The relation between eHealth literacy and healthy lifestyle behaviours in pregnant women.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between eHealth literacy and healthy lifestyle behaviours among pregnant women. This cross-sectional study was conducted in five family health centres in a city in the western part of Turkey. The study sample consisted of 201 pregnant women who were admitted to the five family health centres between September and December 2022. A socio-demographic questionnaire, the eHealth Literacy Scale and the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours in Pregnancy Scale were used to collect data. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore predictors of health-promoting behaviours. The mean score of the eHealth Literacy Scale was 29.37 ±â€…6.20. The mean score of the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours Scale was 119.69 ±â€…13.58. Multiple linear regression showed that predictors of healthy lifestyle behaviours among pregnant women were eHealth literacy, using internet to access health information and gestational age. eHealth literacy was found to be an important factor affecting the healthy lifestyle behaviours of pregnant women. This study highlights the importance of considering pregnant women's eHealth literacy in interventions aimed at improving healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Knowledge and Perceptions About Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus, and Relationship with E-health Literacy, and Affecting Factors Among Female University Students.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to reveal female university students' knowledge and perceptions about cervical cancer (CC) and human papillomavirus (HPV), and relationship with e-health literacy (e-HL). It also aims to determine the predictors affecting CC and HPV. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 589 female university students in Türkiye. Data were collected using a "Cervical Cancer and HPV Awareness Questionnaire" and an "E-health Literacy Scale (e-HLS)." Analysis involved Pearson correlation analysis, Independent Sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Linear Regression analysis. Results: Results indicate that female students exhibited a low level of knowledge and perception about CC and HPV. Only 2.90% of students reported being vaccinated, while 39.90% had sexual experience. Higher knowledge levels were observed among married individuals, those familiar with HPV and the HPV vaccine, those who had undergone Pap smear tests, sexually active individuals, and consistent condom users. e-HL had a positive impact on knowledge and perceived threat about CC and HPV. The affecting predictors for knowledge about CC and HPV were found to be e-HLS (ß = 0.911), having prior knowledge of HPV (ß = 0.201), and being aware of the HPV vaccine (ß = 0.172). In terms of perceived threat, the affecting predictors were e-HLS (ß = 0.207), having heard of HPV (ß = 0.101), and having knowledge of the HPV vaccine (ß = 0.092). Conclusion: e-HL emerged as a crucial predictor positively influencing knowledge and perceptions about CC and HPV. This suggests the potential for organizing digital health campaigns to enhance awareness and understanding of CC and HPV.

Nursing students' knowledge and attitudes about dementia: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: This study aimed to determine knowledge and attitudes of nursing students about dementia and factors affecting them. BACKGROUND: With the increased aging population in the world including Turkiye, the prevalence of dementia is on the rise. Nursing students must have knowledge of dementia to offer high-quality, evidence-based nursing care to people who have dementia. Nursing students' attitudes towards dementia directly affect the quality of the care that they give. A positive attitude contributes to provision of more empathetic and personalized care for people with dementia. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. METHOD: The study was performed with 784 nursing students at six universities in Turkiye. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale and the Dementia Attitudes Scale. Data were analyzed using an independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis. Factors predicting knowledge and attitudes about dementia were examined using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the nursing students was 20.37 ± 1.85 years. Of all the nursing students, 82.9% were female, 15.1% were living with an older person, 5.5% had a family member with dementia, 9.8% had prior experience with dementia care and 19.4% received education about dementia. The students had inadequate knowledge of dementia (13.01 ± 6.66 out of 34), but a moderately positive attitude towards dementia (82.53 ± 12.44). Female gender (ß = 0.087), increased year of study (ß = 0.346), living in the city center (ß = 0.070), having a family member with dementia (ß = -0.081) and receiving education about dementia (ß = 0.103) had a positive effect on the knowledge about dementia. Knowledge of dementia (ß = 0.226), living in a city (ß = 2.371) and prior experience in dementia care (ß = 0.097) positively affected the attitudes about dementia. CONCLUSION: Findings of the study suggest that curricula of undergraduate nursing education in Turkiyeshould be improved. Positive effects of education about dementia and clinical experience on knowledge and attitudes regarding dementia reveal a need for a change in the duration and quality of education about dementia.

The association between Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care Scores and quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients.

Background: Chronic illness care is an important factor for health promotion in diabetes since it affects health outcomes such as quality of life. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care and the quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional and correlational design. The sample included 317 patients with type 2 diabetes. A socio-demographic and disease-related questionnaire form, the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) scale and the WHOQOL-BREF Quality of Life Scale were used to collect data. Results: According to the regression analysis, the stronger predictor affecting all domains of quality of life was the overall PACIC. This study demonstrated the importance of satisfaction level of chronic illness care in the improvement of quality of life. Therefore, the factors affecting the satisfaction level with chronic care services should be determined to improve the quality of life of patients. In addition, healthcare based on the chronic-care model should be provided in the care of the patients. Conclusions: PACIC had an important effect on quality of life of the patients. This study demonstrated the importance of satisfaction level on chronic illness care in the improvement of quality of life.

Validity and reliability of the Spiritual Health Scale-Short Form for Turkish nursing students.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at assessing the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Spiritual Health Scale-Short Form (SHS-SF). METHODS: The methodological research was conducted with Turkish nursing students (n = 310). The sociodemographic question form and the SHS-SF were used as data collection instruments. The Content Validity Index, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were used for the validity of the scale, and Internal Consistency and Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient for its reliability. RESULTS: The EFA revealed that five factors accounted for 66.49% of the variance. According to the CFA, the factor loadings for the 24-item scale ranged from 0.40 to 0.91. Goodness-of-fit indices were as follows: χ2/df = 2.39, RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, IFI = 0.92. The item-total correlation for the scale items ranged from 0.37 to 0.65. The alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.91. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: It is important to identify the level of spiritual health of nurses and nursing students with a valid and reliable scale. The SHS-SF was found to be a reliable and valid scale for use in the Turkish language and culture. The scale can be used for evaluating spiritual health levels among Turkish nurses and nursing students. This will provide an opportunity for planning appropriate interventions to improve the spiritual health level of nurses and nursing students.

The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle-related behaviours in Turkey: A web-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed to eradicate it have affected healthy lifestyle-related behaviours. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of COVID-19 on lifestyle-related behaviours. METHODS: This cross-sectional web-based survey research was performed with a convenience sample of 1020 adults residing in Turkey. Data were collected with self-report data collection tools on 8-28 April 2021: a sociodemographic characteristics form and the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle-related behaviours questionnaire. RESULTS: Eating behaviours, physical activity and sleep patterns of the participants were negatively affected during COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.001). More than half of the participants experienced weight gain during the pandemic. Also, stress levels and smoking increased (p < 0.01). The participants reported having changes in their lifestyles most frequently due to the fear of COVID-19 infection, stress, decreased motivation, closure of the facilities for social and sports activities and increased food prices. Predictors of lifestyle-related behaviours were found to be education (ß = .189), income (ß = -.101), residing in a village (ß = .113) and the presence of a chronic disease (ß = .075) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the pandemic, COVID-19-related restrictions should be applied whilst taking account of both social distancing measures and maintenance of healthy lifestyle-related behaviours. Nurses should offer counselling for maintenance of healthy lifestyle-related behaviours.

The frequency of bicycle helmet use among college students and health beliefs for bicycle helmet attitude.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of bicycle helmet use among college students and health beliefs about bicycle helmet attitude. Participants: Turkish university students (n = 799). Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted over the period 2019. A sociodemographic and cycling related questionnaire form and the Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale were used in the data collection. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Anova and Kruskal Wallis tests were used in the statistical analysis. Results: Only 10.4% of students wear a bicycle helmet. Students who using bicycle helmets had higher benefit health belief scores compared to those who didn't, while barrier health belief scores were lower. There is a significant relationship between health belief scores for bicycle helmet attitude and gender, obeying traffic rules, thinking about helmet (unnecessary/disturbing/expensive/ridiculous) and helmet use. Conclusion: In this study, the frequency of using bicycle helmets is very low.

Association of electronic health literacy with health-promoting behaviours in adolescents.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the electronic health (e-health) literacy level of high school students and its relationship with their health-promoting behaviours. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between April and May 2018. The study sample consisted of 409 students, who were aged between 14 and 19 years old, in three high schools located in the city centre of Denizli. Multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the predictive variables for six dimensions of health-promoting behaviours. RESULTS: In this study, the mean (SD) e-health literacy score of 27.89 (6.19) was slightly above moderate level. e-Health literacy was found to significantly predict all six dimensions of health-promoting behaviours positively, that is, e-health literacy was determined to predict the dimensions of nutritional behaviours (ß = 0.64, P < 0.001), life appreciation (ß = 0.55, P < 0.001), social support (ß = 0.72, P < 0.001), exercise (ß = 0.36, P < 0.001), stress management (ß = -0.22, P < 0.001) and health responsibility (ß = 0.68, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: With e-health literacy significantly predictive of health-promoting behaviours, nurses are recommended to consider the e-health literacy levels of adolescents in the health-promoting programs they design.

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Geriatric Health Promotion scale.

BACKGROUND: A measure for healthy lifestyle behaviours of older adults would enable the development of effective and target-based health promotion strategies. AIM: This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Geriatric Health Promotion scale among older people in Turkey. DESIGN: This was a methodological study that was conducted between June and August 2018. METHODS: A total of 321 volunteer older individuals, who were admitted to local health centres, participated in this study. A questionnaire, including sociodemographic data form, and the Geriatric Health Promotion scale were used to collect data. Content and construct validity was established using validity analyses. RESULTS: The reliability of the scale was confirmed by its internal consistency (α = .82) and test-retest reliability (0.86). Exploratory factor analysis for the six-factor construct explained 64.7% of the total variance. Factor loads of each item ranged from 0.44 and 0.91. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the theoretical constructs had a perfect fit with data obtained. These data establish that the Turkish version of the Geriatric Health Promotion scale was valid and reliable. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the Geriatric Health Promotion scale is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used in the evaluation of health-promoting behaviours among older individuals.

Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Obstacles in Coping.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a major global threat to public health. Reducing the daily obstacles of coping with the disease for patients with diabetes may improve management. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate daily obstacles to coping with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and related factors. METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected from 186 patients with T2DM who were hospitalized in an endocrinology clinic in Turkey. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Diabetes Obstacles Questionnaire were used to collect data. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore the predictors of obstacles to coping in patients with T2DM. RESULTS: The highest mean score was achieved on the obstacles to coping with diabetes (2.57 ± 3.78) among the subscales of the Diabetes Obstacles Questionnaire. After regression analysis, level of treatment compliance was identified as the most significant predictor (ß = .289, p < .001). Anxiety, depression, smoking status, and highest level of education were also identified as significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these results, nurses should plan and implement interventions to improve treatment compliance and assist patients to overcome obstacles to disease management. Moreover, patient anxiety, depression, and lifestyle behaviors should be addressed.

The prevalence of insomnia and its risk factors among older adults in a city in Turkey's Aegean Region.

AIM: Experienced by many older adults, insomnia is a significant public health problem that requires the attention of health-care professionals and researchers. This study aimed to identify insomnia and its risk factors among community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Denizli, Turkey. The study sample consisted of 360 elderly individuals aged 60 years and older who were admitted to one of six family health centres for any reason between 29 March 2016 and 17 June 2016. Data were collected by using a descriptive form for the elderly and the Insomnia Severity Index. The χ2 test was used to compare independent variables and insomnia status. Logistic regression analysis was used for the variables that were found to be significant at the end of the single-variable analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects, all of whom lived at home, was 69.52 ± 8.36 years. Insomnia was quite common among them (51%), and its severity was low (8.51 ± 5.56). At the end of logistic regression analysis, a moderate perception of health (OR = 10.859, 95%CI: 3.532-33.385) and the number of medications used (OR = 3.326, 95%CI: 1.014-10.907) were identified as risk factors for insomnia. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, we can state that insomnia is common among older adults. Therefore, older adults who are admitted to health-care institutions should be evaluated for insomnia. Factors identified as affecting insomnia were health perception and the number of medications used. Given that health perception and polypharmacy are associated with chronic disease management, helping the elderly to effectively manage chronic diseases may alleviate insomnia.

Influence of caregiver burden on well-being of family member caregivers of older adults.

BACKGROUND: Caregiving to older adults is one of the most important social issues associated with aging. While caregiving provides a suitable care and supportive environment for older adults, changes in the lives of caregiving family members also affect their health. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of care burden on the well-being of family members providing care for older adults. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional design. The study sample included 363 family caregivers of older adults. Socio-demographic questionnaire form, Burden Interview and Caregiver Well-Being Scale were used as data collection tools. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore the predictors of well-being in the family caregivers of older adults. RESULTS: The caregiver burden mean score was 32.63 ± 15.72 and Caregiver Well-Being Mean score was 159.38 ± 24.55. Caregiver burden, perceived health status of the older adults, marital status, perceived health status of caregiver and social support of caregiver were found to be statistically significant predictors of well-being in family member caregivers of older adults. Caregiver burden level was found to be the strongest predictor of well-being in the family caregivers of older adults. CONCLUSION: Results showed that caregiver burden had an important effect on well-being of the caregiver. For this reason caregiver burden should be considered during interventions for improving well-being in family caregivers of older adults. Findings of our study revealed the necessity of showing special attention to caregivers by healthcare professionals and the importance of conducting interventional studies that aim to reduce caregiver burden in order to promote well-being.

[Intercultural Sensitivity of University Students Studying At Health-Related Departments and Some Associated Factors]. / Saglikla Ilgili Bölümlerde Okuyan Üniversite Ögrencilerinin Kültürlerarasi Duyarliliklari ve Iliskili Bazi Faktörler.

AIM: This study was carried out to determine cultural sensitivity levels and affecting factors among the students who were studying at health-related departments. METHOD: The study had a cross-sectional design. The universe of the study consisted of 1127 students who were studying at 1st and 4th years in nursing department of institute of health sciences, school of physical therapy and rehabilitation and medical faculty of a state university. 523 students who agreed to participate in the study and who were attending school on the day of data collection constituted the sample of the study. The data of the study were collected using a socio-demographic data form and Intercultural Sensitivity Scale. Descriptive statistics were used in data analysis. In addition, t test was used in paired groups, and one-way variance analysis (ANOVA) was used in more than two groups. RESULTS: The mean score of the students from Intercultural Sensitivity Scale was found to be 3.88±0.64. It was determined that cultural sensitivity was higher among the students who had interaction with people from different cultures, whose opinions about their jobs changed positively during their education, who wanted to attend student exchange programs and who spoke a foreign language (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, the cultural sensitivity level of the students was found to be at a good level. In addition, gender, interaction with people from different cultures, participation in student exchange programs and knowledge of a foreign language were found to have a bearing on cultural sensitivity. Based on these results, the promotion of collaborations which would create opportunities allowing students to interact with individuals from different cultures might be offered. This would support them in the improvement of their language qualifications and would enable participation of more students in student exchange programs abroad.

The relationship between attitudes toward aging and health-promoting behaviours in older adults.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the factors that are associated with health-promoting behaviours in older adults is necessary to increase their willingness and motivation to participate in health-promotion activities. Understanding context-specific attitudes in relation to their influence on health-promoting behaviours is crucial in designing efficient interventions that foster health-promoting behaviours among older adults. AIM: This study aimed to examine the relationships between attitudes towards aging and health-promoting behaviours in older adults in Turkey. METHODS: The study used a descriptive-correlational design. A convenience sample of 448 community-dwelling older adults who were 65 years and older and cognitively intact were selected from 6 family health centres in the city of Denizli in Turkey. The data were collected between March and June of 2014 using the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore the predictors of health-promoting behaviours. FINDINGS: Attitudes toward aging, the psychosocial loss subscale, and education were statistically significant predictors of health-promoting behaviours. Attitudes toward aging were the strongest predictor of health-promoting behaviours in older adults. CONCLUSION: Attitude towards aging is a factor that affects health-promoting behaviours, and it should be considered during interventions for improving health promoting behaviours.

Skin cancer knowledge and sun protection behavior among nursing students.

AIM: The objective of this study was to determine skin cancer knowledge and sun protection behavior among nursing students. METHODS: A total of 1178 nursing students in the Aegean Region of Turkey took part in this descriptive study. A score for knowledge on protection against skin cancer and a score for protective behavior against skin cancer were calculated. RESULTS: In this study, first year students sunbathed more in the middle of the day than fourth year students, and their knowledge of skin cancer was lower. No statistical difference was determined for protective behavior between the two groups. The knowledge levels and protective behavior of first year students were alarmingly low, but the average scores for knowledge and behavior of the fourth year university students were higher. The knowledge levels of the fourth year students were average but their protective behavior was insufficient. It was found that the knowledge levels and the levels of protective behavior of light-skinned students were higher. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the knowledge levels and protective behavior of first year nursing students against the harmful effects of the sun and for protection against skin cancer were alarmingly low. It also showed that the knowledge levels of the fourth year nursing students were average, but that their protective behavior was very insufficient. These findings suggest that it is of extreme importance to acquire knowledge and behavior for protection against skin cancers in the education of nursing students.

A cross-sectional survey of self-perceived health status and metabolic control values in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide. Diabetes and other chronic disorders play an important role in how patients perceive their health status, this perception being an important component of general health. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to determine self-perceived health status and metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes and to understand the relationship between perceived health status and metabolic control in diabetic participants. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional survey. SETTING: The research population was diabetes sufferers registered with the Turkish Diabetes Society in Denizli Province, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample composed of 110 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: The research data were collected using three tools. The first of these was a "Socio-demographic Data Form" to gather information on the diabetes patients. The second was a survey on the patients' self-perceived health (how do rate your state of health in general) in which the patients were asked to rate their own health in one of five categories: very good, good, fair, bad and very bad. For the statistical analysis, the study group was divided into two groups: "good", consisting of those who classified their health as either very good or good; and "poor", those who gave other responses. The third type of data was collected by measuring metabolic control outcomes [glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1C)), fasting blood sugar (FBS), non-fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and triglycerides] for each participant. RESULTS: Approximately half of the diabetic participants surveyed have poor self-perceived health. In terms of the values of HbA(1C), an important indicator of metabolic control levels, it was found that only 24.5% of the participants surveyed had good metabolic control. There was found to be a statistically significant difference between self-perceived health and levels of HbA(1C); 68% of participants who had high HbA(1C) values evaluated their health as good, whereas 63.9% of those who had poor HbA(1C) values evaluated their health as bad. Age, level of education, mode of treatment, adherence to treatment and level of exercise were factors that were found to have statistically significant differences from, and therefore an influence on, self-reported health. CONCLUSION: When working with diabetes patients, as soon as the diagnosis has been made, it is recommended that information both on subjective perceptions of health and on perceptions of the illness (health perceptions, health beliefs related to the illness) are evaluated and objective data (metabolic control values) are gathered.

Evaluation of nursing students' training in medical law.

There is no co-ordinated focus on liabilities arising from nurses' medical interventions in terms of occupational, administrative, civil legal and criminal activities. However, the Turkish Criminal Code, the Turkish Medical Ethics Code of Practice, and guidelines for patients' rights offer some framework for the relevant ethical principles and responsibilities of nurses. The aim of this study was to investigate the evaluation of nursing students' training in their legal liabilities. The sample consisted of 309 students who were taking a course entitled 'Nurses' legal liabilities under Turkish criminal and civil law arising from medical interventions'. Data were obtained by means of self-administered questionnaires and McNemar's test was used to evaluate the answers. In conclusion, after their training, a great majority of the students demonstrated an improvement in terms of their percentage of correct answers relating to malpractice. This does not, however, mean that they will not face malpractice charges after graduating, but their increased awareness of the issue may encourage them to make more effort to reduce the risk of mistakes. It is recommended that nursing faculty carry out studies into medical malpractice, that they focus more on this subject in nursing education, and that all nursing schools review their curricula from the point of view of malpractice.

Validity and reliability study of the Turkish version of Health Belief Model Scale in diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important health problem that leads to severe complications, is the cause of early death, and is showing an increase in frequency. The development of positive health behaviors is extremely important in the treatment of diabetic patients. There are various models that examine the health behaviors of individuals. One of these is the Health Belief Model. This model is very beneficial in explaining factors that affect patients' compliance with their disease. PURPOSE: This research was planned to measure the validity and reliability of the Health Belief Model Scale in diabetic patients in the Turkish population. DESIGN: Questionnaire Survey. SETTINGS: The research population was all of the diabetic patients (4,125) registered with the Turkish Diabetes Society, Denizli Province, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample was composed of 352 patients with Type 2 DM. METHODS: The research data were collected with three tools, a "sociodemographic data form" related to the diabetic patients, the "Health Belief Model Scale in Diabetic Patients," and the "Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale."For validity studies: language validity, content validity, concurrent validity and construct validity were examined. For reliability studies: the tool's internal consistency reliability, Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient, test-retest reliability were examined. RESULTS: The tool's internal consistency reliability subscales' Cronbach alpha coefficient values ranged from 0.73 to 0.86. For the total tool a Cronbach alpha value of 0.89 was found. In the tool's internal consistency reliability total item correlation the three items that were below 0.30 were removed and the 36 items were reduced to 33 items. The tool's test-retest reliability was 0.90. According to factor analysis the tool contains five subscales of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and recommended healthy behaviors. CONCLUSION: The Health Belief Model Scale in diabetic patients was determined to be valid and reliable for use in the Turkish population.