General Comfort Questionnaire Research Articles

Parameters that Affect the Comfort Level of Pregnant Women Before Cesarean Section: Fasting and Anxiety

This study aimed to investigate whether fasting time and anxiety parameters affect pregnant women's preoperative comfort levels. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Data were collected from pregnant women using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ), and Numerical Rating Scale. The mean age of the participants was 29.15±4.54years, and the spinal anesthesia rate was 65.5%. The mean fasting time was 13.16±2.38hours for solid food and 10.57±2.91hours for liquid food. The mean GCQ score was 129.82±12.66, while the mean STAI subscale scores were 46.72±9.37 and 43.65±7.95. Moderately negative correlation was found between the total GCQ and STAI scores, while weak positive correlation was observed between the STAI score and the thirst sensation and mouth dryness. The preoperative process negatively affects comfort levels of pregnant women. Interventions that reduce the fasting time and anxiety level of pregnant women will increase comfort.

Factors related to impaired comfort in chronic kidney disease patients on hemodialysis.

to analyze the factors related to the impaired comfort of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) patients on hemodialysis. this is a cross-sectional study with 80 patients undergoing hemodialysis in a renal replacement therapy unit through interviews using two instruments, one for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics and the General Comfort Questionnaire, during the hemodialysis session. Mann-Whitney tests and the logistic regression model were used for data analysis. the study found that being younger (p=0.045); being married (p=0.05); and absence of impaired physical mobility (p=0.007) were contributing factors for greater comfort in CKD patients on hemodialysis. Thus, when establishing the odds ratio, it was possible to observe that being 55 years of age or older, being single and having impaired physical mobility represents a 45.7% chance of developing this diagnosis. sociodemographic and clinical variables contribute to the study outcome, demanding attention during the planning of nursing interventions.

The Effect of Music on the Comfort and Anxiety of Older Adults Living in a Nursing Home in Turkey.

The study was designed as a randomized controlled experimental study with a pretest/posttest and a control group. The study sample comprised 56 seniors who resided in a nursing home. The study data were collected using the "Mini-Mental State Examination," "Identification Form," "General Comfort Questionnaire," and "Beck Anxiety Inventory." While the mean scores obtained from the General Comfort Questionnaire by the participants in the experimental group demonstrated significant differences (p < 0.05), those obtained by the participants in the control group did not (p > 0.05). The mean scores obtained from the Beck Anxiety Inventory by the participants in the experimental group after a 3-week music intervention were significantly higher than their pre-study scores (p < 0.05); however, no significant increase was observed in the control group (p < 0.05).It was determined that music reduced anxiety experienced by the older adults since it improved their comfort.

Effects of a Short-term Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Comfort of Stroke Survivors Undergoing Inpatient Rehabilitation.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified short-term mindfulness-based intervention on improving the mindfulness, comfort, and ambulation ability of stroke survivors undergoing inpatient rehabilitation in Wuhan, China. A two-group, nonrandomized, nonconcurrent design was used. Participants undergoing inpatient rehabilitation were nonrandomly divided into control group (n = 25) and intervention group (n = 25) to avoid possible ethical discrimination as well as interaction among participants. The control group received routine care; the intervention group received a 2-week mindfulness-based intervention, which included weekly 1.5-hour group practice, individual daily practice, and routine care. Data were collected using questionnaires and assessments of ambulation before and after 2 weeks of observation. Improvement on the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale score, the overall score of the Shortened General Comfort Questionnaire, and the scores of the physical, psychospiritual, and sociocultural subscales in the intervention group was greater than those in the control group (p < .05). No significant difference (p > .05) was observed between the two groups when comparing scores of the environmental subscale of Shortened General Comfort Questionnaire, Berg Balance Scale, 10-Meter Walk Test, and Functional Ambulation Classification scale. A 2-week mindfulness-based intervention can significantly improve stroke survivors' mindfulness and comfort but does not significantly affect ambulation ability.

Clinical value of curved supine position to prevent pressure ulcer and comfort experience in postoperative fracture patients

Objective To explore the effect of curved supine position to prevent pressure ulcer and comfort experience in postoperative fracture patients. Methods A total of one hundred and seventy-eight leg fracture patients who underwent operating in hospital were randomly divided into study group and control group (89 patients in each group). Conventional prevention and nursing method was given in the control group, based on the control group, curved supine position nursing method was carried out in the study group. The incidence of pressure ulcer, main compressed parts, pressure ulcers risk score and comfort degree in two groups were compared during hospitalization. Results The incidence of pressure ulcer in the study group (1.1%,1/89) was significantly lower than in the control group (7.9%,7/89), the difference was statistically significant between two groups (χ2=4.712, P=0.030). The scores of Kolcaba General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ) in two groups showed a time-dependent manner, the physical, psycho-spiritual, environmental scores in the study were higher than in the control group at 13:00, 17:00 and 20:00. Meanwhile, the scores of socio-cultural were higher than in the control group at 17:00 and 20:00, the difference was statistically significant between two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Curved supine position canreduce the incidence of pressure ulcer as well as promote comfort experience in postoperative fracture patients. Key words: Curved supine position; Pressure ulcer; Prevention; Comfort experience

Cross-cultural adaptation of the General Comfort Questionnaire to Brazilian patients with myocardial infarction.

Describe the first stages of the cross-cultural adaptation process of the General Comfort Questionnaire for myocardial infarction patients in intensive care units. This is a study of qualitative and quantitative research and analysis techniques. Conceptual, item, semantic and operational equivalence was performed. Fifteen items were added to the original instrument to better represent the comfort experienced by myocardial infarction patients in intensive care units. The content validity index was applied to analyze the answers of the experts; it was considered adequate above 0.78. Some changes suggested by the experts for better understanding were adopted. All items were kept, obtaining a scale of sixty-three items. In the pre-test conducted with 30 subjects, the instrument was considered adequate to the target audience. The adapted version of the General Comfort Questionnaire for people with myocardial infarction is adequate to the target audience.

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF SHORTENED GENERAL COMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE IN INDONESIAN VERSION

Background: Comfort is one of nurses’ concerns in each of nursing care activity. There are several different instruments to measure patient’s comfort. Tools regarding comfort however, have not been developed and tested in Indonesian.&#x0D; Objectives: This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Shortened General Comfort Questionnaire (SGCQ) in Indonesian version.&#x0D; Methods: SGCQ was translated and back translated to Indonesian before it was used for this study. Three experts (two lecturers and one clinician) were recruited to measure the content validity of SGCQ in Indonesian version. S-CVI and I-CVI analyses were used to measure the content validity of this instrument, and Pearson correlation was used for the construct validity. Content validity of instruments consists of relevance, accuracy, clarity, credibility and equivalency. Reliability analysis of this instrument was performed using Cronbach’s alpha in 71 patients undergoing hemodialysis.&#x0D; Results: Result show that an I-CVI score was 1, which implies that each item of relevance, accuracy, clarity, credibility, and equivalency was acceptable. In addition, the S-CVI score was also 1, which implies that the validity of this instrument was acceptable. Cronbach’s alpha score was also showed 0.769 means that the SGCQ instrument in the Indonesian language is reliable because the score was in the range of 0.7–0.95.&#x0D; Conclusion: SGCQ in Indonesian version has acceptable validity and reliability and it can be used to measure patient’s comfort level in Indonesian.

Assessing comfort in the epilepsy monitoring unit: Development of an instrument

Background/purposeSome patients perceive the experience of hospitalization in an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) to be an uncomfortable one. In order to provide comfort-enhancing measures, nurses need to assess comfort levels. For this purpose, Kolcaba developed the General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ), which may be modified for usage in specific settings. The objective of this study was to develop an instrument to assess comfort of adult patients during hospitalization in an EMU, namely the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Comfort Questionnaire (EMUCQ). MethodsThe GCQ was translated from American English into German following the guidelines of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research (ISPOR). Three native German speakers with good command of the English language did forward translations. An expert who grew up bilingual did a backtranslation. For use in an EMU, literature-based setting-specific items were added. In a qualitative-descriptive study, cognitive debriefing with 25 patients was conducted using cognitive interviews. Qualitative data analysis was based on the framework method. In a quantitative-descriptive study, nine clinical experts assessed content validity. ResultsFor setting-specific modification, 12 items pertaining to surroundings, feeling observed, and feeling afraid of a seizure were added to the translated GCQ. Based on the initial content validity rating, 26 items remained unchanged, 12 items underwent revisions, and 14 items were omitted. Eight items were put aside for a follow-up rating in the context of cognitive debriefing. Cognitive interviewing revealed problems regarding the interpretation of items and missing items. According to the results, 27 items remained unchanged, 11 items were reworded, and six items were added. The final content validity rating showed item-content validity indices (I-CVI) between .33 and 1, and an average CVI on a scale level (S-CVI/ave) of .84. ConclusionsEnhancing comfort is a fundamental nursing goal in demanding situations. Therefore, the contribution of nurses to the quality of individualized patient care is a substantial one. The EMUCQ is a valuable tool to support the assessment of comfort levels. The ISPOR guidelines proved to be useful to ensure high quality of the translated instrument. Using cognitive interviews enhanced the understandability of items and supported modification of the GCQ. At present, S-CVI/ave value of the EMUCQ is acceptable. Further testing is necessary.

Analysis of the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Immobilization Comfort Questionnaire among hospitalized total knee arthroplasty post-operative patients

Objective To Chinesize Immobilization Comfort Questionnaire (ICQ) , and to verify the reliability and validity of the Chinesized ICQ among total knee arthroplasty (TKA) post-operative patients. Methods The English version of ICQ was translated into Chinese. From March to November 2016, a total of 126 patients who had undergone TKA in the orthopedics department of Armed Police Corps Hospital of He'nan were selected by convenience sampling method and investigated with General Comfort Questionnaire (QCG) and the Chinesized ICQ, so as to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinesized ICQ. Results All entries of Chinese ICQ are of benign discrimination. As indicated by the exploratory factor analysis, there were 4 common factors with characteristic values exceeding 1, which could be extracted from the questionnaire. The factor loading of all the entries was greater than 0.4 and could explain 71.3% of the variance variation amount. As indicated by the further confirmatory factor analysis, the fit indexes including chi square freedom degree ratio was 1.476; the comparative goodness of fit was 0.982; the fit measure was 0.983; incremental fit was 0.972; the non-standard fit was 0.981; the residual mean square was 0.015; and the progressive residual mean square was 0.036. Thus, the degree of fitting of model structure was good. The content validity of ICQ was 0.889, and the score of each entry in ICQ was positively correlated with GCQ scores (P<0.01) . The Cronbach's α coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.894, and the correlation coefficient was 0.842. Conclusions The Chinese version of ICQ has good reliability and validity, and is applicable to comfort survey on regional total knee arthroplasty post-operative patients in China. Key words: Arthroplasty, replacement, knee; Immobilization Comfort Questionnaire; General Comfort Questionnaire; Chinesized; Reliability; Validity

Identifying the Factors Affecting Comfort and the Comfort Levels of Patients Hospitalized in the Coronary Care Unit.

Comfort, a concept associated with the art of nursing, is important for reducing the negative impact of hospitalization in a coronary care unit (CCU). Providing nursing interventions that ensure patient comfort is important for patients to respond positively to treatment. To determine the factors affecting comfort and the comfort levels of patients hospitalized in the CCU. A descriptive study. The study was conducted between December 2015 and February 2016 in the CCU of a state hospital located in Trabzon, Turkey. The sample consisted of 119 patients who complied with the criteria of inclusion for the study. Data were collected using the "Patient Information Form" and a "General Comfort Questionnaire." The mean patient comfort score was 3.22 ± 0.33, and we found significant relationships between comfort scores and age (r = -0.19; P = .03) and communication by nurses and physicians (P < .05). Regression analysis revealed that sufficient communication by physicians, education level, age, and having a companion were related to the comfort level (P < .05). Communication by nurses and physicians and having a companion could change the comfort levels of patients hospitalized in the CCU.

Cultural adaptation and reliability of the General Comfort Questionnaire for chronic renal patients in Brazil.

ABSTRACTObjective:to make the cultural adaptation and evaluate the reliability of the Brazilian version of the General Comfort Questionnaire for chronic hemodialytic renal patients. Method:methodological study with the following steps: translation; consensus among judges; back-translation; validation of equivalence (semantic, idiomatic, experimental and conceptual) by 12 judges; and pre-test with 80 chronic renal patients on hemodialysis. Reliability was checked through measures of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha). Results:the overall consensus of the instrument had 94.3% of equivalence. Twenty-one items of the instrument were modified. Of these, only two needed semantic and idiomatic changes. The other 19 underwent few modifications, such as reversing words in the sentence and replacing some corresponding synonym terms. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.80, indicating optimal internal consistency. In the application, the total score ranged from 116 to 172 points (M = 151.66; SD = ± 12.60). Conclusion:the validation of the Portuguese version of the instrument represents one additional resource to be made available to nephrologist nurses; it will aid in directing the decision-making so that the nursing interventions be performed according to the level of comfort and domain, either physical, socio-cultural, environmental or psycho-spiritual. The tool was named in Portuguese: General Comfort Questionnaire - Brazilian version.

Instruments to assess patient comfort during hospitalization: A psychometric review

To analyse the psychometric properties and the utility of instruments used to measure patient comfort, physical, social, psychospiritual and/or environmental, during hospitalization. There are no systematic reviews nor psychometric reviews of instruments used to measure comfort, which is considered an indicator of quality in health care associated with quicker discharges, increased patient satisfaction and better cost-benefit ratios for the institution. Psychometric review. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, ProQuest Thesis&Dissertations, Google. We limited our search to studies published between 1990-2015. The psychometric analysis was performed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN), along with the Quality Criteria for Measurement Properties. The utility of the instruments was assessed according to their cost-efficiency, acceptability and educational impact. Protocol registration in PROSPERO, CRD42016036290. Instruments reviewed showed moderate methodological quality and their utility was poorly reported. Thus, we cannot recommend any questionnaire without reservations, but the Comfort Scale, the General Comfort Questionnaire and their adaptations in adults and older patients, the Psychosocial Comfort Scale and the Incomfort des Patients de Reanimation are the most recommendable instruments to measure comfort. The methodology of the studies should be more rigorous and authors should adequately report the utility of instruments. This review provides a strategy to select the most suitable instrument to assess patient comfort according to their psychometric properties and utility, which is crucial for nurses, clinicians, researchers and institutions.

Influencing factors of the comfort condition of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma underwent radiotherapy in ethnic minority areas

Objective To investigate the comfort condition and its influencing factors of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma underwent radiotherapy in ethnic minority areas so as to guide clinical nurses in providing the key nursing intervention. Methods A total of 200 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma from three class III grade A hospitals in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were surveyed using General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ) , Social Support Rating Scale and Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ) . Results The overall comfort level score of patients was (60.54±8.32) . The number of radiotherapies, family company, literacy, medical coping mode (yield) , whether accompanied by other diseases, with chemotherapy or not, and the utilization rate of support were influencing factors of the comfort level (β'=-0.326, -0.236, 0.184, -0.180, -0.169, -0.167, 0.144; P<0.05) . Conclusions Medical staffs should encourage patients to use social support, take the initiative and positive coping styles, and pay more attention to patients with no family to accompany during mid-late radiotherapy, lower education degree, accompanied by other diseases or undergoing chemotherapy at the same time. Key words: Minority groups; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Radiotherapy; Comfort condition; Influencing factor

Comfort of formal and informal caregivers to palliative care patients in primary health care

Objective: to analyze the comfort of formal and informal caregivers to palliative care patients, identifying the variables associated with the difficulties for home care. Methods: cross-sectional study involving 50 caregivers of palliative care patients attended in the Family Health Strategy, using the General Comfort Questionnaire. Results: most caregivers were women (86.0%), with a mean age of 52 years, with partners (68.0%) and practicing some religion (72.0%). The comfort scores ranged between 202 and 263, with a median of 235. An inverse relation was verified between the General Comfort Questionnaire score and caregiver reports of some difficulty in care delivery to palliative care patients (OR=0.90; 95.0% CI 0.81-1.01). Conclusion: the comfort level of the palliative care patients’ caregivers was relatively good and was associated with the difficulties in home care.

Application effects of pressure brake pants in patients with liver cancer after TACE

Objective To explore the application effects of pressure brake pants on patients with liver cancer after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) . Methods The study recruited 50 liver cancer patients who were admitted to Lianyungang No.2 people's hospital from May 2015 to May 2016 to receive TACE. The participants were randomly divided into the intervention group (n=25) and the control group (n=25). Based on the routine nursing care, patients in the intervention group also had to wear the pressure brake pants. The general comfort questionnaire (GCQ) was applied to assess the comfort level. Comparing the comfort and satisfaction between the two groups. Results The intervention group had higher GCQ score six hours after the operation compared with the control group (P<0.05). Besides, patients of the intervention group were much more satisfied with the nursing care compared with the patients in control group (92% vs. 64%, P<0.05) . Conclusions The pressure brake pants can effectively improve patients' comfort level and prevent the incidence of pressure sores. Moreover, they are good for privacy protection and high quality of nursing care. Key words: Nursing care; Interventional therapy; Comfort

Comfort over Pain in Pregnancy

Pregnancy is often a time when chronic pain is exacerbated, or when acute pain appears. Frequently the easiest intervention within reach, for both chronic and acute pain, is a prescription. However, medication cannot correct the cause of the pain; instead it alters the person's experiential perception of the pain. In addition, medication exposes both mother and fetus to risks. To provide simple, evidence-based, holistic/alternative remedies for women who experienced nonemergent pain during pregnancy. Holistic/alternative techniques for increasing comfort were taught to the participants and individualized during three sessions. Levels of pain and comfort were measured before and after the treatment, using the validated General Comfort Questionnaire and Pain Outcomes Profile. Pain scores decreased from an average of 5.8/10 to 3.5/10 (p = .00). Comfort scores increased from an average of 17.5 to 30 (p = .00).

Prevalence and Factors Affecting Dysmenorrhea in Female University Students: Effect on General Comfort Level

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and the affecting factors of dysmenorrhea and its effects on overall comfort among female university students. This was a cross-sectional study. The research was carried out between October and November 2013 at a university in Ankara. This study was conducted with 200 female students. The data were analyzed using frequencies, means, SD, χ2 tests, independent t tests and analysis of variance. Data were collected using an interview questionnaire, the visual analog scale (VAS) and the General Comfort Questionnaire. The mean age of students in this study group was 20.85 ± 2.15 years. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea in the students was 84%. The mean severity of pain was 5.78 ± 2.45 on the VAS. The present study found that 45.8% of female students experienced moderate menstrual pain and the most common co-occurring symptoms were irritability (34.6%) and fatigue (21.5%). One-fourth of the students with dysmenorrhea consulted the advice of a physician and the most commonly used methods for pain were analgesics (69%), heat application (56.5%), and rest (71.4%). Family history of dysmenorrhea, education about menstruation, and frequency of menstrual cycle were identified as important factors in the development of dysmenorrhea (p < .05). The mean general comfort score for students with dysmenorrhea (2.57 ± 0.25) was lower than that of students without the condition (2.65 ± 0.23). Also, use of the methods for management of dysmenorrhea was found to increase students' general comfort levels. Therefore, it is important for nurses to educate and advise adolescents and young women about dysmenorrhea.

Correlation Between Health Status And Comfort In HIV/AIDS Patients Referred To Imam Khomeini hospital In 1391

is a very complicated process ,so affects different dimentions of physical health,social,spiritual andpsychological aspects of an individual. The aim of this study was determine the correlation betweengeneral(overall)comfort with health status in patients with HIV/AIDS was conducted in 1391.Methods and Material: This descriptive – correlation study was performed on 25 HIV/AIDS patient thatrefferd to Imam Khomeine Hospital in Tehran in 1391 by convenience sampling methods. A questionnairewith items related to demographic information,36-Item-Form Health Survey(SF-36) and general comfortquestionnaire was used for data collection. Its validity was assured by content validity method. Data wereanalyzed using SPSS 16 software . A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to determine therelationship between variables.Findings: Based on the finding average of ages was 36. 44±10. 43 who 60% were married and 64% werelived with their partner and children. The mean of physical status and psychological ,social- economic status,total health status and general comfort was 41. 68±13. 56,36. 84±17. 38,31±14. 61,109±34. 86,86. 48±22. 63.The relationship between stage of disease and physical health status and married and total health status, andPhysical health and psychological health status(p=0. 001,r = 0. 9)was significant(P= 0. 02, r = 0. 4),(P= 0.001, r=0. 6).Conclusion: According to the results, some features of AIDS can associated with different dimentions healthstatus which eventually may be affect general comfort in HIV/AIDS patients.Keywords: Health status, General Comfort, Comfort, HIV/AIDS.

Avaliação do bem-estar de cuidadores familiares de adultos com neoplasia maligna no âmbito domiciliar

The aim of this study was to analyze the well-being of family caregivers of adults with malignant neoplasms in the home environment by means of the Avaliacao de Bem-Estar Global (a validated version of the General Comfort Questionnaire for Brazilian Portuguese). A cross-sectional study was developed in Maringa, in the state of Parana, comprising 96 caregivers. Data were collected between July 2011 and February 2012. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The presence of spirituality and the benefits of a network offering support for care provision are factors that contributed to promoting well-being. Family concerns and physical and emotional discomfort of the patient were the items that had the lowest scores. When comparing the results with a study developed in a hospital environment, we concluded that the scenario has little effect on well-being. However, some items suggest care provided at home has a greater impact on the well-being of caregivers.

Anxiety and comfort levels of nursing students

This research was planned to determine the comfort and anxiety levels of the nursing students. In this descriptive study, research population consisted of the students studying in a School of Nursing of a university in the 2011-2012 academic year (N = 710). The students to be included in the sample were selected through stratified sampling method depending on the sizes of classes (n = 221). In the research, data were collected through group-type questionnaire method in the classroom environment by using the Student Information Form developed by the researcher, General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). It was concluded that the students participating in the research had moderate level of comfort and low level of anxiety.