Background and Purpose: This study describes the level of hope among nurses in Finland and validates the Finnish version of the Herth Hope Index (HHI-FI). Methods: The survey included 180 nurses, using the HHI-FI, Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and the EUROpean Health Interview Survey Eight-Item (EUROHIS-8) Quality of Life Index. The validation process involved content validity index, Spearman's correlation, Cronbach's alpha, and confirmatory factor analysis using several model fit indices. Results: Nurses' average HHI-FI score was 37. The HHI-FI showed a negative correlation with BHS (r = -.689) and a positive correlation with EUROHIS-8 (r = .694). Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = .868). Both one-factor and three-factor models fit reasonably well, but further investigation is needed. Conclusions: Understanding nurses' hope can enhance job satisfaction and commitment. The HHI-FI instrument is useful for studying hope in nurses, although its internal structure requires further exploration in Finland.

BACKGROUND:Chronic illness in children elicits emotions within the family, impacts family bonds, and reshapes family dynamics. Support from healthcare professionals is vital for facilitating family adaptation. The aim of this study is to describe the life situation of Finnish families with a chronically ill child and to enhance understanding of the types of support the families perceive. METHODS:Data were collected in Finland as part of an international research project (2021-2023). 76 parents of chronically ill children completed an electronic survey. Analyses, conducted using IBM SPSS 29, included descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The ICE-FPSQ instrument assessed perceived support, generating composite variables for overall, emotional, and cognitive support. Association of background variables and adaptation with composite scores were examined using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS:Life situation: Among respondents, 54.7 % (n = 41) reported that the illness strains their family, and 47.4 % (n = 36) noted it has changed them as a family. However, 81.5 % (n = 62) felt the experience improved their coping abilities. Support from healthcare professionals: The median ICE-FPSQ composite score was 37 (n = 71, Q1 = 28, Q3 = 44; range: 14-70). For cognitive support, the median was 16 (Q1 = 12, Q3 = 18; range: 5-25), and for emotional support, it was 20 (Q1 = 14.3, Q3 = 26.5; range: 9-45). Mothers perceived receiving less support than fathers, and the child's hospitalization increased the perceived amount of support. CONCLUSION:Chronic illness places a considerable burden on families. Healthcare professionals can support families in adapting to life with a child who has a chronic illness.

Background Globally, ethics is recognized as a critical component for ensuring equitable and sustainable genomic healthcare. However, prior research has largely overlooked the ethical aspects when assessing nurses' genomic competence.Research aim This study aimed to assess the genomic competence of nurses in Finland, with a specific focus on their perspectives regarding ethics in genomics.Research design This was a cross-sectional study conducted among registered nurses in Finland.Participants and research context The data were collected via an online survey between October 30 and December 31, 2023, using the Canadian Adaptation of the Genetics Genomics Nursing Practice Survey (GGNPS-CA), which evaluates attitudes, receptivity, confidence, competency, knowledge, social systems, and the decision adoption process in genomics with ethical dimensions. A total of 234 registered nurses participated.Ethical considerations The study was ethically approved by the Ethics Committee of the Tampere Region, statement number 46/2023.Results While 76.8% of nurses rated their self-assessed understanding of genomics as poor, their actual Knowledge Score was relatively good (mean 9.12/12, SD 1.44). In addition, nurses reported limited understanding of the ethical issues associated with genomics, particularly concerning equity. The majority (59.4%) believed it was very important for nurses to become more educated on ethical issues, while 28.6% considered it somewhat important.Conclusions The findings suggest a strong perceived need among nurses for further education in both genomics and its ethical implications. The discrepancy between self-assessed and actual knowledge may reflect low confidence, which was additionally reported in the ethical issues. Low confidence is possibly influenced by the early stage of genomics integration into nursing practice.

(1) Strabismus has an impact on individuals' health-related quality of life. The impact should be assessed with valid patient-reported outcome measures such as the Adult Strabismus Questionnaire (AS-20). The AS-20 was further refined using a Rasch analysis for the American population. The aims of the study were to translate and culturally adapt the AS-20 into Finnish and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Finnish AS-20. (2) The guidelines of the Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research steered the process and four items were added from the original data as Finnish additions. The construct and convergent validity and internal consistency were evaluated via psychometric testing for three potential Finnish AS-20 structures. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist was applied. (3) The participants (n = 137) reported that the translation was clear and understandable. All structures showed high reliability and internal consistency as measured using Cronbach alpha values. The convergent validity assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficients between the structures and one item of Satisfaction with Life Scale indicated very low to moderate positive correlations. The construct validity evaluated using a confirmatory factor analysis revealed the refined AS-20 structure to be satisfactory. (4) The refined AS-20 can be used in clinical practice and research, but further validation is recommended.

Early positive bonding between parents and babies promotes the development of parenting skills and parents’ sensitivity to their infant’s needs. Positive bonding has been suggested to decrease the risk of maltreatment. There is less research into the differences between primiparae’s and their spouses’ bonding with their baby and changes in the parent-to-infant bonding during the first year of the baby’s life. The aim of this study was to describe bonding with one’s baby and related differences and changes within first-time parents. The data were collected from nine maternal health clinics in 2019–2021 in one city in Finland. The Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were used. The data were collected during pregnancy (T1) and when the baby was aged 1–2 months (T2) and 6–8 months (T3). The questionnaire was completed separately by the primiparae (n = 81 at T1) and their spouses (n = 79 at T1). The findings demonstrated that both parents had positive feelings for their baby. The primiparae’s and their spouses’ MIBS scores were relatively low at T2 and T3. The change between time points or the difference in the parents’ bonding was not statistically significant when examining MIBS total scores. The present study identified a positive weak-to-moderate correlation between the MIBS and EPDS. This association was highlighted in the group of primiparae. The results of this study can be used to develop maternity and child health clinic services, and to promote parents’ equal growth in parenthood.

Aim To report the development and validation of the Nurses’ Skills to Care for Alcohol-Intoxicated Patients in Emergency Department instrument, shortened NSCAIP-ED. Methods: A mixed-methods design was used to develop the instrument. It was used to conduct a survey where ED nurses self-evaluated their skills to care for acutely ill alcohol-intoxicated patients (N = 1220, n = 252). The data were utilised to perform instrument validation using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Cronbach's alpha. Results: The construct validity was tested statistically. The CFA model fit indicators showed mostly acceptable fit (chi-square test p < 0.001; RMSEA 0.079; CFI 0.923; TLI 0.918; SRMR 0.084) and instruments’ scales had well acceptable Cronbach's alpha values (all alphas were in the range of 0.866–0.912). Conclusions: The NSCAIP-ED is a feasible and reliable instrument that can be used when measuring nurses’ skills to care for alcohol-intoxicated patients in the ED. This instrument could be useful for nursing managers in EDs for evaluating their nursing staff's skills in the care area in question, but also for designing continuing education based on the results.

PURPOSE:To evaluate associations between the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and demographic, self-reported strabismus-related and orthoptic status variables in Finnish strabismic adults.METHODS:Participants (n = 137) of this study were adult patients who previously participated in the pilot study to translate and validate Adult Strabismus Questionnaire (AS-20) into Finnish. For this study, the participants' orthoptic status were collected among the previously obtained self-reported demographic and strabismus-related data. The refined AS-20 structure of 18 items and four subscales of self-perception, interaction, reading function and general function was used. Low scores on AS-20 indicate low HRQOL. The associations were evaluated with cross-tabulation and nonparametric methods of Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.RESULTS:Interaction subscale scores were the highest of all subscale scores among the participants. Age had an association with HRQOL in self-perception and the youngest participants had the lowest scores. Importantly, participants who did not experience diplopia suffered from lower self-perception and interaction but reported higher scores on reading function and general function subscales compared to the participants who experienced diplopia. Exotropia with or without vertical strabismus were most common types among the participants. The education background was not associated with HRQOL.CONCLUSION:Impacts of strabismus are similar in Finnish strabismic adults compared to international studies. Healthcare professionals and decision-makers should always consider the psychosocial impact of strabismus on patients without diplopia when making decisions on strabismus treatment and care processes.

The role of legumes in healthy and sustainable diets is increasingly of interest. Few studies have investigated the association between legume consumption and the consumption of other food groups and the intake of nutrients. This study examined how legume consumption is associated with the consumption of other foods and the intake of nutrients among Finnish adults. Our study used cross-sectional data from the population-based FinHealth 2017 Study consisting of 2250 men and 2875 women aged ≥18 years. The associations between legume consumption (quartile classification), food groups and nutrients were analysed using multivariable linear regression. The models were initially adjusted for energy intake and additionally for age, educational level, smoking status, leisure-time physical activity and BMI. Legume consumption had a positive association with age, education level and leisure-time physical activity. The consumption of legumes was positively associated with the consumption of fruits and berries, vegetables, nuts and seeds and fish and fish products and inversely associated with the consumption of red and processed meat, cereals and butter and butter-based fat spreads. Furthermore, legume consumption was positively associated with the intake of protein, fibre, folate, thiamine and salt in both sexes and inversely associated with the intake of saturated fatty acids and sucrose (sucrose, women only). Thus, legume consumption appears to reflect overall healthier food choices. An increase in legume consumption could accelerate the transition to more sustainable diets. The confounding role of other foods and nutrients should be considered when studying associations between legume consumption and health outcomes.

Itsearvioitu terveydentila on monipuolinen mittari, jossa sosiokulttuuriset tekijät yhdistyvät yksilötasoiseen kokemukseen. Monipuolisuutensa vuoksi se on tärkeä väline lasten terveysseurannassa. Suomalaisten lasten itsearvioitu terveydentila näyttää huonontuneen viime vuosina. Lisää tietoa lasten terveyskokemuksesta ja siihen yhteydessä olevista tekijöistä tarvitaan, sillä edellisiä on tutkittu verrattain vähän. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tunnistaa mitkä tekijät ovat yhteydessä viidesluokkalaisten lasten huonoon tai kohtalaiseen itsearvioituun terveydentilaan ja eroavatko nämä tekijät sukupuolen mukaan. Tutkimuksen aineistona käytettiin viidesluokkalaisten (11-vuotiaat, n=959) WHO-Koululaistutkimuksen kyselyvastauksia vuodelta 2018. Logistista regressiomallia käyttämällä tutkittiin miten sosioekonominen asema, kokemus oman kehon painosta, koetut terveysongelmat, aamiaisen syöminen, päivittäinen hedelmien tai vihannesten käyttö sekä fyysinen aktiivisuus ovat yhteydessä tyttöjen ja poikien huonoon tai kohtalaiseen itsearvioituun terveydentilaan. Oman kehon arvioiminen liian lihavaksi tai liian laihaksi oli yhteydessä huonoon tai kohtalaiseen itsearvioituun terveydentilaan kaikissa tutkituissa malleissa molemmilla sukupuolilla. Tarkasteltaessa yksittäisten tekijöiden yhteyttä huonoon tai kohtalaiseen itsearvioituun terveydentilaan havaittiin, että koettujen terveysongelmien ja viikonloppuisin syödyn aamiaisen yhdysvaikutukset olivat sukupuolen kanssa tilastollisesti merkitseviä. Huonoon tai kohtalaiseen itsearvioituun terveydentilaan yhteydessä olevat tekijät painottuivat pojilla ja tytöillä eri tavalla myös tutkittaessa usean tekijän samanaikaista yhteyttä. Pojilla korostuivat epäterveelliset ruokailutottumukset ja tytöillä itsearvioidut terveysongelmat sekä aamiaisen epäsäännöllinen syöminen viikonloppuisin. Tutkimuksemme viidesluokkalaisten huonoon tai kohtalaiseen itsearvioituun terveydentilaan yhteydessä olevista tekijöistä antaa viitteitä sukupuolittaisten erojen varhaisesta kehittymisestä. Näiden erojen lisäksi tulisi huomioida koettuun kehon painoon liittyvä merkityksenanto jo alakouluiässä.

Catheter complications can be life-threatening in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. We retrospectively evaluated non-elective removals of the first thin (1-2F) umbilical vein catheters (tUVCs (n = 92)) and peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs (n = 103)) among 195 VLBW infants. Catheters were removed non-electively in 78 infants (40%), typically due to suspected infection (n = 42) or catheter dislocation (n = 30). Infants with complications had lower birth weights and gestational ages than others. The frequencies and causes of catheter removal were similar in the tUVC and PICC groups. Thirty-one infants had true catheter infections. The number of infections/1000 catheter days was higher in the tUVC group than in the PICC group. In a multivariable analysis, gestational age was associated with catheter infection, but catheter type was not. The odds of catheter complications decreased with increasing gestational age, but no clear association with thin catheter type was found.

BACKGROUND:About 20-30% of children worldwide report depressive symptoms. This study examined associations between children's depressive symptoms, life events, and family factors.METHODS:Nationally representative data (n = 95,725) were drawn from the 2017 School Health Promotion Study in Finland. The respondents were 4th and 5th grade pupils (aged 10-12) in primary schools and their parents/guardians (n = 33,726). Data were analyzed for child-parent dyads (n = 32,181). Associations were studied using cross tabulation and logistic regression models.RESULTS:Children's reports of poor self-rated health, problems with family interactions, and the accumulation of life events were statistically significantly associated with depressive symptoms, also when controlling for sociodemographic factors. Financial situation and parent's depressed mood, both reported by parents, were associated with children's depressive symptoms when both were included in the regression model. However, this association disappeared when other predictors were added to the model.CONCLUSION:The results make apparent the complex associations between children's depressive symptoms and family factors. Further research is needed on the discrepancies between parent and child experiences.

Background: Bronchiolitis, a lower respiratory tract infection, causes a remarkable number of hospitalizations globally. The epidemiology follows the same pattern as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the most common pathogen in bronchiolitis. Epidemics have typically followed a biannual pattern in Nordic countries—first, a small epidemic during spring, followed by a higher peak the next autumn. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the incidence of bronchiolitis hospitalization has changed during the last 2 decades in Tampere, Finland. Methods: In this retrospective register-based study, data on infants <12 months of age hospitalized with bronchiolitis in 2000–2019 were collected from electronic files of Tampere University Hospital and analyzed by monthly incidences. Additionally, data on RSV incidences were collected from the Finnish National Infectious Diseases Register for children <5 years of age and living in the study area. Poisson’s regression analysis was used to evaluate changes in the incidence rates of bronchiolitis. Results: Of the 1481 infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis, 82.0% had a diagnosis of RSV bronchiolitis. At first, bronchiolitis’ epidemiological pattern followed its typical biannual pattern, then shifted to annual in the middle of the study period, and thereafter occurred biannually again. The highest incidence rate ratios compared to the low-incidence months were between December (22.5), January (25.8) and February (25.5) in 2000–2006, and between February (24.7), March (25.1) and April (21.0) in 2007–2019. Conclusions: The epidemiological pattern of bronchiolitis changed during the study period; incidence peaks were higher and have shifted toward spring in recent years.

Aim: The main aim of the study was to investigate the effects of a nurse-led lifestyle-related risk factor modification intervention on multiple lifestyle behaviours among coronary artery disease patients over six months. Design: A pre-test post-test control group design was conducted in a single clinical centre in Nepal. Methods: A total of 224 eligible patients were randomly assigned to either the usual care group or the intervention group at baseline. The lifestyle intervention consisted of a brief counselling session supplemented with informational leaflets. Standard questionnaires were used to collect self-reported data from patients on multiple lifestyle behaviours: diet, physical activity, adherence to medication, stress, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption. General linear model repeated measure analysis was used to estimate the effect of intervention. Results: A statistically significant effect of study group-by-time interaction for diet, adherence to medication, physical activity, and perceived stress was found at 6-month follow-up. Overall, greater improvement in lifestyle habits was found in the intervention group compared with the control group at 6-month follow-up.

Background Depressive mood is a common problem among children in Western countries. Professionals in school and other health services have an important role in identifying children at increased risk for depression. The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) is a widely used screening tool, but its 13 items still make it quite time-consuming to complete. There is an urgent need for a quick and easy-to-complete self-report depressive mood scale for use in school health examinations. Aim This paper aims to describe and validate a revised version of SMFQ: FsMFQ-6 is intended as a short screening tool for the early identification of depressive symptoms in children. Methods Nationally representative data (n = 95,725) were drawn from the 2017 School Health Promotion Study. The respondents were fourth- and fifth-grade pupils (aged 10-12) in Finnish primary schools. The data were analysed separately by gender. The construct validity of the scale was studied by principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity by both receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Reliability was tested by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results Principal component analysis yielded a one-component model: the Finnish Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire 6 (FsMFQ-6). CFA confirmed the validity of FsMFQ-6. Compared with mood at home (AUC = 0.80) and mood at school (AUC = 0.85), overall sensitivity and specificity were optimal at cut-off point 0. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.73, indicating good internal consistency. The results for girls and boys were almost identical. Conclusion The results confirmed the validity and reliability of FsMFQ-6. FsMFQ-6 recognises depressive mood in children and is suitable for screening depressive symptoms in fourth- and fifth-grade pupils in Finland. However, it is important to pay close attention to children who choose the 'Sometimes' response option more than once, for that can be a sign of depressive symptoms.

The intake of some micronutrients is still a public health challenge for pregnant women in Finland. This study examined the effects of dietary counselling on micronutrient intakes among pregnant women at increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in Finland. This study utilised data from was a cluster-randomised controlled trial (n = 399), which aimed to prevent gestational diabetes. In the intervention group, the dietary counselling was carried out at four routine visits to maternity care and focused on dietary fat, fibre and saccharose intake. A validated 181-item food frequency questionnaire was used for evaluating the participants' food consumption and nutrient intakes. The differences in changes in micronutrient intakes from baseline (pre-pregnancy) to 36-37 weeks' gestation were compared between the intervention and the usual care groups using multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models, adjusted for confounders. Based on the multiple-adjusted model, the counselling increased the intake of niacin equivalent (coefficient 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-0.97), vitamin D (0.24, CI 0.05-0.43), vitamin E (0.46, CI 0.26-0.66) and magnesium (5.05, CI 0.39-9.70) and maintained the intake of folate (6.50, CI 1.44-11.56), from early pregnancy to 36 to 37 weeks' gestation. Except for folate and vitamin D, the mean intake of the micronutrients from food was adequate in both groups at baseline and the follow-up. In conclusion, the dietary counselling improved the intake of several vitamins and minerals from food during pregnancy. Supplementation on folate and vitamin D is still needed during pregnancy.

Adolescents are increasingly finding school difficult and physical, mental and social problems increase the risk of exclusion. School health services help to identify problems and prevent them from escalating and the school nurse should be consulted when children are struggling academically. This study explored associations between school difficulties and the use of school health nurse services by 73,680 comprehensive school students with median age of 15.3. The study was based on nationally representative data from the 2017 Finnish School Health Promotion study and analyzed by gender. Difficulties in schooling were common and ranged from 9.9–32.7%. Girls reported difficulties more frequently than boys. Having self-reported difficulties was associated with greater use of school health nurse services, with girls seeking help more often than boys with similar issues and more boys saying they had no need for services. In addition, more self-reported difficulties with schooling were associated with unmet need for school health nurse services. School difficulties were associated with greater use of the school health nurse service use when the data were controlled for background factors. This study highlights shortcomings in access to school health nurse services by children with self-reported school difficulties and that girls were more likely report problems and seek help.

School engagement has been shown to protect students from dropping out of education, depression and school burnout. The aim of this Finnish study was to explore the association between child-parent relationships and how much 99,686 children aged 9–11 years liked school. The data were based on the 2019 School Health Promotion Study, conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. This asked children whether they liked school or not and about their child-parent relationships. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine the data separately for boys and girls and the results are presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). According to the results, girls showed more school engagement than boys (81.9% versus 74.0%), and it was more common in children who felt that their parents communicated with them in a supportive way. This association was slightly stronger for girls than boys (OR 2.46 95% CI 2.33–2.59 versus OR 2.10 95% CI 2.02–2.20). It is important that child-parent relationships and communication are considered during school health examinations, so that children who have lower support at home can be identified.