To identify latent profiles of adult attachment among Chinese intern nursing students and examine their associations with death attitudes and intention to remain in nursing.
Approach:
Study Design: Cross-sectional study conducted in three teaching hospitals in Hangzhou, China, involving 1,124 intern nursing students.
Data Collection: Data were collected via an online questionnaire including the Adult Attachment Questionnaire, Death Attitude Profile–Revised, and a measure of intention to remain in nursing.
Analysis: Latent profile analysis was performed to identify attachment profiles, with ANOVA and ANCOVA used to examine differences in death attitudes, and chi-square tests and logistic regression for associations with intention to remain in nursing.
Key Findings:
Four distinct attachment profiles identified: 'relatively secure' (41.6%), 'mildly insecure' (29.4%), 'moderately insecure' (16.5%), and 'highly insecure' (12.5%).
Significant differences in death attitudes across profiles, with higher insecurity linked to greater fear of death and lower acceptance.
Highly insecure (OR = 0.348, 95% CI [0.228, 0.531], p < 0.001) and moderately insecure (OR = 0.563, 95% CI [0.373, 0.850], p = 0.006) profiles had lower odds of intending to remain in nursing.
Interpretation:
Distinct adult attachment profiles were associated with death attitudes and intention to remain in nursing among Chinese intern nursing students.
Limitations:
Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences.
Self-reported data may introduce bias.
Single-item measure for intention to remain in nursing may lack depth.
Conclusion:
Findings indicate that attachment styles influence death attitudes and career intentions among nursing interns.
