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Sleep disturbance is considered one of the hallmarks of the common symptoms experienced by women during and after menopause. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two different multiple-component, sleep-promoting interventions on the sleep quality of menopausal women. A quasi-experimental study and repeated measured design, with a four-week sleep-promoting intervention, was conducted. A total of 123 eligible participants were recruited from a health center in northern Taiwan and divided into the progressive muscle relaxation plus sleep hygiene (PMRS), the meditative movement relaxation plus sleep hygiene (MMRS), or control group at a 1:1:1 ratio. The Chinese version of Pittsburgh sleep quality index and actigraphy were used to assess the sleep disturbances of menopausal women. The subjective sleep data was collected before, immediately after the intervention, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after the intervention. The results showed that the global score of subjective sleep quality and its components were significantly improved after both interventions. Additionally, the MMRS was superior to the PMRS for subjective sleep quality. Moreover, the objective sleep indices indicated that sleep latency was reduced after both the interventions. These findings can serve as a reference for nurses when caring for menopausal women with sleep disturbance.

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This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students who have undertaken a short course in an overseas educational system to generate theoretical understanding of the experience of studying abroad. Learning in the health professions needs to considered in the context of globalization as a way of sharing knowledge and taking responsibility as world citizens. Studying abroad provides students with an opportunity to develop global health care competencies. A symbolic interactionist approach was adopted to gain insight into how the students constructed the meaning of studying abroad. The study was conducted at a university with 2 campuses in Taiwan. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to recruit 14 participants. Data were collected from August to November 2017 via individual in-depth interviews. A semi-structured interview guide was used. Qualitative content analysis was employed to analyse the data. Each interview was audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Most students identified both positive and negative experiences related to their professional and personal development and needs. They demonstrated motivation to leave their comfort zone and enter a challenging environment as well as a high level of adaptability. The experience enabled them to see themselves as part of the world and expanded their learning in positive ways. On completion of their course, they encouraged others to experience this enjoyable once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Background Effective solutions that meet the diverse community health needs of older adult populations are of critical importance. To address these needs, a nationwide community connector team—tasked with providing referral support to older adult populations and completing an asset mapping resource inventory initiative centered around the needs of older adult populations—was developed in Taiwan. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore community connectors’ experiences and challenges. Methods Community connectors (n = 26) across four diverse sites participated in focus group interviews in July 2020. Interviews explored the challenges community connectors encountered in their roles; the strategies used to address these challenges; the asset mapping process; and on how they conceptualized their roles. Qualitative content analysis was applied. Results Three themes were uncovered: developing community ties, cross-organization interactions and professional conflicts. The findings show that community connectors face hurdles in uncovering community resources and that they experience considerable professional instability. The findings also shed light on the day-to-day approaches used to navigate on-the-job challenges and the steps taken to develop community partnerships. Conclusions The experiences of community connectors provide important insights and can serve to illuminate the development of similar initiatives that seek to use community connectors for community health related purposes.

Background: Being overweight or obese is regarded as crucial risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Objectives: This study aimed to determine the influencing factors of overweight and obese employees with OSA in high-tech workplaces. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 491 overweight and obese participants were recruited from a large-scale electronics industry. The Chinese version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleep Scale, and a portable sleep monitoring device were used for data collection. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors affecting overweight and obese employees with OSA. This study was conducted from August 2019 to July 2020. Results: 60.5% of the overweight and obese participants were found to have OSA, of which 58.9% had mild and 18.5% had severe OSA, respectively. The results showed that age, neck circumference, snoring, and habitual drinking were the crucial factors affecting OSA. Remarkably, age and snoring times showed a significant correlation in predicting OSA of different severities. Neck circumference was an independent risk factor for moderate and severe OSA. Conclusion: More than 60% of the overweight and obese high-tech workplace employees were found to have OSA. We found that the older the age, the larger the neck circumference, a higher number of snoring instances, and drinking were important risk factors for predicting OSA in overweight high-tech employees. The healthcare providers should actively educate OSA-related information for employees in the workplace, and promote high-risk OSA groups to adopt screening based on at-home sleep apparatus.