Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-efficacy-enhancing intervention (SEEI) on perceived self-efficacy and actual adherence to healthy behaviours among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: This comparative pre-post study was conducted at the Antenatal Clinic of the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between October 2016 and January 2017. A total of 90 adult Omani women with GDM were randomised to either a control group receiving standard prenatal care or a SEEI group. The SEEI group received an additional health education session and biweekly text messages to encourage adherence to healthy behaviours. All participants completed self-reported standardised questionnaires to determine perceived self-efficacy and actual adherence at baseline and after four weeks. Results: At baseline, there were no significant differences between the control and SEEI groups in mean scores for perceived self-efficacy (122.9 ± 19.9 versus 118.2 ± 19.5; P = 0.26) or actual adherence to healthy behaviours (3.1 ± 1.2 versus 3.2 ± 1.0; P = 0.23). However, after four weeks, there was a significant positive difference between the SEEI and control groups in terms of pre-post change in scores for both perceived self-efficacy (9.9 ± 19.6 versus −1.8 ± 17.6; P <0.05) and actual adherence to healthy behaviours (1.5 ± 1.1 versus 0.4 ± 0.8; P <0.01). Conclusion: The SEEI was found to significantly improve perceived self-efficacy and actual adherence to healthy behaviours among a group of Omani women with GDM.Keywords: Attitude to Health; Health Behaviors; Self Efficacy; Patient Adherence; Gestational Diabetes; Oman.

The purpose of this literature review is to recapitulate the risk factors and predictors of urinary incontinence (UI) in women identified in different published studies, thereby filling such gap in knowledge. The review identified primary research papers published in peer-reviewed journals on risk factors and predictors of UI. The search strategy used for collecting the literature was done using PubMed, Google Scholar and CINAHL databases from 2002 to 2012. The full text articles were obtained as part of the second stage selection process, using the pre-agreed selection criteria. Twelve articles were identified, this includes four cross-sectional studies, five prospective cohort studies, two co-relational descriptive studies and one longitudinal study. Majority of these studies concluded that the major risk factors of UI are age, parity, body mass index (BMI), menopause, recurrent UTI, hysterectomy, number of abortions, foetal weight and the comorbid condition such as diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease. Health care providers need to educate women about the risk factors of UI and health-promoting actions to reduce the risk of UI. Researchers have to enhance primary prevention and promote strategies that help women alter and modify their lifestyle. Lifestyle modification such as healthy food habits, Kegel's exercises and weight reduction ensures the general health promotion and relief from UI symptoms.

Background: Case study analysis is an active, problem-based, student-centered, teacher-facilitated teaching strategy preferred in undergraduate programs as they help the students in developing critical thinking skills. Objective: It determined the effectiveness of case study analysis as an effective teacher-facilitated strategy in an undergraduate nursing program. Methodology: A descriptive qualitative research design using focus group discussion method guided the study. The sample included undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the Maternal Health Nursing Course during the Academic Years 2017 and 2018. The researcher used a purposive sampling technique and a total of 22 students participated in the study, through five (5) focus groups, with each focus group comprising between four to six nursing students. Results: In total, nine subthemes emerged from the three themes. The themes were “Knowledge development”, “Critical thinking and Problem solving”, and “Communication and Collaboration”. Regarding “Knowledge development”, the students perceived case study analysis method as contributing toward deeper understanding of the course content thereby helping to reduce the gap between theory and practice especially during clinical placement. The “Enhanced critical thinking ability” on the other hand implies that case study analysis increased student's ability to think critically and aroused problem-solving interest in the learners. The “Communication and Collaboration” theme implies that case study analysis allowed students to share their views, opinions, and experiences with others and this enabled them to communicate better with others and to respect other's ideas which further enhanced their team building capacities. Conclusion: This method is effective for imparting professional knowledge and skills in undergraduate nursing education and it results in deeper level of learning and helps in the application of theoretical knowledge into clinical practice. It also broadened students’ perspectives, improved their cooperation capacity and their communication with each other. Finally, it enhanced student's judgment and critical thinking skills which is key for their success.

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