Self-care appraisal in nursing assistant students: Adaptation, validation and psychometric properties of the Spanish ASAS

The core implication of nursing professionals' labor is promoting self-care and foster well-being among healthcare service users. The beginning of the healing process starts with the provider, and self-care habits are needed to positively impact on patients' care outcomes at different spheres. Overall, current literature supports the idea that nurses' personal self-care should be a necessary skill to be expected in their professional role. In this regard, the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (ASAS) is a worldwide known instrument aimed at assessing the ability to engage in self-care. However, it has never been tested in the Spanish context before, and much less in nursing practitioners or apprentices. The aim of this study was to translate, adapt and validate the ASAS for Spanish nursing apprentices, assessing its dimensionality, psychometric properties and convergent validity by means of the Sense of Coherence (SOC-13) questionnaire. Methods: Data were collected from a random sample of 921 Certificated Nursing Assistant (CNA) Spanish students and was analyzed trough confirmatory factor analyses via structural equation models. The core ASAS construct and its subscales were correlated with the SOC-13 scores. Results: Fair psychometric properties for the questionnaire were set. Also, SEM models endorse the validity and reliability of the four-factor dimensionality of the Spanish adaptation of the ASAS, whose associations to SOC scores were coherent and significant. Conclusion: This study allowed to establish that the Spanish version of the ASAS might be a useful tool for addressing self-care-related issues among nursing apprentices, a key population for promoting both their own and patients' health and welfare through healthy and care-related behaviors

Patterns on Work-Related Stress and Tobacco Consumption in City Bus Drivers

Work-related stress and addictive behaviors have been described by several empirical studies as potential impairers for the health, welfare, and safety of workers. With this study, we aimed at describing the relationship between two work stress (Job Strain and Effort-Reward Imbalance) and tobacco consumption indicators among city bus drivers, and their association with traffic incidents registered by drivers along the last 2 years. For this cross-sectional study, the sample included 222 Colombian city bus drivers with a mean age of 41.4 years and driving experience of 18.63 years. A four-section questionnaire was used, and it was composed of individual (professional/demographic) information, Job Strain, Effort-Reward Imbalance, and self-rated health and lifestyle indicators, including the habit of consuming tobacco. Results showed that 21% of city bus drivers are smokers, and that four out of 10 drivers present job strain. Furthermore, significant associations relating smoking and job strain, and between smoking and traffic incidents were found. Finally, through a two-step cluster analysis, two patterns on work-related stress and tobacco consumption were identified for the drivers, finding significant differences in the traffic incident rates registered by each group/cluster of city bus drivers. The development of empirical-based interventions in psychosocial factors and potential sources of stress at work, and the enhancement of healthy lifestyles, including the prevention and treatment of addictive behaviors such as, smoking, are discussed as a way to strengthen the prevention of traffic incidents and the promotion of health among workers in the public transport

Effect of road safety education on road risky behaviors of Spanish children and adolescents: findings from a national study

Background: Road Safety Education (RSE) is widely known as a reliable determinant of the future results for what concerns health and welfare and as an undisputable factor which contributes to the social behavior of individuals and to their mid- and long-term road safety outcomes. However, its development has been relatively scarce in most countries, a fact which has contributed to letting matters as delicate as traffic crashes, largely explained by road misbehaviors, continue to be a prevalent problem, thus affecting the health of the community. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between demographic and RSE-related variables and the self-reported road risky behavior of Spanish students. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a representative sample of 4062 (51.5% males and 48.5% females) participants attending primary (47.5%), secondary (40.7%), and high school (11.7%) was gathered through a national survey on RSE and road behaviors. Results: A set of significant associations between demographic factors, RSE variables, and self-reported road behaviors was found. Furthermore, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) allowed us to establish that age and observed misbehaviors (positively), and attitudes towards road safety and risk perception (negatively), have a direct link with the road risky behavior of children and young people. The knowledge of traffic rules was not a significant predictor of road behavior. Conclusions: The results of this study show that, together with demographic factors such as age, RSE-related variables have an effect on the road behavior of children and young people. They also suggest the need for strengthening actions to be implemented in road safety (Road Safety Education) at scholar and community level

Psychometric properties, validity and insights of the School Bullying Questionnaire (CIE-A) in secondary schools of the Valencian Community (Spain)

Besides its several threats to health, welfare, social and academic development and performance of kids and teenagers, school bullying remains highlighted as one of the most relevant related challenges for educational, behavioral and legal sciences worldwide. Moreover, the lack of research on the field and the crucial but unattended need to count on psychometrically suitable and valid tools to detect school bullying make difficult understanding its contexts, dynamics and possible solutions. Objective The aim of this study was to thoroughly present in detail the psychometric properties and validity issues of the School Bullying Questionnaire (CIE-A) among secondary students. Methods A regionwide sample of 810 (47.2% girls) secondary students attending to 21 schools across the Valencian Community (Spain), aged M = 14.40 (SD = 1.61) years, responded to a paper-based questionnaire containing the 36-item version of the CIE-A and various scales related to psychosocial health and wellbeing, used as criterion variables. Results The outcomes of this study suggest that the CIE-A has a clear factor structure, an optimal set of item loadings and goodness-of-fit indexes. Further, that CIE-A has shown good internal consistency and reliability indexes, coherent associations with other mental health and academic performance variables, and the possibility to assess gender differences on bullying-related factors among secondary students. Conclusion The CIE-A may represent a suitable tool for assessing bullying in a three-factorial approach (i.e., victimization, symptomatology, and intimidation), offering optimal psychometric properties, validity and reliability insights, and the potentiality of being applied in the school environment. Actions aimed at improving the school coexistence and the well-being of secondary students, targeting potential bullied/bully profiles or seeking to assess demographic and psychosocial correlates of bullying among teenagers, might get benefited from this questionnaire

Health Assets, Vocation and Zest for Healthcare Work. A Salutogenic Approach to Active Coping among Certified Nursing Assistant Students

People's health assets (HA) mapping process and design dynamization strategies for it are paramount issues for health promotion. These strategies improve the health heritage of individuals and communities as both the salutogenic model of health (SMH) and health assets model (HAM) defend. Connecting and mobilizing HA and strengthens the 'sense of coherence' (SOC) are both related to enhancing stress active and effective coping strategies. This study aims to describe the HA present in a population of certified nursing assistant students (n = 921) in Spain and then to explore their relationships with the SOC, the motivation to choose healthcare studies and their academic performance. A great variety of HA were identified and mapped. Findings showed that individuals with greater motivation towards self-care and 'caring for others' as internal HA, possessed higher SOC levels and a strong vocation for healthcare work. Differences in HA were identified according to gender, age and employment situation. Consistent connections between the care-relation factor and vocational factor with interpersonal and extrapersonal HA were reported. Evidence and results substantiated the salutogenic and asset-based approach as a proper strategy to strengthen SOC, dynamize their HA map, reinforce the sense of calling and enable Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) students to buffer against caregiving-related stress and thrive in their professio

Sense of coherence, academic performance and professional vocation in Certified Nursing Assistant students

BACKGROUND: The sense of coherence (SOC) of the salutogenic health model explains why people in stressful situations are able to maintain or even improve their health. There are some studies on which measures are more effective to reduce stress in Nursing assistant students. There are no studies that link SOC with the two key aspects in the prevention of stress in Nursing assistant students: the motivation of pursuing this profession and the academic level. OBJECTIVES: To explore the salutogenic paradigm among Nursing assistant students in a region of Spain (Comunitat Valenciana). DESIGN: Cross-sectional, analytical and exploratory study carried out in 2016. METHODS: Students of the first year of Nursing Assistant certification. Self-administered questionnaire to collect the variables: Sense of Coherence (SOC-13 instrument); professional vocation; Self-reported grades of the academic record. RESULTS: The mean score for the total SOC measurement was M?=?56.38 (SD?=?12.236; 71). Regarding the SOC components, the average score was for Manageability M?=?16.45 (SD?=?4.53; 24); Comprehensibility M?=?19.27 (SD?=?5.642; 30) and Meaningfulness M?=?20.65 (SD?=?4.48; 23). Students who lived in rural environments presented a weaker SOC (M?=?54.05), compared to those who were located in urban environments (M?=?56.83) and large cities (M?=?56.15). The students who reported a choice of studies motivated by professional vocation presented a stronger SOC, scoring also a remarkable academic performance (p?<?0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Strong levels of SOC in Nursing assistant students, are related to a greater motivation to study something desirable, and to obtaining high academic performance, despite being a demanding and high-stress profession. Therefore, a strong SOC seems to contribute to being more resistant to stress. The environments that provide and facilitate greater external resources such as health, education, culture, association, leisure and recreation, for the community, have higher global levels of sense of coherence

Knowledge about Palliative Care and Attitudes toward Care of the Dying among Primary Care Nurses in Spain

Objective: To analyze the knowledge in palliative care and the attitudes toward caring for the dying of nurses who carry out their professional activity in primary care in Spain. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out among Spanish primary care centers. Participants: A total of 244 nurses who had completed their primary care work and agreed to participate in this study were included. Main measurements: The level of knowledge in palliative care was analyzed using the PCQN-SV scale, and attitudes toward care of the dying were measured with the FATCOD-S scale, both of which are instruments that are validated in Spain. Results: Regarding the level of knowledge in palliative care, at a global level, the results revealed that 60% of the answers in the PCQN-SV were correct, with different results for each of the three subscales that compose it. When analyzing the attitudes of primary care nurses toward the care of the dying, an average of 132.21 out of 150 was obtained, representing a positive attitude. On the other hand, when analyzing these results in terms of knowledge and attitudes according to the population's characteristics, we see that participants with both experience and training in palliative care present a better level of knowledge and a higher score regarding their attitudes toward care of the dying. However, the differences are only significant regarding the level of knowledge in palliative care. When analyzing the data from the two scales together, it is noteworthy that the participants with the most positive attitudes (highest scores on the FATCOD-S) also have the highest percentages of correct answers on the PCQN-SV. Keywords: palliative care; knowledge; primary care; nursing; care of the dyin

Alcohol and Drug Use in European University Health Science Students: Relationship with Self-Care Ability

Background: Drug abuse in university students is an emerging social and health issue. The present study assesses alcohol and abuse of other illicit drugs and the adverse consequences related to such use and its relationship with self-care agency among European university students. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed among 592 European students from different health science degrees. The screening of alcohol abuse was evaluated with the Alcohol Use Disorder Test (AUDIT), and the screening for substance-related risks and problems was conducted with the Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble (CRAFFT) screening test. We analyzed the relationship of substance abuse with self-care agency, assessed by the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale (ASA). Results: 51.4% of the surveyed students reported alcohol intake, 16.6% of the students consumed both alcohol and cannabis, 1.6 % reported alcohol and other illicit drugs, and 3.7% consumed alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs (73.3% of students reported alcohol intake alone or together with cannabis/hashish and/or other illicit drugs). The self-care agency scores were significantly different among groups in relation to certain sociodemographic factors such as gender (p = 0.008) and country of residence (p = 0.031). The self-care agency scores significantly correlated (p = 0.001) with the personal motivations and consequences related to the consumption of drugs of abuse evaluated by the CRAFFT screening tool. Within the ASA domains, the most significant effects were observed regarding the subdomains of resources, awareness, and health behaviors. Conclusions: Self-care agency should be promoted to counteract the health and social consequences of the consumption of drugs of abuse among university students who will be future health care professionals

Self-Care and Sense of Coherence: A Salutogenic Model for Health and Care in Nursing Education

Background: Effective advocacy on self-care and the enhancement of a sense of coherence among nurses don't only benefit control over one's health and personal performance, but it may have a direct impact on clinical care and on the entire healing system. In this regard, nursing curricula grounded on a salutogenic model of health (SMH) operate with strategies to engage students in self-care and contribute to improving their mental health and wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between self-care agency and a sense of coherence as dependent variables and the age and self-reported academic performance as independent variables in nursing assistant students. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, data were collected from a full sample of 921 Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Spanish students. A self-administered questionnaire, including sociodemographic variables, the 'appraisal of self-care agency' (ASA), and the 'sense of coherence' (SOC) constructs, was administered. Results: Older participants presented significantly stronger values of both constructs. Apart from a significant and positive correlation between ASAS and SOC, ANOVA analyses indicate significant differences in terms of academic performance according to different ASAS and SOC degrees. Conclusions: The findings of this study endorse the assumption that there is a consistent relationship between ASA and SOC constructs that might, indeed, have a potential effect on students' academic performance. In practical terms, it seems relevant to try to recognise the students' self-care agency and the sense of coherence as forceful predictive variables of mental health and wellbeing, in addition to academic success as a strength implied in the future career achievement.Certified nursing assistantMental healthNurseSalutogenic model of healthSelf-careSense of coherenceStudent