Traditional methods for managing illness in newborns and infants in an Arab society.

AIM: This study explored self-management practices in relation to traditional methods for managing illness in newborns and infants and the implications of these practices on infant health. BACKGROUND: Self-medication with folk remedies is believed to have short- and long-term impacts on well-being. Little is known about how mothers in Arab societies used their traditional beliefs and practices in self-managing their newborns' and infants' health. METHODS: Data were collected from five focus groups using open-ended questions with 37 mothers. Participants were selected using snowball sampling and were recruited from four different cities in Jordan between June 2016 and August 2016. ETHICAL APPROVAL: All identifying information regarding the study participants has been omitted, and this study was approved by the Academic Research Committee at the University of Jordan. FINDINGS: Mothers were more willing to try herbal remedies, traditional massage and certain foods to self-manage their infants' health. Folk remedies were not restricted to traditions handed down through generations, but included a representation of newly emerged trends towards 'safety' or 'nature'. CONCLUSIONS: While the use of folk remedies have been handed down generations as customs, today, virtual support groups and social media provide modern resources for folk remedies' promotion in care and self-management. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Nursing and health policymakers can use our findings for planning and developing strategies and health policies that increase public awareness about adverse health effects associated with herbal remedies. Such strategies are likely to be facilitated through partnerships between nursing and midwifery education institutions, antenatal clinics and social media in the region.

Correlates of treatment satisfaction and well-being among patients with type II diabetes.

AIM: To examine the impact of patient characteristics, anthropometric measurement and patient clinical variables on their appraisal of treatment satisfaction and well-being. BACKGROUND: Treatment satisfaction and well-being are instrumental in achieving diabetes care goals. Nursing practices and healthcare policies may inform interventions in these areas. INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of diabetes is high in the Middle East. An understanding of relationships between clinical and socio-demographic variables and well-being and treatment satisfaction is needed to improve care and patient outcomes. METHODS: A total of 1002 patients completed tools measuring well-being, treatment satisfaction and socio-demographic characteristics. A series of bivariate and multivariate analysis were conducted to identify factors associated with well-being and treatment satisfaction. RESULTS: Males reported better treatment satisfaction and well-being than females. Older participants, those who were compliant to diet, with controlled diabetes, and no neuropathy reported higher treatment satisfaction scores and well-being scores. Insulin therapy was associated with better treatment satisfaction. DISCUSSION: Females, participants who were not prescribed diabetic diets and those with complications were more likely to be negatively impacted by diabetes. Individuals with diabetes who were treated with insulin had higher treatment satisfaction than those who used oral hypoglycaemic agents. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: These findings are important in assisting nurses and other healthcare professionals in identifying patients with diabetes with low treatment satisfaction who may present a greater risk for poor well-being. Additionally, they lend support to developing policies for frequent screenings and special therapeutic interventions that are needed to maximize patients' treatment satisfaction and well-being in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Children's knowledge of cancer diagnosis and treatment: Jordanian mothers' perceptions and satisfaction with the process.

BACKGROUND: The amount of information shared with children regarding their illness, as well as what knowledge children are entitled to know, varies widely among cultures. AIMS: This study aims to examine mothers' accounts of communication about cancer diagnosis to their children, how much children knew about their illnesses and how satisfied the mothers were with the method they used in communicating the diagnosis. METHODS: Using semi-structured interviews and open-ended questions, 51 mothers attending paediatric oncology clinics in Jordan were interviewed. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. FINDINGS: Mothers expressed a range of views about the forms of disclosure, including being clear about the diagnosis and its treatment and being secretive yet misconceptualizing the accounts of the illness. The median age for the children diagnosed with cancer was 11 years (interquartile range 7-16 years). Most of the mothers were offered no help with talking to their children about cancer diagnosis. Mothers who found it difficult to tell the news of the diagnosis to their children finally withheld the diagnoses from them. Those same mothers were unhappy and uncomfortable with the communication method they had used with children. CONCLUSION: This study emphasized the role of nurses' interaction with their child patients diagnosed with cancer. Nurses should not have an opinion about how and what children need to know about their illness, and preferably should take an active role in the process of communication between mothers and their children. Further work and research are needed in this field.