Socio-demographic Scale Research Articles

Death Anxiety and Resilience in Older Adults: The Moderating Role of Attachment Patterns.

The unique human awareness of the fact that life is finite, and that death is unavoidable has been shown to elicit negative psychological consequences across the life cycle. However, research has demonstrated that the ability to seek, maintain, and gain comfort from close relationships mitigates the adverse psychological effects of death awareness/anxiety. Moreover, relatively little is known about how death anxiety and social relationships in old age are associated with resilience, an important personal protective factor for dealing with general and age-related difficulties. Accordingly, the current work examined the links between death anxiety and resilience in older adults and explored the potential moderating role of attachment patterns for this link. Data were collected from 369 older Israeli adults (Mage = 73.15, SD = 6.31, range = 60-94), who completed scales examining death anxiety, attachment patterns, and resilience, as well as sociodemographic scales. The results demonstrated that death anxiety, attachment anxiety, and attachment avoidance were associated with reduced resilience. Moreover, the death anxiety-resilience link was not significant for individuals reporting high or low levels of both attachment anxiety and avoidance. The findings are discussed through the prism of Terror Management Theory, and practical implications are suggested.

The Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and its Association with Adult Attachment Styles among University of Nairobi Undergraduate Students

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is globally recognized as a critical public health and human rights concern. This issue is especially prevalent among university students. However, there is still insufficient empirical evidence on the psychological dimensions of IPV from the perspective of attachment theory. Specifically, more research is needed on how attachment styles influence IPV victimization within academic settings. This analytical cross-sectional study aimed to assess the association between IPV victimization and adult attachment styles, along with relevant sociodemographic factors. Data collection employed validated and standardized instruments, including the adapted Adult Attachment Scale and WHO scale to measure attachment styles and IPV, respectively. Additionally, a designed sociodemographic scale assessed respondents’ attributes. The study targeted undergraduate students at the University of Nairobi, with data collected electronically using Kobo Collect software from a sample of 445 students (38.7% male, 61.3% female). Data analysis, performed using STATA version 17, revealed that the majority of participants (81.3%) were aged between 18 and 25 years, with an overall IPV prevalence of 41.1%. Bivariate correlational analyses demonstrated significant positive associations between IPV prevalence and both anxious and avoidant attachment styles. Students with anxious attachment styles were four times more likely to experience IPV compared to those with secure attachment (p < 0.001, OR = 3.99, 95% CI: 2.4-6.7). Similarly, participants with avoidant attachment styles were twice as likely to experience IPV compared to those with secure attachment (p = 0.02, OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.1-4.1). Among sociodemographic factors, cigarette smoking (AOR = 4.0, p = 0.038) and marijuana use (AOR = 2.4, p = 0.026) showed significant associations with IPV experience. However, gender, age, and course of study demonstrated no significant associations with IPV. Recommendations for further research and policy implications are discussed herein.

Knowledge and attitude towards handling medical-legal records among nurses

Knowledge and attitude are essential for the proper handling of medico-legal records. A healthcare professional with a good understanding of the law and the proper procedures for documenting and preserving records will be better equipped to protect themselves and their patients in the event of a legal dispute. A positive attitude towards medico-legal records will also help to ensure that they are handled in a timely and accurate manner. The study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude towards handling medical-legal records among nurses. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 150 nurses from various government hospitals in South India. Convenient sampling was used to select the participants. A sociodemographic scale, knowledge questionnaires, and a Likert scale were used to collect data. Data was coded in Excel and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. The results of the study indicate that a significant portion of the nurses had average knowledge (64%) and a considerable number had poor knowledge (36%) regarding the handling of medical-legal records. None of the participants showed a good level of knowledge. In terms of attitude, 68% of the nurses displayed a moderate attitude, 26% had a low attitude, and only 6% exhibited a high level of attitude towards the subject. The study found that nurses had average knowledge and moderate attitude towards handling medico-legal records. However, there were gaps in knowledge and low attitude, which highlights the need for interventions and educational programs.

Family Burden and Family Support among Caregivers of Clients with Schizophrenia: A Descriptive Study

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a very incapacitating mental disorder that has far-reaching consequences for both the patient and their loved ones. A caregiver's responsibilities typically encompass all but the most basic aspects of a client's health and well-being. The purpose of this research is to measure the family burden and family support among caregivers of schizophrenic patients. Materials and Methodology: The study was of a quantitative and descriptive in nature. 50 caregivers of patients with schizophrenia were selected using a convenience sampling technique from the outpatient departments of three psychiatric institutions in South India. Research study lasted for a total of 4 weeks. Caretakers of patients with schizophrenia between the ages of 18 and 60 were considered. Non-relative caregivers were not allowed to participate. Statistical information was gathered with the aid of the Socio-Demographic Scale, the Modified Family Burden Assessment Scale, and the Family Support Assessment Scale. The data was entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed with IBM SPSS version 26. Results: The results shows that about 66% and 34% of the study participants were having moderate and severe family burden respectively. Regarding family support 76% of the participants were having low level of family support and 24% having moderate family support. Conclusion: Caregivers of people with schizophrenia would benefit greatly from having family support, according to the study's findings. The nurse administrator plays a pivotal role in educating the caregivers.

Burden and Psychological Distress among the Caregiver of Cervical Cancer Patients Admitted in a Maternity Tertiary Care Centre, Chennai

Background: The incidence and frequency of cervical cancer have increased over the past few decades, especially in low-income regions. Burnout among primary care providers, which, if untreated, can have a severe effect on patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to measure the burden and psychological distress experienced by caregivers of women with advanced cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: The investigator used a descriptive, single-center approach. The duration of the study was three months. In this study, we randomly selected 50 caregivers of women with advanced cervical cancer. Participants in the study were caretakers ranging from 20 to 65 years of age. Professional caretakers were excluded. A caregivers self-assessment questionnaire, a sociodemographic scale, and the Zarit burden interview (ZBI-12) scale were used to gather the data. The obtained data were entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed using SPSS version 26. Results: The numbers show that 46% of caretakers have a high level of burden, 54% experience a moderate level of burden. 64 % of caretakers reported feeling some emotional distress, 26 % reported significant distress, and 10 % reported feeling very little. Conclusion: In sum, the nurse educator plays a key role in reducing the mental and physical stress placed on caregivers by assisting them in identifying and responding to their loved ones' needs.

Effect of Academic Self-Sufficiency on Vocational Motivation Levels of Nursing Students

Aim: Self-sufficiency is the self-perception of the individual. This perception can be coping with various situations and accomplishing an activity. Motivation is one of the most important factors affecting human behavior. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of academic self-sufficiency of student nurses on vocational motivation levels.
 Material and Method: The study was designed as cross-sectional study. Academic self-efficacy scale, motivation resources and problems scale and sociodemographic scale were applied to participants. The data was analyzed with SPSS.
 Results: 289 people participated in our study. Mean of age was (20.54±2.21 years). The mean of academic self-efficacy was 16.27±3.47. Motivation resources and scale of problems mean was 3.56±0.54. The correlation coefficient between the two scales was r:-0.244. 
 Conclusion: The self-sufficiency score of participants academic was moderate. The academic self-efficacy of nursing students needs to be increased. For this, it is recommended to encourage participation in scientific and social activities. Vocational motivation should be determined especially in the senior students.

Sexual Activity in Peruvian Adolescents: Relevance of Socio-Demographic Variables and Sexual Attitudes.

The aim of this study was to explain the masturbation frequency and sexual relationships in adolescents based on age, religious adherence, erotophilia, attitudes toward sexual fantasies and masturbation, and the traditional sexual double standard. A sample of 1120 Peruvian adolescents aged 13–17 years responded to a socio-demographic questionnaire and different scales about sexuality. The frequency of masturbation and sexual relationships, as well as in the sexual attitudes evaluated differed by sex, with boys scoring higher. The masturbation frequency was explained by erotophilia in boys, and by positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies in both sexes. The frequency of sexual relationships was explained by age and positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies in boys and only by the latter in girls. Positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies stand out as a variable for understanding sexual activity in adolescents.

Insite into Herbal Medicinal Practices among the Students of Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Morroco: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: This study sought to investigate the prevalence and determine factors for predicting the use of herbal medicine, among Sultan Moulay Slimane University students. Methods: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study from March 1st, 2017 to April 13th, 2017. Four hundred seventy-six university students were interviewed using a questionnaire including a socio-demographic scale and herbal self-therapy knowledge and behaviors. The statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 2016). Results: The frequency of herbal self-therapy among Sultan Moulay Slimane University students has reached 65%. 26.07% of the participants reported that the first reason for using herbal self-therapy was a lack of money. Meanwhile, the most common conditions that prompted them to use these plants on their own were cough and cold (36.48%), and abdominal pain due to heartburn or peptic ulcer (24.41%). The most frequent self-administered plants were Thymus vulgaris (43.7%). Family, seniors, or classmates were a source of information for herbal self-therapy. Conclusion: The region of Beni Mellal, Morocco has important floristic biodiversity of medicinal plants that are used in traditional medicine practice. The present paper represents significant ethnobotanical information on medical plants, which provides baseline data for future pharmacological and phytochemical studies. Therefore, there is a need to establish effective herbal medicine policies and health education programs to discuss the benefits and risks of herbal medicine use with the aim of maximizing patient-desired therapeutic outcomes.

Introduction and Psychometric Validation of the Resilience and Strain Questionnaire (ResQ-Care)- A Scale on the Ratio of Informal Caregivers' Resilience and Stress Factors.

Background: Informal caregivers are a particularly vulnerable population at risk for adverse health outcomes. Likewise, there are many scales available assessing individual caregiver burden and stress. Recently, resilience in caregivers gained increasing interest and scales started to assess resilience factors as well. Drawing on a homeostatic model, we developed a scale assessing both caregivers' stress and resilience factors. We propose four scales, two covering stress and two covering resilience factors, in addition to a sociodemographic basic scale. Based on the stress:resilience ratio, the individual risk of adverse health outcomes and suggestions for interventions can be derived.Methods: A total of 291 informal caregivers filled in the ResQ-Care as part of a survey study conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Exploratory factor analysis was performed. Validity analyses were examined by correlations with the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15).Results: The data fitted our proposed four-factor solution well, explaining 43.3% of the variance. Reliability of each scale was at least acceptable with Cronbach's α ≥0.67 and MacDonald's ω ≥0.68 for all scales. The two strain scales weighed more than the resilience scales and explained 65.6% of the variance. Convergent and discriminant validity was confirmed for the BRS and PSS-4, whereas the GDS-15 correlation pattern was counterintuitive.Conclusion: The factor structure of the ResQ-Care scale was confirmed, with good indications of reliability and validity. Inconsistent correlations of the scales with the GDS-15 might be due to a reduced validity of GDS-15 assessment during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Psychiatric Comorbidities Of Video Games Addiction Among Egyptian Medical Students

Abstract Background To assess psychiatric comorbidities with video games addiction among medical students of faculty of medicine, Ain Shams university. Methods This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. which examined the relationship between videogaming addiction scale subcategories and psychiatric co-morbidities in the studied subjects. The studied subjects were assessed by Fahmy & Sherbini sociodemographic scale, lemmens scale and ICD-10. Results The results showed that the subjects who were having mania were 2 subjects (6.7%), 4 subjects suffering from depression (13.3%), 5 subjects suffering from cyclothymia (16.7%), 19 subjects were free from psychiatric co-morbidities (63.3%) Conclusions video gaming addicts have psychiatric comorbidities that warrants awareness of clinicians and families.

Professional Burnout in Workers in Nurseries and Kindergartens in a Southern Chilean Province: An Approach to Childrens Mental Health

Introduction: In Chile there is little information on professional burnout in workers in nurseries and kindergartens, despite the fact that it is a phenomenon that would have consequences not only for those who suffer from it but also for the people around them, particularly those who are under their care. Methodology: A quantitative approach, descriptive non-experimental transectional design was used. 97 caregivers selected through convenience sampling were studied, to whom the Maslach Burnout Inventory (HSS) and a sociodemographic background scale were applied with the objective of determining the prevalence of burnout syndrome in such workers ina province of the South of Chile. Results: The results show that almost all the participants (99%) have some level of professional burnout, a high number of people have medium or high levels of Emotional Exhaustion (46.9%) and Depersonalization (31.2%), as well as a level medium or low Personal Achievement (27.1%). It was also observed that Emotional Exhaustion varies according to the stage of development (p = .009) and the educational level (p = 0.017).

P–491 The mediator role of pain-related psychological inflexibility in the relationship between psychopathological symptoms and pain intensity in endometriosis

Abstract Study question Does pain-related psychological inflexibility play a role in the relationship between psychopathological symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress) and pain intensity in women with endometriosis? Summary answer Pain-related psychological inflexibility acts as a mediator exclusively between depressive symptoms and pain intensity. Psychopathological symptoms did not reveal a direct effect on pain intensity. What is known already Endometriosis is a chronic and incapacitating condition frequently involving the experience of pain (e.g., dysmenorrhea, ovulation pain, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain). Women dealing with endometriosis may present impaired health-related quality of life and psychological distress, with depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms being commonly reported. Pain-related psychological inflexibility involves emotion regulation processes, such as avoidance of pain and cognitive fusion with pain. Cognitive and behavioural processes influence the relationship between pain and psychopathological symptoms, and pain-related psychological inflexibility showed to be an underlying mechanism in this relationship. Study design, size, duration Cross-sectional study. Participants’ recruitment was completed through the Associação Portuguesa de Apoio a Mulheres com Endometriose and the Associação Portuguesa de Fertilidade (endometriosis and infertility patients’ associations). Inclusion criteria were age (18 years or older) and an endometriosis medical diagnosis (self-reported). Data collection occurred between February 2018 and May 2018. Participants/materials, setting, methods A sample encompassing 209 women with an endometriosis diagnosis completed online a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS – 21), the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and the Psychological Inflexibility in Pain Scale (PIPS-PT). Descriptive and correlational analyses were carried out using SPSS v. 26, and path analyses were estimated in AMOS (v. 24) with bootstrap procedures (2000 samples). Main results and the role of chance Participants’ age ranged from 18 to 50 years old with a mean of 34.03 (SD = 6.44) years. The majority of participants were married (n = 112; 53.6%), followed by single (n = 54; 25.8%). Regarding years of education, a mean of 14.62 years (SD = 2.80) was found. Participants reported that their endometriosis diagnosis had been established for 4.55 years (SD = 4.56). Correlation analyses showed that depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms were significantly and positively associated with pain intensity and pain-related psychological inflexibility. A mediation analysis was conducted to examine whether pain-related psychological inflexibility mediated the effect of psychopathological symptoms on pain intensity. Paths showing not to be statistically significant were removed. The final model defining an effect of depressive symptoms on pain intensity mediated by pain-related psychological inflexibility explained 26% of the variance. This model showed a good fit to the empirical data: χ2(5) = 10.75, p = .057, CMIN/DF = 2.15; TLI = .98; CFI = .99; RMSEA = .07, 95% CI = .00 to .14. Depressive symptoms predicted elevated pain intensity fully through higher pain-related psychological inflexibility (b = .05; SEb = .01; Z = 8.45; p < .001; β= .51). Limitations, reasons for caution Although path analysis is a powerful statistical technique, our findings rely on cross-sectional and self-report data. The study was disseminated through patients’ associations, limiting the inclusion of people who do get in touch with such organizations. Moreover, online recruitment tends to recruit participants with more access to online platforms. Wider implications of the findings: Pain-related psychological inflexibility seems to be a relevant construct to be addressed in the psychological assessment of women dealing with endometriosis. Furthermore, results suggest the relevance of targeting emotion regulation processes, and not only focus on reducing pain, in pain management interventions. Trial registration number N/A.

Impact of Caregiving Burden on Quality of Life of Caregivers of COPD Patients: The Chain Mediating Role of Social Support and Negative Coping Styles.

PurposeCaregivers of COPD patients experience various caregiving burden, which is related to their quality of life. We aimed to explicitly explore whether social support and negative coping styles play the chain mediating roles in the relationship between the caregiving burden of caregivers of COPD patients and their health-related quality of life.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter cross-sectional survey in four hospitals using a convenience sample. Participants who met the inclusion criteria completed five relevant scales, including a sociodemographic scale. One-way ANOVA and Pearson’s method were used to analyze the data accordingly, and chain mediated effect values were estimated by bootstrap method to determine whether the model holds.ResultsAmong the 201 caregivers who participated in this study, the mean age was 55.94 years, most of them were female (61.2%), the mean caregiving burden score was 52.39 ± 14.65, and the quality of life score was 37.97 ± 3.55. Among them, age, gender, education, relationship with the patient, and the number of chronic diseases were the main factors affecting the quality of life score of the caregivers. According to Pearson results, there was a negative correlation between quality of life and caregiving burden, and negative coping styles. The model result showed that caregiving burden could directly and negatively predict quality of life, and also predict quality of life through the chain mediation of social support and negative coping styles.ConclusionIn China, caregivers of patients with COPD experience severe levels of caregiving burden and low quality of life. The combination of adequate perceived social support and lower negative coping can be effective in alleviating caregiving burden and improving their quality of life. Therefore, healthcare professionals should provide targeted guidance to caregivers with the help of social support and interventions that regulate negative coping styles.

Network analysis of the variables involved in Career Development

Abstract The aim of the study was to identify the relationships between career commitment and the perception of employability, career adaptability, self-reflection and insight of professionals from the southern region of Brazil. Participants were 535 individuals who answered an online questionnaire with sociodemographic questions and scales from career commitment, employability perception, career adaptability, self-reflection and insight, to evaluate the variables of interest in the study. The data were submitted to descriptive and network analysis. The results show a moderate and positive relationship between the variables studied and highlight the centrality and strength of the variables identity, planning and confidence among the analyzed variables. It is concluded that it is essential to encourage professionals to reflect on professional choices and their responsibility with their careers, based on the promotion of self-knowledge. Also, the role of organizations in the development of People Management practices that promote autonomy and relationships of trust stands out.

53-LB: Prevalence and Correlates of Diabetes Distress in Low-Income Immigrants with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: The American Diabetes Association has called for more research on distress in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). There is a dearth of data on diabetes distress in underserved immigrants. This study aimed to examine prevalence and correlates of diabetes distress among Chinese immigrants with T2D. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among Chinese immigrants with T2D in New York City in 2018. Sociodemographic survey and diabetes distress scale (DDS) were administered face-to-face by bilingual study staff. DDS is a validated 17-item survey to assess diabetes distress and includes 4 subscales: physician, regimen, interpersonal, and emotional-related distress. Responses for each item ranged from 1 (not a problem) to 6 (a very significant problem) with a score greater than 2 indicating a clinically significant and at least a moderate level of distress. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression modeling were used. Results: The sample (N=94) was mostly female (60.6%), married (75.5%), retired (57.4%), limited English proficient (86.2%) with a mean age of 70.6 (SD=11.6). The majority of participants had a high school education or less (61.7%) and a household income of ≤$25,000/yr (69.1%). Overall, 23.4% of the participants reported at least a moderate level of distress. The most common sources of distress were emotional burden (33.0%), followed by regimen (30.9%), interpersonal (29.8%), and physician (18.1%). Compared to those who were currently employed, those who were retired had a lower odds of diabetes distress (OR=0.12, 95% CI 0.02-0.83). Age, gender, years living in the US, education, and income were not significant correlates. Conclusions: We found high rates of diabetes distress and emotional burden among Chinese immigrants with T2D. Given the known link between diabetes distress and poor health outcomes, it may be important to consider screening for diabetes distress and incorporating psychological counseling in diabetes care. Disclosure L. Hu: None. X. Xu: None. S. Yang: None. L. Lei: None. H. Bao: None. B. Fan: None. M. Sevick: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (U54MD000538-15, K99MD012811, R00MD012811, P30DK111022)

HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) IN OLDER ADULT SUBJECTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN

Aim of the study: The study aims to find the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older adult subjects with knee osteoarthritis pain. Material and methods: A cross-sectional, telephonic study was done on knee osteoarthritis subjects above 50 years of age. Socio-demographic scales and details,(ShalliBavoria, et al., 2020) i.e., WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), SF-12 (Short Form survey), PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire) et al were applied( Soo-Hyun Park and Byeong-Hun Kang., 2020). Information was retrospectively compiled and a semi-structured proforma was selected to gather the clinical variables. Results: Results were identified by domains of Health related quality of life.Results showed that there is significant difference in general health related quality of life based on the KL grading of KOA.(P=0.02,P=0.04)Study concluded that general HRQoL worsens with higher grading of KOA.The results showed that there was a substantial discrepancy witnessed between males and females where females encountered more pain.As stiffness increases HRQoL decreases. More severity of pain was observed in depressed people.(Roger B. Fillingim, et al., 2020) Conclusion: Daily challenges and actions, of which some may be unusual to sufferers in a pastoral setting in India, underlie sedentary and effective strategies to Osteoarthritis and its control. The study concluded that a significant difference in pain and general quality of life-based on the KL grading of KOA (P=0.02, P=0.04) was observed.(Hye-Young Shim, etal, 2018) It was also found that there is a considerable difference in pain based on the duration of ]knee osteoarthritis (P=0.05).( Aliasghar A. Kiadalir, et al., 2017).

Adverse childhood experiences and psychological distress among higher education students in Southeast Nigeria: an institutional-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundExposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) constitutes public health problems linked to adverse mental outcomes such as psychological distress during adulthood. This study examines the prevalence of ACEs and psychological distress and explores the association between ACEs and psychological distress and demographic factors among young adults.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 330 students from May 2018 to July 2018. The participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and the sociodemographic profile scale. We used descriptive statistics to describe the prevalence of ACEs and psychological distress in our sample. After adjusting for the demographic covariates, ACEs’ association with psychological distress was determined using binary and multivariate logistic regressions.ResultsA total of 203 students with a mean age of 20.76 ± 2.73 years completed the study. The total mean ACE score was 4.58 ± 1.59, and the total mean psychological distress score was 20.76 ± 6.31. Most of the participants (86.7%) experienced ACEs, 14.8% reported experiencing one ACE, 30.5% reported experiencing 2–3 ACEs, and 41.3% reported experiencing 4+ ACEs. Further, about 85% of the youth have experienced at least one form of sexual abuse during childhood, and females reported a higher number of ACEs than males. Sexual abuse (OR = 2.36; 95% CI: 2.36, 7.65), physical neglect (OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.57, 5.31), overall ACE exposure (OR = 6.66; 95% CI: 2.41, 18.42), having 1 ACE (OR = 4.40; 95% CI: 1.32, 14.70), having 2–3 ACEs (OR = 4.13; 95% CI: 1.39, 12.29), and having 4+ (OR = 11.67; 95% CI: 3.95, 34.45) were significantly associated with psychological distress.ConclusionsACEs are prevalent among young adults and are associated with psychological distress in adulthood. Furthermore, parental factors are associated with ACEs and psychological distress. Thus, implementation of school, community-and facility-based routine mental health screening programs is essential for prompt identification, prevention, and treatment of youth with childhood adversities and poor mental health outcomes.

Direct oral anticoagulants and therapeutic adherence: do not let your guard down

Background Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) and vitamin K antagonist drugs (VKA) are recommended for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and for treatment of venous thromboembolism. Undoubtedly, DOAC have contributed to improve quality of life of these patients, but unfortunately, available ‘real world’ data show a very high variable compliance to DOAC. Aims and objectives to evaluate predictors that adversely affect therapeutic adherence in patients naive to DOAC. Methods and population this study was conducted on an outpatient population in oral anticoagulant therapy in a period between January 2019 and February 2020. Patients naiveto DOAC and treated for at least 6 months were enrolled. Non-Italian-speaking patients, cognitive or psychiatric disorders, refusal to participate or non-consent to the interview were exclusion criteria. A socio-demographic scale and the 8-item Morisky scale (MMAS-8) questionnaire assessed therapeutic adherence. Results One hundred two DOAC-naïve patients were selected from a population of 407 patients on the first visit at our centre. The population was homogeneously represented for gender (males 48%). The mean age was 79.5 years. Atrial fibrillation (65.7%) resulted the main reason for DOAC prescription and a polypharmacy was detected in 47.1% of the patients. Moreover, an optimal adherence to DOAC therapy was assessed in less than 30% of patients. Conclusions Polypharmacy, patient’s isolation, such as a low education level were statistically associated with a low therapeutic adherence. Therapeutic adherence remains an unsolved problem for anticoagulated patient. To identify patients at higher risk of poor compliance and therapeutic failure and establish targeted care pathways is a priority.

Quality of life and abstinence in alcohol use disorders

IntroductionThe analysis of the impact of individuals’ behaviors on their health involves several variables, namely alcoholism. It is necessary to take in account that when anxiety is excessive it may be very disabling and produce many adverse effects, such as unsatisfactory work performance, anxiety disorders, depressive mood and somatic symptoms. These elements affect the Quality of Life (QOL) drastically, while social support of the patients protect QOL.ObjectivesTo assess the quality of life of patients with alcohol use disorders in treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD).MethodsAn exploratory, descriptive and correlational study was carried out. A sociodemographic scale was used, an instrument constructed by the authors that assesses the existence of risk behaviors and protective health behaviors, the Social Support Satisfaction Scale (ESSS), and a quality of life assessment scale (WHOQOL-Bref). Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 25 statistics.ResultsSample consisting of 34 patients with Alcohol Use Disorders. Abstinence time is positively correlated with QOL and negatively correlated with social support satisfaction.ConclusionsThis study shows that in treatment of patients with AUD, longer abstinence times have a positive effect on QOL and overall wellbeing of patients, while being associated with a lower satisfaction with social support. Treatment Units dedicated to AUD should keep striving for maintenance of abstinence due to these positive effects.

Professional burnout and increased workload during covid-19 in higher education teachers in monteria - colombia

Introduction Faced with the global health emergency, a product of Covid-19, the educational system was forced to change its dynamics, assuming new challenges and adapting to virtual environments (Sierra, López, Azar & Trevethan, 2020). In this sense, the teaching task from home supposes an increase in the hours dedicated to their work, since they have seen the need to be trained in digital platforms to be able to respond to the changes derived from confinement; which can quietly generate professional wear and tear.ObjectivesAnalyze the relationship between professional burnout and increased workload on teachersMethodsA cross-sectional study of correlational scope was carried out in 60 (n = 60) teachers, working actively at a higher education institution. A sociodemographic scale was designed to identify the hours dedicated to work before and during confinement and to evaluate professional burnout, the adaptation of the MBI instrument for the Colombian population was used (Barbato, Córdoba, González, Martínez & Tamayo, 2011)ResultsA 50% increase in the workload of teachers was observed during confinement, besides, a statistically significant correlation between professional burnout and the increase in hours dedicated to work (Table 1)ConclusionsIt was possible to conclude that the significant increase in the workload in teachers correlates positively with levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization; however, no correlations were observed between workload and personal achievement of higher education teachers.