Health Behaviours and the Sense of Optimism in Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Validity and Reliability of the Greek Version of Adult Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Terms of Dispositional Optimism in a Community-Dwelling Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccine hesitancy is an important public health issue referring to concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccination. Within a framework, this study aimed to assess the cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Greek version of the adult Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (aVHS) as well as to identify the determinants of vaccine hesitancy among a large regional population in central Greece. A cross-sectional study was conducted enrolling 300 adults who had received primary healthcare services in the Health Centers and Local Health Units of the Magnesia Region from October to December 2022. The aVHS and the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) were used to identify vaccine hesitancy and the dispositional level of optimism, respectively. For survey translation, the procedure of forward and backward translation was followed. Also, the aVHS was tested in a pilot study with a sample of 18 responders. Construct validity and internal consistency reliability were investigated via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficients, respectively. Simple and multiple linear regression analysis were used to determine predictors for vaccine hesitancy. Factor analyses indicated that the aVHS comprises two constructs ("lack of confidence" and "risk perception") explaining 68.9% of the total variance. The Cronbach's alpha of the total scale was 0.884, indicating its high internal consistency. Participants who lived in rural areas, had a lower annual income, and reported a lower level of optimism showed a higher lack of confidence in vaccination. On the other hand, people aged above 45 years old who had graduated from high school or elementary school and were unemployed showed greater aversion to the risks of side effects. Finally, certain socio-demographic characteristics were associated with vaccine hesitancy. Our data suggest that the aVHS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring vaccine-related attitudes and perceptions in Greek society, providing meaningful insight into designing vaccination-related preventive interventions in the community.

Religiosity, stress, and depressive symptoms among nursing and medical students during the middle stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Morocco

Background

Recent studies on nursing and medical students showed a higher prevalence of depression and stress than the general population. Religiosity and spirituality are common in Muslim countries and are usually used as a means of coping strategy for psychological and mental disorders.

Objective

Our objective was to evaluate the association between religious actions, depressive symptoms, and stress among students of nursing education lasting 3 years and students from the first 3 years of medical education lasting 7 years. The study was conducted at Ibn Zohr University of Agadir, Morocco.

Method

A sample of different stages of nursing and medical students was recruited. Religiosity was assessed by Muslim Belief into Action (M.BIAC) scale. The depressive symptoms and stress were, respectively, assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).

Results

Four hundred and thirteen students participated in this study. Our results showed a high prevalence of depressive symptoms (62.2%) and stress (66.8%). The depression scores were higher in the following subsample categories: students in the first 2 years of studies, female medical students, and nursing students with significant differences. The recorded religiosity was greater among students without depression compared to students with depression (p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression, the BIAC score demonstrated religiosity as neither a risk factor nor a protective factor of depression.

Conclusion

Religiosity constitutes a protective factor of depression and stress among nursing and medical students. This should improve the student's ability to cope with stressful situations during their training. Prospective studies are needed to further investigate this association and how religiosity improves mental health. This would contribute to improved academic performance and wellbeing among medical and nursing students.

Health Behaviours among Nursing Students in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(1) Background: An individual's health status can be perceived as a consequence of their health behaviours. This research aimed to determine the intensity of health-promoting behaviours and to identify factors determining the health behaviours of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: This study included 894 nursing students from six universities in Poland, and it was conducted between 20 March and 15 December 2021. A diagnostic survey was applied as the research method, and the data were collected using the Health Behaviour Inventory and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. (3) Results: Nearly half of the students participating in the study (48.43%) declared that the intensity of their general health behaviours was low. A positive and significant correlation (r = 0.426) was found between general health behaviours and satisfaction with life. A regression model demonstrated general satisfaction with life to be a predictor of taking up health-related behaviours (18%; β = 0.34), as well as in terms of proper eating habits (4%; β = 0.15), prophylactic behaviours (6%; β = 0.21), positive mental attitudes (26%; β = 0.44) and applied pro-health practices (10%; β = 0.25). (4) Conclusions: Most nursing students showed low levels of health-promoting behaviours. More research is needed on health behaviours and their determinants among nursing students, as it may be important in explaining the mechanisms of health behaviour formation.

Loneliness and Satisfaction with Life among Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(1) The COVID-19 pandemic poses threats to human life and health around the world. This study attempts to determine the correlation between loneliness and satisfaction with life among nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia and to seek predictors of social and emotional loneliness among the students. (2) A total of 756 nursing students from Poland, Spain and Slovakia took part in the study. A diagnostic survey was applied as the research method, and the data were collected with the sense of loneliness measurement scale (de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale–DJGLS) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). (3) The mean age of the participants was 21.20 years (SD = 1.97). A correlation analysis revealed statistically significant, negative correlations, with an average and high strength, between the general sense of loneliness and its components (social loneliness and emotional loneliness) and satisfaction with life among students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia. A regression analysis showed one’s satisfaction with life to be a predictor of a sense of loneliness among nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. (4) Students with a stronger sense of loneliness also feel lower life satisfaction. It is important to take preventive and prophylactic actions concerning loneliness among students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.