The Stirling Antenatal Anxiety Scale (SAAS): Turkish validity and reliability study.

AIMS: To examine the psychometric properties of the Stirling Antenatal Anxiety Scale (SAAS), developed by Sinesi et al., which assesses the level of anxiety of pregnant women in the prenatal period, in the Turkish culture, and to conduct a validity and reliability study. METHODS: This study had a methodological approach, with a cross-sectional and descriptive research design. Reporting was in accordance with the STROBE checklist. The sample included 160 pregnant women who were followed up in the maternity outpatient clinics of a public hospital and a private hospital in Istanbul. Data were collected face-to-face using a personal information form, the Turkish version of the SAAS, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale between June and August 2023. In the data analysis, validity analyses were performed with content and construct validity and multiple fit indices for confirmatory factor analysis. Item-total score analysis was conducted using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and Pearson's correlation analysis to assess reliability. Descriptive and reliability analyses were undertaken using SPSS v.28.0.1.0, and validity analyses were performed using SPSS AMOS v.26.0.0.0. FINDINGS: Based on expert opinions on the items in the Turkish version of the SAAS, the content validity ratio was 0.96. The decision was made to exclude Item 9 from the Turkish version because the item factor load was low. The Turkish version had a single factor, as did the original version. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.87, so the Turkish version was determined to have high reliability. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the SAAS, originally produced in English, has high levels of validity and reliability. In addition, it is short and easy to apply in clinical and research settings. As such, the Turkish version of the SAAS is recommended for use to evaluate the level of anxiety in pregnant women.

Effect of Reflexology on Decreasing Postoperative Pain and Anxiety After Total Abdominal Hysterectomy.

Surgical patients experience both postoperative pain and anxiety, as they try to cope with pain. Despite technological advances, pharmacological methods are inadequate for decreasing postoperative pain and anxiety. Reflexology has been implemented and considered effective in these areas in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of reflexology on decreasing postoperative pain and anxiety after a hysterectomy. The study was an intervention randomized study. The population of the investigation is all patients who had a hysterectomy between February 2012 and December 2014 in the Istanbul University Obstetrics and Gynecology service. The sample was 100 women chosen after a power analysis (minimum: 74) (experimental: 54, control: 46) within the population of the investigation who agreed to participate in the study. Using a table of random numbers, patients in the sample were divided into groups. Data was collected using the patient information and vital signs form, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Pain and Anxiety Scales, and BRIEF pain inventory. All women in the groups had similar sociodemographic, obstetric, and pain characteristics, past experience of illness, and characteristics related to their hysterectomy. All of the patients in the reflexology group stated that reflexology helped them feel better. The reflexology group compared with the control group had lower than the average VAS pain and VAS and STAI anxiety at all assessment times. Reflexology is effective in reducing anxiety and pain.

Evaluation of women's sexual quality of life, depression, and sexual functions in the pregnancy and postpartum periods: A multi-centered study.

AIM: This multi-centered, longitudinal, and prospective study aims to identify women's sexual functions, sexual quality of life, and depression and their relationships with each other in the pregnancy and postpartum periods. METHODS: The participating pregnant women (n = 113) were interviewed six times: once in each trimester, and once in the eighth week third month, and sixth month postpartum. This study was conducted in three regions of Turkey including Marmara, Mediterranean, and Central Anatolia regions. Data were collected through the "Socio-demographic Form," "Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)," Sexual Quality of Life-Female Questionnaire (SQLQ-F), and "Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D)." While the first interviews were administered face to face, successive ones were administered via phone. RESULTS: The sexual dysfunction rates of the participants were found to be high in the pregnancy and postpartum periods, and their sexual quality of life, which decreased as the pregnancy months progressed, was found to increase significantly with the progress in the postpartum period. The sexual dysfunction increased and sexual quality of life decreased significantly with the increase in depression symptoms in the pregnancy and postpartum periods. When the depressive symptoms decreased especially in the sixth month postpartum, sexual quality of life was also found to increase. CONCLUSIONS: As a result, in the pregnancy and postpartum periods, it is highly important to provide women with diagnosis through a holistic approach by creating available environments to assess their psychological health and sexual functions and refer them to the related physicians when necessary.

The relationship of learned resourcefulness with self-leadership skills: A study with nurse and midwife students.

BACKGROUND: It is important for the professionalism that students at the university use their coping skills to solve the problems that may arise before starting the profession, control their behaviours by directing themselves, and motivate themselves in case they face negative situations. OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to determine the relationship between the selfleadership skills of students studying in nursing and midwifery departments and their learned resourcefulness skills. DESIGN: The study a descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional pattern. SETTINGS: The sample of the study consisted of 380 students studying at the Nursing and Midwifery Department of the Faculty of Health Sciences of a foundation university in Istanbul. METHODS: The research data were collected using the information form, the Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire, and the Rosenbaum Learned Resourcefulness Scale. In the analysis of the data descriptive analysis, parametric or non-parametric comparative analyzes and correlational analyzes were used. RESULTS: In the study; 84.5% of the participants were female and whose mean age was 20.6-61.6% of the participants were studying in the nursing department. The total score the students got from the Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire was 131.87 ± 23.49, and the total score that got from the Rosenbaum Learned Resourcefulness Scale was 120.81 ± 16.77. The students studying in the third-grade (124.16 ± 13.9) had higher self-control skills compared to the first (118.57 ± 18.8) and the second-grade (119.2 ± 16.7) students, that's, they frequently applied the coping strategies represented in the scale (p < 0.05). There was a positive linear relationship between two scale (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Within the framework of the research results, gender, grade and the department studied are related to the level of self­leadership. The level of learned resourcefulness was associated with classroom and stress training. Individuals' self­leadership levels showed a positive relationship with their learned resourcefulness level.

Evaluation of Gender Courses Offered in Accord with the Curriculum of the Faculties of Health Sciences in Turkish Universities.

AIM: This study, with the presence of gender course in mind, aimed to examine the core education programs, which provide the fundamental standards for the determination of the curriculum background and needs of the Turkish undergraduate programs in healthcare and for the improvement of the quality of the curriculum. METHODS: The research was prepared in a descriptive study. In this context, between April 1, 2018 and April 30, 2018, the study analyzed whether gender course was included in the curricula of the faculties of health sciences in 183 Turkish universities. To evaluate this, the study made use of the Bologna information system. RESULTS: The screening concluded that 56 faculties and departments of only 36 universities included the gender course. Courses related to gender was included in the curricula of 51 faculties and departments, and only 5 identified gender as a subject within the content of different courses rather than including the course in their curricula. CONCLUSION: To conclude, an analysis of the curricula of the faculties/departments that provide education in healthcare revealed that the courses related to gender were not included in the curricula at the desired level, and the gender course that is supposed to be taught in the first year was included in later semesters.