Prevention

The mortality rate of breast cancer has increased in women who are referred late in the advanced stages of their disease, while morbidity and mortality from cancer can be reduced through prevention programs, such as self‑care behaviors and early detection. Therefore, more attention should be paid to primary prevention, self‑care, and the role of women in breast cancer prevention. The aim of this study was to describe women’s experiences of self‑care in breast cancer prevention.

In this descriptive‑exploratory qualitative study, 38 participants, including 23 women who were eligible for breast cancer screening, eight service providers, and seven health policymakers, were selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi‑structured interviews and analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis. To assess data trustworthiness, Lincoln and Guba’s criteria were used.

The results of this study are summarized in one theme, three categories, and eight subcategories. The theme extracted from the data analysis was “the agency of women in self‑care in breast cancer prevention,” which included three main categories: women’s understanding of the concept of self‑care in breast health, subjective challenges in breast cancer prevention, and active management and follow‑up of breast health status.

This study provided a new understanding of the experience regarding women’s self‑care in breast cancer prevention. The experiences were in a wide range demanding comprehensive attention. Healthcare authorities/providers can use the findings of this study to develop strategies to support women regarding preventive self‑care for breast cancer.

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) involves the peripheral nervous system developed by infections or immune conditions. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and electrodiagnostic tests are essential diagnostic methods for GBS. However, limited data are available on how the findings from these methods relate to each other. This study aimed to evaluate changes in CSF analysis and electrodiagnostic tests in pediatrics with GBS.

The present study retrospectively evaluated electrodiagnostic tests and CSF changes in pediatrics with GBS who were admitted to Tabriz Hospital, Iran, from 2010 to 2020 due to CBS. Patients’ data, including age, gender, CSF analysis, and electrodiagnostic test results, were recorded from the patients’ files. Electrodiagnostic data included pace and amplitude of tibial, median, peroneal, sural, ulnar nerves, nerve conduction velocity (NCV), F-wave, and motor unit action potential (MUAP). The significance level was considered less than 0.05.

The mean age of patients was 4.83±2.72 years, and 54.6% were boys. The most common type of GBS involvement was demyelinating type. No gender differences were found between involved nerves unless the ulnar nerve was significantly more involved in girls (P-value: 0.012). The obtained findings indicated no significant relationship between electrodiagnostic tests and CSF protein (P-value: 0.439).

No association was observed between electrodiagnostic results and CSF changes in pediatrics with GBS.

Deaths from drowning at sea and recreational diving annually cause irreparable damage with the start of summer trips to the coasts of Gilan. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the coastal care education-based program.

In this descriptive-analytical study, data were collected with a 45-item researcher-made questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. The reliability and the validity of the questionnaire was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha (0.7) and by 12 specialists. The statistical population (N=450) includes supervisory agents, rescuers, lifeguards, coastal guards, field training instructors, relief workers, and young members of the Red Crescent Society of Gilan province. Finally, 207 people selected and studied using Morgan table. Data analyzed using SPSS-27 software.

According to the findings, the age group of 30 to 44 years has the highest frequency with 89 people (43.0%), a total of 123 respondents (59.4%) were male and associate and bachelor's degrees each have the highest frequency with 59 people (28.5%). The 45-items questionnaire were categorized into six sections including demographics (5 items), self-help skills (8 items), knowledge of coastal information (8 items), knowledge of coastal hazards (8 items), skills in using buoyancy equipment (8 items), and coastal experiences (8 items). About 12 questions with the highest mean responses were identified as effective factors of the education-based program. The correlation between the selection of safe places for swimming by tourists was estimated to be significant (P<0.05).

The results of the study showed that the successful implementation of the sea sanitation plan with the approach of preventing drowning incidents and selecting safe swimming locations depends on the development of a coastal care education program, including face-to-face education, and then on ensuring the health of the coastal strip.

While intravenous injections are essential in life-saving situations, their routine use can lead to various complications, particularly phlebitis, which negatively impacts patients' physical and psychological health. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of topical aloe vera gel compared to 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in preventing phlebitis associated with peripheral venous catheters.

This three-arm randomized controlled trial, executed in 2024 at a university-affiliated hospital situated in southern Iran, enrolled 90 hospitalized individuals receiving intravenous therapy. The study employed convenience sampling for participant recruitment, followed by permuted block randomization with a block size of six to allocate participants into three distinct groups, each comprising 30 patients. Aa (aloe vera group): Disinfection with 70% alcohol, and the catheter fixation with an adhesive dressing impregnated with aloe vera gel; Bb (chlorhexidine group): Disinfection with 70% alcohol and chlorhexidine, followed by fixation with a chlorhexidine-impregnated adhesive dressing; and C (control group): Disinfection with 70% alcohol and standard adhesive dressing. The catheter insertion site was systematically evaluated for the incidence of phlebitis using a standardized phlebitis checklist at discrete time points: 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 hours post-sampling. Statistical analysis of the collected data was performed employing SPSS version 25 statistical software. A significance threshold of α = 0.05 was adopted for all statistical tests, which included Chi-square tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

At 72 hours post-intervention, the incidence of phlebitis demonstrated a statistically significant disparity between the groups (p = 0.005). Conversely, no significant intergroup differences were evident in the manifestation of phlebitis symptoms at the 12-hour (p = 0.999), 24-hour (p = 0.493), 36-hour (p = 0.493), 48-hour (p = 0.186), and 60-hour (p = 0.064) time points after the intervention. Specifically, out of 30 participants in the aloe vera group, 12 (40%) remained asymptomatic for phlebitis—defined by the absence of redness, edema, pain, and vein induration—up to the 72-hour assessment. In comparison, the chlorhexidine group exhibited 5 (16.7%) patients, while the control group presented with only 2 (6.7%) patients who did not display phlebitis symptoms during this period.

Based on the observed outcomes, nurses may consider using aloe vera gel to reduce phlebitis in patients requiring catheterization for more than 48 hours, due to its anti-inflammatory properties and non-pharmacological benefits. However, this recommendation should be approached cautiously, pending further rigorous research to validate these initial findings and develop standardized guidelines. Future studies should investigate the long-term effects of aloe vera gel, compare its effectiveness with other interventions, and assess patient outcomes in various clinical settings to better understand its role in preventing phlebitis.

Anemia is a significant public health problem worldwide in rich and poor countries. Anemia among teenagers can be seriously almost entirely caused by a lack of substance iron, which is closely related to the level of severity of anemia. The most visible effect of anemia is a decline in achievement studying in school. This article briefly introduces anemia, etiology, pathophysiology, impact, and preventive measures.

Major databases, including Scopus, Pubmed, Proquest, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, were researched to obtain articles related to anemia in adolescent girls. The keywords used in the literature search were “ anemia and teenage girls "and " anemia prevention. " The time frame of the articles obtained ranged from 2012 to 2023.

Enhancement observed prevalence​ during several final years will cause prevalence to exceed​ the agreed target level. The most visible impact of anemia is a decline in achievement studying in school. Not only that, teenage women who suffer from anemia are at risk of experiencing anemia during pregnancy, which can hurt the growth and development of the fetus in Content. Apart from that, there is the potential to experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Identifying and understanding the etiology of anemia is critical to developing effective prevention strategies with screening. An integrated approach to early prevention of anemia involves collaboration between the health, education, and community sectors.

Morbidity and mortality from coronavirus are more likely in vulnerable groups, such as cancer patients. Implementing self-care education for prevention in these patients is a priority. This study aimed to investigate the effect of telenursing education on self-care behaviors that prevent COVID-19 in cancer patients.

This interventional study was conducted at Vasei Sabzevar Hospital on patients with various types of cancer undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy in 2020 coinciding with the second peak of COVID-19, for one month (30 minutes daily). Two-stage sampling was conducted in the intervention group (31 participants) and the control group (26 participants). Self-care and patient follow-up training on the prevention of COVID-19 were conducted through WhatsApp. Data were collected using a researcher-made self-care questionnaire, a demographic questionnaire, and a medical information form. 

The mean age of the participants was 58.24±13.27 years, with the majority being female (n=35; 61%). Breast cancer was the most common cancer among the studied subjects (n=24; 42.1%). In the intervention group, the mean score of self-care before the intervention was 21.65±8.72 and after the intervention, it was 36.76±3.14. The results of the independent t-test showed a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.001). Fisher’s exact test did not indicate a significant difference between the two groups in terms of COVID-19 morbidity (P=0.118). 

The results of the present study showed that telenursing education improves self-care behaviors in the prevention of coronavirus in cancer patients.

Stress is an important psychosocial factor responsible for the hypertension. Globally, university employees reported a high prevalence of hypertension, and perceived stress; however, in Indian context, as few studies documented this association, we conducted a study documenting the prevalence of hypertension and perceived stress among employees of Solapur University.

A cross-sectional study was conducted during June – September 2022 to screen 231 university employees for hypertension following International Society of Hypertension guidelines. Perceived psychological stress was assessed with Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale. Chi-square test and both univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to evaluate the hypotheses. The significance level for the p-value was set at ≤0.05, and statistical analysis was conducted using Stata 12.1. 

The overall prevalence of hypertension was 39%. More than half of employees (54%) were under moderate to high levels of stress, and they were more likely to be hypertensive than those under low stress. Staff with more than 30 years and in non-teaching posts were about two times more at higher risk of hypertension, and male staff, and those having moderate to high-stress levels were 2.5 times more likely associated with the risk of hypertension as compared to others.

University employees are under high levels of stress which are prone to developing hypertension. There is a need to screen more and more Indian university employees for the presence of hypertension and stress to design appropriate hypertension prevention programmes.

This study aimed to explore the perspectives of student counsellors regarding comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies for addressing internet addiction among adolescents.

This study employed an exploratory-descriptive qualitative design. Data collection involved focus group discussions (FGDs) with 12 purposively selected student counsellors from high schools in four West Java regions. Counsellors were chosen based on their experience in managing students with internet addiction within the past year. FGDs were conducted virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions, with sessions aimed at exploring perceptions and strategies related to internet addiction prevention and intervention. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis following Clarke and Braun's approach to identify key themes.

The results of the study obtained 5 themes which are: a comprehensive assessment is needed to determine appropriate interventions for students experiencing internet addiction; family is the main supporting factor in managing and preventing internet addiction; various parties must cooperate in overcoming internet addiction; health education about internet addiction during school orientation is important as a prevention program; and digitalization and communication control programs affect the phenomenon of internet addiction.

Based on the results of this study, we can conclude the importance of comprehensive assessments to determine appropriate interventions and the need for support from other parties in overcoming internet addiction among students.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic/Latina women. Screening mammograms reduces morbidity and mortality, although Spanish-preferred patients face linguistic barriers, with61% of patients in an Internal Medicine (IM) clinic beingup to date on screenings. The study aimed to increase breast screening rates among Spanish-preferred IM patients by 12% within six weeks using culturally tailored Spanish-language educational materials.

Spanish-preferred patients were identified by language preference, age, and breast cancer screening status. Thirty-six women IM patients (intervention) and twenty-six Family Medicine (FM) patients (control) were selected. The IM patients received a link to a Spanish screening education video via an electronic portal message or mailed letter. If no screening was completed, patients were then called by a native Spanish speaker. FM patients received no intervention. Screening rates were compared to evaluate the efficacy of the video in increasing screening.

Nine IM patients were excluded due to relocation or receiving care elsewhere. Post-intervention, screening adherence improved in both groups; the IM group improved by 25.9% (7 patients, P= 0.007) and 15.4% in the FM group (4 patients, P= 0.04). The change was significantly higher in the intervention group, P< 0.001.

Providing screening education in Spanish significantly improved adherence. Incorporating culturally tailored education in clinical practice mitigates language-related health disparities and improves screening rates. Further research is needed on a larger scale with education in other languages to determine the effects on screening rates when patients have education in their preferred language.

Dengue (DEN) virus is a common arboviral infectious disease that poses a significant threat to global public health, putting nearly half of the world's population at risk of infection. It is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Dengue infection, caused by all four mosquito-borne serotypes (DEN-1 to DEN-4), is endemic in countries with tropical and subtropical climates worldwide. To date, there is no vaccine that provides effective immunity against all DENV serotypes. Additionally, there is limited information regarding the epidemiology and impact of this dangerous disease in regions with recent infection reports. In this study, we aimed to present a summary of the clinical symptoms, pathology, etiology, prevention, and treatment options based on previous studies, to facilitate a better understanding of dengue fever (DF). The results of this study show that the main effects of DF are on vital organs such as the liver (hepatocellular necrosis), lungs (pulmonary edema), kidneys (hematuria and proteinuria), heart (myocarditis), and brain (encephalopathy). These effects can be a major threat to a person's life if diagnosed incorrectly or late. Increasing public awareness through social networks, implementing appropriate waste management systems, removing breeding sites for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes by government institutions, and providing proper laboratory diagnostic and treatment tools for patients with DF are essential solutions that should be prioritized globally.