Exploring nurses' experiences of providing spiritual care to cancer patients: a qualitative study.

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore nurses' experiences of delivering spiritual care in an oncology setting. METHODS: An exploratory- descriptive qualitative design. Focus groups were conducted to gather data. The discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim to ensure accuracy, credibility, and reliability. Inductive thematic analysis was performed to analyze the narratives, and the study's reporting followed the Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies. RESULTS: The study revealed four major themes: the spirituality from the perspective of oncology nurses, recognition of patients' spiritual needs, delivery of spiritual care to patients with cancer, and barriers in implementing spiritual care. The participants identified insufficient staff, lack of time, and insufficient knowledge and skills as obstacles to delivering spiritual care. CONCLUSION: This study offers a thorough understanding of how nurses provide spiritual care in an oncology setting. It is recommended that organizational interventions, such as increasing staff numbers, be implemented to enable nurses to provide more compassionate care. Furthermore, nursing curriculums should incorporate purposeful engagement and focused debriefing related to spiritual care to better equip nurses in identifying and meeting the spiritual needs of their patients.

Prevalence and factors associated with mental illness symptoms among school students post lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional national study.

Limited data exists on the mental health of children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among school students in post-lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 3,745 school students participated, responding to standardized tests (Mood and Feeling Questionnaire-Child Self-Report, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders-Child Version, and Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale-8). Findings showed that the risk for PTSD was the most prevalent (40.6%), followed by symptoms of anxiety (23.3%), and depression (17.1%). For gender differences, symptoms of the three conditions (depression, anxiety, and PTSD) were higher in female students (9.2%) compared to male peers (7.7%) (p = 0.09). Moreover, symptoms of depression and anxiety were found to be higher among late adolescents (p<0.05). Further analysis revealed that having medical problems was a positive predictor for anxiety (OR = 2.0, p<0.01) and risk for PTSD (OR = 1.3, p = 0.002); similarly, witnessing the death of a close family member due to COVID-19 (OR for depression, anxiety, and PTSD = 1.7, p<0.01) were positive predictors associated with PTDS, depression, and anxiety. The study concluded that post COVID-19 lockdown, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and risk for PTSD were found to be prevalent among school students in the UAE. Researchers put forward recommendations on the initiation of a national school mental health screening program, the provision of follow-up services for vulnerable students, and the integration of a mental health support system in the disaster preparedness plans.

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.

The associations between physical activity, health-related quality of life, regimen adherence, and glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) display a greater than two-fold higher risk of developing diabetes-related complications compared with their healthy peers and the risk increases markedly as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) increases. The majority of the known factors associated with improved glycemic control in adolescents with T1D are geared toward Western populations. Therefore, this study examined the associations between Physical Activity (PA), Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), and regimen adherence on glycemic control in a Middle Eastern population of adolescents with T1D METHODS: The study utilized a cross-sectional design of Jordanian adolescents (aged 12-18) with T1D (n = 74). Self-reported measures used were the Pediatric Quality of Life-Diabetes Module, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities. HbA1c values were obtained from the medical records. Correlation analyses were conducted using Pearson's and Spearman's correlation tests. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine if HRQoL, PA, and regimen adherence predict glycemic control. RESULTS: Only 14.8 % of the participants demonstrated good glycemic control (HbA1c ≤ 7.5 %). Participants with poor control had a statistically significant lower mean PA of MET-minutes/week (3531.9 ± 1356.75 vs. 1619.81 ± 1481.95, p < .001) compared to those with good control. The total sample was found to demonstrate low HRQoL (47.70 ± 10.32). Participants were within the acceptable range of PA (1885.38 ± 1601.13) MET-minutes/week. HbA1c significantly inversely correlated with PA (r = -0.328, p = .010) and regimen adherence (r = -0.299, p = .018). The regression analysis revealed that PA significantly predicted glycemic control (ß = -0.367, p < .01) as adherence (ß = -0.409, p < .01) and disease duration did (ß = 0.444, p < .01). CONCLUSION: Better glycemic control was significantly associated with higher PA and regimen adherence levels. The correlation between PA and glycemic control depends highly on the level of regimen adherence or arguably, adherence acts as a buffer in the correlation between PA and glycemic control. There was no significant association between glycemic control and HRQoL.

Assessment and Evaluation of Psychological Status of Undergraduate College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in the United Arab Emirates.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus instigated a worldwide lockdown that affected students mitigating various psychological issues including depression, stress, and anxiety. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate university students' psychological status in terms of depression, anxiety, and stress. A total of 206 students from the Higher College of Technology (HCT), Sharjah Campuses participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were collected between March and May 2021. Participants completed an online survey including a demographic data questionnaire and the depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS-21). The mean depression, stress, and anxiety scores were 15.56 (±11.573), 17.13 (±10.946), and 14.90 (±10.523) respectively. Categorically, most students (33.3%) reported no depression, while 26.1% of students reported moderate depression. For stress, the majority (44.4%) experienced no stress, while 19.8% reported moderate stress. Strikingly, 36.7% of students reported extreme severe anxiety, with 28% reporting no anxiety. Students with history of depression, stress, and anxiety symptoms reported a statistically significant mean difference in depression, stress, and anxiety compared with those with no previous history of those symptoms. We conclude with a recommendation to expand mental health screening among undergraduate university students and design appropriate therapeutic modalities.

Impact of Sustained Exogenous Irisin Myokine Administration on Muscle and Myocyte Integrity in Sprague Dawley Rats.

Irisin is an exercise-induced myokine implicated as a fundamental mediator of physical activity benefits. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the chronic administration model of irisin on the physiological and molecular status of skeletal muscle. A total of 20 female Sprague Dawley rats (250 ± 40 g) were implanted with an irisin-loaded osmotic pump (5 µg/kg/day) for 42 days; in addition, 3 females received a single subcutaneous injection of irisin (5 µg/kg). On a weekly basis for six weeks, animals were weighed and blood samples were collected. After 42 days, hind muscle biopsies were collected for histology and gene analysis. Serum irisin, clinical biochemistry, and histopathology were quantified and evaluated. Genes encoding for different physiological muscle activities, such as oxidative stress, fatty acid metabolism, muscle hypertrophy, mitochondrial fusion, and aging were assayed. The results showed a significant reduction in body weight percentage and creatine kinase level without affecting the morphological characteristics of skeletal muscle. Significant changes were noted in genes involved in muscle physiological activity, growth, and aging, as well as genes encoding for the antioxidant system, fatty acid oxidation processes, and mitochondrial fusion. In conclusion, exogenous irisin can induce the same physiological and molecular mechanisms that might be induced by exercise.

The impact of online teaching on stress and burnout of academics during the transition to remote teaching from home.

BACKGROUND: The higher education institutions worldwide have been transformed unexpectedly to online teaching. This sudden movement from blended learning or traditional face-to-face teaching has severely disrupted university activities and posed many challenges for teaching staff, who were asked to develop online versions of their courses overnight. This study explores the effect of the current changes in education style and working from home on the stress and burnout levels of teaching staff. METHODS: This study utilized a cross-sectional design, whereby 278 participants (faculty and course instructors) from 17 campuses of one of the largest colleges in United Arab Emirates completed a web-based survey. Numerous instruments were utilized to obtain the following data: participants demographics; their perceived stress during online teaching; their perception of the impact of teaching from home on their family's daily life, physical health, mental health and ability to cope with stress; burnout level; and their satisfaction with online teaching. RESULTS: Around 60% of participants reported moderate stress level during online teaching (moderate stress = 5 to 8) under COVID-19 (M 6.21 ± 2.26). An independent sample t-test and ANOVA tests revealed that participants with 7-10 years of online teaching experience reported more stress than participants who have 4-6 years online teaching experience (M 7.29, ±1.11 Vs. 5.30, ±2.69; P = 0.04). Moreover, multiple regression analysis showed that higher stress levels and lower satisfaction with the online teaching experience were associated with more significant personal and working burnout. Married participants with school-age children were at greater risk of personal burnout. CONCLUSION: The transition to remote education imposed mental burdens and stress on faculty members. Supportive professional development strategies to enrich faculty with online teaching skills are urgently required.

Psychological interventions for adherence, metabolic control, and coping with stress in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this review was to summarize and identify the variations in the effectiveness of psychological interventions on adherence, metabolic control, and coping with stress in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: An electronic search of literature was performed using PubMed (NLM), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL Plus (EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (Ovid), and Google Scholar. The search was limited to include articles reported the effect of one of the psychological interventions: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), coping skills training (CST), stress management, or psychotherapy intervention. The report included peer-reviewed articles published in English from January 1990 until May 2019 in adolescents with T1D, and summarizes the results of 24 studies that met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Psychological interventions showed differential effects on adherence, metabolic control, and coping with stress in adolescents with T1D. Behavioral interventions using principles of CBT appear to have a superior positive effect on regimen adherence compared with other types of psychological protocols. In contrast, metabolic control was significantly improved with the implementation of CST and some forms of CBT. Stress management and psychotherapy interventions showed significant promises for adolescents to cope with their diabetes-related daily stressors. CONCLUSIONS: However, the findings may add some promises to diabetes management in adolescents, additional research to understand the effect of these interventions is needed.

A Systematic Review of Physical Activity and Exercise on Physiological and Biochemical Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes.

PURPOSE: In this systematic review we aimed to evaluate the effects of physical activity (PA) and exercise on biochemical and physiological outcomes in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). DESIGN: The review was conducted and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. METHODS: The search of literature was performed using PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO, the Nursing Reference Center, and Google Scholar. The search was limited to include peer-reviewed articles published in English from May 2012 to May 2018 and included adolescents <19 years of age with T1D. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria: 8 interventional and 19 observational studies. FINDINGS: Both observational and interventional studies showed considerable agreement that supervised regular moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is more effective on adiposity and cardiorespiratory fitness than habitual PA. Further, it was reported that PA of different intensities improves insulin sensitivity and decreases daily insulin dosage. Results of glycemic control were equivocal. Although observational studies reported improvement in glycemic control with PA of different intensities, most of the experimental studies revealed no significant associations. A consistent agreement among the studies revealed a considerable benefit of regular habitual PA of light to moderate intensity on blood glucose regulation and lipid profile. CONCLUSIONS: The reviewed studies showed that regular MVPA was associated with several health benefits in adolescents with T1D; however, additional studies are needed to fully understand the effect of PA on health outcomes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Regular MVPA (at least 4 hr per week) with good glycemic control is a promising option for adolescents with T1D when risk management of hypoglycemia is appropriately taken.