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Abstract. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all societies worldwide. The heightened levels of stress that accompanied the crisis were also expected to affect parenting in many families. Since it is known that high levels of stress in the parenting domain can lead to a condition that has severe consequences for health and well-being, we examined whether the prevalence of parental burnout in 26 countries (9,923 parents; 75% mothers; mean age 40) increased during COVID-19 compared to few years before the pandemic. In most (but not all) countries, analyses showed a significant increase in the prevalence of parental burnout during the pandemic. The results further revealed that next to governmental measures (e.g., number of days locked down, homeschooling) and factors at the individual and family level (e.g., gender, number of children), parents in less (vs. more) indulgent countries suffered more from parental burnout. The findings suggest that stricter norms regarding their parenting roles and duties in general and during the pandemic in particular might have increased their levels of parental burnout.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6-month combined aerobic and strength exercise training program on functional and psychological aspects and health-related quality of life in patients with PH and to evaluate its longer-term impact. In total, 22 stable patients (mean age 53.9 ± 13.8 , 13 female) with pulmonary hypertension of World Health Organization (WHO) class I-III participated in a nine-month study. They were randomly assigned into two groups: Group A participated in a 6-month combined aerobic and strength exercise training program, whereas Group B remained untrained. All patients underwent physical and psychological assessment at baseline and at month 6 (after completing the exercise program) and physical assessment after 9 months (3 months posttraining). After the 6-month exercise training program, patients of Group A significantly improved their physical (6MWD, STS 10 rep, STS 20 rep, TUG, lower limb strength, cardiopulmonary exercise time, METs, peak VO2, VCO2, and VE/VCO2 slope) and psychological aspects (SF-36, STAI, and BDI). Between the two groups, differences were observed at the 6MWD (95% CI: 36.2-64.6, η 2 = 0.72 ), STS 10 rep (95% CI: 6.6-2.2, η 2 = 0.4 ), STS 20 rep (95% CI: 10.8-2.4, η 2 = 0.34 ), lower limb strength (95% CI: 7.2-3.6, η 2 = 0.38 ), cardiopulmonary exercise time (95% CI: 0.1-3.3, η 2 = 0 . 2 ), and VCO2 (95% CI: 0.1-0.5, η 2 = 0 . 2 ). Additionally, psychological changes were noted at SF-36, PCS (95% CI: 3.6-14.8, η 2 = 0.35 ), MCS (95% CI: 1.3-16.1, η 2 = 0.22 ), TCS (95% CI: 1.3-16.1, η 2 = 0.22 ), and STAI (95% CI: 1.8-28.2, η 2 = 0.18 ). The favorable results of exercise were maintained at the 3-month posttraining follow-up assessment. No exercise-induced complications were observed throughout the study. In conclusion, a long-term exercise training program is a safe and effective intervention to improve functional status, psychological aspects, and health-related quality of life in patients with PH.

Background Understanding how nursing students in European countries perceive their future professional role is an important step in creating awareness of the diversity and similarities between countries. Investigating nursing students’ perceptions of their future profession could help in the design of education and the retention of nurses. Aim To compare nursing students’ perceptions of the professional nurse's role between Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden. Method A cross‐sectional design was implemented. The study used two scales of the Professional Nursing Image Survey, which has questions about 10 skills and abilities and 14 functions and duties of a nurse. Results A total of 392 final‐year nursing students in four countries participated in the study. Statistically significant differences were found between countries in terms of all 10 skills and abilities and in the distribution of responses concerning functions and duties of a nurse. Conclusions Nursing students in Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden perceive differently the role of a nurse in terms of some functions and responsibilities. This may influence the adaptation of nurses who enjoy freedom of movement among the countries. Implications for nursing policy The knowledge gained in this study could be beneficial in improving nursing education, as it could illuminate the discrepancy between educational goals and students’ perceptions of their future professional role.