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To explore the lived experiences and daily interactions of older couples living with multimorbidity.
A descriptive-interpretive qualitative study based on a generic interpretive description framework.
A total of 20 dyads were recruited using a purposive sampling strategy, and 24 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted between May 2023 and January 2025. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse data.
Four overarching themes were generated: (1) dynamic relationship structures; (2) diverse interaction patterns; (3) double burdens; and (4) double resilience. Dynamic relationship structures occurred in dyadic and triadic forms. Diverse interaction patterns involved independence, interdependence and dependence. Double burdens manifested as physical toll, financial hardship, emotional contagion and perceptual misalignment, whereas double resilience was reflected in the nudge effect, emotional resonance and promotion of family ownership of health.
This study adopted a dyadic perspective to explore the experiences and interactions of older couples living with multimorbidity. The caring dynamics and blurred roles of patient and care partner deviate from the traditional unidirectional, linear model of ‘one person caring for the other’. Formal or informal caregiving support from third parties, as well as the nudge effect and emotional resonance between spouses, may help orient older couples as they navigate the challenges associated with multimorbidity.
Our findings indicate that community nurses can play a proactive role in identifying older couples living with multimorbidity through routine care attendance and assessments, enabling early recognition of health management needs. Geriatric nurses can leverage insights into couples' interaction patterns to tailor more effective care plans at different stages of illness, monitor emerging risks and identify optimal timing for third-party support. By facilitating a responsive triadic network, nurses can help ensure continuous and sustainable health care.
Adhered to SRQR guidelines for qualitative research.
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.
Dysphagia not only affects the nutritional intake of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients but may also lead to social avoidance, emotional fluctuations, and a decline in life confidence. Furthermore, dysphagia places an additional psychological and physical burden on caregivers, significantly altering their lifestyles.
This study employed a qualitative systematic review approach to comprehensively analyse the experiences and coping strategies of HNC patients and their caregivers in relation to dysphagia. Relevant qualitative studies published from the inception of the database through September 2024 were selected. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research (2016), and a meta-aggregation method was applied to synthesise and categorise the research themes. This study standardised the presentation of results in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines.
A total of 14 studies were included, resulting in 63 research outcomes, which were consolidated into 12 new categories and integrated into 4 main themes: (1) the impact of dysphagia on daily life; (2) coping with the changes caused by dysphagia; (3) understanding of dysphagia and related needs; and (4) the physiological and psychological challenges faced, and the efforts to seek support.
The dual physiological and psychological challenges posed by dysphagia profoundly affect patients' daily lives, prompting ongoing adjustments to cope with these changes. Both patients and caregivers have a limited understanding of dysphagia but exhibit a strong need for support. These findings underscore the importance of providing comprehensive, individualised support for patients and caregivers to improve their quality of life and coping experiences.
No Patient or Public Contribution. This study aims to analyse and synthesise the experiences and perspectives of patients and their caregivers reported in existing research. As no original data were collected and no direct interaction with patients or the public occurred, specific patient or public contributions are not included.
To evaluate bioecology and environmental influences of patients presenting with alopecia regarding decisions made for hair camouflage.
A descriptive qualitative design was used.
Sixteen adult patients with alopecia were purposefully recruited from two specialised trichology clinics across the Jiangsu Province, China. Surveys and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2024 and December 2024. Practical thematic analysis of transcribed data was informed through Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory.
Five major facilitators (camouflaged demands drive, camouflaged psychological resilience, habituation and dependence, family resilience and cross-border support, social acceptance) and four major barriers (limited future orientation, perceived coordination barriers, marginalisation of camouflage-related information, runaway costs) to hair camouflage were identified. These themes align with different levels of the ecological systems theory.
This study captures the complex ecological and intersectional nature of choice, experience and decision-making in patients' views on hair camouflage amid alopecia. Nursing professionals must understand these complexities to provide informed support and evidence-based interventions throughout patients' experiences with alopecia.
This study uses patient voices to offer ecological insights for a holistic understanding of their experiences. It provides knowledge relevant to nursing practice and alopecia patient support. Understanding patient-identified barriers and facilitators in alopecia camouflage is essential to inform more patient-centred approaches to choice, decision-making and psychological adaptation. Nurses are pivotal in this process, making enhanced understanding crucial for improving patients' psychological wellbeing and quality of life.
Our research reveals factors that equip nurses and the broader healthcare team to develop targeted counselling strategies, educational programs and resources related to camouflage for patients with alopecia. The hair-camouflage industry can use these insights to create more personalised and accessible products, better addressing patients' concealment needs and preferences.
Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research.
No patient or public contribution.
To explore the mediating effect of team job crafting on the transformational leadership–occupational well-being association in newly graduated nurses.
A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted in three tertiary hospitals in China. Using convenience sampling, 677 newly graduated nurses were recruited between August 2024 and September 2024, and completed the transformational leadership questionnaire, team job crafting scale for nurses, and healthcare providers' occupational well-being scale. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 27.0 software and the PROCESS 4.2 plugin. Hayes' mediation model (Model 4) was employed to test the indirect effect. The significance of the mediating effect was assessed using the bias-corrected bootstrap method (5000 resamples).
Ultimately, 546 valid questionnaires were collected. The participants' transformational leadership, nurse team job crafting and healthcare providers' occupational well-being scores were all above average. Linear regression analysis revealed that transformational leadership and team job crafting positively predicted occupational well-being (β = 0.549, p < 0.001; β = 0.695, p < 0.001). Mediating analysis revealed that the indirect effect of transformational leadership on occupational well-being was 0.276 (95% confidence interval: 0.174, 0.377), indicating the presence of an indirect effect. Additionally, team job crafting accounted for 33.5% of the effect of transformational leadership on occupational well-being.
Perceived transformational leadership among newly graduated nurses could positively influence their occupational well-being, with team job crafting playing a partial mediating role between the two. Therefore, it is recommended that nursing managers strengthen their transformational leadership practices to promote the accumulation and internalisation of job resources among newly graduated nurses, thereby enhancing their ability and level of team job crafting and further promoting their occupational well-being.
Home-based exercise offers a cost-effective way to receive thorough rehabilitation without the requirement of costly supervised treatment.
To investigate the effects of home-based exercise on the balance ability in post-stroke patients.
A thorough search was carried out on various databases, such as Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Library, until October 2024. The inclusion criteria were limited to randomized controlled trials that evaluated the impact of home-based exercise interventions.
The meta-analysis indicated that home-based exercise significantly improved static balance ability (Berg Balance Scale [BBS]: MD = 3.45, 95% CI [1.43, 5.47], I 2 = 71%, p = 0.0008, random-effects model). Conversely, the analysis revealed that the home-based exercise group did not exhibit a statistically significant improvement in the Time up and Go Test (TUG) when compared to the control group (TUG: MD = −0.34, 95% CI [−4.30, 3.61], I 2 = 96%, p = 0.86, random effects model). The subgroup analysis revealed that home-based exercise significantly enhanced balance ability in patients with subacute stroke (BBS: p < 0.0001; TUG: Overall effect p = 0.02). However, no significant improvement was observed in patients with chronic stroke (BBS: p = 0.39). Regarding the duration of intervention, both short-term and long-term interventions were effective on the BBS (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0008, respectively), although no significant difference was found for the TUG. Participants engaging in exercise for more than 90 min per week demonstrated greater improvements in balance ability (BBS: p < 0.0001; TUG: p = 0.02). When considering national economic levels, significant effects on the BBS were observed in both developed and developing countries (p = 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively), while significant effects on the TUG were noted only in developing countries (p = 0.04).
Home-based exercise interventions showed significant results in improving static balance in patients with subacute stroke, especially home-based exercise that lasted longer than 12 weeks and lasted at least 90 min per week. However, more methodologically rigorous randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these results. In addition, the optimal exercise program and type to optimize the balance ability of stroke patients also need further research.
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