Introducción. El momento de los exámenes y las evaluaciones es un período estresante en el que la ansiedad alcanza sus niveles más altos. Hasta cierto punto, un nivel bajo de estrés puede ayudar a motivar a las y los estudiantes. Sin embargo, un mayor nivel de estrés puede ser desalentador. Hará que se sientan exhaustos, abrumados y confundidos. Una autoestima alta promueve la salud física y mejora la capacidad de afrontar las amenazas; por otro lado, una autoestima baja se asocia con dificultades de salud mental, como ansiedad, depresión y trastornos de la personalidad. El presente estudio evalúa el impacto de la ansiedad y la confianza en uno mismo ante los exámenes académicos, valorando la eficacia de la práctica de la meditación consciente para aliviar la ansiedad, mejorar la confianza y la autoestima en uno mismo, ante los exámenes. Objetivo. Determinar la ansiedad ante los exámenes académicos y la confianza en uno mismo antes de la intervención entre los estudiantes universitarios en grupos experimentales y de control y determinar la eficacia de MBSR en la ansiedad ante los exámenes académicos y la confianza en uno mismo.

Introduction. The time of examination and evaluation is a stressful period where anxiety is at its highest levels. To some extent, a low level of stress can help motivate the students; however, more stress can be discouraging. It will make students exhausted, overwhelmed, and confused. High self-esteem promotes physical health and enhances coping with threat; on the other hand, low self-esteem is associated with mental health difficulties like anxiety, depression, and personality disorder. Hence, the present study focuses on assessing the academic test anxiety and self-confidence and finding out the efficacy of practicing mindfulness meditation to relieve test anxiety, thereby improving the self-confidence and self-esteem in their life. Objectives. Determine the pre-interventional academic test anxiety and self-confidence among undergraduates in experimental and control groups and determine the effectiveness of MBSR on academic test anxiety and self-confidence.

Introduction: Dysmenorrhoea is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism among adolescent girls. Many women have menstrual cramps before and during their menstrual periods. For some women, the discomfort is merely annoying. Methods used to relieve dysmenorrhea include; exercise, a healthy diet, and yoga. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effect of a gym ball exercise program on dysmenorrhea in nursing students from a selected college in Mangaluru, India. Materials and Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study on 52 eligible nursing students (26 in the exercise group and 26 in the control group). A pre-test assessment was done in both groups to assess the level of dysmenorrhea by using the numerical pain rating scale. The gym ball exercise was performed in the exercise group for 3 weeks prior to their predicted menstrual date, three times a week, each for 45 minutes. The post-test assessment was done on the first day of their menstruation and followed up one month later to assess the sustainability of the effect of the exercise. To analyze the data, inferential statistics, including chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Results: The participants had moderate to severe pain. They had regular menstrual cycles lasting for 28-30 days, with a menstrual duration of 3-6 days, and moderate bleeding. The level of dysmenorrhea in the exercise group was lower (2.69±1.15) than in the control group (4.77±1.75) in the post-test phase. The mean level of dysmenorrhoea in the follow-up phase was 3.08±1.74 and 4.35±1.79 in the exercise and control groups, respectively. A significant difference was found between pre-test and follow-up pain scores (P=0.001) and between post-test and follow-up pain scores (P=0.001). Mann-Whitney U test results showed a significant difference between the two groups in the post-test (P=0.001) and follow-up phases (P=0.001). Conclusion: The four-week gym ball exercise program is effective in reducing the intensity of dysmenorrhea in nursing students.

Background and Objectives Osteoporosis is a multifactorial and slowly emerging global health problem. Along with menopause, one out of three women between the age group of 50 to 60 years in India suffers from osteoporosis. Indian women have an early age onset of osteoporosis as compared to their Western counterparts. The current study assessed osteoporosis knowledge and preventive practice among menopausal women. The study's objectives were to 1) assess the osteoporosis knowledge and preventive practice among women, 2) find the correlation between the knowledge and preventive practice among menopausal women, and 3) find the association of knowledge and preventive practice with selected demographic variables. Methods A quantitative nonexperimental research approach with a descriptive correlational survey design was adopted in the study. A total of 100 samples between the ages of 45 and 56 years were the participants. Data were collected using demographic proforma, a self-structured knowledge questionnaire, and a preventive practice checklist. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results The majority of the menopausal women (65%) were between the age group of 53 and 56 years and 79% of menopausal women were having primary education, 77% of them were unskilled workers. Fifty percent of the participants had shown adequate knowledge with a median score of 12 and the remaining half of the participants had a knowledge score < 12. The knowledge score among women was 11.47 +/- 2.4 with a maximum score of 17 and the minimum score of 5. With regard to the preventive practice, the participants were 20.12 +/- 2.22. Conclusion The study showed a gross deficit in osteoporosis knowledge among menopausal women and they were following unhealthy practices in their lifetime. There is a need to prioritize designing appropriate awareness campaigns regarding osteoporosis among subjects who are at risk, according to their level of literacy.

Introduction The time of examination and evaluation is a stressful period where stress is on its highest levels. To some extent, low level of stress can help in motivating the students; however, on the contrary more stress can be discouraging. It will make students exhausted, overwhelmed, and confused. So, the present study focuses on assessing the academic test anxiety and self-esteem among undergraduates. The objectives of the study were: determining the academic test anxiety and self-esteem among students and find out the correlation and association between academic test anxiety and self-esteem. Materials and Methods A quantitative research approach had been adopted and descriptive correlational survey design was used to identify the academic test anxiety and self-esteem among first year students from selected constituent colleges of NITTE (Deemed to be University) at Paneer campus. The sample consisted of 300 first year undergraduate students. The participants were selected using convenient sampling technique. The data were collected using the sociodemographic pro forma, standardized Westside Test Anxiety Scale and State Self-Esteem Scale. The data were computed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics like Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient test, Fisher's exact value, and chi-square value. Result Majority of (79.9%) of the participants were in the age group of 18 to 19 years. The mean age of the participants was 18.56 +/- 0.928 with minimum age 17 and maximum age of 21. Regarding entry level percentage of marks (Pre-University Course/+ 2), 34.7% of participants secured with more than 80% of marks in their entry level examination followed by 38.2% of the participants scoring between 70 and 79% and only 16 (5.6%) participants counted between 45 and 59%. Majority (76%) of the participants were females. The study reveals that 32.3% of the participants experienced moderate level of test anxiety and 17% of the participants experienced severe level of test anxiety followed by 34.7% participants experiencing mild levels of test anxiety. The mean test anxiety score was 2.97 +/- 0.55 which indicates that average participants were showing moderate level of test anxiety. There is a significant medium positive correlation between academic test anxiety and self-esteem ( r value = 0.497 and p <= 0.001). As the p -value was more than 0.05 ( p = 0.09, p = 0.86), there is no significant association found between previous academic performance with level of academic test anxiety or self-esteem. Conclusion The study concludes that, students' self-esteem can be enhanced and test anxiety can be reduced by creating an enabling environment for mentoring where they can practice assertiveness skills which will in turn boost their confidence to perform all academic tasks successfully.

Introduction The process of women aging is characterized by a gradual transition from reproductive to nonreproductive life period. These changes in aging during menopause are accompanied by a wide range of physiological as well as psychological disturbing symptoms. The traditional therapeutic approach toward menopause management is hormone replacement therapy, which increases the risk of breast cancer, stroke, and coronary heart disease. However, the efficacy of complementary and alternative therapies like mind-body approach to troublesome hot flashes, anxiety, and depression is widely proven and it is used by many women. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the mind-body approach on menopausal symptoms among women. Methods A quantitative research approach with quasi-experimental pretest-post-test design was adopted in the study. A total of 20 samples between the ages of 48 to 55 years with menopausal symptoms were the participants. The intervention of mind body approach (Mindfulness meditation) was performed for 8 weeks, which includes 35 minutes of session per day. Results The majority (80%) of the participants were in the age group of 51 to 53 years and 50% of the participants attained menopause between 49 and 50 years. The results showed that the mean post-test menopausal symptom score was 15.60 2.633 which was lower than the mean pretest score 28.420 +/- 1.476 and the calculated t -value, t = 10.157 is greater than the table value ( p < 0.001) at 0.001 level of significance. Hence, it is evident that the practice of mind-body approach was effective in reducing the intensity of menopausal symptoms among women. Conclusion The study concludes that the practice of mind-body approach helped in reducing the menopausal symptoms on the domain of psychological and Somato vegetative scale like anxiety, depression, reduction in the intensity of hot flushes, and improved the sleeping pattern. Overall, the practice of Mindfulness meditation helped the participants to have a better quality of life. The study was found to be cost-effective and feasible to be made as a routine intervention for women to manage menopausal symptoms.

The women aging process is characterized by a gradual transition from reproductive to non reproductive life period. These changes in aging during menopause are accompanied by a wide range of physiological as well as psychological disturbing symptoms. Menopausal symptoms have been widely studied in women from western societies, but less information is available for women of non-western ethnic groups. There is evidence of differences in the prevalence of symptoms in Asian versus Western women. This study evaluates the menopausal symptom of women aged between 48 to 55 years which is important to understand the prevalence and plan for the remedial measures and also to create health awareness among women. Objective: To assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms among women. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out, using a stratified sampling technique. The study was conducted in three Primary Health Centres of Mangalore Taluk: Kotekar, Natekal and Mudipu. A total of 1034 samples between the ages of 48–55 years were screened under 16 sub-centers. Results: The average age among menopausal women was 49.8 ± 1.51 years. The average age of attaining menopause among the participant was 48.26 years. The most common symptom reported under the domains of vasomotor is hot flushes. About 83% of the participants were experienced with hot flushes and 71% of participants are reported with night sweats. The most common psychosocial symptoms experienced by menopausal women were forgetfulness [72%], feeling anxious [52%]. The most reported physical symptoms among study participants were tiredness [80%], lack of energy [71.2%] and difficulty in sleeping [60%]. The least reported domains of menopausal symptoms were frequent urination and urinary tract infections. Under the sexual complaints, 82% of the participants reported changes in the sexual desire. Conclusion: The study has shown that the prevalence of classical menopause symptoms like profuse sweating along with hot flushes, increased anxiety, depression, wanting to be alone, and urinary tract infections were lower but, symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, tiredness, difficulty in sleeping, changes in sexual desire were the prominent symptoms among the study participants.

Introduction: According to Asian Audit Report 2009, Osteoporosis is the most emerging health problem among Asians. Rapid bone loss occurs when menopause is attained. It is found to be the greatest in the early stage of postmenopausal period. The objectives of the study were: assess the BMD level and preventive osteoporotic practice among menopausal women, find out the correlation between BMD level and preventive osteoporotic and to find the association between BMD levels with selected demographic variables. Lifestyle practices like adequate exposure to sunlight, regular exercise and appropriate diet proves to have positive impact on bone health among menopausal women. These measures prove to be safe and cost-effective. Promoting and maintaining health of women by educating them to adopt healthy lifestyle practices is role of an advanced nurse practitioner. Therefore, the investigator was interested in preparing an information booklet on preventive practices for osteoporosis among menopausal women. Method: Non-experimental research approach was used and the design selected for the study was cross sectional survey. Sample comprised of 100 menopausal women attending orthopaedic OPD at K.S Hegde hospital, Deralakatte, Mangaluru. Convenience sampling technique was used to select the samples. Data was collected from 05/09/2018- 28/12/2018 by using demographic performa, BMD level and osteoporotic preventive practice checklist. The collected data were entered systematically in the SPSS for data analysis. Results: The results of the study shows that the P value of chi square test for association between BMD level with demographic variables such as age (0.000), total number of children (0.005), age at menopause (0.003) and source of information (0.000) are at 0.05 level of significance. Hence the research hypothesis interpreted that there is significant association between BMD level with selected demographic variables. Conclusion: The measures adopted by menopausal women to achieve and sustain an optimum level of bone health vary from individual to individual, community to community and country to country. The nurse practitioner has a primary responsibility of enhancing the knowledge, positive attitude, good health status among menopausal women.

Mind-body therapies hold several advantages from the viewpoint of security, fulfilment, implementation and possible ancillary social and psychological health benefits. Side effects and risks of mind-body practice are generally nominal, implementation costs are little and most mind-body therapies can be performed by a broad range of populations, including overweight and sedentary menopausal women. The use of mind-body therapies for the alleviation of a menopausal symptoms is becoming increasingly common because of the perceived therapeutic benefits. The practice of mindfulness allows the participants to be aware of the present moment without concern for past or future consequences. Several researchers have discovered that being mindful may be helpful for menopausal women struggling with irritability, anxiety and depression. The purpose of this article aimed at reviewing the literature which studies the impact of the mindfulness-based training on menopausal symptoms among women during their climacteric period. Many midlife women try out practices like relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and yoga to help them get through these difficult times during their transitional period of life. Although these daily practices probably do not relieve symptoms such as hot flashes, they might improve overall wellbeing and help them sleep better. The literature was searched using databases such as CINAHL, Pub Med, Pro-Quest and Google scholar. The search terms used were: menopause, menopausal symptoms, mindfulness, quality of life and midlife transition. In India, the practice of mindfulness is not very well known among the menopausal women, so the aim of this review was to show a pathway to the primary health care workers like physicians, counsellors and the nurses, who can guide them about the practice of mindfulness thereby improving the quality of life.

Abstract Introduction Breastfeeding is not a choice but it is a responsibility. While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby. Antenatal education motivates the mothers who are undergoing Cesarean section to prepare themselves, so as to establish a wonderful efficient latch. The aim of this study was to conclude which breastfeeding position may be the best choice for the mother with Caesarean section. The objectives of the study were (1) to identify the maternal comfort and infant feeding behaviors in groups 1 and 2, (2) to compare the maternal comfort and infant feeding behaviors between the groups, and (3) to find the association between maternal comforts with selected demographic characteristics. The literature also very well supports that especially the mothers with Cesarean section achieve very good maternal comfort, greater satisfaction, and favorable infant feeding behaviors in side-lying position. Thus, the researcher attempts to compare the cradle hold and side-lying breastfeeding position in terms of maternal comfort and efficient latch. Materials and Methods An evaluative research approach was used and the design selected for the study was quasiexperimental for two groups posttest only. Sample comprised of 70 antenatal mothers with elective Cesarean section (35 in each group) admitted at K.S. Hegde Hospital in Deralakatte, Mangalore. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the samples. Data were collected by using demographic proforma, maternal comfort rating scale, and infant behavior checklist. Results The results of the study shows that there was significant difference in the mean posttest scores between cradle hold and side-lying breastfeeding position. Mothers from the side-lying breastfeeding position group showed higher maternal comfort, mean posttest score, and favorable infant feeding behaviors than the cradle hold breastfeeding position. The independent sample t test revealed that the calculated t value for maternal comfort and infant feeding behaviors within the group and between the group less than the table value t (0.05, 68 = −2.042). Conclusion This study explores that mothers with Cesarean section show greater maternal comfort and favorable infant feeding behaviors in side-lying breastfeeding position between the groups and within the groups than the cradle hold.

Puberty begins with a surge in hormone production, which in turn causes a number of physical changes. This is triggered by the pituitary gland, which secretes hormonal agents into the blood stream. Put simply, puberty is the time when a child's body starts changing into an adult's body. The title of the study, “Stress level among adolescents related to development of secondary sexual characteristics in a selected secondary school in Mangalore”. The objectives include, identifying the level of stress among adolescents and to compare the level of stress among adolescent boys and girls related to development of secondary sexual characteristics. The research study was conducted in Vishwa Mangala High School, Konaje and population comprised of 25 adolescents’ boys and 25 adolescent's girls studying in the 9th standard.

Introduction:Menopause is a natural process that all women go through.It is believed that a major physical and psychological change in a woman's life occurs during this period, though every woman may view these changes differently depending on the society and culture they belong to.And, it is also believed that quality of life (QOL) during this transitional period plays a major role in the remaining life of the woman.Evidences support the clinical importance of the transition for many women as a period of temporary changes in health and QOL and long-term changes in several health outcomes may influence women's QOL and the likelihood of healthy aging. Aim:The aims of the study were to assess the QOL among women using structured Menopause-specific quality of life (MENQOL) questionnaire and to find out the association between the QOL among women with selected demographic variables. Materials and methods:The researchers used quantitative research approach in the study.A descriptive survey design was used in the study.The sample consisted of 100 menopausal women, selected using convenient sampling technique.The investigator used the demographic pro forma and standardized MENQOL questionnaire for collecting the data.After the assessment of QOL among menopausal women, the researcher distributed the information booklet on menopausal health.The study findings have shown that the participants had average QOL in their menopausal period.An information booklet on menopausal health may improve the QOL among menopausal women and create an awareness regarding menopausal symptoms and its management. Conclusion:The following conclusions were drawn based on the findings of the study: • Most of the mothers had average QOL during menopausal period.• An information booklet regarding menopausal health was effective in creating awareness among menopausal women on QOL during menopausal period.

Umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells, which are the building blocks of the blood and the immune system. These biologically unique cells have the ability to develop into other cell types within the body. Stem cells collected from the umbilical cord have the ability to replace bone marrow and to produce various blood and immune cells. Nursing personnel have the great responsibility to educate about cord blood banking as an opportunity for parents to save the stem cells found in the blood of their newborn's umbilical cord.

Abstract Introduction: Early initiation of breast feeding has long been recognized as one of the most important contributor to mothers' as well as infants' health. Breast feeding should be initiated within half an hour and two hour of birth in normal vaginal delivery and caesarean section respectively. A recent systematic review regarding the timing of breast feeding initiation shows that if newborns are exposed to breast feeding at the early stage, they are much more likely to adhere to breast feeding and ultimately have better outcome in terms of less incidence of breast engorgement. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to identify the early initiation of breast feeding by post caesarean mothers using observational check list, to train the staff nurses regarding the EBP guideline to prevent and treat breast engorgement among post caesarean mothers, to find the difference between pre test knowledge score and post test knowledge score among staff nurses on prevention and treatment of breast engorgement using structured knowledge questionnaire, to assess the effectiveness of EBP guideline to prevent and treat breast engorgement among post caesarean mothers in terms of reduction in the severity of breast engorgement before and after the implementation of EBP guideline using modified six point engorgement scale. Methods: In this study, one group pre test post test design was chosen. The study was conducted at KMC Hospital Attawar, Mangalore. The population in this study comprised of prime post cesarean mothers and staff nurses who are available at the period of data collection at KMC Hospital, Attawar, Mangalore. The calculated sample size for post caesarean mothers is 50 ad staff nurses are 20. The following tools were used to collect the data from the study samples. 1) Baseline characteristics - post caesarean mothers and staff nurses 2) Structured knowledge questionnaire on prevention and treatment of breast engorgement 3) Observational checklist to identify early initiation of breast feeding 4) Modified six point engorgement scale to assess the severity of breast engorgement. The data were collected and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics by SPSS package version 16. Results: The study results shows, Out of the 50 mothers, 26 (52%) of the mothers had previous information regarding breast engorgement. 14 (53%) of the mothers had received information from family members/ relatives and friends meanwhile 8 (31%) had mass media as a source of information and 4 (16%) had information from their health professionals. Most of the post caesarean mothers were practicing early initiation of breast feeding. Regarding the total practice score for the early initiation of breast feeding it was 6.38 ± 0.696 and it ranged from 5 to 7 with a median 6. Conclusion: The study has revealed that, most of the post caesarean mothers were practicing the early initiation breast feeding practices.

This paper reports the results of a systematic investigation on the fracture of Charpy-V notch A508 steel specimens, tested in the lower shelf regime. The fracture energy has been determined for quasi-static, standard Charpy and one-point-bend impact. The results show a general trend for the fracture energy to increase with the loading rate, at the lower temperature (∼−160 °C). At this temperature, the roughness of the fracture surface increases markedly with the loading rate. The fractographic analysis shows the presence of 3–4 cleavage initiation sites situated at 100–800 μm from the crack front, irrespective of the loading rate. Numerous cleavage microcracks are observed underneath the main fracture plane. The statistical analysis shows that the length distribution of the microcracks is adequately described by Weibull statistics. It is also found that the number of microcracks increases with the loading rate. It is suggested that the larger number of microcracks is responsible for the observed increased roughness and energy dissipation.