Coping Beliefs Research Articles

Oral healthcare beliefs among home care services personnel; a cross-sectional study in south-eastern Norway

BackgroundThere is little knowledge about home care services personnel competencies and beliefs concerning oral healthcare for home-dwelling, dependent older adults. This study aims to map oral healthcare beliefs among home care services personnel, and have the following question: How do the education level, years of work experience and training in oral health have impact on home care services personnel oral healthcare beliefs?MethodsA cross-sectional study among home care services personnel working with older people receiving home care services was conducted across four municipalities in south-eastern Norway. The questionnaire consisted of background information (gender, education level, years of work experience, training in oral healthcare, employment status) and the nursing Dental Coping Beliefs scale. Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the Norwegian Centre for Research Data.ResultsTwo hundred and sixty-two homecare services personnel responded to the questionnaire, 16.5% males and 83.5% females; 40.5% had had training in oral healthcare. Home care services personnel believed that gum diseases and cavities can be prevented by dental flossing (61.4%) and toothbrushing (98.4%). 59% disagreed that preventing sickness and medicines from destroying teeth is impossible. However, the majority of the home care services personnel were uncertain about how oral mucosal disorders can be treated. Having more than three years of higher education was positively associated with being in higher quartiles of oral healthcare beliefs, and external locus of control, and having training in oral healthcare was positively associated with being in the lower quartiles of internal locus of control and self-efficacy dimensions. Males were more likely to be in the lower quartile of oral healthcare beliefs, which wasn’t positive.ConclusionIn the population studied, the home care services personnel beliefs about oral healthcare improved with an increasing level of education and having had training in oral healthcare. This suggests that home care services personnel need more education and training in oral healthcare.

My Reasons for Living: A Descriptive Study of the Motives for Not Committing Suicide Among Patients Diagnosed With Schizophrenia.

Background and objective Reasons for Living (RFL) constitute a construct that enables identifying the reasons for not committing suicide. These reasons are based on significant aspects of life, on the commitment to some ideals which may inhibit the impulse of committing suicide. The present study aimed to explore the RFL in a sample of patients with chronic schizophrenia; analyze the associationof RFL with the duration of illness, previous suicide attempts, hospitalizations, and schooling; and describe the potential differences between male and female patients in this context. Materials and methods A total of 94 patients with schizophrenia were assessed. TheReasons for Living Inventory (RFLI) was applied and a structured interview for clinical and sociodemographic data was performed to gather data. Frequencies and descriptive statistics were calculated, and Spearman's correlation analysis was employed. Results The mean score among thesample was 3.9, with 3.8 as the cut-off point under which the presence of suicide risk is significant. The RFLsindicated as most important by patients were those in the domains of Survival and Coping Beliefs and Responsibility to Family. Non-significant differenceswere observed between groups. An association was observed in terms of age, duration of illness, number of hospitalizations, and RFLI scores. Conclusions The sample in the present study obtained high scores in the RFL domain of Survival and Coping Beliefs and low scores in the domain of Fear of Suicide, reflecting aspecific response pattern that contrasts with other high suicidal-risk populations. We suggest that this construct could represent a protective factor for schizophrenia patients, including chronic patients with previous suicide attempts and high hospitalization rates, which were common variables observed in our clinical sample.

The Relationship Between Negotiable Fate and Life Satisfaction: The Serial Mediation by Self-Esteem and Positive Psychological Capital.

Negotiable fate as a belief in coping with the difficulties and uncertainties of life has an impact on people's mental health. This study aims to understand the influence of negotiate fate on college students' life satisfaction and its underlying mechanism. A cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 1523 students from six universities across China. The study aimed to measure the variables of negotiable fate, self-esteem, positive psychological capital, and life satisfaction of all participants. To investigate the effect of negotiable fate on college students' life satisfaction and the mediating roles of self-esteem and positive psychological capital in this relationship, a serial mediation effects model using Hayes' PROCESS was employed. The results suggest that negotiable fate has a positive predictive effect on college students' life satisfaction. The impact of negotiable fate on college students' life satisfaction was mediated by self-esteem and positive psychological capital, and the chained mediation of self-esteem and positive psychological capital. To summarize, the belief of negotiable fate has practical significance for the enhancement of college student's mental health and quality of life, and the cultivation of college students' belief of negotiable fate can be actively promoted in the future to help them better cope with the uncertainties and challenges in their lives to improve their life satisfaction.

Anime watching in childhood may affect suicidal risk factors in adult life

Introduction Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide being the fourth major cause of death among young people 15-29 years old. The reduction of suicide mortality is prioritized by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2019). There is a number of internal and external factors associated with suicidality (Soto-Sanz V et al., 2019; Farbstein et al., 2022.). Special attention is paid to the influence of the social media on suicidality (Cheng A. T. A. et al., 2007; Niederkrotenthaler T. et al., 2020; Sedgwick R. et al., 2019). In the Russian Federation, anime, an animation genre and a media cultural phenomenon, is increasingly popular among young people. Characters who are lonely and lost their meaning of life are common in anime. Romanticization and idealization of such characters may lead to increased attractiveness of death and thus have a negative effect on the mental health of adolescents and young adults due to their incomplete identity development (Liu Y. et al., 2022; Backer, H. A., 2023).ObjectivesWe aimed to study the influence of the anime on the presence of suicidality and depression in adolescents and young adults in the Russian Federation.Methods We interviewed 304 people living in the Russian Federation and watching anime on the regular basis (244 women, mean age 20.9 ± 3.8 years, range 13-36 years). We collected sociodemographic data and age when a person had started watching anime. We performed Reasons for Living Inventory, RFL (M. Linehan et al., 1983), Beck Depression Inventory, BDI (Aaron Beck, 1961). We divided all participants into three groups according to their age: adolescents (13-19 years), young people (20-24 years), adults (25-36 years). In each group, we compared BDI: level of depressive symptoms, cognitive-affective subscale, subscale of somatic manifestations of depression; RFL scales: Survival coping beliefs, responsibility to family, child related concerns, fear of suicide, fear of social disapproval, moral objections between three subgroups based on the age of the anime watching start (<12 years old, 12-15 years old, ≥16 years old) using Kruskall-Wallis test and post hoc Mann-Whitney U-test for pair comparisons with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Level of significance p<0.05.ResultsIn the adolescents (n=130), we did not find any differences between the three subgroups. In the young people (n=127), participants who had started watching anime in childhood (<12 years old) had higher level of depression (p= 0,014) and higher level of cognitive-affective symptoms (p= 0,006). In the adults (n=47), participants who had started watching anime in childhood had decreased moral attitudes contrary to suicide (p= 0,004). Other scales not found to differ significantly.ConclusionsStart of the anime watching in childhood (<12 years old) was associated with increased suicidal risk factors and decreased anti-suicidal factors in the young adults.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Suicidality and Reasons for Living Among a Clinical Sample of Low-Income, Ethnically-Minoritized Adolescents

ABSTRACT Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents in the United States, and suicide rates are increasing for ethnically diverse youth. Reasons for living (RFL) have been found to be a protective factor against suicidality, but few studies have assessed this amongst ethnically minoritized youth. The current study sought to examine the relationships between RFL and suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempt (SA), and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a clinical sample of low-income, ethnically minoritized youth (n = 191, M age = 15.12 years). Results indicate that survival and coping beliefs may be important protective factors for SI and NSSI. Fear of social disapproval may be particularly salient but was not protective within this population. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.

Reasons to Live During a Suicidal Crisis: A Case Series With Suicidal Inpatients.

Following experts' recommendations for a phenomenological approach to suicidal behavior, this study opted to focus on the life-protecting beliefs and values expressed by people in acute suicidal crisis. 61 adults hospitalized in psychiatric emergency for suicidal crises were assessed in terms of reasons for living (RFL) and suicidality. Multiple correspondence analysis was used to discern groups of patients based on their RFL profiles. Group differences on suicidality were further examined. 4 groups of patients were observed, emerging from RFL differences in "Survival and Coping Beliefs", "Fear of Social Disapproval", "Responsibility to Family" and "Child-Related Concerns". Profiles varied by gender but not age. We further observed that "Survival and Coping Beliefs" and "Moral Objections" are weakened during an acute suicidal crisis. These findings underline the clinical utility of evaluating RFL during a suicidal crisis, and that RFL may be useful to personalize case formulation during an emergency intervention. They could further increase therapeutic communication by connecting the individual to key psychological resources. Longitudinal studies are necessary to evaluate how the different groups identified in this study may yield specific post-emergency trajectories connected to specific clinical needs.

Influence of the Reasons for Living on Suicide Behavior in Soldiers with Suicide Attempts

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the reasons for living on suicide behavior in soldiers with suicide attempts.Methods: A descriptive study design was used. The participants were 67 soldiers with suicide attempts from an Armed Forces Hospital in D city. Data were collected from January 9 to March 9, 2023, and were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 26.0 program.Results: Regression analysis results showed that diagnosis with major depressive disorder (β=.25, <i>p</i>=.013), survival and coping belief (β=-.52, <i>p</i>=.001), family responsibility and concern (β=.25, <i>p</i>=.033) were significant factors, and these factors explained 45.9% of the variance in suicide behavior.Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that diagnosis with major depressive disorder and the reasons for living influence the suicide behavior of soldiers with suicide attempts. Therefore, to prevent suicide, reattempts of soldiers, an intervention strategy to improve survival and coping beliefs, and family responsibilities and concerns are needed for soldiers diagnosed with depression.

Factors associated with utilization of student-centered pedagogy by nurse educators.

Despite suboptimal level of the utilization of student-centered pedagogy, multidimensional, modifiable factors associated with the utilization have been rarely examined among nurse educators. The aim of this study was to examine the utilization status of student-centered pedagogy and factors associated with the utilization by nurse educators. Data on student-centered pedagogy utilization, knowledge, beliefs in effectiveness, stress, coping, support, degree earned, teaching experiences, and other demographic characteristics were analyzed using multiple regression analyses. The status of the student-centered pedagogy utilization was moderate, and knowledge was consistently associated with the utilization in the total sample (N=108) and in both subgroups (≤50 vs. >50years old). Beliefs in effectiveness were associated with the utilization only in the age>50years old group. Nurse educators need to develop and deliver interventions to facilitate the utilization of student-centered pedagogy through increase in knowledge and beliefs in effectiveness of student-centered pedagogy.

Ageing in the context of accompanying migration: a leisure stress coping perspective

ABSTRACT The migration of older adults is receiving increasing academic attention. Existing research, however, gives little attention to accompanying migrants who migrate for the purpose of intergenerational caring, which is particularly typical in China, and its impact on older adult immigrants’ well-being. Based on the leisure stress coping model, this study explores the leisure stress coping mechanisms of accompanying migrants in the Chinese cultural context. Data were collected through 42 in-depth interviews with Chinese accompanying migrants. The findings revealed that accompanying migrants perceived three dimensions of stress: adaptation stress, obligation stress, and role stress. Under the influence of leisure coping beliefs, migrants adopted coping strategies including seeking support, shifting focus, and self-adjustment. Consequently, the stress-coping process was realised through leisure activities such as exercise, social events, and sightseeing. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

Suicide risk among residents in a cross-sectional study: the role of the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide

IntroductionThe peculiar requests of postgraduate teaching could affect the students’ lives, predisposing them to mental disorders and suicide risk (e.g. Abreu et al., 2021). The Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) (Joiner, 2005) is a model that has proved useful in explaining this risk.ObjectivesWe analyzed risk factors associated with current suicidal ideation (SI) and history of suicidal planning and/or suicide attempt (SP/SA) in a sample of 97 Italian residents in psychological (n= 17, 17.5%) and medical and health care area (n=80, 82.5%) (mean age 29.18±3.25 SD).MethodsSocio-demographic, psychological (i.e. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory – II; BDI-II, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Reasons For Living Inventory; RFL, Psychache Scale, Mental pain questionnaire; MPQ, Visual Analogue Scale - VAS - on mental pain, Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale-Fearlessness About Death) psychosocial (i.e. Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire; INQ, UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; MSPSS) and somatic pain features (i.e. VAS, Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire; Self-Awareness Questionnaire; SAQ) were collected through an online questionnaire. We compared residents with SI vs No SI and residents with SP/SA vs No SP/SA and the emerged significant variables, have been inserted in logistic regression models with stepwise method, backward elimination.ResultsThe presence of depression (BDI-II), low reasons for living (RFL), psychological pain (Psychache Scale and MPQ), interoceptive awareness (SAQ), Thwarted Belongingness (TB, INQ subscale), loneliness (UCLA) and low perceived social support (MSPSS) were associated with both current SI and history of SP/SA. Concerning regression models, TB (INQ) increased the likelihood of SI while Survival and Coping Beliefs (RFL subscale) reduced it. The model explained 49% of the variance of SI by correctly predicting 88.7% of SI cases. Perceived social support (MSPSS)reduced the likelihood of current SP/SA levels while interoceptive awareness (SAQ) increased it. This model explained 40% of the variance of SP/SA by correctly predicting 82.5% of suicide risk cases.ConclusionsWe have identified risk and protective factors for suicide, consistent with the IPTS, which can orient the prevention, evaluation and clinical treatment of residents.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Belief in Research, Religious Coping, and Willingness to Participate in Clinical Trials Among African American Patients With Hematologic Malignancies: A Pilot Study

The African American (AA) population has a higher incidence and inferior outcomes in most hematologic malignancies when compared to the non- Hispanic White population. The AA population remains grossly underrepresented in clinical trials, yet few studies have evaluated the underrepresentation in the context of belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials. The objectives of this study were to determine if a relationship exists between belief in research and willingness to participate, and to assess the feasibility of recruiting AA patients with hematologic malignancies for cancer clinical trials. The study recruited 31 patients with acute leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, and multiple myeloma. Questionnaires were used to assess belief in research, religious coping, and willingness to participate. An oncology nurse navigator assisted with recruitment, obtaining consent, and data collection. Study results showed that 63% of participants believed in clinical trials and were willing to participate, and 74% were not informed of clinical trials. A significant association between education and belief in research (P = .01) was observed, yet no relationship was found between belief in research and willingness to participate. Further studies are warranted to investigate the obstacles to clinical trial participation among this population.

Reasons for living, positive psychological constructs and their relationship with suicide ideation in people with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Positive psychological constructs such as reasons for living, self-esteem and resilience have previously been shown to act as protective psychological barriers against negative psychological outcomes, including suicide ideation in both clinical populations and the general population. This study aims to explore the positive psychological constructs of reasons for living, self-esteem, resilience and their relationship with suicide ideation and predictors of suicide ideation (depression, hopelessness) for N = 50 people who have a severe TBI and are currently receiving community rehabilitation at Liverpool Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit (LBIRU), NSW. Results indicated good reliability for the use of the RFLI with people who have TBI, with the most frequently endorsed subscale (range 0–5) being “survival and coping beliefs” (4.7 ± 1.0) and the least frequently being “fear of suicide” (2.2 ± 1.1). The shortened version of the RFLI (BRFLI) also displayed good reliability. Positive psychological constructs (reasons for living, resilience, self-esteem) were all significantly inversely associated with suicide and suicide predictors (depression, hopelessness). This study suggests that positive psychological constructs can act as a buffer against suicide ideation after moderate to severe TBI.

Adaptation and validation of Polish Version of Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL-48) by M.M. Linehan et al.

The aim of the study was to develop the Polish version of the Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL-48) of Linehan et al. The questionnaire is a self-descriptive tool designed to measure six factors protecting against committing suicide: "Survival and Coping Beliefs", "Responsibility to Family", "Fear of Suicide", "Moral Objections", "Fear of Social Disapproval", "Child-Related Concerns". The original version of the method was characterized by good psychometric properties. A sample of 431 adults (236 women and 195 men), aged 18-65 years (mean age was 33 years, SD = 11.33), was recruited as a non-clinical group from various regions of Poland. The Beck's Depression Inventory, Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised and Positivity Scale were also used to evaluate the construct validity of the RFL-48. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported an assumed six-dimensional structure of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.70 ("Fear of Suicide") to 0.95 ("Survival and Coping Beliefs") and amounted to 0.92 for the total score. The findings indicate that the Polish adaptation of the RFL questionnaire by Linehan et al. has good psychometric characteristics and can be used in both research and clinical practice.

Trust and Coping Beliefs Contribute to Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Intention

ABSTRACT Racial disparities in intention to obtain the COVID-19 vaccination have been noted in academic and popular press reports. The present study sought to identify cognitive and affective factors that contribute to the observed lack of acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination, even before a vaccine was made publicly available, among Black and White Americans through a national survey (N = 487; 50.6% female, 24.8% Black). Our findings are consistent with previous studies that Black respondents had lower intention to obtain the eventual COVID-19 vaccine than White respondents. Protection motivation theory’s construct of coping efficacy and an additional COVID-19-relevant variable, trust in vaccination, mediated the effect of race on behavioral intention. Lastly, beliefs were elicited from Black and White Americans to identify communication strategies regarding the issue.

Oral health care beliefs among care personnel working with older people - follow-up of oral care education provided by dental hygienists.

ObjectivesThe proportion of older people in the population is increasing rapidly. Along with this comes an increase in the number of people requiring assistance in daily living, including oral care. Swedish law stipulates that care personnel who work with older people should be offered oral health education every year. The aim of this study was to investigate oral health care beliefs among such personnel.MethodsA questionnaire study was conducted among 2167 personnel providing care to older people at special accommodation sites and in home care. Data were collected using the Nursing Dental Coping Beliefs Scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated and logistic regression analysis was performed.ResultsPersonnel working in home care had lower odds of having an internal locus of control than those working in special accommodation, and personnel with less than 10 years of working experience had lower odds than their more experienced counterparts. Men had higher odds of having an external locus of control than women.ConclusionsIt seems important to ensure that home care personnel and less experienced personnel attend oral care educational sessions, and to encourage male staff to focus on oral care work.

COVID-19 Exposure, Stress, and Mental Health Outcomes: Results From a Needs Assessment Among Low Income Adults in Central North Carolina.

This study focuses on identifying COVID-19 related exposure, stress, and mental health concerns in the larger Charlotte, North Carolina region, an area with many low-income and under resourced communities. A community-academic partnership conducted a regional COVID-19 needs assessment. Low-income adults (N = 156) completed an online-administered survey of demographic information, COVID-19 exposure, stress, coping-related factors, and mental health. Frequency data showed that common COVID-19 related stressors included job exposure, lost job/income, and increased home responsibilities. Frequency data further showed elevated screening risk rates for mental health concerns were observed for post-traumatic stress (83.3%), depression (52.2%), problematic drinking (50.0%), generalized anxiety (43.0%), and suicide (40.4%). Bivariate correlation and multivariate regression models identified robust mental health risk factors including COVID-19 related stress affecting close persons, fear/worry reaction to the pandemic, and use of venting as a coping strategy; protective factors included active coping and problem-focused coping beliefs. Findings are discussed with respect to informing regional public health efforts during the pandemic.

Abstract PO-083: Descriptive pilot study results of belief in research, religious coping, and willingness to participate in clinical trials among African Americans with hematologic malignancies

Abstract African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately affected by certain types of hematologic malignancies. AAs have a 45% higher probability of dying from acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a 12% higher risk of death from acute myeloid leukemia than Hispanics (6%) and non-Hispanic Whites. AAs also present with chronic lymphocytic leukemia at a younger age, have a more advanced stage disease, and lower survival rates in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Despite the efforts of investigators, AAs with hematologic malignancies remain grossly underrepresented in cancer clinical trials. Underrepresentation of this subset of AAs leads to the non-generalizability of clinical trial findings, disparities in cancer treatment outcomes, and survival compared to other minority populations. Even so, few studies have evaluated the underrepresentation of this subgroup of patients in the context of their beliefs and willingness to participate in clinical trials. Yet, the willingness to participate in cancer clinical trials among AAs with solid tumors is well documented. There is also little evidence relating to the moderating effect of religious coping on the association of belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials among this subset of patients. Knowing, as well as believing, are essential elements to participating in any clinical trial. Thus, the aims of the descriptive pilot study were to determine if a relationship exists between belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials and determine if religious coping moderates the relationship between belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials. To address the aims, data on religious coping were captured at one time-point from 31 AAs with leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma using the validated Brief RCOPE scale and questions that addressed beliefs associated with research and willingness to participate in cancer clinical trials. The results show that there was no statistical difference between belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials, and religious coping did not moderate the effect of belief in research on willingness to participate in clinical trials. Statistically significant differences were found between education and belief in research. Participants with less than a high school education had lower belief in research scores than those with some college education, who showed higher belief in research scores. These findings provide preliminary results that suggest future studies are warranted in the study of AAs' beliefs in research. Such studies may contribute to the development of educational interventions to improve the recruitment of AAs with hematologic malignancies into the therapeutic clinical trials for these diseases, with a particular emphasis on educational interventions for those AAs with less than high school education. Citation Format: Marjorie Petty. Descriptive pilot study results of belief in research, religious coping, and willingness to participate in clinical trials among African Americans with hematologic malignancies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-083.

Суицидальность и чувство авторства собственной жизни: опросник М. Линехан «Причины для жизни»

Agency, or subjectivity is an important concept in personality psychology, but this phenomenon is less studied in suicidology. During the adaptation of the M. Linehan inventory Reasons for Living we proposed to look at the inventory through the lens of this construct. The study had two samples: students, N=490 (341 females, aged 17—28 (19.3±1.2)), and suicidal patients N=146 (105 females, aged 16—48 (23.1±5.9)). The structure of the Russian version of the inventory was studied with the IRT-model, which showed that all items of the inventory agree acceptably with the model. But three items were excluded, as they didn’t satisfy the criterion of measured invariance. The indices of reliability ranged from .74 to .93 according to Cronbach’s α, and from .73 to .92 according to IRT-reliability. The analysis of construct validity showed that the most benign factors are the scales Survival and Coping Beliefs and Child-Related Concerns, which meet the criteria of inner motivation and regulation to the greatest extent, while the factor Fear of Suicide didn’t prove itself as a protective factor, as it correlated positively with the factors of suicidal risk. Factors Responsibility to Family and Moral Objections pertain to internal motivation, while Fear of Social Disapproval corresponds more to external regulation. Thus, the Reasons for Living inventory passed a successful adaptation and can be used for research purposes and in clinical practice it indirectly allows the researcher to assess the agency of a respondent.

Cross-sectional study of oral health care service, oral health beliefs and oral health care education of caregivers in nursing homes

ObjectivesTo assess oral care beliefs and oral hygiene procedures among nursing home personnel to identify strengths and weaknesses in managing oral care. MethodsA cross-sectional study in two nursing homes using an oral health care questionnaire including the Nursing Dental Coping Belief Scale. ResultsA total of 109 health personnel participated. Oral care was seldomly achieved twice a day and dental supplies were not guaranteed. Registered nurses found the oral health of residents more acceptable than did allied health personnel with less oral care education, who mostly delivered daily care. Conversely, nursing staff with oral care education had lower dental coping beliefs, suggesting a lack of self-reliance in controlling oral health outcomes. ConclusionDental supplies should be part of nursing care equipment. Educational programs could increase positive oral health beliefs and enhance the quality of care in these settings, particularly among those who are accountable for oral care.

Implementation of oral hygiene practices in nursing homes – the view of supervisor nurses

Objectives The aim of our study was to analyse the implementation of oral health-related practices in private enhanced service housing units and nursing homes in Finland reported by supervisor nurses. Methods We sent an anonymous, voluntary Webropol-questionnaire to the supervisor nurses of private enhanced service housing units and nursing homes (N = 245). The questionnaire included items about the implementation of oral healthcare-related practices in the care units and items based on the Nursing Dental Coping Beliefs index (DCBS index). Five dimensions of the implementation of oral healthcare-related practices, Oral hygiene practices and Favourable diet for oral health, Oral hygiene equipment, Professional dental services, and Knowledge and opinions were used as outcomes. The factors in the nursing DCBS index and background variables were used as explanatory variables. Results Our main results showed that in care units, Oral hygiene practices, Favourable diet for oral health, Oral hygiene equipment, and Professional dental services were partly implemented. Furthermore, according to Knowledge and opinions supervisor nurses had challenges in oral health-related knowledge and difficulties in managing oral care. In the DCBS index, better self-efficacy in “Managing bleeding gums” was associated with better implementation of oral health practices. Furthermore, supervisor nurses’ better own oral health habits were associated with better implementation of oral health-related practices. Conclusions It can be concluded that based on the responses of the supervisor nurses, oral health-related practices were partly implemented in private enhanced service housing units and nursing homes in Finland.