A Multicountry Perspective on Cultural Competence Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

PURPOSE: To assess cultural competence among nursing students from nine countries to provide an international perspective on cultural competence. DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional design. METHODS: A convenience sample of 2,163 nursing students from nine countries was surveyed using the Cultural Capacity Scale from April to November 2016. RESULTS: The study found a moderate range of cultural competence among the students. The ability to teach and guide other nursing colleagues to display culturally appropriate behavior received the highest competence rating, while the ability to discuss differences between the client's health beliefs or behaviors and nursing knowledge with each client received the lowest competence rating. Differences in cultural competence were observed between students from different countries. Country of residence, gender, age, year of study, attendance at cultural-related training, the experience of taking care of patients from culturally diverse backgrounds and patients belonging to special population groups, and living in a multicultural environment were identified as factors affecting cultural competence. CONCLUSIONS: The international perspective of cultural competence among nursing students provided by this study serves as a vital preview of where nursing education currently stands in terms of providing the necessary preparatory competence in the cultural aspect of care. The variation of cultural competence among nursing students from different nations should serve as a cue for designing a focused yet multimodal nursing education program in guiding them to be culturally sensitive, culturally adaptive, and culturally motivated. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The training of nursing students in providing competent culturally appropriate care should be ensured considering that adequate preparation of nursing students guarantees future competent nursing practice, which can positively impact the nursing profession in any part of the globe.