The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Resilience of University Students in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus pandemic resulted in a sudden change to the daily activities of individuals, including the academic institutions. University-level students are vulnerable to psychological health issues when faced with a large-scale crisis such as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic; they need resilience to help them successfully manage and cope with changes. AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the resilience and associated predictors among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive design to examine the levels of resilience and associated predictors of university students. No sampling criterion was set up and all active students from all programs were eligible to participate. A convenience sampling technique was employed for its practical feasibility and efficiency. The data were collected between February 2021 and May 2021. RESULTS: A total of 2,085 students completed the study questionnaires. The mean score of total resilience among the students was 65.01 (±14.697), while the mean score for personal resilience and caregiver resilience was 38.08 (±8.675) and 26.92 (±6.694), respectively. Comparing total resilience, personal resilience, and caregiver resilience with students' Cumulative Grade Point Average level revealed a significant difference. The predictors of resilience include academic level and number of courses the students enrolled in. CONCLUSION: Academic institutions need to support the establishment of resilience training programs to prepare students for any challenging time, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effectiveness of Telephone-Based Interpersonal Psychotherapy on Antenatal Depressive Symptoms: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial in The Kingdom of Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Jordanian pregnant women report high prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms, compared to their counterparts internationally. One potential nonpharmacological intervention is Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), accessed by telephone. AIM: The aim of this study is to compare the depressive symptom level(s) among Jordanian pregnant women who received IPT treatment with those who received routine antenatal care. METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled trial design was used. Following ethical approval, a sample of 100 pregnant women (50 in each group) at 24 to 37 weeks gestation, was drawn from one governmental public hospital. Seven sessions (each half an hour) of telephone-based IPT were offered twice weekly to those assigned to the intervention arm: one pretherapy orientation, five intermediates, and one closing session. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was administered before and after the intervention. Analysis of covariance was used to detect the intervention effect. The two groups were matched based on demographic and health characteristics. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, pregnant women who received the intervention reported fewer depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Midwives and general nurses should screen all pregnant women for symptoms of depression. The effectiveness of IPT treatment in alleviating depressive symptoms indicates the importance of using such supportive interventions by midwives and general nurses, who are trained in psycho-educational counseling techniques. Moreover, data provided by this study may encourage policymakers to legislate policies that make psychotherapists available and accessible in antenatal care units and ensure that staff have adequate training via continuing education programs to screen for antenatal depressive symptoms.

Nurses' job stressors and social support behaviors: Comparing public, teaching, and private hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Different work environments may create different nurses' job stressors, and in turn, may need different social support behaviors to help nurses overcome these stressors. AIMS: This study aimed at comparing nurses' job stressors and social support behaviors in three different work environments (i.e., public, teaching, and private hospitals) in Jordan and examining the predictors of these stressors and social support behaviors. MATERIALS & METHODS: This was a descriptive comparative study in which data were collected using the Nursing Stress Scale and the Inventory of Social Supportive Behaviors from 139, 190, and 135 nurses from the public, teaching, and private hospitals, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics including comparative and multiple linear regression statistics were used. RESULTS: The results indicated that there were no significant differences in the total scores of job stressors and social support behaviors among nurses at the three types of hospitals. However, significant differences were reported in the subscales of job stressors in teaching and public hospitals and in individual items of both scales across the three kinds of hospitals. Controlling for nurses' characteristics, the scores of both scales were not predicted by the type of hospitals. CONCLUSION: Similar to public hospitals, teaching, and private hospitals, administrators should initiate various social support behaviors in their clinical settings, and should consider the predictors of job stressors to help nurses overcome their job stressors.

Effects of Sucrose-based High-lysine Diet on Blood Chemistry, Growth Performance, and Gastrointestinal Morphology of Broiler Chickens During the Growing Stage.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing fat in broiler grower diet with sucrose combined with supplementation of the synthetic amino acid lysine on growth performance, gastrointestinal morphology, and blood biochemical parameters in broiler chickens. Broilers were raised for 21 days and then divided into two treatment groups (n=24 in each group). Two dietary treatments were used: corn-soy-based diet with oil (control) and corn-soy-based diet formulated with sucrose (3.30%) and lysine hydrochloride (3.36%). The experimental period was 21 days (from 21 to 42 days of age). At the end of week 6, all the birds in each treatment were slaughtered via neck slit, defeathered, and eviscerated for carcass and intestinal morphological characterization. Blood samples were collected to measure blood lipoprotein, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels. The results showed that supplementation of sucrose and lysine hydrochloride to broiler ration significantly (P<0.05) decreased feed intake by half and reduced average daily gain during the study period compared to those observed in broilers fed control diet. Further, this supplementation significantly altered gastrointestinal morphology and blood lipoprotein (HDL and LDL) and total cholesterol levels. In conclusion, corn-soy-based diet fortified with sucrose (3.30%) and lysine hydrochloride (3.36%) within current nutrient specifications has a negative effect on broiler growth performance.

Nursing students' perceived stress and coping behaviors in clinical training in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Clinical training has been recognized as a stressful experience for nursing students. AIMS: The aims of this study were to identify levels and types of stressors among nursing students during their clinical training and their coping behaviors. METHODS: Data were collected using a purposive sampling method from 100 nursing students using a self-reported questionnaire composed of Perceived Stress Scale and Coping Behavior Inventory. RESULTS: Results showed that "assignments and workload" as well as "teachers and nursing staff" were the highest sources of stress in clinical training. The most common coping behaviors used were "problem-solving" and "staying optimistic". There was a significant difference in perceived stress among students in regard to the way of choosing nursing. There were significant differences in coping behaviors in regard to the presence of relatives in nursing, living status and mothers' educational level. The predictors of perceived stress were self-choosing for nursing and the presence of relatives in nursing, while the predictors for coping behaviors were stress from peers and daily life as well as mothers' educational level. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing teachers and staff are encouraged to develop strategies that decrease level of stress and promote adaptive coping behaviors among nursing students during their clinical training.

Coping Strategies of Jordanian Adolescents With Cancer: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Study.

Interpretive phenomenological analysis methodology was used to explore coping strategies used by hospitalized Jordanian adolescents with cancer. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 10 Jordanian adolescents, aged 13 to18 years, who were receiving chemotherapy for cancer. During treatment, participants were confronted with physical, psychosocial, and emotional distresses resulting from the disease process, the treatment, and its associated side-effects. To cope with the impact of their illness, participants utilized 4 coping strategies: "Strengthening spiritual convictions," "Being optimistic and rebuilding hope," "Enhancing appearance," and "Finding self again." The findings of this study can assist health team members to promote positive psychological care to Arab Muslim adolescents with cancer in a supportive and therapeutic treatment environment.

The Role of Religion in the Recovery from Alcohol and Substance Abuse Among Jordanian Adults.

The purpose of this study is to understand religious factors role during recovery period among Jordanian receiving treatment for alcohol and substances abuse. Participants were asked to answer open-ended questions related to role of religion on their recovery from alcohol and substances abuse. Content analysis was used to explore the role of religion on their recovery process. One hundred and forty-six clients from two treatment centers participated with two main themes that emerged from the analysis: role of religion and role of religious men. Religion not only helps during the recovery process, but also is considered as a protector from drug and alcohol abuse in the future.

Psychological outcomes of intimate partner violence experienced by Jordanian working women.

This study aimed at investigating psychological health problems experienced by working women as a result of their experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). One hundred one working women participated in the study. Results indicated that nearly half of the participants reported partner violence. Compared with nonabused women, abused women showed significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms (t (78) = -3.4, p = .001) and stress (t (93) = -4.8, p < .0001), while self-esteem did not differ significantly between the two groups. Acknowledgment of this problem and early recognition of the victims may result in improving the health of working women in Jordan.

Arab Americans' acculturation and tobacco smoking.

Limited information is available about Arab Americans' smoking behaviors. The aim of this study was to describe Arab Americans' smoking behaviors and any relationship between tobacco dependence and acculturation. This was a cross-sectional study. Arab American smokers and ex-smokers (N = 96) participated in the study. Nicotine dependence, acculturation, and tobacco use questionnaires were used to measure the major variables. Analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between acculturation and tobacco dependence and between tobacco exposure and tobacco dependence. Arab Americans who behaved most like their ethnic peers and spent more time with Arab Americans were more dependent on nicotine.

Psychological acculturation: a concept analysis with implications for nursing practice.

Psychological acculturation is a complex process that has been widely discussed in the literature of anthropology, psychology, and sociology. The purpose of this article is to analyze the concept of psychological acculturation using Walker and Avant's strategy for concept analysis. The authors bring greater clarity to this process of acculturation to help nurses understand individuals'health behaviors. Definitions of acculturation are examined using different resources including dictionaries and scholarly literature. Antecedents, defining attributes, and consequences are identified, discussed, and summarized. A model case and contrary case are presented. Measurement of psychological acculturation is discussed in the context of defining attributes. Direction for future research and implications for nursing practice are presented.

The Wheat Valley assisted living culture: rituals and rules.

This ethnographic study describes the cultural knowledge individuals use to organize their behaviors at one assisted living facility, Wheat Valley. Data were comprised of transcribed interviews with residents, family members, and staff; field notes of observations and informal interviews; and abstracted information from facility documents. The Wheat Valley culture is described as having six cultural categories, a single theme, a threat to the culture, and a conceptualization of resident decision-making. The cultural description provides the basis for a discussion of practice implications.