Towards understanding gender differences in disordered eating among adolescents

Aims and objectives. The aim of the study was to enhance the detection of disordered eating in adolescents. The objectives were to examine gender differences in the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms, in occurrence of health‐risk factors and susceptibility to these and to investigate associations between health‐risk factors and eating disorder symptoms. Background. Disordered eating has a strong female preponderance. Reasons for the gender discrepancy are not well known. However, to develop effective strategies for eating disorder prevention, we need to understand gender differences in disordered eating and the related factors. Design. This is a school‐based, cross‐sectional cohort study with a natural design. Methods. The SCOFF and the R‐BDI questionnaires were administered to students (14–15 years old) attending the eighth grade of secondary school. Information about health‐risk factors was obtained from the adolescents’ school health‐care records. Results. The results were based on data from 1036 (71% of the sample) students. Self‐reported eating disorder symptoms were prevalent in 24% of the girls and 16% of the boys. Girls reported many of the health‐risk factors studied at a higher rate than boys. However, there were no gender differences in susceptibility to these factors. Dissatisfaction with appearance or weight, use of tobacco, lack of regular meals and poor communication with parents increased the likelihood of eating disorder symptoms in both genders. Conclusions. Gender differences in disordered eating are relatively small in adolescence. To enhance the detection of eating disorder symptoms, both girls and boys should be screened for these problems in secondary school. Relevance to clinical practice. The results can help nurses to use the information obtained from adolescents’ health‐care records, their annual health examinations and their responses to the SCOFF questionnaire to identify those who need further intervention, including adolescent boys.     

A causal model of voluntary turnover among nursing personnel in long-term psychiatric settings

Causal modeling was used to explore the processes by which individual characteristics, job satisfaction, and intention to quit explain turnover among nursing personnel in 29 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) long-term psychiatric settings. The sample consisted of 1,106 registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and nurses' aides. We conceptualized turnover as a multistage process linking social and experiential orientations, attitudes toward the job, the decision to quit, and the behavior of actually quitting. Intention to quit was the strongest direct predictor of turnover. Professional growth opportunities and workload were important indirect predictors of turnover. Dissatisfaction with work hazards and relationships with coworkers were both indirect and direct predictors of turnover. Attitudes towards the job varied by nursing group. LPNs and aides were less satisfied than RNs with autonomy and work hazards. RNs were more dissatisfied with workload. We conclude that strategies to promote retention need to address aspects of jobs tailored to specific nursing groups. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 21: 415–427, 1998     

Testing a model of contraception use behavior among sexually active female adolescents in Taiwan

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to test a model of contraception use among sexually active Taiwanese female adolescents, using structural equation modeling. Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 404 female adolescents who had had sexual intercourse in the previous 3 months. A model was produced in which past contraception use, self-efficacy for contraception use, and decisional balance for using contraception had significant direct effects on current contraception use. Social influences had not only significant direct effects on self-efficacy and on decisional balance, but also a significant indirect effect on current contraception use. These findings provide a reference for the development of contraceptive intervention programs for sexually active female adolescents in Taiwan.     

110名护理本科生就业倾向及其影响因素的研究

目的:了解护理本科生的就业倾向及其影响因素。方法:采用自制问卷对110名护理专业本科四年级学生进行调查。结果:70.9%的学生选择毕业后从事护理相关工作,工作性质稳定(75.6%)和病人康复有成就感(70.5%)为主要原因;29.1%的学生不愿在护理领域工作,职业地位低(90.6%)、工作强度大(78.2%)、付出与回报不符(78.1%)成为主要的影响因素。结论:护理本科生毕业后从事护理工作倾向降低,其影响因素值得护理管理者和教育者进一步思考。     

Predictors of sexual abstinence behaviour in Taiwanese adolescents: a longitudinal application of the transtheoretical model

Aims and objectives. To understand (1) the change of stage of changes, self‐efficacy, decisional balance and processes of change for sexual abstinence behaviour across a 15‐month interval, (2) relations of baseline stage of changes, self‐efficacy, decisional balance and processes of change to follow‐up stage of changes for sexual abstinence and (3) the important predictors of follow‐up stage of changes and transition of stage of changes for sexual abstinence behaviour. Background. Examining factors of sexual abstinence behaviour among adolescents can provide useful information in designing sexual abstinence intervention programmes. Design. This study applied a transtheoretical model and used a longitudinal design. Method. Anonymous questionnaires were administered to 281 participants at baseline and 15‐month follow‐up. Results. In summary, 46·3% (n = 130) of the participants were in the same stage, 30·2% (n = 85) regressed and 23·5% (n = 66) progressed their stage from baseline to follow‐up. Baseline self‐efficacy, decisional balance and processes of change are related to follow‐up stage of changes for sexual abstinence. Participants with higher baseline self‐efficacy, lower decrease of self‐efficacy from baseline to follow‐up and lower decrease of decisional balance from baseline to follow‐up were more in the definite group (preparation and action stage) at follow‐up. Participants with higher baseline decisional balance, lower decrease of decisional balance from baseline to follow‐up and lower decrease of self‐efficacy from baseline to follow‐up were more in the advancement transition group at follow‐up. Conclusions. Focus of interventions could differ according to intervention purpose. Reducing the decrease of self‐efficacy and decisional balance across time is important to enable adolescents to be in or progress to better stages across time. Relevance to clinical practice. To make adolescents be in later stages at follow‐up, increasing baseline self‐efficacy is important. If the purpose is to progress the stages, baseline decisional balance should be emphasised. Health care providers should continually boost the self‐efficacy and decisional balance of adolescents across time.     

A systematic literature review of nurse shortage and the intention to leave

chan z.c.y., tam w.s., lung m.k.y., wong w.y. & chau c.w. (2013) Journal of Nursing Management  21 , 605–613 A systematic literature review of nurse shortage and the intention to leave Aim To present the findings of a literature review regarding nurses’ intention to leave their employment or the profession. Background The nursing shortage is a problem that is being experienced worldwide. It is a problem that, left unresolved, could have a serious impact on the provision of quality health care. Understanding the reasons why nurses leave their employment or the profession is imperative if efforts to increase retention are to be successful. Evaluation Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify English research reports about nurses’ intention to leave their employment or the profession. Key results concerning the issue were extracted and synthesized. Key issues The diversified measurement instruments, samples and levels of intention to leave caused difficulties in the attempt to compare or synthesize findings. The factors influencing nurses’ intention to leave were identified and categorized into organizational and individual factors. Conclusions The reasons that trigger nurses’ intention to leave are complex and are influenced by organizational and individual factors. Further studies should be conducted to investigate how external factors such as job opportunities correlate with nurses’ intention to leave. Implications for nursing management The review provides insight that can be useful in designing and implementing strategies to maintain a sustainable workforce in nursing.     

A comparison of emotional/behavioural problems between Taiwanese children with cancer and healthy controls

Aims. The purpose of this study was to compare children, diagnosed with cancer, who were attending school, with their healthy peers on emotional and behavioural problems. Background. Children who suffer from cancer experience severe side effects from their treatment protocols and from the uncertainty associated with their disease. We were seeking to find out if these children subsequently experienced more emotional and behavioural problems than their healthy peers. Methods. Parents and teachers of paediatric oncology patients and their healthy schoolmates were recruited. The ratio was one patient to two schoolmates. The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to collect data from the parents and teachers of 23 paediatric cancer patients and 46 healthy controls. Children were matched on enrollment in the same grade and socioeconomic status of their families. Paired‐t tests were used to compare the differences between the emotional/behavioural scores of both groups of children. Results. The findings of the study indicated that children with cancer had statistically higher scores on the following items of the CBCL: withdrawn/depressed, somatic complaints, social problems, thought problems, hyperactivity/impulsivity, rule‐breaking behaviours and aggressive behaviours. Conclusions. School children with cancer in Taiwan did have more emotional/behavioural problems than their peers. Findings from this study suggest that Taiwanese paediatric oncology patients who are able to return to school and their families may need more psychosocial care. Relevance to clinical practice. Healthcare professionals may need to extend their professional services to school settings to decrease long‐term emotional and behavioural problems in children with cancer.     

Relative contribution of intrapersonal and partner factors to contraceptive behavior among taiwanese female adolescents.

PURPOSE: To explore the relative contribution of intrapersonal factors (demographic data, sexual history, and self-efficacy for contraception) and partner factors (perceptions of support from sexual partners for contraception, and relationship power) to contraceptive behaviors among sexually active female adolescents in Taiwan. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. Female adolescents who have had a steady male sexual partner in the past 3 months (N=375) were recruited as participants. METHODS: Questionnaires including demographic data, sexual history, contraceptive behavior, self-efficacy for contraception, perceptions of support from sexual partner for contraception, and perceptions of relationship power were submitted anonymously for this study. FINDINGS: Participants who had their first sexual experience at less than 14 years of age and were from one-parent families had the least comprehensive contraceptive behavior than did other participants. Number of steady sexual partners was significantly negatively correlated with contraceptive behavior. Self-efficacy, perceptions of support from sexual partner for contraception, and relationship power all were positively correlated with contraceptive behavior. The important explanatory variables of contraceptive behavior were self-efficacy, age of first sexual intercourse, intervals between sexual intercourse, and perceptions of support from sexual partner for contraception. These accounted for 39.1% of variance in contraceptive behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Intrapersonal factors (self-efficacy, age of first sexual intercourse, and intervals between sexual intercourse) were more important than were partner factors (perceptions of support from sexual partners for contraception and relationship power) in influencing contraceptive behavior among sexually active female adolescents in Taiwan. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intervention to increase contraceptive behavior among female adolescents should be focused more on intrapersonal factors than on partner factors.