Kerbala Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences

Introduction: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an infectious disease. The political decisions have been exerted together with personal knowledge and behaviors to emphasize the community global efforts to prevent the spreading of disease. This study was performed to identify the public knowledge and behavioral responses about the outbreak of COVID-19.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed from the period of 15th May 2020 to 20th July 2022 among Iraqi populations. A convenience sampling consist of 1943 participants were involved in this survey. The data were collected through an online questionnaire by using a Google Form; the data were investigated by using the SPSS program Version 25.
Results: The study results expose a high knowledge level about symptoms related to COVID-19; the mean score of knowledge was (1.5). In addition to that, the result reveals a high level of participants\' behaviors to confront the preventing transmission of COVID-19; about 95.0% of participants perform hand washing frequently, 90.0%, 84.8%, and 80.2% avoid participate in social events, maintain social distance and prevent contact with infected persons, and prevent contact with any persons respectively, and 70.0% of participants reschedule or cancel travel plans as preventing behavior to avoid the COVID-19 transmission.
Conclusion: Our study concludes a high knowledge level of the COVID-19 symptoms, and a high level of behaviors to prevent the spreading of COVID-19, also many factors can prevent of home quarantine and social isolation to avoid the spreading of COVID-19 among Iraqi residents from these factors the need for daily income, the need for health care outside the home.

Abstract
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory disorder requiring effective self-management. However, the relationship between self-management abilities and patients\\' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics remains underexplored in Iraq.
Objective: To assess associations between self-management abilities and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics among COPD patients in Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq.
Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 102 COPD patients from two respiratory hospitals. Data were collected using structured questionnaires including the COPD Self-Management Scale (CSMS), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale, and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). A pilot study (n=10) confirmed instrument reliability (Cronbach\\'s α ≥0.70). Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests and Kruskal-Wallis H tests (p<0.05).
Results: Mean age was 68.5±10.7 years; 84.3% were male, 68.6% urban residents, and 56.9% had low education. Mean CSMS score was 67.49±12.94, indicating moderate self-management. Higher education (p=0.012), married status (p=0.001), longer disease duration (p=0.021), and smoking cessation after diagnosis (p=0.013) were significantly associated with better self-management. Age, gender, residence, comorbidities, and BMI showed no significant associations.
Conclusion: COPD patients in Sulaymaniyah demonstrate moderate self-management influenced by education, marital status, disease duration, and smoking behavior. Tailored educational interventions, smoking cessation programs, and social support strategies are essential to enhance self-management and improve patient outcomes.

A family of viruses known as the Coronaviridae causes a variety of upper respiratory tract diseases in people, the most severe of which include pneumonia, multiorgan disease syndrome, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The COVID-19 virus is transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets. Pregnant women who experience immune system changes are more susceptible to infectious diseases, COVID-19 symptoms, and the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, including preterm and underweight birth, spontaneous abortion, endotracheal intubation, intrauterine growth retardation, intensive care unit admission, kidney failure, intravascular coagulopathy, and transmission to the fetus or neonate. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 can lower the risk of A retrospective cohort study done in the United States found that pregnant women and their babies were at risk of getting COVID-19. When pregnant women get vaccines, the amount of antibodies in their blood goes up. These antibodies can be passed on to the foetus during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and protect it during the first few months of life. Maternal and umbilical cord blood anti-spike IgG levels were highest after early third-trimester vaccination.. maternal vaccination offers passive protection against symptomatic infection until newborns are old enough to receive vaccinations.

Background: Pain assessment is the first and the most important step in nursing management and has a direct effect on patient’s outcomes. Unconscious patients are often unable to communicate, which make difficulties in pain assessment and management. This study aims to investigate the effect of selected invasive nursing interventions on behavioral pain responses in unconscious patients. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out from 26th September 2024, to 28th May 2025, in the intensive care units at Imam Al-Hussein Medical City and Imam Al-Hassan Al-Mujtaba Teaching Hospital in Holy Kerbala City. A purposive sample consist of 80 unconscious intubated critically ill patients .The data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package of Social Sciences Version 26.
Results: The results revealed sever to moderate degree of pain during procedures, mainly endotracheal suctioning (the mean BPS score: 8.7 ± 1.7), with more than one-half (52.5%) of patients suffering from moderate pain and 37.5% from severe pain.
Conclusion: During their stay in the intensive care unit, the unconscious patients on mechanical ventilation were silently experiencing a comparatively high amount of discomfort (p-value= 0.000) during all three procedures.

Background: Endotracheal suctioning is one of the fundamental procedures practiced in intensive care units. There are two methods used for suctioning: open and closed suction systems.
Objective: To compare the effects of open and closed suction system on oxygen saturation among mechanically ventilated patients. Comparative quasi experimental research design was carried out to achieve the study’s objectives . A purposive sample included 80 patients taken from intensive care unit (ICU). Patient appraisal document was utilized for gathering data, which included three parts: bio-demographic data , health relevant data and an assessment sheet to monitor saturation level of oxygen.
Results: the results indicates that the closed suctioning has a significant effect on oxygen saturation. After the procedure, oxygen saturation (SpO₂) reduced significantly but recovered completely after 15 minutes, showing a highly significant (p<.001) .Whereas the majority of oxygen saturation is not greatly impacted by the open suction system, which exceeds the statistical significant level (> 0.05).
Conclusion: Using a closed suction system reduces fluctuations in oxygen saturation when compared to an open system among patients under mechanical ventilation.
Recommendation: Future studies should employ larger sample sizes to enable comparative analysis of suction techniques and their association with acquired infections in intensive care units (ICUs).

Introduction: This study examines the effect of smoking on pregnant women who smoker and compares the results with those of non-smoker pregnant women based on some hematological and biochemical parameters.
Methods: Samples from (80) pregnant women were examined, with a gestation period of (4-9) months and ages between (26-46) years. The samples were divided into two groups: the first was the experimental group, which included (60) pregnant women who smoked, and the second was the control group, which included (20) pregnant women who did not smoke. The two groups were divided according to age into two age groups: the first was (26-36) years, and the second was (36-46) years. .
Results: Upon conducting some blood tests, a significant increase (P<0.05) was observed in the blood sugar (BSC) level and the average levels of both biochemical and hematological parameters in the group of pregnant women who smoked compared to G2. A significant decrease (P<0.05) was observed in the percentage of hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC) counts, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). While a significant increase was observed at the level (p<0.05) in the number of WBC, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), average blood sugar levels, total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG).
Conclusion: In the present study, the association between pregnant womens smoker and non smoker with Biochemical and Hematological Parameters was evaluated. The results showed that smoking correlated with RBC indices (RBC count, , WBC count, TC , TG,HDL , LDL, and PLT count. The levels of these parameters were considerably higher in smokers compared with non-smokers; on the other hand, the and lowered RBC.

Introduction :Pregnancy is the greatest critical and nutritionally demanding phase in a female\'s lifespan. Overall increased need for nutrients to facilitate power storage as new tissue, the expansion of established mother organs such as the breasts and uterus, and the increased energy demands for tissue synthesis make expectant women more susceptible to inadequate nutrition. Dietary habits are characterized as visible actions or behaviors related to eating patterns and can be categorized as beneficial or detrimental dietary practices. Nutritional deficits resulting from dietary habits and patterns are more prevalent while pregnant than at any other life phase.This study assessed dietary habits and associated factors among pregnant women attending primary health care centers in Najaf.
Methods: A cross-sectional analytical research was performed from November 19, 2024 to March 10, 2025, including 150 pregnant women receiving prenatal services at primary health care clinics in Najaf city. Six centers were chosen using basic random selection. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data, which included socio-demographic information, reproductive health, body mass index, and dietary habits.
Result: The results showed no statistically significant associations between dietary habits and sociodemographic variables, including (age group, education level, occupation, monthly income , and residency) (p = 0.497 , 0.800, 0.744, 0.630, 0.823). A significant association was found between gestational age and dietary habits (p = 0.034), with poor dietary practices reported in 90.12% of women in the third trimester, 80.39% in the second trimester, and 66.67% in the first trimester. No significant associations were observed with gravidity, parity, type of pregnancy, abortion history, birth interval, or medical visits (p > 0.05). Dietary habits also showed no significant relationship with BMI (p = 0.620), although poor habits were prevalent among overweight (85.29%) and obesity class II (100%) participants. Overall, 84.0% of pregnant women exhibited poor dietary habits, with a mean score of 1.60 ± 0.367, while only 16.0% demonstrated a moderate level. The study found that most pregnant women had poor dietary habits, mainly linked to gestational age, with worse practices in later pregnancy. Irregular meal timing, meal skipping, and food avoidance showed a lack of nutritional awareness.

Introduction: The process through which a woman and her child develop a close emotional attachment is known as woman-child bonding. This is essential to a child\'s early development and has been linked to a number of advantages for both mothers and children.This study aims to find out the relationship between a mother\'s postpartum bonding and the delivery method (csection or vaginal).
Methods: A descriptive comparative study was conducted among 240 postpartum womens at primary health care centers in Babylon city , Iraq. Participants aged 16-45 years in the 6 weeks after delivery . Data were collected using the validated (postpartum bondig questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS version 23.0. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mann-Whitney U Test were employed to evaluate associations, with significance set at p<0.05.
Results: The study revealed using weighted scores categorized into three levels: low, moderate, and high. Among mothers who underwent normal delivery, 817% had high bonding scores (mean ± SD = 91.67 ± 18.14). Similarly, for mothers who delivered by C/S, 74.2% had high bonding scores (mean ± SD = 84.38 ± 21.166).
Conclusions: The findings from this study indicate that mothers who underwent normal delivery reported stronger positive bonding with their infants compared to those who had caesarean sections. While both groups exhibited high levels of bonding, the mothers with normal deliveries had significantly higher scores on positive bonding indicators.

Introduction: Neurodevelopmental disorders, impact millions of children around the globe. The situation becomes much more challenging for the child and their family when they additionally struggle with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties.
Objective: To assess the relationship between behavioral problems and Sociodemographic factors in children with ADHD.
Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative and descriptive approach, targeting Al-Sibtain Academy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disorders within the sacred city of Karbala, Iraq, during the specified timeframe from the thirtieth of September, two thousand and twenty-four, to the thirtieth of February, two thousand and twenty-five. The research sample consisted of one hundred parents of children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, selected according to a convenience sampling method (non-probability).
Results: the finding show It shows that the highest percentage of participating children are males (78%), the highest percentage of them are under six years old. There is a statistically significant between level of SDQ among children attributed to the mother\'s economic status (p=0.019), Also explains that there are statistically significant differences in the level of (SDQ) attributed to the educational level and type of disorder for children (p=0.008, 0.000) respectively. It explains that mean of emotional problems is (M± SD: 7.13±2.013), mean of Conduct problems is (M± SD: 5.56±1.387), mean of hyperactivity is (M± SD: 8.63±1.097), mean of Peer problems is (M± SD: 4.69±1.051), and mean of total difficulties score is (M± SD: 26.01±3.186).
Conclusion: Our study adds to the growing body of evidence that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face difficulties in social and emotional regulation as well as conduct.

The venous and arterial thromboembolic disorders are still be the major cause of morbidity , mortality worldwide.. Allium sativum(Garlic), Zingiber officinale and Allium Cepa are a largely universal staple herb popular throughout history as both food and medicine and it has been consumed for prevention of cardiovascular disorders. In vitro anticoagulant effects of an aqueous extract (5%) of Allium sativum(Garlic), Zingiber officinale and Allium Cepa in different volumes were examined on the blood samples of normal individuals by measuring prothrombin time (PT) The Allium cepa extract It was found that the 2 ml concentration was the most effective and active in preventing the clotting process, as the clotting time was more than an hour compared to the rest of the concentrations and the control sample (which did not contain the extract)., when the Allium sativum extract showed a (1.5,2)ml concentration was the most effective and active in preventing the clotting process, as the clotting time was more than an 24hour compared to the rest of the concentrations and the control tube and the zingiber pfficinale extract showed a significant difference between the concentrations the most effective concentration was 1.5 ml, and by monitoring the clotting time, the clotting time was more than an hour compared to the control sample. Through their bioactive compounds research into their mechanisms of action and clinical applications is necessary to substantiate their use in modern medicine.