(1) Background: Medication adherence is influenced by a variety of intricate factors, presenting hurdles for nurses working to improve it among adults with chronic conditions. Pinpointing the reasons for non-adherence is crucial for customizing interventions. The objective of this quality improvement project was to improve medication adherence among adults with chronic diseases in primary healthcare by promoting evidence-based practices, identifying barriers and facilitators to compliance, and developing strategies to ensure optimal adherence through engaging the nursing team, enhancing knowledge, and evaluating the effectiveness of the implemented strategies. (2) Methods: This study was a quality improvement project that utilized the JBI Evidence Implementation framework, the Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System, and the Getting Research into Practice audit tool across three phases: (i) forming a project team and conducting a baseline audit, (ii) offering feedback via the GRiP tool, and (iii) conducting a follow-up audit to assess best practice outcomes. The study was conducted between September 2021 and March 2022 in the community care unit of Algarve Regional Health Administration, targeting adults with chronic illnesses. (3) Results: A total of 148 individuals were audited, including 8 nurses, 70 baseline patients, and 70 post-implementation patients. Initial compliance with key best practices was low, with several criteria at 0% compliance at baseline. Post-intervention, we observed significant improvements; compliance with key best practices improved dramatically, with many reaching 100%. Notable improvements included enhanced patient education on medication management, regular medication adherence assessments, and increased engagement of healthcare professionals in adherence activities. (4) Conclusions: This quality improvement project demonstrated that structured, evidence-based interventions could significantly enhance medication adherence among adults with chronic diseases. The success of the project highlights the potential of similar strategies to be applied broadly in primary healthcare settings to improve health outcomes.

Introduction: the perception of Quality of Life (QoL) has been used to evaluate the treatment and evolution of several pathologies. QoL evaluation allows a better understanding of the patient and his adaptation to the disease. An observational, community-based and descriptive correlational study was carried out to analyze stroke survivors’ perception of QoL. Methods: consecutive case-series of stroke survivors (≥3 months) followed in a single public primary health center (“Tavira Primary Health Centre”) from Algarve, southern Portugal. The Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Quality of life instrument was administered in 102 stroke survivors. Results: Perception of QoL was associated (p < 0.05) with specific sociodemographic (age, sex, marital status, academic training), economic (monthly family income) and clinical factors (number of vascular risk factors, type of stroke, evolution, chronic mRankin score). On multivariate analysis, chronic mRankin score on physical (R² = 0.406; F = 8.757; p < 0.001), psychological (R² = 0.286; F = 5.536; p < 0.001) and general domain (R² = 0.357; F = 7.287; p < 0.001); and family income (R² = 0.160; F = 3.156; p < 0.005) on environmental domain, emerged as predictors of QoL. Conclusion: Different socio-demographic, economic and health factors are associated with post-stroke QoL. Description of QoL contributes to the overall evaluation of the impact of stroke on health and should be a priority for health professionals.

In 2019, an estimated 155 million people aged between 15 and 24 were smokers. It is also known that 82.6% of current smokers started smoking between 14 and 25 years old. Tobacco uses in adolescents and young adults can lead to the development of serious and potentially life-threatening health problems. The aim of the present investigation is to identify and describe the practices related to the consumption of tobacco products and their distribution according to gender among students at the University of Algarve. This is an exploratory, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. For inferential statistics, a non-parametric analysis (χ²) was performed. The sample consisted of 326 university students, 75.5% female, with an average age of 26.03 years. In this sample, 45% of men and 57.7% of women reported never having smoked. In male students, the pattern of combined consumption is more frequent, with female students preferring conventional cigarettes. Statistically significant differences were found between genders for the pattern of tobacco consumption, the number of colleagues/peers who smoke, the opinion about tobacco-free outdoor spaces and the knowledge about new forms of tobacco/nicotine consumption. The university campus is identified by students as the second space where they most consume tobacco products and where they are most exposed to tobacco smoke. This fact forces a reflection on the strategies to be implemented to develop a healthier university.

An important research field in family studies relates to the role parenting practices can have on several domains of children’s development. Regarding to parenting styles, it was Baumrind’s conceptualization that was responsible for a relevant research boost in this area. She proposed a model contemplating three different styles: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. The aim of our study was to examine the factor structure, internal consistency and others psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ). The participants were 424 parents (mainly mothers, 81.2%) from Algarve (South of Portugal), that answered to PSDQ and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The instrument comprises 32 items: 12 questions regarding the authoritative style, 15 questions regarding the authoritarian style, and 5 questions regarding the permissive style. Several competing models (i.e., one and three-factorial, and another where latent variables were organized in a 1st and 2nd order factors) were tested in regards to PSDQ factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis. A fourth model, contemplating inter-correlations between item 7 and 8 was also proposed, which showed adequate fit and internal consistency. These findings support the PSDQ original structure. Implications concerning the use and contributes to social and emotional child’ adjustment are discussed.

Introduction: The quality of healthcare has multiple dimensions, but the issue of patient safety stands out due to the impact it has on health outcomes, particularly on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), expressly SDG3. In the services that we propose to study, the patient-safety culture had never been evaluated. Aim: To evaluate nurses’ perceptions of the patient-safety culture in the Emergency and Critical Care Services of the Maternal and Child Department of a University Hospital and to identify strengths, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for improvement. Methods: This an exploratory, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture as an instrument for data collection. The population were all nurses working in the emergency and critical care services of the maternal and child-health department, constituted, at the time of writing, by 184 nurses, with a response rate of 45.7%. Results: Applying the guidelines from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), only teamwork within units had a score greater than 75%. For this reason, it is considered the strength (fortress) in the study. The lowest-rated were non-punitive responses to errors and open communication. Conclusion: The overall average percentage score is below the benchmark of the AHRQ, indicating that issue of patient safety is not considered a high priority, or that the best strategies to make it visible have not yet been found. One of the important implications of this study is the opportunity to carry out a deep reflection, within the organization, that allows the development of a non-punitive work environment that is open to dialogue, and that allows the provision of safe nursing care.