Knowledge is known to affect self-care behaviors. However, little is known about the factors that influence self-care behaviors among patients with heart failure in Jordan. A cross-sectional descriptive-correlational design was used to describe the associations between knowledge, sociodemographics, and self-care behaviors. In a convenience sample of 226 patients with heart failure, the Dutch Heart Failure Scale and Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) version 6.2 were used to measure knowledge and self-care behaviors, respectively. The mean heart failure knowledge score was quite low at 5.29. The SCHFI self-care management subscale mean was 57.56 with an actual range of 10-90, and the SCHFI self-care maintenance subscale mean was 53.89 with an actual range of 13.33-86.66. The SCHFI self-care confidence subscale mean was lowest of the three at 45.07, with an actual range of 5.56-94.52. All three subscale mean scores were below the clinical target level (≥70) for the SCHFI. Lower knowledge, income, and educational level, shorter duration of disease, fewer people living at home, older age, and being unemployed were significant predictors of low self-care scores. Characteristics of the cultural, social, and healthcare environment in Jordan may help explain some results. Nurses may play a role in improving knowledge and self-care among patients with heart failure in Jordan. Studies of the effect of educational programs on knowledge and self-care among patients with heart failure are recommended.
There were no external sources of funding for this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare with regard to the article or its content.
The majority of Middle Eastern patients with cancer are treated in outlying regions; the community is pivotal and must be incorporated into future plans for developing palliative care services. Promoting palliative care education and certification for physicians and nurses is crucial; home-based and hospice services must be sustained.
Background: The World Health Assembly urges members to build palliative care (PC) capacity as an ethical imperative. Nurses provide PC services in a variety of settings, including the home and may be the only health care professional able to access some disparate populations. Identifying current nursing services, resources, and satisfaction and barriers to nursing practice are essential to build global PC capacity. Objective: To globally examine home health care nurses' practice, satisfaction, and barriers, regarding existing palliative home care provision. Design: Needs assessment survey. Setting/Subjects: Five hundred thirty-two home health care nurses in 29 countries. Measurements: A needs assessment, developed through literature review and cognitive interviewing. Results: Nurses from developing countries performed more duties compared with those from high-income countries, suggesting a lack of resources in developing countries. Significant barriers to providing home care exist: personnel shortages, lack of funding and policies, poor access to end-of-life or hospice services, and decreased community awareness of services provided. Respondents identified lack of time, funding, and coverages as primary educational barriers. In-person local meetings and online courses were suggested as strategies to promote learning. Conclusions: It is imperative that home health care nurses have adequate resources to build PC capacity globally, which is so desperately needed. Nurses must be up to date on current evidence and practice within an evidence-based PC framework. Health care policy to increase necessary resources and the development of a multifaceted intervention to facilitate education about PC is indicated to build global capacity.
Headache is considered one of the most common complaints affecting all ages: children, adolescents, and adults. A school-based, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess primary headache among high school students aged 16-18 in Grades 11-12, over a period of 3 weeks (May 2017). A questionnaire was designed, in accordance with the International Headache Society's criteria. The Pearson's χ test was computed to show the differences between the variables. Nearly two thirds of the students reported having headache (19.0% tension-type headache, 8.8% migraine, and 39.0% unknown type). Nearly a quarter sought help for headache, and the most frequently used analgesic was acetaminophen (82.2%) followed by aspirin (5.1%). The current study revealed that the prevalence of headache and migraine was initially high and increased with age. Moreover, headache is one of the major public health problems among high school students. An education program conducted by school nurses and other health-care providers regarding headache and migraine is needed.
Ovarian cancer accounts for 3% of all female cancers and has a high mortality rate among gynecological malignancies. Early diagnosis carries a high survival rate of 93%. So, this study was carried out to assess the knowledge and awareness of Jordanian women about ovarian cancer symptoms and risk factors. A cross-sectional survey design was used; 896 women completed the survey. The mean of total symptoms recognized was low at level of 3.2 ( SD = 2.7) out of 10. The three highest known symptoms among women were as follows: extreme fatigue (43.2%), back pain (42.4%), and persistent pain in pelvic area (40.7%). The most commonly known risk factor was smoking (68.4%), followed by having ovarian cyst(s) (59.7%). Hence, with the absence of an effective screening program, a national awareness campaign is urgently needed to improve the public's understanding of symptoms and risk factors and increasing women's confidence in symptom recognition.
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