| 31. |
- Franzén-Dahlin, Åsa, et al.
(author)
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Predictors of life situation among significant others of depressed or aphasic stroke patients
- 2008
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In: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - : Wiley. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 17:12, s. 1574-1580
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIM: The aim of this study was to examine predictors of the life situation of the significant other of depressed or aphasic stroke patients.BACKGROUND: Depression and aphasia are common consequences of stroke, and both may put pressure on the significant other who have to deal not only with a possible physical handicap but also with communication and/or serious psychiatric difficulties.DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study.METHODS: The participants were significant others of 71 depressed and 77 aphasic stroke patients. Depression was diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, and degree of aphasia was diagnosed with the Amsterdam Nijmegen Everyday Language Test. Assessments of the life situation, state of depression and aggression, personality change and need of assistance were made through questionnaires issued to the significant others.RESULTS: Perceived need of assistance was the only common predictor of life situation of the significant other in both groups (p < 0.001). With respect to the aphasic patients, perceived personality change (p < 0.001) and living with the patient (p = 0.004) were factors that had a negative effect on the life situation of the significant other.CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that the perception of the patient's need of assistance is an important factor in predicting the life situation among spouses of depressed as well as aphasic stroke patients. A comparison of the two groups to explain the life situation of the significant others revealed greater explanatory power for the aphasic group.RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Assessments of the spouses' perception as well as of the patients' factual situation may identify those significant others at risk. With this new approach, necessary steps may be taken to alleviate pressure on the significant other.
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| 32. |
- Funkquist, Anders, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Higher CSF/serum free-T4 ratio is associated with improvement of quality of life during treatment with L-thyroxine
- 2023
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In: Journal of Neuroendocrinology. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 0953-8194 .- 1365-2826. ; 35:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Up to 20% of individuals with primary hypothyroidism treated with L-thyroxine still suffer from severe symptoms. These are supposedly brain derived and involve both cognitive and emotional domains. Previously, no consistent relationship has been found between thyroid hormones (TH) or TSH levels in blood and quality of life (QoL). Recently, we reported an association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/serum free-thyroxine (f-T4) ratio and QoL, in juvenile hypothyroid patients. Here, we investigated if CSF/serum f-T4 ratio and QoL estimates correlate also during L-thyroxine treatment. Moreover, the CSF biomarker neurogranin (Ng) was used as a biomarker for synaptic function and integrity in clinical research. Ng is partially controlled by TH and therefore we investigated the relationship between QoL parameters and Ng levels. Patients diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism were investigated using vital parameters, serum and CSF analyses of TH, TSH, Ng and QoL questionnaires. Similar procedures were performed after 6 months of treatment. The most marked associations with QoL were found for CSF/serum f-T4 ratio, which was strongly related to several QoL parameters such as the mental subscore of SF-36 (r = 0.83, p < .0005). Ng, which did not differ from that in our healthy controls, was lower in some patients during treatment and higher in others. However, the change in Ng during treatment was significantly correlated with QoL parameters including the mental subscore of SF-36 (r = -0.86, p < .0001). In addition, the CSF/serum f-T4 ratio correlated with the change in Ng (r = -0.75, p = .001). Our results suggest that the ratio between CSF and serum f-T4 is an important biomarker for QoL during treatment of patients with primary hypothyroidism, so far in research, but in the future maybe also in clinical settings. Moreover, this ratio also correlates with the changes in Ng levels during L-thyroxine treatment, further supporting the impact of the TH balance between serum and CSF on QoL.
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| 33. |
- Gardulf, A., et al.
(author)
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The Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Scale: Self-reported competence among nursing students on the point of graduation
- 2016
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In: Nurse Education Today. - : Elsevier BV. - 0260-6917 .- 1532-2793. ; 36, s. 165-171
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: International organisations, e.g. WHO, stress the importance of competent registered nurses (RN) for the safety and quality of healthcare systems. Low competence among RNs has been shown to increase the morbidity and mortality of inpatients. Objectives: To investigate self-reported competence among nursing students on the point of graduation (NSPGs), using the Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Scale, and to relate the findings to background factors. Methods and participants; The NPC Scale consists of 88 items within eight competence areas (CAs) and two overarching themes. Questions about socio-economic background and perceived overall quality of the degree programme were added. In total, 1086 NSPGs (mean age, 28.1[20-56] years, 87.3% women) from 11 universities/university colleges participated. Results: NSPGs reported significantly higher scores for Theme I "Patient-Related Nursing" than for Theme II "Organisation and Development of Nursing Care". Younger NSPGs (20-27 years) reported significantly higher scores for the CAs "Medical and Technical Care" and "Documentation and Information Technology". Female NSPGs scored significantly higher for "Value-Based Nursing". Those who had taken the nursing care programme at upper secondary school before the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programme scored significantly higher on "Nursing Care", "Medical and Technical Care", "Teaching/Learning and Support", "Legislation in Nursing and Safety Planning" and on Theme I. Working extra paid hours in healthcare alongside the BSN programme contributed to significantly higher self-reported scores for four CAs and both themes. Clinical courses within the BSN programme contributed to perceived competence to a significantly higher degree than theoretical courses (932% vs 875% of NSPGs). Summary and conclusion: Mean scores reported by NSPGs were highest for the four CAs connected with patient-related nursing and lowest for CAs relating to organisation and development of nursing care. We conclude that the NPC Scale can be used to identify and measure aspects of self-reported competence among NSPGs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 34. |
- Gebrie, Mignote Hailu, et al.
(author)
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Health-related quality of life among patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis in Ethiopia : a cross-sectional survey
- 2023
-
In: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1477-7525. ; 21:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundMeasurement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) enables identification of treatment-related side effects of a disease. Such aspects may negatively impact on patients' lives and should be taken into consideration in medical decision-making. In sub-Saharan Africa, research from the perspective of patients with chronic kidney disease is scarce, and it is almost non-existent in patients undergoing hemodialysis. We aimed to determine HRQOL among end-stage renal disease patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in Ethiopia and to identify factors associated with HRQOL.MethodsA multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia directed to all patients receiving hemodialysis due to kidney failure at 11 randomly-selected government and private hospitals/dialysis centers in the capital of Ethiopia. Data were collected by trained nurses using the KDQOL-36 instrument with five subscales measuring generic and disease-specific HRQOL. Study-specific items were used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. Factors associated with HRQOL were examined using multivariable linear regression models.ResultsFour hundred eighty-one patients completed the survey through face-to-face interviews (response rate 96%; mean age 45.34 +/- 14.67). The mean scores of the subscales ranged from 25.6 to 66.68 (range 0-100), with higher scores reflecting better health. Factors associated with low HRQOL included older age, female sex, no formal education, poor medication adherence, > 2 hemodialysis sessions/week, lower body mass index (< 18.5), longer duration of hemodialysis treatment (>= 12 months), and poor social support.ConclusionPatients with kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, had low HRQOL across all subscales compared to previous studies. Therefore, the implementation of guidelines is crucial to improve patients' adherence to their prescribed medications. Furthermore, establishing patient support groups and encouraging patients to use the available support resources from family members, neighbors, and friends have the potential to improve patients' HRQOL.
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| 35. |
- Gebrie, Mignote Hailu, et al.
(author)
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Patients' experience of undergoing maintenance hemodialysis : An interview study from Ethiopia
- 2023
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 18:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background People with kidney failure require renal replacement therapy in the form of dialysis or a kidney transplant for survival. Many facets of their life, both within and outside the dialysis unit, are impacted by the management of this disease. It is important to comprehend the experiences of people undergoing hemodialysis in order to improve the care provided to them. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the experiences of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in Ethiopia.Methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at two healthcare facilities in Ethiopia. Individual interviews with 15 participants (men and women aged 19-63), undergoing hemodialysis in Ethiopia, were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results The analysis resulted in five themes: Feeling grateful, Facing a restricted life, a Supportive environment, Dreaming of a transplant, and Leading a hassled life. The subthemes include Trust in treatment, Faith in God, Challenging fluid and dietary restrictions, Being too fatigued to socialize, Being stigmatized, Family and social support, Supportive healthcare, Lacking a donor and sponsor, COVID-19 as a barrier, Financial constraints, Inaccessibility to care and transport and Access line implantation. Despite being dependent on a machine and having to deal with food and fluid restrictions as well as financial challenges, participants were hopeful and dreamed of a transplant.Conclusion From the study's participants, it was discovered that the experiences of people with kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis were generally, considerably negative narratives. Based on the results we recommend development of multidisciplinary teams to better meet patients' physical, emotional, and social needs while undergoing hemodialysis. Such a team should also involve the patient's family members when caring for patients on hemodialysis.
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| 36. |
- Georgsson, Susanne, et al.
(author)
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Abortion-related worries, fears and preparedness : A Swedish Web-based exploratory and retrospective qualitative study
- 2019
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In: European journal of contraception & reproductive health care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1362-5187 .- 1473-0782. ; 24:5, s. 380-389
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: A survey was conducted to explore worries, fears and preparedness relating to the recollected experience of having an induced abortion.Methods: The Web-based survey was carried out in Sweden among 185 women. Respondents answered open-ended questions and gave retrospective self-reported ratings about their abortion-related worries, fears, preparedness and satisfaction with information obtained from health professionals and the Web. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis and descriptive statistics.Results: Worries and fears included the abortion process, physical reactions and psychosocial aspects. The abortion was associated with unexpected events, including the abortion process, poor health professional treatment and support, and side effects and complications. Respondents described a lack of preparatory information, leading to uncertainties due to insufficient information. Many searched for Web-based information, but respondents experienced difficulties finding high-quality sources. Respondents also recounted that the preparatory information received did not reflect the actual abortion experience.Conclusion: There is room for improvement with regard to informing, preparing and supporting women who seek an abortion. The results emphasise the importance of health professionals’ giving sufficient preparatory information to enable preparedness and lessen the impact of possible unexpected events. There is a need for the development of a trustworthy Web-based service that contains honest and high-quality information.
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| 37. |
- Georgsson, Susanne, et al.
(author)
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Pain and pain management during induced abortions : A web-based exploratory study of recollections from previous patients
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Advanced Nursing. - : Wiley. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 75:11, s. 3006-3017
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIMS:To explore recollections of pain and pain management during induced abortions.DESIGN:Mixed-methods exploratory study in Sweden.METHODS:A web-based survey was distributed between October 2017 - July 2018 via Swedish discussion boards and social media. Open-ended questions were asked about recollection of pain and pain management, followed by self-reported ratings. The survey was answered by 185 participants, responses were analysed with qualitative content analysis.FINDINGS:Recollections of pain intensity illustrated considerable pain and a traumatic event, described in temporal aspects and likened to other painful conditions such as dysmenorrhoea and childbirth. Recollections of pain management illustrated experiences of insufficient treatment of pain and dissatisfaction with pain management, including inefficient treatment and lack of professional attendance. Psychological aspects and consequences illustrated that participants related psychological distress to physical pain, felt unprepared for the physical pain and emphasized the importance of psychological support. Those who experienced intense pain described long-term psychological consequences, including fear of childbirth.CONCLUSION:Physical pain and psychological distress can manifest as considerable challenges during induced abortion. Abortion-related pain is a multidimensional phenomenon involving physical and psychological components that needs to be rigorously treated. When physical pain is unsuccessfully treated, women may experience long-term psychological consequences after an abortion.IMPACT:The results illustrate the importance of holistic abortion care where the multidimensional components of abortion-related pain are considered. Patients need to be offered sufficient preparatory information about potential physical pain and psychological distress. This study indicates that there is room for improvement in pain management. Larger studies are needed.
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| 38. |
- Georgsson, Susanne, et al.
(author)
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Quality of web pages about second-trimester medical abortion : A cross-sectional study of readability, comprehensiveness, and transparency
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Advanced Nursing. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 75:11, s. 2683-2691
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIMS:To investigate the readability, comprehensiveness and transparency of web pages about medical abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy.DESIGN:A cross-sectional descriptive study of Swedish web pages.METHODS:Six systematic searches were performed in Google during January 2017. The first 10 hits of each search were screened, resulting in 46 included Swedish web pages. The web pages were analyzed with readability index (LIX) to investigate readability, inductive manifest content analysis to investigate comprehensiveness, and Journal of the Medical Association benchmarks to investigate transparency.RESULTS:Median LIX was 29.0 and the largest proportion had LIX 31-40 (N = 17), indicating moderate readability. Visual components were observed in 13 websites. Content analysis resulted in 12 categories illustrating comprehensiveness, but eight of these were only included in ≤50% web pages. With regard to transparency, 29 (63%) adhered to no benchmark, 15 (33%) adhered to one benchmark, and 2 (4%) adhered to two benchmarks. Most web pages were written or reviewed by laypersons (N = 25) and health professionals (N = 11).CONCLUSION:The results indicate that web pages about medical abortion have moderate readability, varied comprehensiveness and poor transparency.IMPACT:Health professionals need to acknowledge the risk of contact with web-based information about poor quality. There is a need for research that aims to increase the chances that patients encounter high-quality web-based information about medical abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy.
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| 39. |
- Grandahl, Maria, et al.
(author)
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In everybody's interest but no one's assigned responsibility : midwives' thoughts and experiences of preventive work for men's sexual and reproductive health and rights within primary care
- 2019
-
In: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 19:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) have historically been regarded as a woman's issue. It is likely that these gender norms also hinder health care providers from perceiving boys and men as health care recipients, especially within the area of SRHR. The aim of this study was to explore midwives' thoughts and experiences regarding preventive work for men's sexual and reproductive health and rights in the primary care setting.METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study. Five focus group interviews, including 4-5 participants in each group, were conducted with 22 midwives aged 31-64, who worked with reproductive, perinatal and sexual health within primary care. Data were analysed by latent content analysis.RESULTS: One overall theme emerged, in everybody's interest, but no one's assigned responsibility, and three sub-themes: (i) organisational aspects create obstacles, (ii) mixed views on the midwife's role and responsibility, and (iii) beliefs about men and women: same, but different.CONCLUSIONS: Midwives believed that preventive work for men's sexual and reproductive health and rights was in everybody's interest, but no one's assigned responsibility. To improve men's access to sexual and reproductive health care, actions are needed from the state, the health care system and health care providers.
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| 40. |
- Grandahl, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Longer shared parental leave is associated with longer duration of breastfeeding : a cross-sectional study among Swedish mothers and their partners
- 2020
-
In: BMC Pediatrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2431. ; 20:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is associated with health benefits for both the mother and infant and is therefore important to support; moreover, parental leave is a beneficial factor for breastfeeding. The Swedish parental leave is generous, allowing each parent to take 90 days; additionally, a further 300 days can be taken by either parent. Generally, mothers take 70% of the parental leave days, mainly during the first year. However, breastfeeding duration has declined in the last decade, and it is not known how shared parental leave is associated with the duration of breastfeeding.AIM: To investigate how parental leave is associated with the duration of exclusive and partial breastfeeding of the infant during the first 12 months after birth. An additional aim was to describe infants' and parents' characteristics and mode of birth in association with the duration of exclusive and partial breastfeeding.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was part of the Swedish Pregnancy Planning Study, conducted in Sweden in 2012-2015. The parents were recruited at 153 antenatal clinics in nine counties. In total, 813 couples completed a follow-up questionnaire 1 year after birth. Linear regression models were used to analyse the association between parental leave and the duration of breastfeeding.RESULTS: Infants were exclusively breastfed for, on average, 2.5 months (range 0-12 months) and partially breastfed, on average, 7 months (range 0-12 months). Most of the parental leave was taken by the mother (mean = 10.9 months) during the infant's first 12 months, while the partner took 3 months, on average. The parental leave (used and planned) during the infant's first 24 months were, on average, 21 months. In the multivariate linear regression analysis, mothers' and partners' high level of education (p < 0.001, p = 0.044, respectively), mothers' higher age (p = 0.049), non-instrumental vaginal birth (p = 0.004) and longer parental leave for the first 24 months (p < 0.001) were associated with longer duration of partial breastfeeding.CONCLUSION: The duration of partial breastfeeding was associated with higher parental educational level, higher age, non-instrumental vaginal birth and longer parental leave.
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