The mother-child bond may be related to maternal health, especially postpartum depression (PPD). Existing studies show the need for further in-depth research on the subject. To determine the relationship between bonding and the probability of the development and presence of PPD in women with a biological child between 6 weeks and 18 months of age. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A questionnaire containing sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health variables referring to the mother and the newborn, a questionnaire measuring the mother-child bond (VAMF-bond), and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EDPS) were administered. 1114 women participated. The association between the items of the VAMF-bond subscale and the risk of PPD was statistically significant for all items (p < 0.05), except items 4 and 10. The multivariate analysis showed that the risk of PPD (EPDS scale) was lower in women with higher scores on bond (Adjusted Odds Ratio: aOR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.81, 0.88), whose birth experience was good or very good (aOR = 0.57; 95%CI: 0.36, 0.89), who received high or very high support from their partner (aOR = 0.34; 95%CI: 0.18, 0.66), and family (aOR = 0.53; 95%CI: 0.32, 0.86). The presence of PPD was less frequent in women who presented higher scores for bond (aOR = 0.90; 95%CI: 0.84, 0.97), who had skin-to-skin contact (aOR = 0.39; 95%CI: 0.17, 0.93) and who received high or very high support from the family (aOR = 0.36; 95%CI: 0.12, 1.04). High scores on the subscale VAMF-bond were associated with a lower risk of PPD.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a predictive model for the establishment of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the last trimester of 2022 and the first trimester of 2023 with women who had given birth in Spain. A questionnaire containing sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health variables referring to the mother and the newborn, as well as the Bond and Attachment questionnaire (VAMF, for its name in Spanish) for the analysis of the mother–child bond and attachment, were administered. A multivariate analysis was performed, and areas under the ROC curve (AUC) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) and the predictive characteristics of these models were estimated. In total, 1077 women participated. The prevalence of early skin-to-skin contact after delivery was 50.2% (468) in the derivation cohort and 49.8% (464) in the validation cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that prematurity, type of delivery, and birth experience were statistically significant, so they were included in the model (p ≤ 0.05). The predictive ability (AUC ROC) was good in both the derivation cohort, yielding 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89–0.95), and in the validation cohort, yielding 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.93). This study developed a predictive model identifying factors facilitating early skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her newborn immediately after birth.

The relationship between a mother and her newborn can be determined through two concepts: “bond” and “attachment.” Currently, there are no instruments that assess these phenomena jointly. Objective. This study aims to develop a valid and reliable instrument to determine the quality of the postnatal bond and attachment in the mother‐child relationship. Methods. In Spain, a multidisciplinary panel of experts was involved in creating the “Maternal‐Child Bond and Attachment (VAMF, for its initials in Spanish)” tool. The tool was piloted on a group of women and applied to the target population of women with children aged between 6 weeks and 18 months to determine the psychometric characteristics: internal consistency Cronbach’s α was used. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, a study of convergent validity with the scale and predictive validity with the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS) using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and a study of reliability was carried out using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Results. 1155 women participated, with a mean age of 34.5 years. The VAMF showed good internal consistency for the scale with 29 items (α = 0.836). In the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), an explained variance of 49.71% was observed with 6 components. Convergent validity showed an adequate correlation, with a Pearson correlation coefficient with the MPAS scale of 0.679. The VAMF questionnaire presented an excellent predictive capacity in the bond subscale, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87–0.93), and a poor predictive capacity in the attachment subscale, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.63–0.76) to predict MPAS scale scores. In the test‐retest, the VAMF presented a very good adequate degree of absolute agreement (ICC: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.72–0.93). Conclusions. The VAMF is a new valid and reliable instrument for determining the quality of the mother‐child bond and attachment.

Background: There is a notable lack of Communication of Bad News (CBN) training for nurses, along with the absence of validated tools to assess this. The aim of this research is to design and validate an instrument to assess the communication of bad news among nursing professionals in Spain: the “Communication of Bad News in Nursing (CBNN)” tool. Methods: A multilevel nursing panel of experts participated in creating CBNN. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 218 Spanish nurses. Then, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and a convergent validity study were carried out with the Scale of Communication Skills in Nursing Professionals in the Spanish Environment (EHC), and a reliability study using internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) and Coefficient of Intraclass Correlation (ICC). Results: The KMO test gave an adequate value, and Bartlett’s sphericity test was significant. The EFA identified four components (empathy and perception; environment preparation, invitation, and strategy; information given and the act of communicating; and communication method) that explained most of the variance. A good fit was observed in the CFA for most of the evaluated indicators. CBNN correlated positively with EHC and was statistically associated with considering it necessary to be trained in CBN or degree of preparation. Cronbach’s α value was excellent. The ICC of absolute agreement after 96 h was good. Conclusions: The Communication of Bad News in Nursing questionnaire can be considered an effective tool for assessing the communication of bad news in nursing. It serves as a self-assessment tool for nurses to identify their strengths and areas for improvement in attitudes, knowledge, and skills regarding CBN.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of a student-generated podcast intervention focused on maternal–child health topics on nursing students’ self-perceived knowledge, educational satisfaction, and gameful engagement. Introduction: Health education is essential for promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing disease, making the acquisition of effective communication skills vital for nursing undergraduates. While digital audio media and podcasts are increasingly popular pedagogical tools, traditional applications rely on passive listening. Student-generated podcast production represents an active learning approach that may enhance engagement, communication skills, and content synthesis. Design: Quasi-experimental study without randomization. Methods: The intervention was conducted across a 4-week framework comprising 8 contact hours of faculty guidance alongside independent teamwork. First-year nursing students organized into small collaborative groups (3–4 peers) received initial training on digital audio pedagogy, metadata, and production. Teams developed 5-to-7-min podcast capsules addressing eight evidence-based maternal–child health themes. Faculty provided structured formative checkpoints for script clinical validation and technical audio editing guidance. All completed podcasts were evaluated using a 100-point rubric assessing scientific accuracy (35%), communication clarity (25%), narrative engagement (20%), and technical quality (20%); thirty top-scoring episodes were selected for public radio broadcasting. Pre-and post-intervention self-administered questionnaires measured self-perceived knowledge across all eight topics, educational satisfaction, and gameful experience via the validated 27-item Gameful Experience Scale (GAMEX). Results: A total of 130 valid questionnaires were analysed at each assessment point. Self-perceived knowledge was higher at the post-intervention assessment across all eight topics (all Holm-adjusted p < 0.001). After Holm correction, general podcast satisfaction (adjusted p = 0.036), fulfilment of expectations (adjusted p = 0.036), recommendation to friends or family (adjusted p < 0.001), perceived importance of podcasting for maternal health (adjusted p = 0.036), and perceived ease of setting up a podcast (adjusted p = 0.005) remained statistically significant. Creative Thinking, Mastery, and the overall GAMEX score were nominally higher before multiplicity adjustment, but none remained statistically significant after Holm correction (adjusted p = 0.126, 0.234, and 0.158, respectively). Conclusions: Student-generated podcasting was associated with higher self-perceived knowledge and favourable appraisal on several educational outcomes. GAMEX differences were exploratory after Holm correction.