Teen caregivers living with schizophrenic fathers in West Java

Adolescents with fathers who have schizophrenia are more likely to experience emotional dysregulation, negative decisions, a failure to form an identity, inconsistency in decision-making, and failure to adapt. This study is aimed to investigate the lived experiences of adolescents who live with a father who has schizophrenia in an urban area of Bandung City, West Java. The qualitative phenomenological approach was used in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with six adolescent participants, aged 13 to 22, who live in Bandung City with a father diagnosed with schizophrenia. The Colaizzi method was then used to analyze the interview transcripts. Data analysis produced eight major themes: i) dealing with psychosocial problems and moral dilemmas, ii) a lack of closeness between father and children, iii) exposures to violence inside and outside the home, iv) getting the wisdom behind the catastrophe, v) changing roles and responsibilities, vi) a lack of social support, vii) difficulties to share personal issues, and viii) seeking to build a better future. The adolescents still have opportunities to continue building a better future. Improving health promotion and education programs to manage negative emotions and developing Self-Help Groups for adolescents whose fathers have schizophrenia is thus necessary

Noise exposure and hearing threshold levels of rice mill workers

Industrial noise is generally one of the risk factors for occupational and environmental safety and health. Noise is a risk factor for decreased hearing threshold value in addition to other factors such as age, working period. This study used a cross-sectional design that aimed to identify the hearing threshold level (HTL) of rice mill workers exposed to hazardous noise in Karanganyar Regency, and investigate the relationship with other factors such as age, tenure. Audiometric data from 92 participants were collected through audiometric examination by qualified personnel using an audiometer in a quiet environment. The test was conducted after the participants had rested completely for >14 hours after their last exposure to workplace noise. The results showed that all participants had worked in a noise-hazard work zone for >1 year. The participants' ages ranged from 28 to 57 years. The average hearing threshold in the right ear was 36.71 dB and the average hearing threshold in the left ear was 39.55 dB. The hearing loss associated with work experience was greater than that caused by noise intensity age. Noise intensity, age and working experience were significant to the workers' ear hearing threshold values. Multivariate test results show that noise intensity is the most influential factor (>60%) on HTL. HTL among industrial workers should be assessed regularly. At the health policy level, these workers need to start being protected when they start working

The role of social-psychological support in breastfeeding promotion among young mothers: literature review

Breastfeeding promotion is vital for improving neonatal health and reducing mortality rates, particularly in developing countries. The World Health Organization advocates for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life due to its substantial benefits for infant growth, development, and immunity. Understanding the determinants of exclusive breastfeeding, such as maternal knowledge and practices, is crucial for devising effective interventions to enhance breastfeeding rates among mothers. Social-psychological interventions, including family and peer support, have demonstrated efficacy in increasing breastfeeding frequency by addressing behavioral changes in new parents. Psychological factors such as self-efficacy, postnatal depression, and stress significantly influence breastfeeding decisions. Additionally, cultural norms, social media, and healthcare professionals are critical in shaping breastfeeding practices. This literature review examines the influence of these factors and interventions, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies to promote breastfeeding, especially among novice and young mothers. Peer support programs, education-based initiatives, and postnatal support are highlighted as effective approaches. The study emphasizes the importance of tailored socio-psychological interventions and calls for further research to address existing gaps and strengthen the validity of findings, ultimately aiming to enhance breastfeeding outcomes and the overall well-being of mothers and infants

Impact of leadership approaches and appraisal practices on hospital workforce and environment

Hospital appraisal practices can directly impact workforce-based outcomes, including work performance, retention rate, and physical and emotional well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of performance appraisals and leadership approaches on the overall job satisfaction of the workforce in healthcare settings. A descriptive cross-sectional method was employed to collect data from 258 randomly selected health workforce from different private hospitals in Bangalore, India. A structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the appraisal process, leadership approaches, and sentiments. SPSS version 26 and Python 3.13 were used for statistical analysis. Most of the participants (62.2%) had a good understanding of the performance appraisal process, viewing it as essential for professional growth (95%) and work quality (96.5%). However, 53.8% felt that appraisal requirements were poorly communicated, with 58.9% reporting common unfair practices. Over half of them (56.3%) acknowledged their manager's influence, but only 43.6% expressed moderate satisfaction. This study found that despite the good understanding of the performance appraisal among the study participants, the lack of communication and the unethical work environment contributed to dissatisfaction. Thus, organizations should develop a more transparent, fair, and employee-centric appraisal system to enhance job satisfaction, workforce stability, and overall patient care quality

Empowering breastfeeding mothers: How self-directed learning boosts confidence-unveiling the two-round Delphi method

Promoting breastfeeding self-efficacy through self-directed learning requires behavior, goal setting, and self-reinforcement. This research aims to collect insights from health professionals on strategies for improving maternal confidence in breastfeeding using self-directed learning and existing knowledge. An in-depth exploration through a two-round Delphi method rooted in the self-efficacy theory of self-directed learning for breastfeeding mothers was conducted, involving expert input and an extensive literature review. Four key documents were identified, each undergoing rigorous expert rating to ensure quality. Six essential elements for health professionals to guide breastfeeding mothers were established, focusing on lactation physiology, successful initiation, confidence building, adversity management, cultural beliefs, and public breastfeeding. Three crucial topics, including prior knowledge, personal attributes, and autonomous processes, were designed to enhance self-efficacy through self-directed learning. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the vital role of health professionals in supporting mothers through comprehensive breastfeeding guidance and encouraging self-directed learning

Quality of life among peri menopausal and post-menopausal women from rural area of Western India

Menopause, remains a poorly investigated topic holding increased taboo. In addition to symptoms categorized under vasomotor, vaginal, energy, food and insomnia, it is linked to occurrence of various medical comorbidities. Understanding the status of menopause symptoms and awareness will help provide insight on how it influences women’s quality of life. Objective was to assess the association of menopause on attributes of sleep, energy, memory, work, leisure and everyday activities affecting quality of life. This was a community based cross-sectional study conducted over three months in randomly selected villages under rural field practice area of private medical college in Maharashtra. Data was collected during health camps along with house visits. Research tool containing socio-demographic, menopausal status and quality of life components was used targeting women aged 40-65 years. Logistic regression analysis was used to find odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio respectively for menopausal symptoms with associated attributes at 5% level of significance and 95% CI. Results showed the mean age of women was 48.16 years ±8.4 SD, by which 57% had fully attained menopause and it was associated with significant changes in sleep, memory and physical relations. This study lays emphasis on the fact that menopause period is associated with sleep and memory disturbances as well as physical relations in rural women. It also highlights on the poor knowledge and attitude pertaining to menopause in a rural setup

Particulate matter 2.5 pollution, perception, and mental stress

Multivariate mediation analyses were used to relate perceptions of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) pollution level directly and indirectly to mental stress of residents in Bangkok, Thailand. PM2.5 induced concerns about respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, health, and unemployment served as mediators of the indirect effects. This study decomposed full perception into correct perception (actual PM2.5 level) and misperception so that the effects of perception and its components can be examined separately. The data were daily time series, beginning July 30, 2016, and ending September 30, 2023. Unobserved perception, PM2.5 induced concerns, and mental stress were proxied by Google’s relative search volume indexes. Correct perception was the actual PM2.5, whereas misperception was the regression residual of the full perception on the actual PM2.5. In the full sample, full perception and misperception had significant indirect effects, whereas correct perception had a significant direct effect. Respiratory disease was the main contributor to the significant indirect effect, although concern itself was not significant. For the COVID-19 subsample, full perceptions showed significant total, direct, and indirect effects. The significant indirect effect was explained by concerns regarding respiratory diseases and health. Correct perception had a significant direct effect; its indirect effect was small and nonsignificant. The results for misperceptions were similar to those for perceptions

Nurses’ attitude towards communication with intubated conscious patients: an online survey

The lack of communication causes dissatisfaction and distress among conscious intubated patients, which may result in treatment refusal. This preliminary study sought to identify attitudes of nurses towards communication with conscious intubated patients. Thus, possible solutions to improve the communication challenges if exist by finding the attitude of nurses on communication with conscious intubated patients may be explored. Preliminary survey was conducted among selected nurses through convenient sampling method. Questionnaire self-developed, validated were distributed and analyzed descriptively. Almost all respondents believed that conscious patients do want to communicate during intubated period and eighty two percent of the respondents agreed that communication with conscious intubated patients is possible. Seventy five percent respondents have tried to communicate using both verbal and non-verbal methods but 70% have faced challenges. Though only thirty seven percent of the respondents have been taught how to communicate with the intubated conscious patients, sixty four percent of respondents have never asked for any tools for communication. To overcome the communication challenges majority 103 (82.4%) of the respondents stated the requirement of standardized communication tool. The result indicates a need to develop standardized communication tool to ease communication with conscious intubated patients

Development of disaster nursing competency assessment instruments

It is important to ensure that nurses have sufficient skills and knowledge to handle emergency situations. This competency assessment can help improve nurses' readiness to face disasters and emergency situations that may occur. To develop an unobtrusive (observation) instrument for assessing disaster nursing competency which refers to the International Council of Nurses (ICN) disaster nursing competency framework, especially earthquake and volcano disasters. The starting date for the design of the disaster nursing competency assessment instrument was 2023. Then, the implementation of the research to test the instrument, which had been validated by experts using disaster nursing practice simulations, was conducted for a month from February to March 2023. The research design uses Design-Based, the sample criteria were active student status, emergency nursing, and disaster management courses. The total number of respondents was 80 students, and in the initial stage of testing the instrument during disaster simulation observations, a limited sample of 20 respondents was taken at random and assessed by five lecturers as raters. The instrument development stage started with the specification of the ICN disaster nursing competency assessment instrument. The Aiken index for the unobtrusive observation technique instrument with competency assessment rubric is high, valid, and met reliability requirements. Multifaceted analysis compared students, items, and lecturers from small and large samples. The analysis reveals that students' difficulty levels vary according to the assessing lecturer, with some mastering all items and others only mastering specific ones

The correlation between family empowerment and the role of family health tasks in preventing anemia during pregnancy

Anemia in pregnancy can harm the mother and baby. Prevention of anemia in pregnant women cannot be separated from the role of the family. Increasing the role of the family requires family empowerment, especially from the husband. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between family empowerment and family role in preventing anemia during pregnancy. This study used a descriptive correlational approach. Sample was 150 of pregnant women who received antenatal care at the Klampis Ngasem and Pacar Keling Health Center, East Java, Indonesia, and were selected using a consecutive sampling method. A statistical test to examine the relationship between independent and dependent variables is conducted using Spearman's Rho. and Chi-square. This study indicates a significant correlation between family empowerment and family role in prevention anemia during pregnancy (p = 0.000; r = 0.578). There is a relationship between the components of family empowerment and family function. Motivation (p = 0.000; r = 0.643), cognitive (p = 0.000; r = 0.552), and personal traits (p = 0.000; r = 0.565) correlated with family role in preventing anemia during pregnancy. Health workers need to provide education to increase family empowerment to increase the role of the family in the five family tasks in preventing anemia during pregnancy