Associations Between Daytime Sleepiness, Psychological Symptoms, Headache, and Abdominal Pain in Schoolchildren.

Daytime sleepiness and different symptoms are common problems affecting health and well-being of schoolchildren. This population-based cohort study included 568 children who were followed from ages 10 to 15 years. Daytime sleepiness, headache, abdominal pain, and psychological symptoms (depression, irritability or bad temper, nervousness, anxiety, and dejection) were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. The prevalence of frequent daytime sleepiness was 13% at the ages of 10 and 12 years and increased significantly up to 24% at the age of 15 (p < .0001). Daytime sleepiness as well as psychological symptoms were positively associated with headache and abdominal pain from ages 10 to 15 years. Headache in girls at the ages of 10 predicted the occurrence of headache at the age of 15. School nurses and other professionals need to understand the importance of a holistic evaluation of sleep and different symptoms in children. There is also a need for interventions targeting several co-occurring symptoms.

Changes in the amount of sleep and daytime sleepiness: A follow-up study of schoolchildren from ages 10 to 15 years.

AIM: This study examines the amount of sleep and daytime sleepiness, and how these change in a follow-up cohort study of school-aged children. METHODS: A total of 1351 schoolchildren (aged 10) and their parents were invited to participate in the study and were studied again at ages 12 and 15 years. A survey put forth by the Health Behaviour of Schoolchildren research network was used. RESULTS: The amount of sleep during weekdays dropped significantly from age 10 to 15. At weekends, the amount of sleep increased significantly. During weekdays, the proportion of children reporting having slept enough dropped from 71% at age 10 to 19% at age 15. Frequent daytime sleepiness occurred in 13% of children at age 10 and increased to 24% at the age of 15. CONCLUSIONS: It is essential to promote adequate amount of sleep and prevent daytime sleepiness in children growing from age 10 to 15 years. Nurses and other health care professionals should systematically assess and promote healthy sleeping habits while caring for children between these ages.

The prevalence of neck-shoulder pain, back pain and psychological symptoms in association with daytime sleepiness - a prospective follow-up study of school children aged 10 to 15.

Background and aims Chronic and recurrent pain is prevalent in adolescents and generally girls report more pain symptoms than boys. Also, pain symptoms and sleep problems often co-occur. Pain symptoms have negative effects on school achievement, emotional well-being, sleep, and overall health and well-being. For effective intervention and prevention there is a need for defining factors associated with pain symptoms and daytime sleepiness. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the prevalence and association between neck-shoulder pain, back pain, psychological symptoms and daytime sleepiness in 10-, 12- and 15-year-old children. This study is the first that followed up the same cohort of children from the age of 10 to 15. Methods A cohort study design with three measurement points was used. Participants (n=568) were recruited from an elementary school cohort in a city of 1,75,000 inhabitants in South-Western Finland. Symptoms and daytime sleepiness were measured with self-administered questionnaires. Regression models were used to analyze the associations. Results Frequent neck-shoulder pain and back pain, and psychological symptoms, as well as daytime sleepiness, are already common at the age of 10 and increase strongly between the ages 12 and 15. Overall a greater proportion of girls suffered from pain symptoms and daytime sleepiness compared to boys. Daytime sleepiness in all ages associated positively with the frequency of neck-shoulder pain and back pain. The more that daytime sleepiness existed, the more neck-shoulder pain and back pain occurred. Daytime sleepiness at the age of 10 predicted neck-shoulder pain at the age of 15, and back pain at the age of 10 indicated that there would also be back pain at the age of 15. In addition, positive associations between psychological symptoms and neck-shoulder pain, as well as back pain, were observed. Subjects with psychological problems suffered neck-shoulder pain and back pain more frequently. Conclusions This study is the first study that has followed up the same cohort of children from the age of 10 to 15. The studied symptoms were all already frequent at the age of 10. An increase mostly happened between the ages of 12 and 15. Moreover, the self-reported daytime sleepiness at the age of 10 predicted neck-shoulder pain at the age of 15. More attention should be paid to the daytime sleepiness of children at an early stage as it has a predictive value for other symptoms later in life. Implications School nurses, teachers and parents are in a key position to prevent adolescents' sleep habits and healthy living habits. Furthermore, the finding that daytime sleepiness predicts neck-shoulder pain later in adolescence suggests that persistent sleep problems in childhood need early identification and treatment. Health care professionals also need take account of other risk factors, such as psychological symptoms and pain symptoms. The early identification and treatment of sleep problems in children might prevent the symptoms' development later in life. There is a need for an individuals' interventions to treat adolescents' sleep problems.

Association between amount of sleep, daytime sleepiness and health-related quality of life in schoolchildren.

AIMS: To analyse the association between amount of sleep and daytime sleepiness and health-related quality of life in schoolchildren during adolescence and to study the effect of age on this association. BACKGROUND: Sufficient sleep is essential for the health of children and adolescents. Sleep influences almost all dimensions of life. DESIGN: A 5-year prospective follow-up study (2004-2010) following 568 Finnish schoolchildren aged between 10-15. METHODS: The amount of sleep and perceived daytime sleepiness were assessed by a special questionnaire added to The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children questionnaire. The Finnish version of the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory was used to assess health-related quality of life. The data were collected in 2004, 2006 and 2009/2010. Data were analysed with hierarchical linear mixed models. RESULTS/FINDINGS: The more daytime sleepiness occurred, the lower the health-related quality of life was and similar linear association was seen in every age group. The amount of sleep was significantly positively linearly associated with health-related quality of life but not persistent across age groups. Positive association was significant at 15 years of age but not at other age groups. Similar linear association between daytime sleepiness and school-related sub scores was also found. CONCLUSION: Sufficient sleep is essential for health-related quality of life and should be protected and measured in the school health service.

Nurse teacher candidates learned to use social media during the international teacher training course.

The purpose of this study was to describe the nurse teacher candidates' learning outcomes and experiences in social media during the international nurse teacher training course, Empowering learning environments in nursing education, Intensive Program (EleneIP). The pre-post research design was used. The data was collected before and after the course, with the questionnaire consisting of structured and open questions. Altogether, 24 nurse teacher candidates from four different European countries participated in the course and this study. The results showed that the knowledge of using social media applications increased during the course from 5.2 (range 1-9) to 8.1 (range 4-10), and their skills increased from 4.5 (range 1-8) to 7.6 (range 4-10).The main topics learnt during the course were divided in two categories: subjects of the course and teaching and learning methods. The students' experiences concerning the EleneIP course were positive in both categories. The international group created during EleneIP course also allowed the students to achieve another important aim, learning from a collaborative group the importance and possibilities of different learning environments, considering the cultural and social characteristics of each country participating in it.

The associations among the ethical climate, the professional practice environment and individualized care in care settings for older people.

AIM: To investigate the associations among the ethical climate, professional practice environment and individualized nursing care in care settings for older people. BACKGROUND: The quality of care provision is affected by organizational environments, such as ethical climate and professional practice environment. Although, the association between professional practice environment and individualized nursing care has been pointed out, we know that little is known about how ethical climate is associated with the level of individualized nursing care delivery. DESIGN: A cross-sectional explorative and correlational survey design. METHODS: The study was conducted in 62 units in the vicinity of a Finnish city using a sample of nurses (N = 874, response rate 58%) who worked clinically with older people in different care settings in 2012. Survey data were collected using the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey, Revised Professional Practice Environment scale and Individualised Care Scale-B. Data were analysed statistically using descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients (Pearson) and multiple stepwise regression analyses. RESULTS: Statistically significant correlations were found among the variables, ethical climate and individualized care and between individualized care and all professional practice environment sub-scales. Multiple stepwise regression showed associations among individualized care, ethical climate and internal work motivation, control over practice and leadership and autonomy. CONCLUSIONS: The study provided better understanding of the complex concept of individualized care by taking into consideration the ethical climate and the practice environment and their associations. To increase individualization in care provision, efforts need to be directed towards organizational aspects requiring the support of nursing leaders.

Nurses' perceptions of individualized care.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study of nurses' perceptions of individualized care, the factors associated with these perceptions, and nurses' perceptions of the provision of individualized care in different types of healthcare organization. BACKGROUND: Although individualized care has been an internationally-challenging and long-standing research topic in nursing, the current literature on individualized care from the perspective of nurses is limited. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory design using a questionnaire (Individualised Care Scale-Nurse) was employed to survey a stratified sample of 544 nurses (response rate 59%) working as Registered or Enrolled Nurses in one hospital district in Finland in 2008. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (General Linear Model, one-way analysis of variance) and Cronbach's alpha coefficients for reliability analysis. RESULTS: Nurses perceived that they supported patient individuality well and that the care they provided took into account patient individuality. Based on the General Linear Model, nurses' background variables were not associated with their perceptions of individualized care delivery. However, between-organization differences were found in all study variables: mental health ward nurses had the most positive perceptions, and nurses working in primary health centre long-term care wards the lowest. CONCLUSION: Healthcare organizations and work environments need to be evaluated as they may have an influence on individualized care provision. The Individualised Care Nurse instrument is sensitive to healthcare working environments and can be used in evaluating nurses' perceptions of individualized care.

Individualized care scale - nurse version: a Finnish validation study.

RATIONALE: Nurses' work is inextricably linked to the evaluation of the quality of care provision in health care. Within this evaluation, individualized care is a topical theme in western countries. Currently, there is no suitable instrument to measure the level of individualized care from the nurses' point of view. AIM: To report the development process of the individualized care scale - nurse (ICS-Nurse) and to ensure its validity and reliability. METHODS: A methodological design was used. Data were obtained from 544 nurses (N = 923, response rate 59%) from inpatient wards in one university, two regional and two psychiatric hospitals as well as four health centres. Three expert analyses were used to ensure content validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficients and item analysis were used to examine internal consistency reliability. A principal components analysis, Spearman's correlation coefficients, multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelled by LISREL were conducted to evaluate construct validity. RESULTS: The expert analyses provided good content validity evidence. The ICS-Nurse was easy to administer and able to be completed quickly. There were few missing data. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged 0.72-0.84. All item-to-total correlations were acceptable (>0.30), but some of the inter-item correlations were high. The principal components analysis supported the three-component structure explaining 52% of the variance in ICS-A-Nurse and 56% in ICS-B-Nurse. LISREL supported the theoretical model. CONCLUSIONS: The ICS-Nurse is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to measure nurses' perceptions of individualized nursing care in inpatient wards. There is a need to test instrument further, both nationally and internationally.