Reproducibility of the German and Slovakian Versions of the Dietary Habits and Nutrition Beliefs Questionnaire (KomPAN)

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to assess the reproducibility and reliability of the KomPAN questionnaire among two groups of university students from Germany and Slovakia.

METHODS

A total of 422 individuals (mean age 21.4 years, SD 4.0), including 197 from Slovakia (men 26.2%) and 225 from Germany (men 22.3%), were tested using the self-administered (SA-Q) version of the KomPAN questionnaire and then retested two weeks later. A cross-classification analysis, kappa coefficients, Cronbach's ɑ coefficients, and a test-retest result comparison were conducted separately for each group of students to assess the reproducibility and reliability of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

The cross-classification values were higher than 46.2% among the German students and higher than 55.8% among the Slovakian students. The kappa coefficients ranged from 0.21 to 0.90 in the German students and from 0.38 to 0.94 in the Slovakian students. Cronbach's ɑ ranged from 0.58 to 0.78.

CONCLUSION

The questionnaire displayed a moderate to very good reproducibility, which was slightly higher in the Slovakian group than in the German group. Therefore, the questionnaire can be recommended for further analysis and comparison of the dietary habits among Germans and Slovakians on a larger scale.

Self-efficacy and fatigue perceived by nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

The two-year long epidemic situation around the world has resulted in an increasing number of people experiencing "pandemic fatigue". The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between a sense of self-efficacy and fatigue experienced in everyday life by nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study was conducted by the diagnostic survey method on a group of 756 nursing students of the first-cycle degree program, from 20 March to 15 May 2021, in the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin (Poland), as well as in Murcia University (Spain) and in the Catholic University in Ružomberok (Slovakia).

RESULTS

The sense of self-efficacy was significantly lower among the students in Poland than in those in Spain (p < 0.0001) and in Slovakia (p < 0.0001). Students in Slovakia showed symptoms of general, physical, cognitive and psychosocial fatigue much less frequently than those in Poland (p < 0.001) and Spain (p < 0.001). Especially students in Spain acutely felt physical health issues as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-imposed restrictions.

CONCLUSIONS

A high level of a generalized sense of self-efficacy among the nursing students participating in the study was identified. However, it was significantly differentiated with respect to the country of residence. The fatigue severity experienced by the students during the COVID-19 pandemic was determined by a sense of self-efficacy.

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.

Correlation between Positive Orientation and Control of Anger, Anxiety and Depression in Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(1) This study analysed the relationship between positive orientation and subjective control of anger, anxiety and depression in nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the pandemic. (2) The survey was carried out by the diagnostic survey method in a group of 756 nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia. The empirical data were gathered using an original survey questionnaire, the Positive Orientation Scale and the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale. (3) It was shown that the positive orientation level in Polish students was significantly lower than in students in Spain (p < 0.0001) and Slovakia (p < 0.0001). Low results for positive orientation were obtained in nearly half (47.18%) of the respondents in the Polish sample, whereas it was 34.18% and 31.18% in the Spanish and Slovak samples, respectively (p < 0.0001). A positive orientation was the most important predictor of emotional control among the nursing students at all the sites (p < 0.0001). (4) Positive orientation has been shown to have a significant impact on emotional control in nursing students during the pandemic. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor students’ mental health during the pandemic to determine the demand for psychological and emotional support.

Problems, Stressors and Needs of Children and Adolescents with Cancer

BACKGROUND

Cancer diseases in children and adolescents are considered to be one of the most serious health problems in the world. It is estimated that about 151,435 cases are diagnosed in children annually. Children with cancer experience many comorbid symptoms related to diagnosis and treatment that can profoundly affect their lives. They experience physical and emotional suffering, which affects their well-being and physical fitness, influencing the prognosis and deteriorating their physical, mental and social functioning. Given the limited data, an attempt was made to assess the problems of the biopsychosocial sphere of need and stressors among children and adolescents treated for cancer. Accurate symptom assessment is essential to ensure high-quality care and effective treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The qualitative study was conducted in pediatric oncology of hospitals in Poland. Children diagnosed with cancer were invited to participate in the study to assess their problems, stressors and needs.

RESULTS

The study included 520 people, where female sex constituted 48% and male 52%. The mean age of the children is 13.2 SD = 2.5. Negative experiences related to the disease are experienced by 82% of children. Among the surveyed children, the most experienced were anxiety (61%). The conducted research shows that as many as 69% of all respondents experienced states that indicate severe depression. The most common somatic problems reported by children were pain (58%). The most dominant areas of life that had a negative impact was body image (85%).

CONCLUSIONS

Children and adolescents diagnosed with neoplastic disease experience many problems and stressors in every sphere of life, which undoubtedly affects a high level of unmet needs. The main category of needs concerning the challenges faced by children with cancer was psychological and care problems. In the youth group, the needs were mainly related to education and social support.

Personalized Healthcare: The Importance of Patients' Rights in Clinical Practice from the Perspective of Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia-A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This study aimed to define the role and importance of patients’ rights in personalized healthcare from the perspective of nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia. Methods: The research was carried out by means of a diagnostic survey, using the survey technique, with the participation of 1002 nursing students attending a full-time undergraduate study program at three European countries. The “Patients’ rights” questionnaire was used as a research tool. The average age of students was 21.6 years (±3.4). The empirical material collected was subjected to a statistical analysis. Results: The study demonstrated that 72.1% of nursing students from Spain, 51.2% from Poland and 38.5% from Slovakia believe that patients’ rights are respected at a good level in their country. Significant intergroup differences (F = 67.43; p < 0.0001) were observed in the self-assessment of students’ knowledge of patients’ rights. The highest average values were obtained by students from Spain (3.54 ± 0.92), while 35.9% of students from Slovakia and 25.5% from Poland were quite critical and pointed to their low level of knowledge of patients’ rights in their self-assessment. When ranking patients’ rights related to respecting dignity, students from Spain obtained much higher average values (4.37 ± 0.92) than students from the other two countries. Conclusions: The level of students’ knowledge of patients’ rights and the respect for patients’ rights by medical personnel is, in the opinion of the respondents, quite diverse and requires in-depth educational activities among nursing students at the university level in respective countries.