Healthy eating behaviors and food consumption frequencies of retail workers.

BACKGROUND: Retail workers comprise millions of people, but little is known about their eating behaviors and food consumption patterns. OBJECTIVE: To examine the healthy eating behaviors and food consumption frequencies of retail workers in shopping malls. METHODS: The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 385 retail employees working in ready-made garment stores of shopping malls in Istanbul (42% of those eligible). A descriptive information form, the nutrition subscale of the Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), and the Food Consumption Frequency Survey were used as data collection tools. RESULTS: It was determined that more than half of the participants skipped breakfast and other meals and consumed fast food and packaged and acidic drinks five to six days a week. The mean score of the participants on the HPLP-nutrition subscale was determined to be 11.79±3.29. CONCLUSIONS: The retail workers in shopping malls were found to have insufficient healthy eating behaviors, a low frequency of healthy food consumption, and a high level of fast-food consumption. Maintaining healthy eating habits is crucial for the health of employees. It is necessary for workplaces to take steps to help their employees become aware of and practice healthy eating. Workplaces should also be encouraged to provide healthy food options for their employees.

The association between the work environment and the fear of Covid-19 experienced by nurses.

BACKGROUND: The conditions in the workplace have a critical influence on the mental health of nurses and their attitudes toward their job, which may impact patient care. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between perceptions of the work environment and fear of COVID-19 experienced by nurses. METHODS: The data were collected using a demographic data form, the Work Environment Scale (WES), and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. The study was completed with 183 nurses who provide care to COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: The mean scores for the WES and Fear of COVID-19 Scale were 63.59±12.35 and 21.98±8.36, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the points acquired from the "employee fears" section of the WES and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale mean ranks (r = 0.22). There was a weak negative correlation between the Fear of COVID-19 score and the WES "job satisfaction" score (r = -0.214). There was a weak negative correlation between the scores of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and perceived support at work (r = -0.33) and between the WES scores and weekly working hours (r = -0.27). However, there was a weak to moderate positive correlation between the WES scores and number of days off per week (r = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses experience a high fear of COVID-19, and a decrease in their attitudes of the work environment was associated with an increased fear of COVID-19. The fear of COVID-19 may be reduced by various interventions to provide support at work and increase nurses' job satisfaction.

Reflections of the COVID-19 pandemic on health problems of children with special needs.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to examine changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in activities of daily living and health status of children with special needs. METHOD: The current descriptive and comparative study was carried out with 82 students studying at a special education practice school that provided daytime education to children with special needs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Personal Information Form, the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, and the Omaha System Problem Classification Scheme were employed as data collection tools in the research. RESULTS: The 10 most common problems during the COVID-19 pandemic were stated as cognition (86.6%), mental health (75.6%), speech and language (85.4%), interpersonal relationships (79.3%), personal care (79.3%), social contact (64.6%), growth and development (63.4%), neighborhood/workplace safety (58.5%), communication with community resources (57.3%), and caretaking/parenting (n = 47, 57.3%). The incidence of "cognition," "speech and language," "neighborhood/workplace safety," "communication with community resources," and "caretaking/parenting" problems of children with special needs was significantly higher during the pandemic than before the pandemic (p < 0.05; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The current research emphasized the significant impacts on the health of children with physical and mental disabilities and loss of opportunity, as their education was considerably interrupted during the quarantine. During a pandemic, the regular evaluation of health benefits/risks is essential to ensure the continuity of medical follow-up, rehabilitation, education, and support mechanisms for children with disabilities.

Reliability and Quality of the Nursing Care Planning Texts Generated by ChatGPT.

BACKGROUND: The research on ChatGPT-generated nursing care planning texts is critical for enhancing nursing education through innovative and accessible learning methods, improving reliability and quality. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to examine the quality, authenticity, and reliability of the nursing care planning texts produced using ChatGPT. METHODS: The study sample comprised 40 texts generated by ChatGPT selected nursing diagnoses that were included in NANDA 2021-2023. The texts were evaluated by using a descriptive criteria form and the DISCERN tool to evaluate health information. RESULTS: DISCERN total average score of the texts was 45.93 ± 4.72. All texts had a moderate level of reliability and 97.5% of them provided moderate quality subscale score of information. A statistically significant relationship was found among the number of accessible references, reliability (r = 0.408), and quality subscale score (r = 0.379) of the texts (P < .05). CONCLUSION: ChatGPT-generated texts exhibited moderate reliability, quality of nursing care information, and overall quality despite low similarity rates.

Effects of the UNI-PAHNP on physical activity and nutrition behaviors in overweight/obese university students in Turkey.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a Pender's health promotion model-based Physical Activity and Healthy Nutrition Program for University Students (UNI-PAHNP) as a means for improving university students' nutrition and physical activity behaviors. METHOD: A total of 110 overweight and obese students were randomized into study and control groups. FINDINGS: Students in the intervention group showed significant decreases in body mass index and waist circumference and significant increases in step count, physical activity, nutrition and exercise scores, vegetable and water intake frequency, and self-efficacy to regulate nutrition and exercise from pre-intervention to six months post-intervention (p < 0.05). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study shows the value of utilizing nurses to implement a health promotion program for overweight/obese university students.

Experiences and perceptions of Turkish intensive care nurses providing care to Covid-19 patients: A qualitative study.

AIM: To describe the experiences of intensive care nurses who provided care to Covid-19 patients and their perceptions towards the disease and their work conditions during the pandemic. INTRODUCTION: Identification of experiences and perceptions of intensive care nurses towards disease, care and their workplace conditions when providing care to Covid-19 patients will inform decision-makers about improvements that can be implemented. BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased strain and workplace-related health risks to intensive care nurses, but it has also provided a unique experience and opportunities for learning and development. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted with 10 intensive care unit nurses working in seven hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey. Snowball sampling method was used, and the data were collected by semistructured online interviews. A thematic analysis was performed. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research were followed. FINDINGS: Five major themes were identified: 'death and fear of death', 'impact on family and social lives', 'nursing care of Covid-19 patients', 'changing perceptions of their own profession: empowerment and dissatisfaction', and 'experiences and perceptions of personal protective equipment and other control measures'. DISCUSSION: Intensive care nurses experience an increased risk of infection and psychological burden, and they lack a sense of professional satisfaction. Improvements to working conditions are needed to support nurses caring for patients during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: The pandemic increased the workload and responsibilities of intensive care nurses and led to increases in their work-related health risks and challenges with care. However, it also increased nurses' awareness about the importance of their professional roles. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE AND POLICIES: There is a need to improve working conditions and develop nursing standards for the care of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units.