Application of horticulture therapy as a health intervention for elderly people in nursing homes:a scoping review

Objective:To review the scope of interventional studies on horticultural therapy(HT)applied to elderly people in nursing institutions to support the efficient implementation of HT among this target group.Methods:In accordance with the scoping review framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute(JBI),the Pub Med,JSTOR,Web of Science,CNKI,and Wanfang databases were searched.Data from the retrieved literature were summarized and analyzed.Results:In all,18 studies were included in this review.The target population groups of interventions included self-supporting elderly people,cognitively impaired elderly people,elderly people with negative emotions,and elderly people with frailty living in nursing institutions.HT interventions,including planting,craft activities,derivative activities,and outdoor viewing activities,are implemented indoors,outdoors,or in mixed settings.The most common duration of the intervention was 8 weeks,the most common frequency was once per week,and the most common session duration was 60 min.Conclusions:The measurements used in HT interventions included assessments of physical,psycho-mental,and social health;quality of life;and activity effects.Future studies should include partially dependent groups and completely dependent groups of elderly individuals,interventions that last at least 6 months,scientifically designed activity intensity and safety-guarantee plans,and outcomeevaluation indicators such as compliance and intervention benefits.

Prevalence of social media addiction among nursing students

Objective:The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and level of social media addiction among nursing students in the Faculty of Nursing,Cairo University.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross‑sectional research design was conducted on samples of 340 students at the Faculty of Nursing,Cairo University.Data were collected through demographic background information sheet and Social Networking Addiction Scale.Results:All the students were addicted as 6.76%were severely addicted and 60.59%and 32.65%were moderately and mildly addicted,respectively.Significant relations were found between social media addiction and students’age(χ^(2)=11.331,P=0.003),educational level(χ^(2)=20.239,P=0.003),and grade point average(χ^(2)=19.378,P=0.013).Conclusion:Internet addiction was prevalent among all students but at different levels,so early screening of students for Internet addiction using the Internet Addiction Scale is important to provide early treatment and prevent hazards to health.

Effectiveness of simulation-based learning regarding management of post-COVID complications in terms of knowledge,clinical decision-making ability,and self-efficacy among nursing students:A quasi-experimental study

Objective:To assess the effectiveness of simulation-based learning regarding the management of post-COVID complications in terms of knowledge,clinical decision-making ability,and self-efficacy among nursing students.Methods:This was a quasi-experimental study conducted among 1152nd-year nursing students.The participants were selected by a simple random sampling technique.The participants were divided into an experimental(n=56)and a comparison group(n=59)by a random table method.Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS version 20.Results:There were significant differences in mean post-test knowledge scores(P=0.03)and mean post-test self-efficacy scores(P=0.001)between the experimental and the comparison groups while the difference in mean post-test clinical decision-making ability scores between the two groups was non-significant(P=0.07).A positive correlation was found between knowledge and clinical decision-making ability in pre-test(P=0.03)and in post-test(P<0.001)and a non-significant correlation was found between pre-test knowledge and self-efficacy score(P=0.52)among the experimental group.Conclusions:Simulation-based learning regarding the management of post-COVID complications is effective among nursing students.Simulation labs should be established in health care settings where simulation training can be provided for updating the knowledge,clinical decision-making ability,and self-efficacy of nursing personnel during program installment and continuous nursing education.

Effect of hydrotherapy on sleep deficiency among older people in integrated community health services in Pandak Ⅰ Bantul

Objective: Relaxation technique is a nonpharmacological treatment applied to increase sleep efficiency and the quality of sleep.Hydrotherapy is one of the relaxation techniques and uses warm water to decrease stress and muscle stiffness, as well as to warm the body. The incidence of sleep deficiency among older people in Integrated Community Health Services, Pandak I Bantul, has slightly increased year by year. This research aims to evaluate the effect of hydrotherapy on sleep deprivation among older people.Methods: The research was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-post test design. Purposive sampling was used to enroll 66 older people from the Integrated Community Health Services, Pandak I Bantul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as a sample, and we divided them into two groups: 33 people formed the intervention group, and 33 people comprised the control group. The intervention group did hydrotherapy once a day for a total of 7 days. First, they soaked their feet in warm water for 10 minutes. The water temperature was adjusted according to the body temperature, to approximately 40.0℃-43.0℃. Then, the intervention group took a bath using warm water. The level of sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) questionnaire. Data analysis was done using the Wilcoxon test.Results: The mean score for sleep quality in the pretest in the intervention group was 9.04(standard deviation [SD]: 2.57) and the score on the posttest was 42(SD: 1.43). The mean score for sleep quality in the intervention group was 4.67, with P=0.05.Meanwhile, the research found that the difference between the pretest and posttest scores for quality of sleep in the control group was 0.42, with P=0.059. Wilcoxon analysis found that in the intervention group, there was a significant difference after intervention using hydrotherapy, with P<0.05. In the control group, there was no significance difference between the pretest and posttest scores,with P> 0.05.Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, it appears that the practice of hydrotherapy is effective in reducing sleep deficiency and hence can be considered an effective method of intervention.

The effectiveness of Japanese sandals use on lower leg function among elderly women living in the community

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of specially designed zori, a Japanese-style sandal, for enhancing walking performance. A total of 89 women aged 59-75 were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group wore the zori for 6 months while the control group did not. We conducted physical assessments, including The Good Walker’s Index, which consisted of a 10-m walking time measurement, maximal step length, the 40/20-cm step test and tandem gait, and measurement of the toe-gap force (TGF). Additionally, bare foot plantar pressure distribution was measured using a foot-mapping sensor, while gait characteristics were measured using three dimensional sensors. In the intervention group, means for TGF improved significantly between baseline and three months and between baseline and six months, but this improvement was not evident in the control group. In the intervention group, the means for pressure and surface areas of both left and right feet significantly decreased over time compared with the control group. Three-dimensional analysis found that left and right ankle height was enhanced in the intervention group, and their walking speed was improved by the extension of their stride length and an increase in the height of the tiptoe in one cycle. The findings in our study indicate that zori can be useful in improving lower leg function through TGF enhancement and adjustment of the pressure pattern.

Nurses’experiences of the ethical values of home care nursing:A qualitative study

Objective Considering the importance of out-of-hospital services,the emergence of home care nursing,and the need for an ethical framework in nursing practice,the present study aimed to explore the nurses’experience of ethical values of home care nursing.Methods The data of the study was collected using face-to-face individual interviews.Through purposive sampling,20 nurses who worked in the home care centers in four cities of Iran in 2020 were interviewed.They shared their experiences of the ethical values of home care nursing.Then,the interviews were analyzed based on the content analysis approach and using Graneheim and Lundman method.Results In the present study,416 codes were extracted.Merging these codes based on the similarity,seven main themes,and 16 sub-themes were extracted.The themes included perception of the professional identity,respect for the client’s autonomy,respecting privacy,establishing human interaction,maintaining mutual safety,observance of justice,and cultural-religious competence.The sub-themes included responsibility,development of professional and inter-professional interactions,maintaining the professional status at home,providing the holistic artistic care,patient’s privacy,nurse’s privacy,and maintaining the confidentiality of information,respect for the client’s choice,honestly informing,empathetic interaction,adjusting the power positions,client's safety,nurse’s safety,establishing justice,respect for the religious beliefs at home and cultural sensitivity.Conclusion The participants stated that due to entering the patient’s privacy in the home care cases,the ethical values such as perception of the professional identity,privacy,family interactions’management,mutual security,and cultural-religious competence became doubly important compared to the hospital caring.

Factors related to successful aging among community-dwelling elderly in Wenzhou,China

Objectives:To examine the level of successful aging and the relationship between successful aging and activities of daily living(ADL),life satisfaction,social support,income,and self-efficacy among community-dwelling elderly in Wenzhou,China.Methods:A descriptive correlational design was applied.Subjects were community-dwelling elderly in 4 districts of Wenzhou,China.Simple random sampling was used to recruit 83 participants.All participants were screened using the Mini-Cog tool.Data were collected using 6 questionnaires such as a demographic questionnaire,the Successful Aging Inventory(SAI),the Barthel Index for ADL,the Satisfaction With Life Scale(SWLS),the Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS),and the General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES).Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis.Results:The results showed that 53%of the participants had a higher level of successful aging and 43.4%had a moderate level of successful aging with a mean score of 56.76(standard deviation[SD]=12.31).Factors such as elderly income(r=0.73,P<0.001)and self-efficacy(r=0.72,P<0.001)had high correlations with successful aging,whereas ADL(r=0.67,P<0.001),life satisfaction(r=0.63,P<0.001),and social support(r=0.36,P<0.001)had moderate correlations with successful aging.Conclusions:There was a significant positive correlation between successful aging and ADL,life satisfaction,social support,income,and self-efficacy among community-dwelling elderly in Wenzhou,China.The findings may guide the formulation of more effective health education and intervention measures to improve successful aging among the elderly.

Total Glycosides of Ranunculus Japonius Prevent Hypertrophy in Cardiomyocytes via Alleviating Chronic Ca^(2+) Overload

Objective To evaluate the in vitro anti-hypertrophic effect of total Glycosides of Ranunculus Japonius （TGRJ）. Methods Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were cultured and hypertrophy was induced by adminis- trating isoproterenol （ISO, 10 gmol/L） or angiotensin Ⅱ （AngⅡ, 1 gmol/L） for 48 hours. In the treatment groups, cells were pretreated with TGRJ （0.3 g/L） for 30 minutes prior to hypertrophic stimuli. The anti-hypertrophic effects of TGRJ were examined by measuring cell size, total protein content, and protein synthesis. Intracellular free Ca2＋ concentration （[Ca2＋]i） was evaluated using fluorescence dye Fura-2/AM. Sacroplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2＋ ATPase 2a （SERCA2a）, atrial natriuretic peptide （ANP）, B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP）, and beta-myosin heavy chain （β-MHC） protein expression levels were measured by Western blotting. SERCA2a activity was assayed by p-nitrophenal phosphate disodium salt hexahydrate method. Results Increased cell size, total protein content, and protein synthesis following ISO or Ang II stimulation were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with TGRJ （all P〈0.05）. This anti-hypertrophic effect of TGRJ was confirmed by its suppressing effect on elevated expression of the three hypertrophic related genetic markers, ANP, BNP, and ^-MHC. In addition, TGRJ inhibited ISO or Ang Ⅱ induced up-regulation of [Ca2＋] under chronic but not acute conditions. And ISO or Ang Ⅱ induced down-regulation of SERCA2a expression and activity was also effectively rectified byTGRJ pretreatment. Conclusions The results of present study suggested that TGRJ could prevent ISO or Ang Ⅱ induced cardiac hypertrophy through improving chronic [Ca2＋]i disorder, might via normalizing SERCA2a expression and activity.

A Survey of Correlation between Professional Identity and Clinical Competency of Psychiatric Nurses

Introduction: Clinical competency and knowledge of the effective factors are of critical importance in nursing. Competency, self-esteem, and self-knowledge are achievable through professional identity. Employees’ participation in and attachment to their professional role is contingent considerably upon their professional identity. In light of this, the present study is aimed at determining correlation between professional identity and clinical competence of the nurses working in psychiatric wards of the hospitals affiliated with Tehran-based medical sciences universities. Methodology: This correlative study was conducted on 125 nurses working in psychiatric wards of Tehran-based hospitals affiliated with medical sciences universities. Data gathering tool of the study was a researcher-designed questionnaire to collect demographic, clinical competency, and professional identity data of the participants. For data analyzing, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18 was used. Findings: The results showed 91.2% of the participants evaluated their professional identity at good (47.2%) and very good (44%) levels;and 78.2% evaluated their clinical competency at very good level. The results also indicated positive and significant relationship between professional identity and clinical competency(r = 0.32, p = 0.001). In addition, none of the demographical variables were related to professional identity and clinical competency. Conclusion: There is positive relationship between clinical competency and professional identity, which means that development of positive attitudes regarding the psychiatric nursing can lead to higher clinical competency of the participants. The findings of the study highlighted the weight and role of positive attitude regarding the professional identity. It could result in increase of clinical competency and deserved attention of hospital’s managers.

Decreasing Trends in the Incidence of Age-and Sex-specific Hepatitis A Virus Infection in Hunan Province,China,from 2004-2020:A Joinpoint Analysis

Hepatitis A virus(HAV)is transmitted via the fecal-oral route,causing not only self-limited infectious hepatitis,but also epidemics through close personal contact(s).HAV infection is prevalent worldwide,and it is estimated that HAV infections account for 1.4 million sporadic or epidemic cases per year worldwide[1].

Predictors of readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants: The role of stress, self-efficacy and perceived social support

Objective:To determine the predictive role of stress,self-efficacy,and perceived social support on readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants.Methods:The present cross-sectional,descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 120 mothers of preterm infants admitted to hospitals affiliated to Lorestan University of Medical Sciences,Iran in 2019.Participants were selected by a convenience sampling method and based on inclusion criteria.Data collection tools included the demographic questionnaire of mothers and infants,parent perceptions of their child's hospital discharge,parental stressor scale:neonatal intensive care unit,perceived maternal parenting,and multidimensional scale of perceived social support.Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and stepwise regression at the significance level of 0.05.Results:Infant behavior and appearance,situational belief,and family support achieved the highest mean score from parents'stress,self-efficacy,and perceived social support dimensions,respectively.There was a significant relationship between stress,self-efficacy,and perceived social support with readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants(P<0.001).The score of mothers'readiness for discharge decreased by 0.07 per 1-point increase in stress score,and the score of readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants rose by 0.35 and 0.43,respectively,for a unit increase in the scores of self-efficacy and perceived social support.Conclusions:Stress,self-efficacy,and perceived social support can be considered as predictors of readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants.It is suggested that nurses in neonatal intensive care units provide a better platform for the readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants by reducing stressors and increasing maternal self-efficacy and social support.

Quality of life among women with breast cancer living in Wuhan, China

Background:Quality of life is an important indicator in patients with breast cancer.Studies here reported that the quality of life in patients with breast cancer is low and many factors contribute to this poor quality of life.Purpose:To examine the relationships among demographic characteristics,optimism,social support,illness related factors,appraisal of illness,coping strategies and the quality of life of Chinese women with breast cancer residing in Wuhan,China.Methods:A convenience sample of 156 Chinese women with breast cancer was recruited from five teaching hospitals in Wuhan,China.Participants completed the Revised Life Orientation Test,the Perceived Social Support Scale,the Symptom Distress Scale,the Appraisal of Illness Scale,the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire,and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast.Path analysis was used to examine factors influencing quality of life.Results:Significant relationships were found between optimism,symptom distress,social support,appraisal of illness,a give-in coping mode and quality of life.Optimism,social support,symptom distress,lymph node status,appraisal of illness,and a give-in coping mode accounted for 66.6%of the variance in quality of life.Conclusions:The findings of this study underscore the importance of helping women reduce symptoms distress,appraise their illness positively,use less negative coping modes,and maintain optimism,maintain good social support,because all of these factors indirectly or directly affect their quality of life.

Community social capital on fighting dengue fever in suburban Surabaya, Indonesia: A qualitative study

Purpose:Dengue hemorraghic fever(DHF)is a communicable disease that is difficult to manage,espe-cially in tropical countries.Social capital is believed to be able to improve the ability of entire com-munities to work together to solve a collective health problem.This study aimed to describe the existing social capital in a community and how it was used to fight DHF.Methods:Qualitative descriptive methods were used,and in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 participants.This study was conducted in the Sawahan sub-district,Surabaya,Indonesia,an endemic area that combats DHF every year.Findings:Results showed that social capital as a community feature provides the main cornerstone of collective action.The creation of social groups,intersectoral collaboration,mutual assistance in cleaning,and voluntary work were visible forms of social capital in the prevention and control of DHF.Support from strong leaders also had significant implications.Conclusions:This study showed that social capital was an important feature,which,if managed,used and accessed properly,would be able to provide ideas for solving community problems.

Psychological and Social Health Status of Patients with Lung Diseases in Jordan

Objective: The study aims to investigate the psychosocial health status of patients with pulmonary diseases in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using 230 patients diagnosed with lung diseases from six major hospitals in Jordan used to collect data in regards to depressive symptoms, psychological distress, coping, life satisfaction, and perceived social support. Data were collected from Jan 2013 to May 2013. Results: About 50% of the patients reported moderate levels of ability to effectively cope with life situations, life satisfaction, psychological distress, and perceived social support from family, friends and others. About 29% of the patients reported that they had moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms had significant and negative correlation with life satisfaction and perceived social support (r = ﹣0.21 to ﹣0.39, p β = 2.72, p = 0.007), marital status (β = 2.63, p = 0.009), and life satisfaction (β = ﹣4.54, p ≤ 0.001) were the significant predictors of depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Health professionals need to screening for psychological disturbances for their patients. There should be integration between early detection of psychological disturbances and implementation of effective treatment plans.

Factors Affecting Health-Promoting Behaviors of University Students in Jordan

Objectives: To determine health promoting behaviors of university students in Jordan and factors influencing them. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to recruit convenience sample (n = 525) of university students receiving education from two governmental and one private universities in Jordan. Data were collected between September 2013 and January 2014 by using Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Pender Model provided conceptual framework to guide the study. Results: The mean score of Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile of the student was at (127.87 ± 19.91). Significant differences were found between Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile mean score and the mean score of its subscales and student’s age, gender, employment status, family income, university type, and faculty type. Conclusions: These findings suggest that interventions are needed to enhance the practice of health promoting behaviours. These interventions should focus on demographic variations among university students.

Identifying Characteristics of Adults Absent from a Metabolic Syndrome Checkup in Japan Using CHAID Dendrograms and Insurance Claim Data

To prevent the development of metabolic syndrome among adult members of the community, improving the participation rate in the specific medical checkup (a medical examination focused on factors associated with metabolic syndrome prior to the onset of lifestyle-related disease) is an important public health issue. This study used claim data and health checkup data and aimed to detect those community-dwelling adults who were least likely to participate in the specific medical checkup. Analysis included the medical and health checkup chart data of 61,753 adults aged 60 - 69 years (as of April 2011) who lived in Fukui prefecture, Japan. The chi-squared interaction was used to analyze data. If a person did not participate in the specific medical checkup, individual was categorized as “absent.” Between April 2012 and March 2013, 66.3% of subjects were absent from the specific medical checkup. Those most likely to be absent included those who were also absent at the previous year’s checkup, those who were men, and those who did not have an examination for hypertension;87.9% of patients who met all of these criteria were absent. Among women who were absent at the previous year’s checkup, the absentee rate differed by about 10.0% between those whose municipalities did (74.8%) or did not (84.2%) have a free checkup program. Our findings may help public health professionals detect those who require intervention and to effectively and efficiently improve participation in the specific medical checkup.

Theoretical Perspective of Job Demands Correlates among Nurses: Systematic Literature Review

Introduction: Nursing is highly demanding and stressful profession. Negative consequences of job demands were widely discussed throughout the literature like;poor quality of care, poor health, burnout, greater intent to leave and lower level of job satisfaction. Job dissatisfaction among nurses also has been discussed exhaustively in the literature in regards to its negative outcomes represented by burnout, absenteeism, turnover, greater intent to leave and finally leaving nursing profession. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine literature discussing job demands in nursing profession and its associated factors among nurses, and to provide direction as to where research needs to continue to explore and develop evidence in this area. Results: Results showed that job demands are the most influential stressor in nursing profession that associated strongly with many negative consequences on the profession in general and on the nurses on particular. Conclusion: The results supported that job demand is unavoidable stressor that leads to many negative consequences and connects directly to job dissatisfaction. Therefore, there is a need to search for alleviating factors that decrease nursing stressor, its consequences and buffer the correlation between job demand and job satisfaction.

Correlates of Health Locus of Control among Patients Diagnosed with Type-II Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The comorbidity between chronic physical conditions and psychosocial health became common interest for health professional and researchers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among health locus of control, self efficacy, and demographic factors in patients with type-II diabetes mellitus. Method: Data were collected using cross-sectional, correaltional design from 793 patients with type-II diabetes in regards to health locus of control (HLOC) self-efficacy, and biomarkers. Results: The mean score for the internal subscale of HLOC was 27.2 (SD = 6.32), for the powerful others subscale of HLOC it was 30.9 (SD = 5.7), and for chance subscale of HLOC it was 18.6 (SD = 6.8). The mean total score of locus of control scale was 76.8 (SD = 13.1) ranging from 19 to 132. The mean score of HbA1C was 7.5 (SD = 2.6). Patients had moderate to high perception of powerful other health locus of control, and self efficacy. Results also showed that locus of control had positive and significant correlation with self efficacy (r = 0.18, p > 0.01) and negative relationship with HbA1C (r = -0.11, p > 0.01). On the other hand, age has no significant correlation with health locus of control. Conclusion: Health care professionals need to enhance patient’s self-efficacy and internal power of their patients for better health outcomes. Nurses and other health professionals need to emphasize the psychosocial health aspects of patients with chronic illnesses, and in particular, those diagnosed with type-II diabetes mellitus.

Association between Geographic Accessibility of Home Care Clinics and Hospitalization in Japan Using Geographic Information Systems and Insurance Claim Data

Measuring and improving home care clinic resource volume and geographic allocation are an important public health issue regarding prolonging home care system usage among disabled elderly people. This study examined clinic volume and accessibility’s association with hospitalization duration among disabled elderly people in 13 municipalities in Japan;additionally, this study compared clinic volume and accessibility’s ability to explain hospitalization duration in this population. Home care clinics’ service volume and geographic accessibility were calculated for 17 municipalities using public data and geographic information systems. We analyzed medical claim data from October 2012;the sample included 22,662 persons who were aged ≥75 years, certified as disabled in daily living, and lived in 13 municipalities regarding which data could be obtained for all examined municipality characteristics. Multilevel logistic models with random intercepts were constructed for municipalities and individual- and municipality-level independent variables in order to examine home care clinic volume and accessibility’s correlation with hospitalization duration. Clinic volume ranged from 0 to 9.53 per 10,000 elderly people;clinic accessibility ranged from 0% to 83%. Clinic volume and accessibility were both significantly negatively correlated with hospitalization duration of ≥10 days (odds ratios, 0.944 and 0.713;confidence intervals, 0.914 - 0.974 and 0.553 - 0.921, respectively). Clinics were not homogeneously geographically distributed;clinic accessibility explained hospitalization duration better than clinic volume. Clinic accessibility may more accurately indicate care clinic allocation appropriateness than clinic volume.

Health status of working children in Jordan: Comparison between working and nonworking children at schools and industrial sites

The purpose of this study is to explore the psychosocial and physical health impact of child labor and in Jordan and compare between working and nonworking children at schools and industrial sites. Methods: A sample of 4008 children at schools and industrial sites answered the self-report questionnaires that include physical and psychosocial health concerns, health screening survey, anger expression and child abuse survey. The results showed that both nonschool and school working children have various physical and psychosocial health problems. Physical complaints included common cold, flu, hearing and vision problems. Psychosocial ones included feeling lonely, feeling depressed, problems at home and work, and high level of anger expression, smoking cigarettes and using drugs. The study’s implications for health, education, counseling, and research interventions were discussed.