Search Results (572)

Breastfeeding education in pre-professional healthcare programs, including dietetics, is often limited and inconsistent. To address this gap, an advanced breastfeeding education and lactation management curriculum was developed that combined evidence-based content with active-learning strategies to support the translation of knowledge into practice. Graduate dietetics students attended four instructional modules, two with hands-on learning activities, and completed pre–post surveys measuring breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and counseling self-efficacy. Open-ended questions allowed students to qualitatively evaluate the program. Skills enhancements were evaluated using 11 post-survey items, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses was conducted to identify recurring patterns and areas requiring additional instructional emphasis. Eighty-seven students (mean age = 24.67 ± 4.67 years; 94.3% female) from six cohorts completed the curriculum and evaluation. The skills items demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.92). Across all 11 items, at least 55% (range: 55.17–77.01%) of students reported good to great learning gains (Likert scores of 4 or 5). Qualitative findings indicated increased breastfeeding knowledge, greater appreciation of the complexity of lactation science, and enhanced awareness of challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers. Students reported improvements in learning and confidence in applying lactation education and counseling skills, implying the active-learning curriculum is a promising model for strengthening breastfeeding training in dietetics education and practice. Full article

PA is an important determinant of health and well-being; however, many university students, including healthcare students, do not achieve recommended activity levels despite their future role in health promotion. This study aimed to explore healthcare students’ perspectives on physical activity, including their habits, perceived barriers and facilitators, the relationship between physical activity and academic self-efficacy, and its role in their future professional identity. A qualitative descriptive design was applied using semi-structured individual interviews with 15 healthcare students. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase reflexive thematic analysis approach. Five interrelated themes were identified: physical activity as a resource for health, well-being, and academic functioning; academic demands shaping physical activity behavior; physical activity strengthening academic self-efficacy; physical activity as part of professional identity; and the university environment as a facilitator of physical activity. Students perceived physical activity as supporting physical and mental well-being, stress management, concentration, and daily functioning. Academic workload, limited time, fatigue, financial constraints, and motivational challenges were identified as barriers, whereas institutional support and flexible opportunities facilitated participation. Students also viewed physical activity as contributing to confidence, discipline, and their perceived credibility as future healthcare professionals. Supportive university environments may help healthcare students maintain active lifestyles and support the development of their role as health-promoting professionals. Full article

Background: Breastfeeding myths held by healthcare professionals may affect the accuracy and consistency of counseling provided to women and families. This study evaluated nursing and midwifery students’ breastfeeding myths and associated factors. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 218 nursing and midwifery students at a university in Türkiye. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form and the Breastfeeding Myths Scale (BMS). Descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, Spearman correlation, and a multivariable generalized linear model with robust covariance estimates were used. Results: The mean age was 21.24 ± 1.80 years, and 196 participants (89.9%) were female. The mean BMS score was 67.43 ± 16.39; 214 students (98.2%) had low myth levels and 4 (1.8%) had high levels. In unadjusted analyses, scores differed by gender, department, academic year, family breastfeeding experience, perceived knowledge, and age. In the adjusted model, female students had lower scores than male students (B = −9.481, 95% CI: −18.261 to −0.700, p = 0.034), nursing students had lower scores than midwifery students (B = −4.557, 95% CI: −8.321 to −0.793, p = 0.018), and each one-year increase in age was associated with a 1.52-point decrease in BMS scores (B = −1.524, 95% CI: −2.884 to −0.163, p = 0.028). Academic year, parental education, family income, family breastfeeding experience, and perceived knowledge were not independently associated with BMS scores. Conclusions: Most students had low levels of breastfeeding myths. Female gender, nursing enrollment, and older age were associated with lower BMS scores; however, the gender finding should be interpreted cautiously because all male participants were nursing students. Full article

Introduction: Dating violence is an early form of intimate partner violence characterized by controlling behaviors, psychological and sexual abuse, and digital coercion. Despite its high prevalence among adolescents and young adults, it remains underrecognized and insufficiently addressed in healthcare settings. Nurses are strategically positioned to identify and respond to dating violence due to their close contact with patients and holistic approach to care. However, important gaps remain between existing protocols and their implementation in clinical practice. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted within a constructivist paradigm as part of a multicenter research project on dating violence among health sciences university students. Twelve experts, including nurses, healthcare professionals, and representatives of survivor-led organizations, participated in focus groups and reflective journals between September and December 2025 at the University of Barcelona. Data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological approach, with inductive thematic analysis guiding coding and theme development. Methodological rigor was ensured following the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Ethical approval was obtained. Results: Four themes emerged: (1) barriers to identification, including the normalization of controlling behaviors, myths of romantic love, and limited recognition of psychological and digital violence; (2) challenges in nursing responses, such as insufficient training, clinical uncertainty, organizational barriers, and lack of screening tools; (3) identification strategies, including systematic screening, relationship-centered interviewing, emotional education, and recognition of subtle warning signs; and (4) actions following identification, focused on validation, confidentiality, risk assessment, interdisciplinary referral, and ongoing support. Conclusions: Findings highlight the need to update protocols to explicitly address digital violence and strengthen nursing-led interventions. Participants emphasized the need for enhanced professional training, context-appropriate screening tools, and intersectoral collaboration as potential strategies to improve the identification and response to dating violence. Full article

Background: Entrepreneurship has become an essential competency for healthcare professionals because it promotes innovation, autonomy, and the development of sustainable healthcare services. Although entrepreneurship education has demonstrated positive effects on students’ entrepreneurial knowledge and competencies, evidence regarding its effectiveness among nursing interns remains limited. This study examined changes in nursing interns’ entrepreneurship awareness, entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial characteristics following participation in a structured entrepreneurship training program. Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design with a two-month follow-up assessment was conducted among 168 nursing interns at the Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University. Participants completed three researcher-developed instruments assessing entrepreneurship awareness, entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial characteristics. The intervention consisted of a structured entrepreneurship training program delivered through interactive educational strategies, including lectures, group discussions, brainstorming, case-based learning, and practical activities. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation coefficients. Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons were performed following significant overall repeated-measures effects. Results: Entrepreneurship awareness increased significantly across the three assessment periods, with scores increasing from 6.41 ± 3.16 at baseline to 16.99 ± 3.45 immediately after the intervention and remaining significantly higher at the two-month follow-up (14.42 ± 4.01; p < 0.001). Significant improvements were also observed in overall entrepreneurial characteristics (F = 158.08, p < 0.001, ${\eta }_p^2$ = 0.49), particularly perseverance, demand for efficiency and quality, commitment to work, information seeking, goal setting, and planning. In contrast, entrepreneurial intention did not change significantly across the three assessment periods (F = 1.22, p = 0.30, ${\eta }_p^2$ = 0.01). Entrepreneurship awareness was weakly and positively correlated with entrepreneurial intention across the assessment periods (r = 0.165–0.263, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Participation in the entrepreneurship training program was associated with significant improvements in entrepreneurship awareness and entrepreneurial characteristics among nursing interns, whereas entrepreneurial intention did not demonstrate a statistically significant change. Integrating entrepreneurship education into undergraduate nursing curricula may strengthen innovation-related competencies and prepare future nurses to develop sustainable healthcare initiatives. Future controlled longitudinal studies should investigate the psychological and contextual factors that may influence the development of entrepreneurial intention. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to identify and categorise the educational, training, and support needs of informal caregivers of stroke survivors in order to inform the development of an Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) intervention within the European caregIVR project (Project No. 101129454; EU4Health Programme). Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using three focus groups involving informal caregivers, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders, and academics and healthcare students in Portugal (n = 33). Discussions explored everyday caregiving challenges, priority educational needs, and expectations regarding digital support tools. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis with an inductive–deductive coding strategy supported by NVivo software (version 14). Results: Participants identified the transition from hospital to home as the most critical stage of the caregiving journey, characterised by poor continuity of care and insufficient preparation before hospital discharge. Major challenges included limited stroke-related health literacy, difficulties adapting the home environment, and substantial emotional, financial, and social burdens that frequently resulted in social isolation and caregiver burnout. Participants regarded IVR as a promising educational strategy for delivering practical, repetitive, and low-risk skills training. Conclusions: The findings suggest that caregiver empowerment should be promoted through progressive, person-centred, and non-judgemental educational programmes tailored to caregivers’ evolving needs. Caregivers should be supported by multidisciplinary teams capable of addressing the clinical, practical, and psychosocial complexity of post-stroke home care. Rather than replacing professional support, IVR should be considered a complementary educational tool with the potential to improve caregivers’ preparedness, confidence, and safety in the home-care setting. Full article

Background: Food noise describes persistent, intrusive thoughts about food, eating, and cravings that occur in the absence of physiological hunger. Its occurrence among healthcare students and professionals in Saudi Arabia is unknown. This study measured food noise in this group in Al-Ahsa, described the proportion meeting study-defined severity thresholds, and identified its main correlates. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, healthcare students and professionals in Al-Ahsa completed a bilingual (Arabic–English) electronic questionnaire capturing demographic and lifestyle characteristics, a 14-item food noise scale adapted from the Food Thought Suppression Inventory (each item rated 1–5; total range 14–70), the SCOFF eating disorder screen, and the four-item Perceived Stress Scale. The factor structure of the food noise scale was examined by exploratory factor analysis with parallel analysis and random split-half replication. Severity was graded from the mean item score as low, moderate, or high using exploratory thresholds, and associations were tested using t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, the Pearson correlation, and complete-case multivariable linear regression with robust standard errors and six sensitivity analyses. Results: Among 593 participants (mean age 25.7 years; 67.5% women; 60.0% students), the food noise scale was unidimensional (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin 0.95; one eigenvalue above both unity and the parallel analysis threshold; 41.8% of variance explained; loadings 0.50 to 0.74) and internally consistent (Cronbach alpha 0.91). The mean total score was 41.9 (standard deviation 12.7). At least moderate food noise was present in 75.9% of participants (95% CI 72.3 to 79.2) and high food noise in 29.0% (95% CI 25.5 to 32.8). A positive SCOFF screen was recorded in 70.2% (95% CI 66.3 to 73.7), and the mean perceived stress score was 8.1 (standard deviation 2.8). In the adjusted model (n = 573; unadjusted R-squared 0.279, adjusted R-squared 0.266), food noise was independently associated with the SCOFF score (B 3.85 per point) and perceived stress (B 0.69 per point), both of which held across every sensitivity analysis, although both relationships proved concave rather than linear. Weaker associations with age (B 0.19 per year) and any night shift work (B 2.45) did not survive alternative model specifications, and crude differences by sex, role, weekly hours, and fasting did not persist after adjustment. Conclusions: Food noise was common in this sample and tracked eating disorder risk and perceived stress more closely than demographic or occupational characteristics. Because recruitment was by convenience and the severity thresholds are exploratory rather than validated, the proportions reported here describe this sample and should not be read as population prevalence. The findings provide a first benchmark for the construct in this population and support attention to the cognitive dimension of eating within health professions settings. Full article

Background: General Practice is facing workforce shortages across Europe. In Italy, the estimated shortage was 5575 General Practitioners in 2024, with high retirement rates and persistent difficulties in attracting new physicians to the profession. This study investigated postgraduate career intentions among medical students and factors associated with interest in General Practice. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using an anonymous 39-item questionnaire was conducted among fifth- and sixth-year medical students at the University of Milan. Associations were assessed using ordinal and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Among 359 respondents (response rate: 46.8%), only 2.2% identified General Practice as their preferred postgraduate career. Students considering General Practice attributed greater importance to community-based work (OR = 18.49, 95% CI 3.35–102.02) and professional autonomy (OR = 4.47, 95% CI 1.03–19.44). Previous community-based primary care experience was associated with choosing General Practice (OR = 32.43, 95% CI 3.85–273.50). Most students perceived theoretical and practical General Practice training as less adequate than that of other specialties, and only 25.1% considered their preparation sufficient to support career decision-making. Conclusions: Strengthening the academic integration of General Practice and meaningful community-based learning opportunities may contribute to more informed career choices while better preparing future physicians for healthcare systems increasingly centred on Primary Health Care. Full article

Background: Polypharmacy remains a significant challenge, often leading to adverse drug events and increased healthcare costs. One effective strategy to mitigate these risks is deprescribing, the systematic and intentional discontinuation or reduction of medications. Despite growing recognition of deprescribing’s importance, limited research has examined the impact of interprofessional education interventions on developing deprescribing competencies among healthcare professional students. This study aims to examine the perspectives of healthcare students, including student pharmacists, medical students, and nurse practitioner students, regarding their roles and responsibilities in the deprescribing process. Methods: Following completion of a Deprescribing Interprofessional Education Simulation activity (DIPE-SA), participants were invited to join focus groups. The study included students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) underpinned the qualitative research approach, informing the development of the study framework. Each focus group was facilitated by two researchers and recorded. Recruitment continued until saturation was achieved. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed for themes using Dedoose, qualitative analysis software. Results: A total of 19 participants attended four focus groups. Three major themes emerged and guided the development of the Roles–Collaboration–Communication (RCC) interprofessional framework. The first theme, roles, focuses on the unique responsibilities and functions healthcare professionals assume within the team and throughout the deprescribing process. The second theme, collaboration, emphasizes coordinated efforts and shared decision-making among members of the interprofessional healthcare team in deprescribing. Finally, the third theme, communication, highlights the importance of effective information and intention exchange, serving as both a mediator and connector, linking roles and collaboration, and ultimately enabling successful deprescribing. Conclusions: This study’s findings, together with the RCC interprofessional framework, demonstrate the interplay of roles, collaboration, and communication in medication management. The RCC framework highlights the value of dynamic team processes for achieving safe and effective deprescribing, which in turn improves patient care and health outcomes. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare education, clinical decision-making, and future practice. For medical students, AI literacy entails technical understanding, practical competence, ethical awareness, value-based judgment, and responsible engagement. This study examines how culturally embedded value orientations are associated with Chinese medical students’ perceived AI literacy, as assessed using a self-report instrument. In a cross-sectional sample of 1500 medical students enrolled at a comprehensive university in Henan Province, China, AI literacy was assessed using the 12-item Artificial Intelligence Literacy Scale (AILS), a self-report measure whose scores represented perceived AI literacy. Value orientations were measured using the 32-item Chinese Values Questionnaire (CVQ), comprising eight value dimensions. NCA and fsQCA were conducted to examine necessary conditions and configurational associations with membership in the high perceived AI literacy set. No single value dimension met the criterion for set-theoretic necessity with respect to membership in the high self-reported AI literacy set, and no individual condition met the fsQCA necessity consistency threshold of 0.90. Four sufficient configurations associated with high perceived AI literacy were identified, with an overall solution consistency of 0.867 and coverage of 0.383. Moral Self-Discipline and Public Interest repeatedly appeared as core or peripheral conditions. These results suggest that high perceived AI literacy was associated with multiple combinations of value orientations rather than with a single value dimension. High perceived AI literacy was associated with multiple value configurations rather than one dominant value orientation. Empirically, this study applies configurational analysis to understand how value orientations are associated with AI literacy, complementing existing research on knowledge, attitudes, and readiness. These context-bound associations may inform future research on whether medical AI curricula can integrate technical training with ethical reflection and public-oriented professional values. Full article

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Its symptoms affect both motor functions—such as bradykinesia, rigidity, resting tremor, and postural instability—and non-motor functions, including neuropsychiatric issues, sleep disorders, and constipation. Drawing on the literature, the following topics were developed and presented: Pathophysiology; Treatment; Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Function; Sleep Challenges; Exercise and Movement; Striving for Wellness; and Obstacles/Paths Forward. These seven categories form the foundation of this review, which centers on four main areas related to PD: dopamine biology and pathophysiology; management of key motor and non-motor symptoms; strategies for achieving wellness; and unresolved issues in PD. The complexity of PD’s clinical features is highlighted by describing patient–healthcare provider interactions, elucidating disease mechanisms, managing motor and non-motor symptoms, highlighting the benefits of exercise, emphasizing the importance of sleep, addressing mental health challenges and cognitive changes, fostering a hopeful and resilient mindset, potentially slowing disease progression, treating comorbidities, and promoting overall wellness. Although there have been tremendous advances in the basic science and clinical management of PD in recent years, PD remains incurable. Thus, we describe several roadblocks that have hindered progress in understanding PD. Only by integrating historical insights with the latest PD advances can we acquire the knowledge needed to change the disease’s trajectory. Finally, this review aims to provide a meaningful summary for healthcare professionals (and students) caring for patients with PD. Full article

Background/Objectives: Basic sciences form the conceptual foundation of dentistry, yet their delivery in dental curricula varies worldwide. As demographic shifts, growing healthcare complexity and scientific advances continue to reshape the dental profession, renewed attention to how these subjects are taught has become essential. This comparative narrative review aims to examine different approaches to basic science education in dentistry, exploring variation in curricular structure, depth, timing and pedagogical strategies across diverse dental schools. Particular emphasis is placed on models of vertical, horizontal and spiral integration, the alignment of basic sciences with clinical training and the implications of instructional design for long-term knowledge retention and professional competence. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched from November 2025 to June 2026 using terms related to dental education, curriculum integration and geographic regions. Sources were selected based on predefined relevance criteria rather than through systematic screening. Published literature was supplemented by structured outreach to faculty representatives using a standardised set of questions. Of the 25 dental schools contacted, nine responded, and five were included. Results: Across the programs examined, a structure of approximately two preclinical years followed by clinical training remained the most common. Early clinical exposure appeared to strengthen student confidence and professional identity. Heavy workload and curricular overload were recurring challenges in the dental curricula examined. Conclusions: The findings suggest that although curriculum integration is widely recognised as essential, no single model appears to be universally superior. Its effectiveness likely depends on the quality of implementation and faculty coordination. However, the lack of independent evaluation studies limits the ability to draw conclusions about the long-term effectiveness of different educational approaches. The review highlights the need for independent and systematic evaluation of dental curricula. Full article

Although high-quality healthcare requires both technical expertise and soft skills, the precise connections between emotional intelligence (EI), interpersonal skills (IS), and communication skills (CS) remain insufficiently explored. This lack of research creates an educational gap in training students to effectively manage clinical anxiety. This study aims to analyze the predictive and mediational role of IS between EI and CS in healthcare undergraduates. A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with 816 Spanish undergraduate healthcare students recruited between October and December 2024. The inclusion criteria required participants to be actively enrolled in a healthcare degree and provide written informed consent. Data from four standardized self-reports were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) estimated via Unweighted Least Squares (ULS) to account for non-normal data distributions. The structural model showed that EI positively predicted IS (β = 0.69) and directly predicted CS (β = 0.35). Crucially, IS strongly predicted CS (β = 0.69), acting as a key psychological mediator. Together, EI and IS explained 91% of the variance in communication skills (R² = 0.91). These findings imply that interpersonal skills structurally translate internal emotional regulation into effective outward communication. For educators and professionals, this underscores the need for healthcare training to move beyond basic communication protocols to integrate formal emotional intelligence and social skills programs to enhance clinical patient safety and prevent student burnout. Full article

Background/Objectives: The use of antidepressants and anxiolytics has increased worldwide, raising concerns about treatment patterns, medication safety, and rational use. This study aimed to characterize the frequency, utilization patterns, and safety-related aspects of antidepressant and anxiolytic use among healthcare students and university staff at a Brazilian public university. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2024 and June 2025 using an online questionnaire administered to students and staff at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were applied to characterize medication utilization patterns and evaluate factors associated with antidepressant and/or anxiolytic use. Results: Among the 300 participants, 167 (55.7%) reported antidepressant and/or anxiolytic use during the previous six months. Most users reported treatment for more than one year (59.9%), anxiety as the primary indication (68.3%), and prescription by a healthcare professional (93.4%). A total of 203 medications were reported, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors being the most common pharmacological class (42.4%). Among users, 99 (59.3%) reported at least one self-reported adverse effect, most commonly excessive drowsiness, reduced libido/sexual dysfunction, dry mouth, headache, and nausea. No statistically significant independent associations were identified between antidepressant and/or anxiolytic use and the evaluated sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions: Antidepressant and anxiolytic use was frequently reported and was characterized by predominantly long-term, professionally prescribed treatment and frequent self-reported adverse effects. These findings may inform institutional strategies to improve access to mental healthcare while promoting the rational and safe use of psychotropic medications within university settings. Full article

This paper presents a data-driven educational framework for teaching psychrometry and air quality control in hospitals, developed within an international pilot project involving universities and hospitals in Spain, Romania, and Turkey. The objective of this pilot study is to examine a multidisciplinary framework that equips engineering students with essential technical skills for managing hospital infrastructure, particularly in critical areas like operating rooms and intensive care units. The methodology integrates theoretical instruction, analogue instruments, and digital technologies, including Arduino-based sensing and AI tools, to facilitate data interpretation and critical thinking. By bridging manual measurements with digital monitoring, the framework aims to equalize proficiency among students from diverse engineering backgrounds. Quantitative results from 23 participants provide preliminary evidence of academic growth, consistent with the hypothesis that this integrated approach may facilitate conceptual mastery. This work offers preliminary insights into the advancement of data-driven modelling in engineering education, emphasizing the significance of multidisciplinary training and international collaboration in preparing future professionals for the oversight, operational management, and maintenance of modern healthcare facilities. Full article