Assessment of Coping Strategies and Their Associations With Health Related Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: the Brief COPE Restructured

Introduction: Sexual harassment (SH) at the workplace is a globally discussed topic and one deserving of scrutiny. It is an issue that is often avoided although around 25% of nurses worldwide have experienced some form of SH at their workplace. Consequences of SH at workplaces can be very serious and an occupation hazard for nurses around the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa there is also a need for more studies in the field. Objective: The overall aim was to determine the prevalence, types, and consequences of sexual harassment among nurses and nursing students at a regional university hospital in Tanzania. Methods: The study has a cross-sectional design. A study specific questionnaire was distributed to a total of 200 nurses and nursing students. Descriptive statistics were used for calculation of frequencies, prevalence, including gender differences, types, and consequences of sexual harassment. Results: The result show that 9.6% of the participants had experienced some form of SH at their workplace. Regarding the female nurses and students, 10.5% had been sexually harassed at work, whereas the number for males was 7.8%, but 36% knew about a friend who had been sexually harassed. The most common perpetrator were physicians. The victims of SH were uncomfortable going back to work, felt ashamed and angry. Conclusions: In conclusion, nearly 10% of the participants had been exposed to sexual harassment. However, an even greater number of victims was found when including by proxy victims of sexual harassment. SH can become a serious occupational hazard and stigmatization for nurses. Enhanced knowledge is needed, and hospitals and medical colleges should emphasize their possibilities to give support and assistance to the victims of SH. Education about SH in all levels and prevention methods should also be emphasized.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a major concern globally and locally. Married couples and those in stable relationships account for the highest percentage of new HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) infections. The rate of HIV disclosure among couples is low and affected by both known and unknown factors. The aim of this study was to describe the reasons for HIV status (non)disclosure among partners in Morongo. Methods: A sampling containing two stages was used in this quantitative, exploratory, and descriptive study to select the 100 participants. The location was a Care and Treatment Clinic in the Morogoro municipality. Results: The participants had a moderate level of knowledge about the importance of HIV serostatus disclosure. Female genital mutilation was the most mentioned (44%) custom affecting disclosure. The participants’ level of knowledge about their partner’s HIV status was also moderate (28%). Nitty-six percent had not disclosed due to fear of divorce and 98% due to fear of loss of financial support. Cultural factors such as traditional practices (95%) were also a major reason that hindered disclosure. Conclusions: Interventions to address the negative attitudes are necessary to promote HIV disclosure and, in turn, better adherence to psychological adjustment therapy and reduction in the risk of HIV transmission among couples.