Experiences regarding maternal age-specific risks and prenatal testing of women of advanced maternal age in Japan.

The number of pregnant women of advanced maternal age has increased worldwide. Women in this group have an increased chance of fetal abnormality. To explore Japanese women's experiences regarding maternal age-specific risks and prenatal testing, we conducted a descriptive qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 women aged 35 years or over who had given birth within the previous three months to a healthy, term infant. Thematic analysis of transcribed interview data was performed and three major themes were identified: inadequate understanding of genetic risks; insufficiently informed choice regarding prenatal testing; and need for more information from health professionals. Some participants were not aware of maternal age-specific risks to the fetus. Many took their cues from health professionals and did not raise the topic themselves, but would have considered prenatal testing if made aware of the risks. Nurses, midwives and other health professionals need to adequately inform pregnant women about the genetic risks to the fetus and offer testing at an appropriate stage early in the pregnancy

Glycaemic control behaviors in type 2 diabetes- a qualitative study of patients’ perspectives in Sri Lanka

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is escalating globally and now the most important non-communicable disease causing serious health issues in Sri Lanka. The complications of T2DM burden individuals, their families, the economy and the health care system. However, there is limited data on the perspectives of adults about their glycaemic control behaviors in Sri Lanka. Understanding these perspectives is critical in reducing complications, improving health and well-being among adults with T2DM.Objective: To explore the perspectives among adults with T2DM regarding their glycaemic control behaviors.Methods: In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted among 17 adults with T2DM. Matrix analysis was used to analyze dataResults: Our rich data resulted in two themes centering on reasons for adequate glycaemic control and barriers to glycaemic control. The reasons for good glycaemic control were: understanding the illness, sufficient family support, adequate income, a higher level of education and motivation to control. The barriers were: insufficient knowledge about the illness, low socioeconomic status, lack of family support and poor compliance to health advice. The participants believed that doing diet control, regular exercise and taking medication properly on daily, long-term basis is very challenging.Conclusions: Nurses and health care personnel need to address the barriers and reasons for glycaemic control behaviors in planning, assessment, treatment protocols and health policies to provide better diabetic care in primary health care and hospital settings. It confirms the need for culturally appropriate diabetic care and advice.

Registered and enrolled nurses' experiences of ethical issues in nursing practice

The aim of this paper was to explore and describe registered and enrolled nurses' experiences of ethics and human rights issues in nursing practice in the Australian State of Victoria