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Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychological impact on nursing students at the end of period of confinement during the first wave of the COVID‐19 outbreak in Spain. Design: A cross‐sectional study reported in line with the STROBE guidelines. Methods: Nursing students were invited to complete an online questionnaire at the end of the 2019–2020 academic year using convenience sampling. The questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic factors, work, and life experiences in relation to COVID‐19, habits and lifestyle using the World Health Organization Five Well‐Being Index (WHO‐5) and the Generalized Anxiety disorder‐7 scale. Variables related to anxiety were analysed using multiple lineal regression analysis, Results: The prevalence of low psychological well‐being in the 203 students was 44.3% and of anxiety 55.7%. In the multivariate analysis the variables associated with anxiety were having worked in the pandemic, having had symptoms of COVID‐19 and having been afraid of getting infected. Conclusions: The levels of anxiety due to the COVID‐19 pandemic in nursing students have been high, and levels of psychological well‐being have been low. The fact of having worked during the pandemic, having had symptoms compatible with COVID‐19 or being afraid of getting infected are associated with the highest scores for anxiety. Relevance to clinical practice: This study gives more evidence on the psychological impact on nursing students during the first wave of the pandemic in Spain. This can be used to design anxiety management programmes for inclusion into teaching syllabuses. It also gives arguments for the setting up of psychological and emotional support services for these students and other healthcare professionals working during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal methyl donor deficiency leads to homocysteine accumulation in the brain and impaired neurodevelopment in rats. We investigated the effect of moderately elevated preconception fasting total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) on child neurodevelopment in a prospective study of 67 and 76 mother-child pairs at 4 months and 6 years of age, respectively. Fasting blood samples at 2-10 weeks preconception, from the cord (nonfasting) and the mother and child 6 years after birth, were collected. Psychomotor and mental development were assessed at 4 months using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID) and cognitive development at 6 years using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). Highest tertile preconception tHcy (≥9.04 µmol/L) was categorized as moderately elevated and low-mid tertile tHcy as normal. Children, born to mothers with moderately elevated compared to normal preconception tHcy, scored lower [mean (95% CI)] in the BSID psychomotor [115 (105, 124) vs. 126 (121, 130), p = 0.03] and mental [101 (93, 109) vs. 113 (107, 119), p = 0.03] development tests. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that moderately elevated compared to normal preconception tHcy was associated with greater probability, OR (95%CI), of scoring in the lowest tertile for BSID psychomotor development (≤120): 4.0 (1.1, 14.3) and lowest tertiles for WPPSI full (≤111), verbal (≤104) and performance (≤111), intellectual quotient: 6.0 (1.5, 23.7), 3.5 (1.1, 11.2) and 4.1 (1.1, 15.7), respectively. We conclude that moderately elevated preconception tHcy is inversely associated with psychomotor and cognitive development scores in infants and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There are doubts on whether patients feel that they have sufficient information for actively participating in clinical decisions. Objective To describe the type of information that patients receive. To determine whether patients consider this information sufficient, and whether it contributes or not to improve clinical safety. To identify the barriers for patient participation in clinical decision making. Study Design Cross-sectional study with 764 patients and 327 physicians. Study Setting and participants Fourteen health centres belonging to three primary care districts and three hospitals in Spain. Principal Findings Just 35.1% (268) (95% CI 32.2, 39.1%) of patients preferred to have the last word in clinical decisions. Age (39 vs. 62%, P < 0.001) and severity of illness (38 vs. 46%, P = 0.002) increased the tendency to take a passive role. In 85.1% (650) (95% CI 83.3, 88.3%) of the cases, patients reported having received sufficient information. Lack of consultation time (29.6%, 95% CI 25.8, 32.5%) and patients' use of Internet or other sources (19.2%, 95% CI 16.4, 22.2%) were identified as new obstacles to doctor-patient communication by the patients. Only 19.6% (64) (95% CI 15.4, 24.2%) of doctors considered that they could intervene to involve patients in the decisions. Discussions and Conclusions The majority of patients prefer the decisions to be made by their doctor, especially those with more severe illnesses, and older patients. Patients are not normally informed about medication interactions, precautions and foreseeable complications. The information provided by general practitioners does not seem to contribute enough to the patient involvement in clinical safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]