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Tzamakos E, Metallinou D, Sarantaki A, Tigka M, Lykeridou A, Nanou C. The Relationship between Attitudes toward Death and Emotional Intelligence, Personality, Resilience, and Justice Beliefs: A Cross-Sectional Study of Midwives in Greece. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ 2024; 14:1101-1113. [PMID: 38667827 PMCID: PMC11049285 DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe14040072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Midwifery practice inevitably includes miscarriages, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between attitudes toward death and emotional intelligence, personality, resilience, and justice beliefs among midwives in Greece. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2022 among 348 midwives employed in public hospitals, in regional health authorities, or as independent professionals. Research instruments included the Death Attitude Profile-Revised, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Belief in a Just World scale. The results revealed that greater emotional intelligence was significantly associated with higher scores in the escape acceptance subscale. Midwives scored low on the neutral acceptance subscale (2.9 ± 0.8), with the highest score being recorded in the escape acceptance subscale (4.6 ± 1.0), which was significantly associated with greater emotional intelligence. Neuroticism was significantly associated with the death avoidance, approach acceptance, fear of death, and escape acceptance subscales. Finally, the subscale of distributive justice beliefs for self and others was significantly associated with the subscales of death avoidance and approach acceptance. These findings highlight the nuanced perspectives within the healthcare community. As we delve deeper into the complexities of end-of-life care, understanding these diverse attitudes is crucial for providing comprehensive and empathetic support to both patients and healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos Tzamakos
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (A.S.); (A.L.); (C.N.)
| | - Dimitra Metallinou
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (A.S.); (A.L.); (C.N.)
| | - Antigoni Sarantaki
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (A.S.); (A.L.); (C.N.)
| | - Maria Tigka
- Delivery Room, General and Maternity Hospital “Helena Venizelou”, 11521 Athens, Greece;
| | - Aikaterini Lykeridou
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (A.S.); (A.L.); (C.N.)
| | - Christina Nanou
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (E.T.); (A.S.); (A.L.); (C.N.)
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Metallinou D, Karampas G, Pavlou ML, Louma MI, Mantzou A, Sarantaki A, Nanou C, Gourounti K, Tzeli M, Pantelaki N, Tzamakos E, Boutsikou T, Lykeridou A, Iacovidou N. Serum Neuron-Specific Enolase as a Biomarker of Neonatal Brain Injury-New Perspectives for the Identification of Preterm Neonates at High Risk for Severe Intraventricular Hemorrhage. Biomolecules 2024; 14:434. [PMID: 38672451 PMCID: PMC11048112 DOI: 10.3390/biom14040434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neonatal brain injury (NBI) is a critical condition for preterm neonates with potential long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. This prospective longitudinal case-control study aimed at investigating the levels and prognostic value of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) during the first 3 days of life in preterm neonates (<34 weeks) that later developed brain injury in the form of either periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) during their hospitalization. Participants were recruited from one neonatal intensive care unit, and on the basis of birth weight and gestational age, we matched each case (n = 29) with a neonate who had a normal head ultrasound scan (n = 29). We report that serum NSE levels during the first three days of life do not differ significantly between control and preterm neonates with NBI. Nevertheless, subgroup analysis revealed that neonates with IVH had significantly higher concentrations of serum NSE in comparison to controls and neonates with PVL on the third day of life (p = 0.014 and p = 0.033, respectively). The same pattern on the levels of NSE on the third day of life was also observed between (a) neonates with IVH and all other neonates (PVL and control; p = 0.003), (b) neonates with II-IV degree IVH and all other neonates (p = 0.003), and (c) between control and the five (n = 5) neonates that died from the case group (p = 0.023). We conclude that NSE could be an effective and useful biomarker on the third day of life for the identification of preterm neonates at high risk of developing severe forms of IVH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Metallinou
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
- School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Grigorios Karampas
- Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece;
| | - Maria-Loukia Pavlou
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
| | - Maria-Ioanna Louma
- Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece;
| | - Aimilia Mantzou
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece;
| | - Antigoni Sarantaki
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
| | - Christina Nanou
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
| | - Kleanthi Gourounti
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
| | - Maria Tzeli
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
| | - Nikoletta Pantelaki
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
| | - Evangelos Tzamakos
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
| | - Theodora Boutsikou
- Department of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece; (T.B.); (N.I.)
| | - Aikaterini Lykeridou
- Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece; (M.-L.P.); (A.S.); (C.N.); (K.G.); (M.T.); (N.P.); (E.T.); (A.L.)
| | - Nicoletta Iacovidou
- Department of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece; (T.B.); (N.I.)
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