Factors influencing Tanzanian mothers' feeding practices for toddlers: A predictive correlational study.

Background: Feeding practices are crucial in ensuring toddlers receive an appropriate and varied diet to support their growth and development. In Tanzania, maternal feeding practices for young children are inadequate, and there is limited research on the influencing factors. Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors influencing Tanzanian mothers' feeding practices for toddlers, utilizing the health promotion model as the theoretical framework. Methods: A predictive correlational design was employed, with a random sample of 399 mothers who brought their toddlers for health supervision at a tertiary care hospital in the United Republic of Tanzania. Data on personal information, depression, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, social support, situational influences, and maternal feeding practices were collected using self-administered questionnaires between September 2021 and November 2021. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression analysis were employed for the analysis. Results: All the factors examined in the study accounted for 18.9% of the variance explained in maternal feeding practices. Significantly, only two factors, perceived self-efficacy (ß = 0.32, p <0.001) and situational influences (ß = 0.24, p <0.001), could predict maternal feeding practices. Conclusion: Perceived self-efficacy and situational influences emerged as the primary influencing factors on maternal feeding practices for toddlers. Pediatric nurses should address these modifiable factors when developing nursing interventions and strategies to promote a healthy nutritional status in toddlers.

Causal relationships among self-management behaviors, symptom control, health-related quality of life and the influencing factors among Thai adolescents with asthma.

Objective: To examine causal relationships among asthma self-management behaviors, asthma symptom control, health-related quality of life and the influencing factors among Thai adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling. A total of 240 adolescent-caregiver dyads from three tertiary hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand was ultimately included. Interviews and self-administered questionnaires assessing health-related quality of life, asthma symptom control, asthma self-management behaviors, health literacy, depression, comorbidities, family support, peer support, home environmental management, and relationships with health care providers were administered between November 2020 and July 2021. A hypothesized model based on the revised self- and family-management framework was proposed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and path analysis. Results: It was shown that the proposed model was a good fit for the empirical data and accounted for 67.2% of the variance in health-related quality of life. Depression and asthma symptom control directly affected quality of life (ß = -0.132, P < 0.05; and ß = 0.740, P < 0.05, respectively), while asthma self-management behaviors did not. Both depression and asthma self-management behaviors had indirect effects on the quality of life through asthma symptom control (ß = -0.382, P < 0.05; and ß = 0.225, P < 0.05, respectively). Health literacy (ß = 0.343, P < 0.05), family support (ß = 0.167, P < 0.05), peer support (ß = 0.163, P < 0.05), and relationships with health care providers (ß = 0.181, P < 0.05) also showed direct effects on asthma self-management behaviors. Conclusion: The findings confirmed the causal relationships among asthma symptom control, self-management behaviors, depression and health-related quality of life. Health literacy, support from family and peers, and relationships with health care providers were also found to influence asthma self-management behaviors. To achieve effective asthma control and good quality of life, a nursing intervention promoting asthma self-management for Thai adolescents should be developed. Early detection and intervention of depressive symptoms are also suggested.

Thai nurses' perceptions and practices of family-centered care: The implementation gap.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine the differences between perceptions and practices of family-centered care among Thai pediatric nurses. METHODS: This mixed-methods study consisted of two phases. In the first phase, a descriptive comparative design using the Family-Centered Care Questionnaire - Revised (FCCQ-R) was administered to 142 pediatric nurses from a university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. In the second phase, qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 pediatric nurses to gather complementary information regarding the major findings from the first phase. RESULTS: The results revealed that family strengths and individuality were rated the highest as the most important elements and the most frequent practices. Parent/professional collaboration was perceived as the least important element, while the design of the heath care delivery system was rated as the least frequent practice. The qualitative data revealed that the major reasons for suboptimal implementation included a common perception that family-centered care is a Western concept, nurses' weak attitudes towards their roles, and a shortage of nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses agreed that the identified elements of family-centered care were necessary but that they did not incorporate the concepts into their daily nursing practice to maintain their endorsement of the family-centered care model. Further study is needed to explore how family-centered care is understood and operationalized by Thai nurses and how hospital administration and environments can be modified to support this care model.

Use of a User-Friendly Tablet Application to Communicate with Pediatric Patients on Mechanical Ventilators / Uso de una aplicación user-friendly para tableta en la comunicación con pacientes pediátricos sometidos a respirador artificial / Uso de um aplicativo para tablet fácil de usar para comunicação com pacientes pediátricos em ventilação mecánica

ABSTRACT Objectives: To examine the effect of using a tablet application as a communication aid with mechanically ventilated pediatric patients on communication satisfaction of nursing staff and caregiver-patient dyads. Materials and method: The one-group pretest-posttest design was used to examine communication satisfaction for the nursing staff, and a nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design was used for caregivers. The sample comprised 44 nursing staff and 18 dyads of caregivers and the ventilated pediatric patients from two hospitals in Thailand. A paired t-test was used for comparison of nursing staff, the Mann-Whitney U test for comparison of caregivers, and descriptive statistics to describe the children's satisfaction. Results: The nursing staff was more satisfied with communication using the tablet application than regular communication methods (t = -9.13, df = 43, p < .001). Caregivers who used the tablet application also reported more communication satisfaction, compared to those who used regular communication methods (U = -3.41, p < .001). Nearly 90% of the pediatric patients reported being completely satisfied with the use of the application. Conclusions: The tablet application designed for facilitating communication with mechanically ventilated pediatric patients improved communication satisfaction. It should be encouraged as one of the assistive communication devices for wide use.

RESUMEN Objetivos: examinar cómo el uso de una aplicación para tableta como ayuda en la comunicación con pacientes pediátricos con respirador artificial afecta el nivel de satisfacción con la comunicación por parte del personal de enfermería y en las diadas cuidador-paciente. Materiales y método: se utilizó el diseño pretest-postest de un solo grupo para analizar el nivel de satisfacción del personal de enfermería con la comunicación y se utilizó un diseño de grupo de control pretest-postest no equivalente para los cuidadores. La muestra estaba conformada por 44 miembros del personal de enfermería y 18 díadas de cuidadores y pacientes pediátricos con ventilación de dos hospitales en Tailandia. Se utilizó una prueba de T pareada para comparar al personal de enfermería, la prueba U de Mann-Whitney para comparar los cuidadores y una estadística descriptiva para describir la satisfacción de los niños. Resultados: el personal de enfermería se sintió más satisfecho con la comunicación al usar la aplicación de la tableta que los métodos de comunicación regulares (t = -9,13, df = 43, p < ,001). Los cuidadores que usaron la aplicación para tableta también reportaron una mayor satisfacción con la comunicación respecto a aquellos que usaron los métodos de comunicación regulares (U = -3,41, p < ,001). Casi el 90 % de los pacientes pediátricos reportaron sentirse completamente satisfechos con el uso de la aplicación. Conclusiones: la aplicación para tableta diseñada para facilitar la comunicación con pacientes pediátricos con respirador artificial mejoró los niveles de satisfacción con la comunicación y debe promoverse como uno de los dispositivos de comunicación de asistencia para uso amplio.

RESUMO Objetivos: examinar como o uso de um aplicativo auxiliar na comunicação com pacientes pediátricos em ventilação mecânica afeta o nível de satisfação com a comunicação da equipe de enfermagem e das díades cuidador-paciente. Materiais e método: usou-se o pré-teste pós-teste de um único grupo para analisar o nível de satisfação da equipe de enfermagem com a comunicação e um desenho de grupo de controle pré-teste pós-teste não equivalente para os cuidadores. A amostra estava composta por 44 membros da equipe de enfermagem e 18 díades de cuidadores e pacientes pediátricos em ventilação mecânica de dos hospitais na Tailândia. Usou-se um teste T pareado para comparar a equipe de enfermagem, o teste U de Mann-Whitney para comparar os cuidadores e uma estatística descritiva para descrever a satisfação das crianças. Resultados: a equipe de enfermagem sentiu-se mais satisfeita com a comunicação usando o aplicativo para tablet do que os métodos de comunicação comuns (t = -9,13, df = 43, p < ,001). Os cuidadores que usaram o aplicativo para Tablet também relataram maior satisfação com a comunicação em comparação com os que usaram métodos de comunicação comuns (U = -3,41, p < ,001). Quase 90% dos pacientes pediátricos relataram sentir-se completamente satisfeitos com o uso do aplicativo. Conclusões: o aplicativo para tablet desenhado para facilitar a comunicação com pacientes pediátricos em ventilação mecânica melhorou os níveis de satisfação com a comunicação e deve ser promovida como um dos dispositivos de comunicação de assistência para ampla utilização.

Self-efficacy in Infant Care Scale: revision and further psychometric testing.

Maternal self-efficacy is an important factor in parenting behaviors and skills. In order to assess maternal self-efficacy in infant care, a solid measure is needed. The integrity of the assessment of self-efficacy in infant care depends upon whether or not an instrument possesses proper measurement properties. The purpose of this study was to revise the scale items and examine the further psychometric properties of the Self-efficacy in Infant Care Scale. Using a sample of 235 Thai mothers, the revised Scale, with 44 items, was found to have internal consistency and test-retest reliability values of 0.96 and 0.93, respectively. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized structure. Also, the revised Scale was found to be correlated with a measure of a theoretically related construct; that is, the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form. The psychometric testing results suggest that the revised Scale can be used as an assessment tool for both research and clinical purposes.

Assessing self-efficacy in infant care: a comparison of two scales.

PURPOSE: The Self-efficacy in Infant Care Scale (SICS) was developed with acceptable psychometric properties to assess the degree of Thai mothers' belief in their ability to perform designated infant care tasks. The purpose of this study was to identify whether the SICS, with a 6-point rating scale, can be used as an alternative to a rating scale with 0-100 confidence continuum scale. METHODS: Eligible subjects included 42 mothers with 6 or 9 years of education who took their infants to the well-baby clinic for immunizations at Samutsakorn Hospital. Each mother first completed the original scale and then the 6-point SICS rating scale. Afterwards, the mothers were asked to indicate which of the questionnaires was easier to administer. RESULTS: Using Cronbach's α, the reliability of both scales was .95. Correlations between the same items of both response formats of the SICS revealed that only 11 pairs of items demonstrated high magnitudes of correlation. Correlations between the same subscales and between the total scales of both response formats were high but less than .95. Slightly over half of all mothers (57%) preferred the 6-point rating scale. Interestingly, 59% of the group with 6 years of education preferred the original scale, compared with only 25% of the group with 9 years of education. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that correlations between SICS and two different response formats do not reach the criteria for use as alternatives to each other. However, further research is needed, with particular emphasis on the investigation of construct validity and comparisons between the two scales.

Self-Efficacy in Infant Care Scale: development and psychometric testing.

The Self-Efficacy in Infant Care Scale (SICS) is a self-administered measure to assess maternal judgments about the ability to care for the baby during the first year of life. The SICS was initially composed of 67 items and was tested on 397 Thai mothers with infants < 12 months old. The test demonstrated adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Factor analysis yielded 42 items with five dimensions of self-efficacy in infant care. With an acceptable model fit using confirmatory factor analysis, a final version of the SICS contained 40 items with four dimensions of self-efficacy in infant care: developmental promotion, general health care, safety, and diet. This preliminary test for the psychometric properties revealed that the SICS has potential uses for both research and clinical purposes. However, the model selected must be viewed as tentative; further refinement is suggested.

Management of pain from heel stick in neonates: an analysis of research conducted in Thailand.

The heel stick procedure is the most common painful procedure performed in preterm and full-term neonates. Various nonpharmacologic interventions have been used for pain relief. However, the magnitude of the effect of different interventions has received little attention. In this study, 4 eligible studies conducted in Thailand, focusing on the effects of interventions on pain responses to heel stick procedure in neonates, were obtained for analysis. Swaddling in full-term newborns was found to have the largest mean effect size (dmn = 0.79). However, the moderate-to-large effect sizes (dmn = 0.5-0.75) of positioning in preterm newborns tended to exist throughout the poststick period while the effect sizes of other interventions decreased over time. The effect sizes of these interventions for physiological responses varied.