Behavioral Care Research Articles

The Relationship Between Happiness and Caring Behaviors in Nurses: A Descriptive-Analytical Study

Background: Caring behaviors encompass the supportive actions undertaken by nurses to assist patients, with the primary aim of reducing the duration of illness. Enhanced happiness may positively influence these behaviors, which are essential for nurses in maintaining and promoting patient health. Objectives: This study investigates the factors affecting the happiness of Iranian nurses and examines whether increased happiness correlates with improved caring behaviors. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study employed random sampling to survey 220 nurses in Isfahan, Iran, in 2024. Data were collected through questionnaires evaluating demographics, happiness (measured by the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire-Short Form), and caring behaviors. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients in SPSS V.23. Results: The Iranian nurses in this study demonstrated above-average happiness (mean score: 34.48 ± 5.82). Happiness showed a significant correlation with caring behaviors (P < 0.05) and was also significantly associated with gender, work experience, and income level. No significant associations were found between happiness and age, marital status, education, employment type, or department (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Higher levels of nurse happiness are associated with improved caring behaviors, suggesting that initiatives aimed at enhancing nurse happiness can lead to better quality of patient care. It is imperative for government and healthcare organizations to prioritize programs and policies that focus on increasing nurse satisfaction to improve healthcare outcomes.

Male adoption in the black and gold howler monkey (Alouatta caraya).

Infant adoption is an association that occurs between an adult individual and a dependent infant and occurs most often when lactating females care for a nutritionally dependent infant that is not her offspring. Adult females are often involved in adoption; while, direct infant care by males occurs in less than 5% of all mammalian species. We report the first record of adoption by wild male adults of Alouatta caraya, a platyrrhine primate species that does not typically participate in parental care. We observed two independent cases of adoption, in two different groups (G1, G2) at the Corrientes Biological Station, Argentina. After the death of two adult females with dependent infants, one adult male adopted an orphan in each group. We recorded the activity of the adoptive males and the two infants. During this period, adoptive males expressed parental care behaviors toward infants. However, after 38days in G1 and 53days in G2, both infants died. Based on our continuous monitoring of study groups, we suggest that adoptive males are the biological parents of the orphaned infants. As such, kin selection may explain the care of the infants. However, another explanation could be group familiarity, which refers to the social bonds and cohesion that develop among individuals within a group, even if they are not genetically related. An adult male, although not genetically related to the infants, may take care of them due to the cohesion and relationships established within the group during his period of residence. The study of these rare parental behaviors taken by A. caraya adult males provide insights into the knowledge of group social cohesion and structure.

The mediating role of compassion fatigue between perceived organization support and caring behavior among outpatient nurses in China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe caring behaviors of outpatient nurses play a crucial role in improving the quality of care in hospitals. Work resources and personal psychological resources have a significant impact on nurses’ caring behavior. Previous research has shown that perceived organizational support and compassion fatigue are linked to nurses’ caring behaviors. However, the specific relationship among these variables is less clear in the context of outpatient nurses working in high-stress environments.MethodsA convenience sampling method was utilized to recruit 413 outpatient nurses from six tertiary hospitals in Xi’an, China, as research subjects between November 2023 and January 2024. The questionnaires used in the study included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Perceived Organizational Support Scale, the Chinese version of the Compassion Fatigue Brief Scale, and the Chinese version of the Caring Behavior Scale. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H rank-sum test, Spearman correlation analysis, and the PROCESS macro model 4.ResultsA significant negative correlation was observed between the sense of organizational support and compassion fatigue (ρ=-0.547, P < 0.01). Conversely, a significant positive correlation was found between the sense of organizational support and caring behavior (ρ = 0.469, P < 0.01). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between compassion fatigue and caring behavior (ρ=-0.641, P < 0.01). Subsequent mediation analysis demonstrated that compassion fatigue partially mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and caring behaviors. The overall impact of perceived organizational support on caring behavior (β = 0.363) encompasses both its direct influence (β = 0.131) and the indirect impact mediated by compassion fatigue (β = 0.232). The mediating effect accounts for 63.9% of the total effect.ConclusionCompassion fatigue acts as a partial mediator in the relationship between perceived organizational support and the caring behavior of outpatient nurses. It is essential for nursing managers to effectively manage both the work resources and personal psychological resources of outpatient nurses to improve their caring behaviors in high-stress settings. By improving nurses’ organizational support resources, we can reduce the depletion of their personal psychological resources and alleviate negative emotions such as compassion fatigue. This, in turn, can improve nurses’ caring behavior and ultimately enhance the overall quality of nursing services in the hospital.

The mediating role of professional identity between work environment and caring behavior: a cross-sectional survey among hospice nurses in China

BackgroundAs core members of hospice care team, the hospice nurses’ ability to care for patients not only directly affects the standard of patient care, but also significantly impacts patient quality of life. It can be seen that it is very meaningful for patients to improve the caring behavior of hospice nurses. Therefore, it is necessary to deeply explore the influencing factors of nurses’ caring behavior and further clarify the mechanism between them.MethodsThe STROBE guideline was performed to report this study. We conducted a cross-sectional survey from December 2023 to February 2024. In this study, 392 hospice nurses were recruited from tertiary public hospitals in East China by convenient sampling method. Participants were investigated using the Practice Environment Scale, Professional Identity Scale, and Caring Behaviors Inventory. Structural equation modelling was utilized to verify the research hypotheses.ResultsThe results revealed that there were significant and positive correlations between work environment, professional identity and caring behavior. Furthermore, professional identity partially mediated the relationship between work environment and caring behavior.ConclusionWork environment is critical to improving hospice nurses’ caring behavior. Professional identity plays an intermediary role impacting how work environment promotes caring behavior among Chinese hospice nurses. Nursing managers should have a correct understanding of the relationship between them. Targeted measures and coping strategies need to be actively taken to create a better working environment for hospice nurses. This would enhance professional identity, and thereby promote caring behavior.

Public health nurses' caring behaviour can increase homecare patients' satisfaction

Background: Caring behavior plays a vital role in the nursing profession, especially in public health settings. In-home care services, where patients receive medical attention in the comfort of their homes, the quality of care and patient satisfaction depends heavily on the nurse's ability to exhibit caring behavior. Objective: This study aims to analyze and identify the relationship between the caring behavior of public health nurses and the level of patient satisfaction in homecare services. Methods: In this study, the design used is a quantitative research design with a cross-sectional study approach. According to the formula found by Isaac and Micheal, the population in this study amounted to 402 respondents, so a sample of 162 respondents was obtained. The sampling technique was Probability Sampling with a proportional random sampling type. Results: Based on the results of the cross-tabulation that has been carried out between caring behavior and patient satisfaction using the Fisher Exact test statistical test, the result is in the form of a p-value of 0.001 with a significant level of &lt;0.05 and with this value (0.001) means less than the value a (0.05). It can indicate that Ha is accepted and Ho is rejected, and it can be concluded that caring behavior can increase patient satisfaction. Conclusion: Researchers suggest that the caring behavior of public health nurses has a vital role in increasing patient satisfaction with homecare services. Nurses can help patients feel more comfortable and supported in their home environment through more personalised attention, effective communication, and emotional support. This contributes directly to increased patient satisfaction, which feels valued and cared for holistically in home care.

Satisfaction of Mothers on Accessibility to Basic Health Units in Rawalpindi: A Descriptive study

Objective: To evaluate the satisfaction of mothers with Accessibility to Basic health units of Rawalpindi. Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted at the basic health units of Rawalpindi over a period of six months, and participants were selected using multi-stage sampling to assess the mother's expectations, experiences, and satisfaction regarding accessibility to primary health care centers. The eligibility criteria included mothers who had been residing in the area for at least six months and visiting BHUs for maternal or child health care. A total 275 mothers participated, a structured questionnaire was by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, focusing on key factors demographics, distance to BHUs, clinic timings, waiting time, availability of healthcare services, staff behavior, and quality of care. Responses were analyzed descriptively, with percentages summarizing the distribution of answers related to distance, working hours, waiting times, and access to medical care using SPSS version 23. Results: The study revealed significant dissatisfaction among mothers regarding accessibility to Basic Health Units (BHUs). Only 2.18% strongly agreed that the distance to the health center was acceptable, while 52.00% disagreed. Similarly, just 1.09% found clinic working hours suitable, with 57.45% disagreeing. A majority, 55.64%, felt that waiting times were too long, and 38.55% disagreed that they had adequate access to medical care when needed. Overall, the dissatisfaction score for accessibility was 46%, highlighting critical areas for improvement in service delivery. Conclusions: The findings indicate that mothers experience significant barriers to accessing healthcare services at Basic Health Units (BHUs). The low levels of satisfaction related to distance, clinic hours, and waiting times suggest that these factors adversely affect their overall healthcare experience.

Pesticides enhance maternal care in the wolf spider by inhibiting HSD3B,an enzyme for progesterone synthesis

Natural enemies are essential for the integrated pest management (IPM) strategy in insect pest control. However, chemical pesticides remain the primary method for insect pest control, diminishing natural enemies and causing environmental contamination. The wolf spider (Pardosa pseudoannulata), a major enemy in agro-ecosystem, exhibits maternal care (MC) behaviors such as eggsac-carrying and pulli-carrying, which are crucial for population growth. Here we found that m-Aminophenylacetylene (m-A), a MC inducer, downregulated HSD3B (3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5,4-isomerase) expression through two transcription factors, GATA6_Pardosa and LRH_Pardosa. HSD3B expression reduction inhibited progesterone production, which then induced pulli-carrying behavior in P. pseudoannulata. Although m-A did not inhibit HSD3B activity directly, several pesticides showed inhibitory effects on HSD3B from results of molecular docking and activity inhibition assay on recombinant enzyme. The fungicide difenoconazole, herbicide topramezone and insecticide buprofezin efficiently inhibited HSD3B activity, and then reduced progesterone production, thereby enhancing the pulli-carrying behavior. From MC induction perspective, some pesticides are not inherently harmful to natural enemy spiders of insect pests, and in turning trash into treasure, may be used as beneficial agents to improve pest control effectiveness.

The Effects of a Digital Multimedia Foot Ulcer Care Program on Health Beliefs and Self-Care Behaviors in People With Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Foot complications, common among diabetic patients, often lead to amputation and increased dependence on daily living assistance. Effective and sustained intervention programs are important challenges that nursing staff must address. This study was designed to explore the effectiveness of a digital multimedia foot ulcer care program on the foot health beliefs and self-care behaviors of diabetic patients. An experimental research design was adopted, with a total of 62 patients with type 2 diabetes in the plastic surgery ward of a regional hospital in southern Taiwan enrolled as participants. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 31), which received a digital multimedia foot ulcer care program via mobile phones or tablets for eight weeks, or the control group (n = 31), which received conventional diabetic foot care education leaflets. The research instruments included a demographic questionnaire, the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Health Belief Scale, and the Diabetic Foot Care Behavior Scale. Data were collected at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks, and were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. The study was completed with 30 participants in both groups. The experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in health beliefs at the fourth and eighth weeks post-assessment than the control group, with increases of 3.77 and 5.13, respectively (p = .03, p = .02). These improvements were statistically significant and exceeded baseline values significantly (p < .05). In terms of self-care behaviors, improvements in the experimental group exceeded those in the control group by 2.27 and 1.83, respectively, at four and eight weeks (p = .03, p = .05). Furthermore, the experimental group exhibited superior changes in scores compared to the control group. The digital multimedia foot ulcer care program implemented in this study significantly enhanced health beliefs and self-care behaviors in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. This program may be employed during hospitalization and post-discharge to improve foot ulcer care techniques and reduce diabetic foot ulcer deterioration.

ASUHAN KEPERAWATAN JIWA GANGGUAN PERSEPSI SENSORI PENDENGARAN DENGAN PERILAKU CARING PERAWAT BERDASARKAN TEORI JEAN WATSON

Hallucinations are one of the most common mental health problems experienced by those with mentaldisorders. The purpose of this case study is to describe the implementation of mental health nursing care for sensory perception disorders of hearing with nurse caring behavior based on Jean Watson's theory. The number of clients used is 3 people, namely clients who experience sensory perception disorders in Srigonjo village. The design of this case study is descriptive qualitative using interview techniques, observation, direct observation, and data collection using patient assessments. The nursing problem raised is sensory perception disorders of hearing. and the nursing actions given are hallucination management. Before being given the action, it was found that the three patients often heard whispering voices inviting them to talk, liked to talk to themselves, daydreamed, liked to smile to themselves, mumbled, often looked at the outside environment or did not concentrate, were uncooperative and the patients looked dirty. After the intervention was given, the patient experienced changes where eye contact was already there when spoken to, was able to concentrate, and was able to apply the rebuke techniques taught. Thus, it can be said that hallucination management with Jean Watson's theoretical approach has a good impact.

Family Support in Diabetic Foot Prevention Efforts: A Correlation Research

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease with increased blood sugar levels, caused by impaired insulin secretion and can cause complications. Complications that often occur in Diabetes Mellitus patients are diabetic foot wounds and if not treated immediately, they can become infected and require amputation to remove infected tissue. Foot care behavior is part of primary prevention efforts that aim to prevent wounds and chronic complications in patients with Diabetes Mellitus. Family participation in foot care is needed, because it can encourage the behavior of people with Diabetes Mellitus to carry out foot care. The purpose of this study was to determine family support in the success of efforts to prevent diabetic ulcers. This study used 36 respondents of DM patients who lived with their families using the HDFSS instrument to measure family support and foot care efforts instrument to measure diabetic foot prevention. The results showed a correlation between family support and behavior for routine control to health services, taking DM medication regularly and efforts to prevent Diabetes Mellitus feet.

Relationship between compassion fatigue, conscience stress, and perceived quality of care in emergency nurses

BackgroundExamining factors affecting nursing care is vital for enhancing practices, improving care quality, and achieving desired patient outcomes. AimTo explore emergency nurses’ perceptions of care quality, compassion fatigue and conscience stress levels; and evaluate the mediating role of conscience stress between compassion fatigue and perception of nursing care quality. MethodsThis cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted between April 1 and September 1, 2022, with 384 nurses working in emergency departments across Turkey. “Sociodemographic Data Collection Form”, “Compassion Fatigue Scale”, “Stress of Conscience Scale” and “Caring Behaviors Scale” were used to collect data. ResultsThe mean total scores for the Caring Behaviors Scale, Compassion Fatigue Scale, and Conscience Stress Scale among emergency nurses were 5.16 ± 0.67, 71.28 ± 25.19, and 100.48 ± 41.97, respectively. The study revealed a positive correlation between Conscience Stress Scale and Compassion Fatigue Scale scores, and no correlation between Caring Behaviors Scale scores. Additionally, a negative correlation was found between Compassion Fatigue Scale and Caring Behaviors Scale scores. ConclusionIt was found that emergency nurses had high perceptions of care quality, moderate levels of compassion fatigue and stress of conscience, and that stress of conscience did not mediate the relationship between perception of care quality and compassion fatigue.

Appraising the Factors Associated with Delirium Care Behaviours and Barriers to Their Assessment Among Clinical Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Delirium can occur at any age, although the incidence is higher in older patients and after surgery. Although delirium is an acute, potentially reversible, cognitive disorder, there is evidence that it is associated with increased healthcare costs and imposes a significant burden on patients, families, hospitals, and public resources. The aim of this study was to investigate and assess the knowledge, behaviours, and factors influencing assessments of delirium by hospital nurses so as to predict the factors associated with their current delirium management behaviours. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 342 nurses in different hospitals in Macau. The questionnaires included items on the respondents’ demographic information, knowledge of delirium care, nursing behaviours, and factors influencing nurses’ assessment of delirium patients in their daily practice. The descriptive statistics showed that nurses were found to have a moderate level of knowledge about the management of delirium. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed that patient factors were the most significant, outweighing individual and organizational factors as barriers to assessing patients with delirium. The Pearson’s correlation showed a moderate positive correlation between delirium care knowledge and delirium care behaviour (r = 0.339). With regard to factors influencing delirium care behaviours, multiple linear regression models showed that the significant predictors were years of work experience (β = 0.206, 95% CI: 1.125–3.158), the duration of delirium care courses (β = 0.103, 95% CI: 0.118–3.339), the knowledge of delirium care (β = 0.264, 95% CI: 0.474–1.019), and personal factors influencing nurses’ delirium assessments (β = −0.239, 95% CI: −1.031–−0.432). To enhance delirium management and achieve the optimal care of patients with delirium, formal education and training are crucial. Organizations should develop structured protocols and workflows that empower nurses. By integrating organizational strategies with individual efforts, clinical practices can be improved, resulting in optimal delirium care for patients.

Divergent effects of short-term and continuous anthropogenic noise exposure on Western Bluebird parental care behavior.

Sensory environments are rapidly changing due to increased human activity in urban and non-urban areas alike. For instance, natural and anthropogenic sounds can interfere with parent-offspring communication and mask cues reflective of predation risk, resulting in elevated vigilance at the cost of provisioning. Here we present data from two separate studies involving anthropogenic noise and nestling provisioning behavior in Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana): one in response to short-term (1 h) experimental noise playback and a second in the context of nests located along a gradient of exposure to continuous noise. In the short-term playback experiment, nests were sequentially exposed to trials with either traffic noise or a silent audio track. The effect of the playback type interacted with the effect of the order in which trials were presented. The outcome was that provisioning rates during second trials with the silent track playback were higher than provisioning rates during noise playback on first or second trials, but not first trials with the silent track playback. Additionally, failed provisioning attempts only occurred during noise trials. In contrast, provisioning rates increased with the amplitude of noise among nests located in a gradient of continuous noise exposure. For nests along the noise gradient, the latency to resume provisioning behavior following human disturbance from approaching the nest negatively covaried with noise exposure amplitude. Specifically, birds resumed provisioning behavior more quickly with increased noise amplitude. Collectively, both studies demonstrate that noise can influence avian parental care of offspring, but the direction of the effect of noise are opposite. This difference could reflect variation in populations, noise characteristics or latent environmental contexts, or different ages of nestlings. However, it is also possible that the divergent responses reflect important differences in organismal responses to short-term versus long-term noise exposure. The possibility of mismatches in responses to short-term versus long-term noise exposure should be the focus of additional research, especially because short-term noise exposure experiments are often used to understand the consequences of noise pollution for organisms living in noisy environments.

The Relationship Between Nursing Agency and Self Care Behavior In Hypertensive Elderly

Nurses as nursing agencies play a crucial role in efforts to control blood pressure, especially in elderly, through educational programs that promote self-care behavior and healthy lifestyle changes. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between nursing agencies and self-care behavior in elderly with hypertension in the Prolanis Group of Tajinan Health Center, Malang Regency. This research uses quantitative, retrospective and cohort design. The study population consist of all elderly suffering from hypertension who are members of the Prolanis group at Tajinan Community Health Center, Malang Regency, totaling 142 people. A purposive sampling technique was employed, with inclusion criteria of elderly people aged over 60, having suffered from hypertension for 1 year, receiving pharmacological therapy for hypertension from the Tajinan Community Health Center, regularly participating in Prolanis activities for the past 3 months, and demonstrating effective communication abilities. To assess the perception of nursing agency, the study uses the Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care (PSNC) questionnaire. Self-care behavior assessment are measured using the Hypertension Self-Management Behavior Questionnaire (HMSBQ). The final sample was 60 elders, with data collection conducted between May and June 2024. Data analysis was performed using simple linear regression with SPSS. The results indicate a significant relationship between nursing agencies and self-care behavior in elderly with hypertension (p value = 0.000 0.05). The finding suggest that the role of nursing agencies is very influences on self-care behavior in elder with hypertension, indicating that elderly people have high level of trust in the health information provided by nurses.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of religious caring behavior increases the immunity of medical-surgical nurses

Introduction: Caring is a fundamental service basis in nursing because it is the main behavior of nurses in carrying out nursing care. Islamic caring could stabilize the psychological condition of nurses and patients. Psychologically stable nurses and patients could increase immunity in giving care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyze the impact of Islamic caring behavior on nurses, particularly in terms of enhancing their psychospiritual comfort, preparedness, and immunity. This research’s findings open avenues for further exploration into the potential of Islamic caring to improve nurses’ psychospiritual comfort and immunity.

Narrative nursing for negative emotions in patients with acute pancreatitis: Based on model construction and application.

Acute pancreatitis (AP), as a common acute abdomen disease, has a high incidence rate worldwide and is often accompanied by severe complications. Negative emotions lead to increased secretion of stress hormones, elevated blood sugar levels, and enhanced insulin resistance, which in turn increases the risk of AP and significantly affects the patient's quality of life. Therefore, exploring the intervention effects of narrative nursing programs on the negative emotions of patients with AP is not only helpful in alleviating psychological stress and improving quality of life but also has significant implications for improving disease outcomes and prognosis. To construct a narrative nursing model for negative emotions in patients with AP and verify its efficacy in application. Through Delphi expert consultation, a narrative nursing model for negative emotions in patients with AP was constructed. A non-randomized quasi-experimental study design was used in this study. A total of 92 patients with AP with negative emotions admitted to a tertiary hospital in Nantong City of Jiangsu Province, China from September 2022 to August 2023 were recruited by convenience sampling, among whom 46 patients admitted from September 2022 to February 2023 were included in the observation group, and 46 patients from March to August 2023 were selected as control group. The observation group received narrative nursing plan, while the control group was given with routine nursing. Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), positive and negative affect scale (PANAS), caring behavior scale, patient satisfaction scale and 36-item short form health survey questionnaire (SF-36) were used to evaluate their emotions, satisfaction and caring behaviors in the two groups on the day of discharge, 1-and 3-month following discharge. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 45 cases in the intervention group and 44 cases in the control group eventually recruited and completed in the study. On the day of discharge, the intervention group showed significantly lower scores of SAS, SDS and negative emotion (28.57 ± 4.52 vs 17.4 ± 4.44, P < 0.001), whereas evidently higher outcomes in the positive emotion score, Caring behavior scale score and satisfaction score compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Repeated measurement analysis of variance showed that significant between-group differences were found in time effect, inter-group effect and interaction effect of SAS and PANAS scores as well as in time effect and inter-group effect of SF-36 scores (P < 0.05); the SF-36 scores of two groups at 3 months after discharge were higher than those at 1 month after discharge (P < 0.05). The application of narrative nursing protocols has demonstrated significant effectiveness in alleviating anxiety, ameliorating negative emotions, and enhancing satisfaction among patients with AP.

Just In Time! Assessment of Internal Medicine Resident Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Attitudes and Behaviors After Spaced Intervention at Two Residency Programs.

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is a complex psychomotor skill that requires scaffolded support for skill acquisition. However, the effect of spaced curricular elements on learner POCUS behaviors are not clearly understood. Using a multi-site observational cross-sectional survey study, we measured resident baseline POCUS use, behaviors, and attitudes and then implemented POCUS workflow and just-in-time POCUS curricula during internal medicine resident ward rotations and assessed changes. Self-reported personal and team POCUS use and documentation habits all improved between baseline and the just-in-time teaching. Personal POCUS use correlated with team POCUS use (ρ=0.431; p<0.001) and co-resident POCUS use (ρ=0.242; p=0.035). Attending POCUS use correlated with team POCUS use (ρ=0.523; p< 0.001), but not personal use. Overall, we found moderate, but statistically significant, improvements in reported resident and team performance of POCUS and documentation habits, suggesting that just-in-time interventions may promote POCUS use. Co-learning also appears to be a key influencer for POCUS use.

Development and Validation of Sensitivity for Needs of Elderly Scale Among Caregivers Based on Maslow’s Theory

The world currently lives in an aging society. Demand for elderly caregivers and services is rapidly rising. Elderly care encompasses not only medical care, but also the art of human care. Love and respect are usually considered the backbone of the modality of caregivers. This study aimed at developing a sensitivity for needs of elderly scale (SNES) among caregivers. Maslow’s theory of hierarchical needs, especially stage 3 (love and belongingness needs) and stage 4 (esteem needs), was used as a conceptual framework. This study consisted of four steps. The sample groups for the first two steps of item quality and exploratory factory analysis were 420 nursing students. A three-factor model emerged, which includes the sensitivity of needs for love and empathy, the sensitivity of needs for respect, and the sensitivity of needs for honor and dignity. The newly constructed measure consisted of 10 items, which explained the variance by 52.18%. The third step of confirmatory factor analysis, using a new group of 384 nursing students, indicated the model fit. In the final step, the scale was validated using 171 elderly caregivers. Moderate to strong absolute magnitudes of correlations between the new scale and psycho-moral strength, core self-evaluation, future orientation and self-control, moral disengagement, and caring behavior were found. Incremental validity was tested. Discussion and recommendations for further research and implications of the newly constructed measure were offered.

Relation between parenting style and confident decision-making in a student population.

Parenting styles differ in their expression of care and (over)protection behaviors and are associated with markedly different outcomes in children. While research has examined the effects of parenting styles on global self-esteem and self-efficacy, little is known about how they might relate to decision-confidence (metacognitive bias) in a task. This study examined the possible relation between students' decision-confidence and the perceived parenting style of their primary caregiver. Participants (N = 246) played a trust game and rated their confidence in task choices. The perceived parenting style of their caregiver was determined using participants' responses to the Parental Bonding Instrument. Participants' decision-confidence was not significantly associated with their caregiver's parenting style. However, decision-confidence was positively related with self-efficacy to a small degree. Exploratory analyses indicated that participants with overprotective caregivers were more likely to report poor self-efficacy and self-esteem; increased depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms; childhood adversity; and anxious and avoidant attachment; while participants with caring caregivers showed the opposite pattern. Our results are a step towards understanding the potential effects of parenting on adult children's decision-confidence and contribute to growing evidence that perceived parental behaviors have strong associations with young adults' mental health, self-worth, and relationship attachment.

The role of dogs is associated with owner management practices and characteristics, but not with perceived canine behaviour problems

Owned dogs are often regarded as family members, best friends, or even as substitutes for children. These new roles and their effects on human well-being have received scientific attention, but little is known about how attributing such social functions to dogs might influence the caring behaviour of the owner, which in turn can impact canine welfare. Our online survey of Hungarian dog owners (N = 790) aimed to describe what owners appreciate the most and the least in their dogs and to investigate the relationship between the social and non-social functions of the dog, the characteristics of the owner and the dog, the management practices of the owner, as well as the dog’s behaviour, including behaviour problems. We found that most owners appreciated petting and physical contact with their dog (97.6%), followed by ‘unconditional love’ (93.7%), the dog’s beauty (88.4%), and walking with the dog (86.5%). The most frequently mentioned problems were socialisation issues (20.4%) and lack of time (15.9%). Regarding canine behaviour, jumping up (33.2%), chasing animals (28.5%), territoriality (26.7%), and overexcitement (20.9%) were common problems. Almost a quarter of owners rated their dogs as totally obedient and 30.6% as totally safe off-leash. We identified three profiles of dog owners based on the roles they attribute to their dogs. Dogs with both companionship and practical functions (31.1%) were perceived as more obedient and provided higher safety benefits to their owners than others. Dogs regarded as ‘companion animals’ (19.4%) spent less time with their owners and had older owners than others. Lastly, owners labelled as ‘dog parents’ (49.5%) were more likely to keep their dog indoors only than others. Importantly, the roles attributed to dogs were not associated with owner-reported canine behaviour problems. We concluded that while the functions humans attribute to dogs are multiple and appear to have direct implications for the dogs’ daily lives, these variations in management practices do not necessarily seem to compromise their welfare.