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Background: Vaccination is one of the basic activities in preventive health care. Data related to vaccination in the elderly Turkish population is limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the vaccination status and related factors among geriatric individuals. Methods: In this single center, cross sectional study self-reported status of vaccinations for influenza, pneumococcal, tetanus, pandemic influenza A/H1N1 and hepatitis B were recorded in people over 65 years of age. The information was collected separately for the last 12 months and for the last 5 years. Associates of having been vaccinated were also examined systematically. Results: Between June 2010 and June 2011, a total of 810 subjects (age range 65-101) were interviewed. In the last 6 years as a whole, 47.2% (382) of the participants reported at least 1 vaccination. The frequency of getting vaccinated in the last 12 months was higher compared to the last 5 years. Influenza vaccine was the most administered one both in the last 12 months and the last 5 years (33.7%, 12.1%). The most frequent personal reason reported for vaccination was the need for protection against diseases. Healthcare professionals and media were the most effective factors in inducing awareness of vaccination among the elderly. Unwillingness to get vaccinated was linked to the idea of inessentiality as well as having inadequate information. Higher education, male gender and previous diagnosis of pneumonia were linked to increased likelihood of being vaccinated. Conclusions: This study showed considerably low rates of vaccination among elderly outpatients in Turkey. Efforts to increasing awareness of vaccination through healthcare professionals and media releases may help improve preventive patient care in this particular population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hearing loss that arises from various causes at different stages of life has a direct impact on individuals' physical and mental well-being. This paper aimed to evaluate the employment, workplace adaptation, productivity, and professional success of individuals who have hearing loss and whose hearing loss is corrected with a cochlear implant. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected between November 2022 and March 2023 with the participation of individuals with cochlear implants living in several settlements in all regions of Türkiye. A total of 142 participants with severe hearing loss who were corrected with a cochlear implant were included in this study. The survey method was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire consisted of 32 questions and was distributed to the participants online. In the first part of the questionnaire (questions 1–10), the general characteristics of implant patients were investigated. In the second part (questions 11–32), the positive or negative effects of implantation on the work lives of the participants were evaluated. Almost half of the research group (49.3%, n = 70) consisted of women, and the mean age of the participants was determined to be 35.8 ± 14.8 years. There was no significant difference between gender, educational status, implanted side, working time, working style (physical, desk), and factors affecting work life (p > 0.05). Professional satisfaction and success at work increased significantly more in those with acquired hearing loss (p = 0.010). Post-implantation workplace compliance, success, and productivity were found to be higher in those with acquired hearing loss (p = 0.013). Hearing loss had a significantly less negative impact on work performance in those implanted in childhood than in those implanted in adulthood (p = 0.043). It was observed that hearing loss had a greater negative impact on the work life of married people (p = 0.006). Cochlear implantation greatly enhances workplace satisfaction, increases self-confidence, and has a positive impact on the future of profoundly deaf individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human communities suffered a vast socioeconomic burden in dealing with the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) globally. Real-word data about these burdens can inform governments about evidence-based resource allocation and prioritization. The aim of this scoping review was to map the cost-of-illness (CoI) studies associated with COVID-19. Methods: This scoping review was conducted from January 2019 to December 2021. We searched cost-of-illness papers published in English within Web of Sciences, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct and ProQuest. For each eligible study, extracted data included country, publication year, study period, study design, epidemiological approach, costing method, cost type, cost identification, sensitivity analysis, estimated unit cost and national burden. All of the analyses were applied in Excel software. Results: 2352 records were found after the search strategy application, finally 28 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Most of the studies were done in the United States, Turkey, and China. The prevalence-based approach was the most common in the studies, and most of studies also used Hospital Information System data (HIS). There were noticeable differences in the costing methods and the cost identification. The average cost of hospitalization per patient per day ranged from 101$ in Turkey to 2,364$ in the United States. Among the studies, 82.1% estimated particularly direct medical costs, 3.6% only indirect costs, and 14.3% both direct and indirect costs. Conclusion: The economic burden of COVID-19 varies from country to country. The majority of CoI studies estimated direct medical costs associated with COVID-19 and there is a paucity of evidence for direct non-medical, indirect, and intangible costs, which we recommend for future studies. To create homogeneity in CoI studies, we suggest researchers follow a conceptual framework and critical appraisal checklist of cost-of-illness (CoI) studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses are having some ethic problems in giving quality care in health care system. Objective: The aim of the study is to define the ethical problems nurses in Turkey encounter. Methods: A total of 171 nurses, who are working in a military hospital in Turkey, participated in the study. The study is a descriptive one. The questionnaire form, which is used as a means for data acquisition, is developed by the researchers, as the result of a literature review. Questionnaire forms were filled up by the nurses, who accepted to participate in the study. Results: Most of the nurses participating in the study stated that they realize they are facing ethical problems when conflicts on patient requests break out. The majority of the nurses stated that the greatest ethical problem met is the priority of using sources. Organ donation is shown as the ethical problem least encountered. Nurses answered the question regarding the resources used in resolving ethical problems as superiors in 75.27 % and as colleagues in 65.2%. Conclusion: Definition of ethical problems nurses encounter during practice, will be guiding in determining what to do in order to put up with those problems during nurses' training and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on how machine translation is perceived by students in the Department of Translation and Interpreting at Marmara University in Turkey. For this purpose, a total of 140 (95 females and 45 males) third- and fourth-year students were recruited through a random sampling. They responded to a paper-and-pen questionnaire with 16 statements about their perception of machine translation. Descriptive statistics was performed to analyse the data. The findings show that most students are knowledgeable about machine translation. In addition, students perceive that using machine translation has benefits, such as saving time, making the translator's job easier, and improving translation competence. However, more than one-third of the student's knowledge level on this subject is partially sufficient. This study can contribute to creating course content for the more effective presentation of machine translation (MT) courses taught in translation and interpreting departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Neurology / Turk Noroloji Dergisi is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

INTRODUCTION The study aims to understand the facilitators and barriers associated with enforcing and complying with Türkiye's smoke-free policy from the perspective of hospitality venue owners and employees. METHODS A qualitative open-ended survey was conducted in Istanbul and Ankara in 2021 with 58 respondents from 3 different districts in each city from four types of venues: restaurants, traditional coffee and waterpipe houses, and European-style cafés. The open-ended survey included questions to understand the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of respondents about Türkiye's smoke-free policy and their perceptions of the facilitators and/or barriers to smoke-free policy implementation and changes after COVID-19. The data were analyzed using an inductive approach to identify patterns and categorize the data into themes. RESULTS The respondents expressed that the smoke-free policy aimed to protect employees and customers from secondhand smoke (SHS), respect human health, and improve air quality. Findings suggest that the positive attitude of venue owners and staff toward the smoke-free policy serves as a facilitator. However, fear of financial impact, customers' negative attitudes, difficulties in meeting physical requirements, and insufficient enforcement were found to be barriers to implementing the smoke-free policy. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were reported as an initial increase in compliance and awareness among customers and staff, but some respondents noted negative changes due to the emotional and financial effects of prolonged restrictions. These challenges have led to decreased attention on the smoke-free policy among venue owners, staff and customers. Respondents' suggested improvements were related to building infrastructure, such as the ventilation systems and educating the public on the harmful health effects of smoking. CONCLUSIONS Despite the general understanding of the dangers of secondhand smoke and the smoke-free policy, this study highlights the challenges in implementing smoke-free policy measures and the continued need to raise awareness about the importance of a 100% smoke-free venue. A comprehensive approach to addressing the tobacco epidemic as a multifaceted public health issue is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Asthma and COPD management have a broad framework, and smoking cessation plays an essential role. We examine the management of asthma and COPD patients not only for inhaler treatment options but also for essential interventions, such as smoking cessation support. METHODS Data were collected cross-sectionally from pulmonology departments of three government hospitals in Türkiye between May and September 2022. Patients aged ≥18 years who had been diagnosed with asthma or COPD for at least a year, were included in the study. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were investigated. Routine cessation interventions were implemented for current smokers, and they were followed via phone calls after one month regarding their quit status and access to cessation clinics. RESULTS Data from 145 patients with asthma and 148 patients with COPD were analyzed. The rate of current smoking among patients with asthma and COPD was 18.8% and 34.5%, respectively. Current smoking was negatively associated with age (<65 years) and disease duration (years) for both diseases (p<0.05). In addition, for asthmatics, presence of pulmonary disease in the family (OR:0.28, 95% CI: 0.10-0.79) and for COPD patients presence of hospitalization (OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.07-0.93) were negatively associated with current smoking. After one month, 85.1% of current asthmatic smokers had not tried to call a quitline, while 14.8% had tried to contact a quitline. Among current smoker COPD patients, only 1.9% had visited a smoking cessation clinic. CONCLUSIONS Tobacco cessation support seems to be neglected in asthma and COPD management. Instead, pulmonologists and patients focus on pharmaceutical treatments, which constitute the other component of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Language has been well documented to be a key determinant of accessing healthcare. Most of the literature about language barrier in accessing healthcare is in the context of miscommunication. However, it is critical to consider the historical and political contexts and power dynamics underlying actions. The literature in this matter is short. In this paper we aimed to find out how first-language affects access to healthcare for people who do not speak the official language, with a particular focus on language oppression. Methods: We conducted this qualitative study based on patient-reported experiences of the Kurds in Turkey, which is a century-long oppressed population. We conducted 12 in-depth interviews (all ethnically Kurdish, non-Turkish speaking) in Şırnak, Turkey, in 2018–2019 using maximum variation strategy. We used Levesque's 'Patient-Centred Access to Healthcare' framework which addresses individual and structural dimensions to access. Results: We found that Kurds who do not speak the official language face multiple first-language related barriers in accessing healthcare. Poor access to health information, poor patient-provider relationship, delay in seeking health care, dependence on others in accessing healthcare, low adherence to treatments, dissatisfaction with services, and inability to follow health rights were main issues. As an unusual outcome, we discovered that the barrier processes in accessing healthcare are particularly complicated in the context of oppression and its internalization. Internalized oppression, as we found in our study, impairs access to healthcare with creating a sense of reluctance to seek healthcare, and impairs their individual and collective agency to struggle for change. Conclusions: A human-rights-based top-down policy shift, and a bottom-up community empowerment approach is needed. At the system level, official recognition of oppressed populations, acknowledgement of the determinants of their health; and incorporating their language in official capacities (particularly education and healthcare) is crucial. Interventions should include raising awareness among relevant professions and stakeholders that internalized oppression is an issue in accessing healthcare to be considered. Given that internalized oppression can be in other forms than language or ethnicity, future research aimed at examining other aspects of access to healthcare should pay a special attention to internalized oppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the impact of the exchange rate on stock market indices of four main sectors in Turkey. For this purpose, the paper uses monthly data spanning the period between 06/2008-11/2020 and employs the panel GMM estimation method. This method instrumentalizes the past observation values of the dependent variable to control the endogeneity and provides efficient results. Considering that firms operating in many sectors in Turkey are affected by the volatility of the exchange rate, the paper takes initiative in understanding how stock market indices of four sectors react to the fluctuation in USD and Euro prices. This study contributes to the current literature, performing the panel GMM estimation method, unlike studies that only examine the causality relationship on the link between exchange rate and the stock market. The results show that there is unidirectional causality from the exchange rate to stock market indices. According to our findings, the USD/TRY exchange rate negatively affects stock market indices, and the Euro/TRY exchange rate positively affects stock market indices. The findings obtained from the analysis results confirm prior knowledge acquired from Turkey's foreign trade structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As individual toys are recommended for each in-patient in pediatric settings to prevent cross-contamination. Aim: The present study aims to investigate pediatric nursing student's attitudes towards using disposable toys made from medication packaging in order to assess its potential as a viable nursing intervention. Methodology: This qualitative study employs a phenomenological approach to sample Turkish nursing students' (n=80) attitudes towards using unused, clean medication packaging made of paper/cardboard to create their own disposable toys for child patients. Descriptive analysis was used to categorise the types of disposable toys created, while thematic analysis was used to aggregate the nursing student's attitudes towards their perceived usefulness. Results: From a total of 85 disposable toys, 6 different types were identified (i.e. general, humanoid, animal-like, vehicles, education material and medical objects). Three main themes emerged from the participant's opinions (i) the value of recycling unused medical packaging (ii) the benefit of providing sick children with specialised toys, and (iii) the benefits for primary nursing. Conclusion: In conclusion, this intervention was viewed as beneficial by reducing the risk of cross-infection, providing nurses with a means of creating better relationships with patients, and improving hospital's environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism is the property of Aves Yayincilik Ltd. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Turkish Sleep Medicine is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

INTRODUCTION Many studies have shown that training in smoking cessation care (SCC) is important for increasing the number and quality of delivered interventions by health professionals, and various training methods are available. The study aimed to identify the relationship between receiving training on SCC and the frequency of providing outpatient-based SCC among pulmonologists who were members of the Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS). METHODS For this cross-sectional study, a self-administered online questionnaire-based survey was conducted on a group of active pulmonologists who were members of the TTS, between April and October 2019. The survey included questions about demographics, smoking status, participation in SCC training, and providing outpatient-based SCC. RESULTS A total of 199 (53%) pulmonologists were actively taking part in outpatient-based SCC. Compared to those that were not providing outpatient-based SCC, median age, median time since graduation, and the number of non-academics, non-current smokers and recipients of smoking cessation care training were significantly higher in the group providing outpatient-based SCC (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.002, p=0.001, respectively). It was observed that having SCC training increased more than 6-fold the likelihood of providing outpatient-based SCC (AOR=6.45; 95% CI: 3.96--10.49; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The most crucial obstacle in providing smoking cessation is healthcare workers not providing smoking cessation to smokers. It is worthwhile to devote more tasks and resources to training physicians on smoking cessation care since this may increase their effective involvement in tobacco cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Thirdhand smoke is the toxic remnant, including pollutants and byproducts, of tobacco smoke that remains in the environment after the use of tobacco products. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between the demographic characteristics and the beliefs about thirdhand smoke of medical faculty students. METHODS This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 392 medical faculty students at Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University. All the participants completed the Beliefs About ThirdHand Smoke (BATHS) questionnaire. Demographic data such as age, gender, year of study, family income level, and place of residence were recorded and evaluated together with tobacco product usage status. Factors (demographic data such as gender) affecting the BATHS scale and sub-scales were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS The study included 392 medical students. The students comprised 59.7% females and 40.3% males. The students had never used tobacco products (68.1%), 13% were previous users, and 18.9% were active users. The majority of the students stated that thirdhand smoke was harmful to the health of children (90%) and adults (85%) and that thirdhand smoke could remain in a room for days (79%). When the relationships were evaluated between the BATHS scale overall and the health and permanence subscales, and the demographic characteristics of the students, no statistically significant difference was determined according to gender, place of residence, family income level, and tobacco use status. CONCLUSIONS This study has provided information for the first time about the beliefs of medical faculty students about thirdhand smoke, and the relationships were investigated between these beliefs and gender, place of residence, family income level, and tobacco use status. The results of the study demonstrated that the students had a strong awareness of the harm of thirdhand smoke and of environmental permanence, and these beliefs did not change according to their own tobacco use status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Substantial controversy exists regarding anesthetic management for patients with preeclampsia or hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome. Experts, researchers, clinicians, and residents in Turkey were surveyed about their practices. Material and Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to attendees at a national conference, and they were filled out immediately. Anonymous 10-item paper surveys were administered to both residents and non-residents. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis. Agreement among ≥75% of the respondents was considered a majority opinion. Surveys with missing responses were used to analyze the non-response bias. The Chi-square test was used for comparisons. A historical cohort of obstetricians--gynecologists was used for comparison with anesthesiologists. Results: Of 339 surveys distributed, 288 were returned (84.9% response rate). Among the returned surveys, the completion rate was 96.1%. The job experience in years among clinicians and residents was 9±5 and 3±1, respectively. General anesthesia was still significantly preferred by 36.1% among patients with preeclampsia with platelet counts of ≥100,000/µL. Compared to obstetricians--gynecologists, anesthesiologists more often preferred general anesthesia. With platelet counts of <50,000/µL or eclampsia, most respondents preferred general anesthesia 94.4% for very low platelets and 89.5% for eclampsia. Conclusion: A preferential trend toward general anesthesia for patients with preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome exists among anesthesiologists in Turkey, particularly for patients with severe thrombocytopenia and/or eclampsia. There exists a need for well-designed and well-executed prospective clinical trials to provide evidence for the best consensus practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The abundance of easy and accessible information and the rapid development of social networking sites (SNSs) have proven that the world is small and within reach. The great implication of this interconnectivity is attributable to the change in the learning and sharing environment, which for the most part is something that classrooms are lacking. Considering the potential implications of SNSs in nursing education reveals the benefits of SNSs in allowing students to communicate and interact with a wider audience and beyond the classroom. The aim of this study is to identify the extent of SNS utilization, the perceived benefits of SNSs and the potential of SNSs for improving the study habits of nursing students in five countries (Israel, Iraq, Oman, the Philippines and Turkey). Methods: This study is a quantitative cross-sectional study that determined the relationship between the utilization of SNSs, the perceived benefits of SNSs, and the potential of SNSs for improving the study habits of nursing students in the five participating countries (Israel, Iraq, Oman, the Philippines, and Turkey). This paper is based on carefully analysing the survey responses of a sample of 1137 students from an online hosting site. The online instrument focuses on the extent of the utilization and benefits of SNSs according to their accessibility, usability, efficiency and reliability. Results: Based on the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) our findings, reveal a significant positive correlation between the extent of a possible improvement in study habits and the extent of SNS utilization in terms of the four domains, namely, accessibility (r = 0.246), usability (r = 0.377), reliability (r = 0.287) and efficiency (r = 0.387). Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is a significant positive correlation between students' study habits and the extent of SNS utilization, meaning that the more students devote themselves to their study habits, the higher the level of SNS utilization. The use of SNSs by nursing students has positive and negative implications, and there is greater potential for further improving approaches to nursing education through the adaptation of curricula based on the proper utilization of SNSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Urological Surgery is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Klimik Journal / Klimik Dergisi is the property of DOC Design & Informatics Co. Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level in neonates is recommended as an indicator for presence of iodine deficiency (ID) at a population level and as a monitoring tool in programs of iodine supplementation. The purpose of this study, based on data from the National Newborn Screening Program (NNSP) for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in 2014, was to analyze neonatal TSH levels to predict the current status of iodine nutrition in Turkey. Methods: According to screening methodology, heel-prick blood samples of newborns were collected on filter paper cards usually on day 3-5 after birth (or shortly before discharge). Results of samples collected >48 h after birth were analyzed. The degree of severity of ID was assessed by using the epidemiologic criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO). Elevated TSH levels (>5 mIU/L) were processed and classified according to province, region, birth season, and sampling time. Results: A total of 1,298531 newborns were registered in the NNSP for the CH database. Of those, 1,270311 newborns had screening results collected >48 h after birth and were included in the statistical analyses. The national prevalence of elevated TSH was 7.2%. While the Gaziantep sub-region had the highest TSH elevation rate (15.9%), the Tekirdağ sub-region had the lowest rate (4.0%; p<0.001). Seasonal variations were also significant, and the elevated TSH prevalence rate was highest in winter (7.4%; p<0.001). Conclusion: National CH screening results suggest that Turkey may still be mildly iodine deficient. Nationwide studies should be performed for direct assessment and monitoring of iodine status in vulnerable populations to confirm accuracy of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: This study aimed to determine whether standard-dose vitamin D supplementation could provide adequate levels in exclusively breastfed infants born with different cord 25(OH)D levels and to evaluate related neonatal morbidities. (2) Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was designed in term infants. Three groups were formed based on cord 25(OH)D levels; Group1 Deficiency:25(OH)D < 12 ng/mL, Group2 Insufficiency:25(OH)D = 12–19 ng/mL, and Group3 Optimum:25(OH)D = 20–100 ng/mL. Cord and 1st month 25(OH)D levels, after receiving standard-dose vitamin D prophylaxis, neonatal outcomes and anthropometric measurements were compared. (3) Results: The study involved 86 infants. Group1 Deficiency had also significantly lower 25(OH)D levels at 1st month compared to the others (p < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between cord and 1st month 25(OH)D levels (r = 0.78, p < 0.001). Despite the fact that the mother's age and clothing style were similar, Group1 Deficiency mothers had higher parity numbers and used less vitamin D during pregnancy (p = 0.03, p = 0.04). Neonatal outcomes analysis revealed that newborns in Group1 Deficiency experienced more respiratory distress, transient tachypnea, and early-onset sepsis, as well as more and longer hospital stays in the first-month of life (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Infants with low cord 25(OH)D levels had also lower 25(OH)D values in the 1st month of life and experienced higher rates of neonatal morbidities. Given its numerous biological activities and impact on neonatal morbidities, determining an individualized dose of vitamin D supplementation may be more accurate than using the standard approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a new neonatal neuromotor test battery, the Neonatal Infant Motor Assessment Scale (NIMAS), to perform a detailed neuromotor and holistic assessment of at-risk infants in the neonatal period. Methods: A total of 68 infants (28–41 Gestational weeks) hospitalised in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were included in the study. The NIMAS is a scale consisting of Automatic Motor Area, Functional Motor Area and sociodemographic form. The Dubowitz Neurological Examination and the Amiel-Tison Neurological Assessment Tests were also applied to evaluate the construct validity of the test. Results: The mean gestational age at birth was 34.62 ± 3.07 weeks and birth weight was 2305.66 ± 738.95. Fifty-one (75%) of the babies were premature and 17 (25%) were term babies. The KMO value to test the adequacy of the distribution for factor analysis was found to be at a very good level. Barlett's test result was 2198.389 (p < 0.05). The amount of variance obtained as 44.76% in the study was at a sufficient level. The factor loads of the questions in the automatic motor domain dimension varied between 0.523 and 0.694 and the factor loads of the questions in the functional motor domain dimension varied between 0.619 and 0.772. Since Cronbach's alpha was above 0.70, the reliability was adequate. Inter-rater scale agreement in the automatic motor domain was 81.1%; scale agreement in the functional motor domFain was 92.9%; and the NIMAS total score agreement was 93.4%. These agreements were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Total correlation above 0.20 indicates that the item is important for the question. According to the results obtained, total correlation values were between 0.258 and 0.720. Conclusions: The NIMAS is the first test battery to assess the "Functional Motor Area" and this questionnaire, based on the results of the analyses, is a valid, reliable and clinically usable measurement tool for the infant at-risk at the neonatal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the effect of self-management support given to patients diagnosed with hypertension on the hypertension knowledge level, treatment adherence and self-care management, and to examine the changes in patients' blood pressure after the self-management support. Background: The rise of chronic diseases such as hypertension necessitates the equipment of patients with sufficient knowledge and skills necessary to manage their disease and self-care. Methods: This randomised controlled research was conducted with a total of 137 patients, including 69 intervention and 68 control patients. Data were collected using the "Patient Information Form", "Hypertension Knowledge-Level Scale", "Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale" and "Self Care Management Process in Chronic Illness Scale" at the first interview and the last interview three months after the first interview. One week after the first interview, the patients in the intervention group received self-management support including information about hypertension and its management and blood pressure measurement skills. results: After self-management support, a significant improvement was found in hypertension knowledge level (p=0.000), treatment adherence (p=0.000), and self-care management (p=0.000) of patients in the intervention group A significant decrease was determined in systolic (p=0.000) and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.000) of patients in the intervention group. conclusion: Self-management support has shown positive effects in increasing hypertension knowledge level, adherence to hypertension treatment, self-care management, and blood pressure control in patients diagnosed with hypertension. This study also provides nurses with an approach in which they can effectively use training and counselling roles for patients. implications for research, policy, and practice: Patients diagnosed with hypertension should be educated by nurses about the disease. Nurses should teach the patients who are diagnosed with hypertension the ability to monitor their blood pressure at home. Cardiovascular rehabilitation nursing units should be established in hospitals to provide more effective self-management support to hypertensive patients. What is already known about the topic? * Education and support programs offered by nurses are important in controlling chronic diseases such as hypertension. * Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension emphasise the importance of self-management support in controlling hypertension. What this paper adds * Self-management support is an effective approach to increasing hypertension knowledge level, adherence to treatment, and self-care management. * Self-management support helps patients to achieve blood pressure control and optimal blood pressure values. * Self-management support empowers patients by increasing their control over the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety level of smokers and the relationship between smoking behavior and COVID-19 anxiety level. METHODS Our study was planned as a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A 32-question face-to-face questionnaire containing the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) was administered to 349 patients who had applied to the smoking cessation polyclinic between 15 May 2021 and 1 August 2021. SPSS 25.00 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS A total of 349 individuals participated in the study. The mean CAS and FTND total scores were 0.89±2.13 (range: 0-20) and 6.34±2.53 (range: 0-10), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between CAS total score and gender (p=0.005), marital status (p=0.006), changes in the amount of smoking during the pandemic (p=0.011), and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking cessation (p<0.001). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking cessation was statistically significantly different between knowing that the rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions due to COVID-19 infection is higher in smokers, smokers are heavily infected with COVID-19 and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 infection is higher in smokers (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic may cause a change in the amount of smoking and the decision to quit smoking. Healthcare professionals should transform COVID-19 anxiety into an opportunity to improve health and quit smoking, one of the healthy behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine views and experiences of intensive care unit nurses and patients on the issue of protecting patient privacy. Background: Intensive care should be delivered to protect the privacy of intensive care patients because these patients experience a loss of personal identity and significant limitations in physical activity and emotional expression. Intensive care patients may not be able to dress themselves; they may not communicate effectively without glasses and hearing aids; they cannot control the environment; they may not govern their actions, and they may not advocate for themselves. For these reasons, nurses should assume a primary role to protect patient privacy because they spend many hours with them and witness patients' loneliness, pain, and death as their primary caregivers. Study design and methods: This is a qualitative study using a phenomenological method with data gathered through interview. The study was conducted with nurses (n = 14) and patients (n = 14) in the intensive care units of a state hospital in a metropolitan city in Turkey between 12 March 2018 - 4 October 2019. Data were collected from nurses and patients using semi-structured interview forms. Content analysis revealed categories, themes, and sub-themes. We have followed the Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). Results: The categories explored in the study for both nurses and patients were the concepts of privacy, privacy protection and privacy violation. Some of the sub-themes were physical privacy, not sharing personal information, using screens or curtains, using aprons or sheets, insufficient number of nurses or excessive number of patients, and a lack of inspection and equipment. Conclusion: This study shows that the acquired information and the awareness of privacy, protection of privacy, and violations of privacy were adequate among both nurses and patients. Some of the nurses in the study stated that institution-related violations occurred because of the inadequate numbers of nurses to provide care to an exceedingly large number of patients. The implications for research, policy, and practice: Increasing awareness of nurses and patients on patients' rights and protection of privacy and violations of privacy and taking adequate measures to protect patient privacy increase both patient satisfaction and service quality in health. What is already known about the topic? * Privacy is a fundamental human right. * Protection of patient privacy is the responsibility of healthcare professionals. What this paper adds: * The awareness of patient rights for privacy and privacy protection has been well established among patients and nurses, and both participating patients and nurses were knowledgeable of respective privacy violations. * Institution-related factors such as the insufficient numbers of nurses, exceedingly large numbers of patients, problems with the main door access control systems in intensive care units, and the provision of care in smaller units than optimum ones are significant factors involved in the privacy violations of patients. * Patients were reluctant to report privacy violations because they believed this could negatively affect their treatment and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the elderly, the functional losses associated with aging and inadequacies caused by chronic diseases can cause accidents. Falls is one of the most important problems that threaten elderly individuals and necessary precautions can be taken by evaluating the risk of falling. Fall rates in nursing homes are often substantially higher than are those in community or hospital settings. Although fall risk assessment is essential to prevent falls, there is not valid and reliable tool that can be suggested to nursing home residents. Aim: This paper is a report of a study comparing the psychometric properties of the Fall Risk Assessment (FRA), Morse Fall Scale (MFS) and Hendrich Fall Risk Model-II (HFRM-II) in nursing home residents. Methods: Data from 159 nursing home residents were assessed using three tools to detect falls: the FRA, the MFS and the HFRM-II. Results: The FRA at the cut-off level ≥12 and the HFRM-II at the cut-off level of>5 had strong sensitivity values of 88.24% and 80.39%, respectively. However, only the MFS had a more acceptable level of specificity (71.30%). Of the scales used in this study, the one with the highest AUC value according to the cut-off points we set for the scales was FRA (0.76 for FRA, 0.72 for MFS and 0.62 for HFRM-II). Conclusions: When the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the four validity criteria are taken into account, the FRA showed the most satisfactory results. It was also concluded that MFS could be used in nursing homes, but that FRA was more suitable for this population because of its high sensitivity and AUC values. The discriminatory power of HFRM-II was low. Therefore, it is thought that HFRM-II should not be used for determining the risks of falls in nursing home residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of brief education proper body mechanics on low-back pain of patients with Lumbar disc hernia (LDH). Material and Methods: This paper describes and randomize control trial of back pain education in a Turkish secondary care setting. The study was completed with 90 voluntary patients who were admitted to physical therapy and rehabilitation clinic. Body mechanics education with routine care was given to intervention group (n=42) during discharge while control group [n=48] got only routine care. An information form and Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] was applied in both intervention and controls groups by the researches at the hospital and by telephone call 3 months later. Change in a a visual analogue scale (VAS) is used as the primary outcome measure. Data were analysed with t test. p<0.05 was set as statistically significant. A statistically significant reduction in mean VAS score of education group patients with LDH 3 months later was determined (t=4.372, p<0.001). Results: It was detected that a planned education including using proper body mechanics was effective for reducing the seventy of pain of patients with LDH. Conclusion: The planned brief education was significantly reduced the seventy of pain of patients with LDH. Implications for Practice: Education programs an effective method to decrease pain people with LDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to compare the publication rates of audiology master's and doctoral theses completed in 2017 and to investigate the effectiveness of the "publication of theses before graduation" rule applied by some universities. Materials and Methods: The participants' age range, gender, degrees, graduation year, private/state university graduation, institutions where they proceeded to their business life, and publication status of their master's and doctoral theses were questioned using a survey consisting of 16 multiple-choice as well as two open-ended questions. The study comprised 71 participants who completed their master's or doctoral degrees in audiology in 2017 and later. The descriptive statistic and Chi-Squared test were used for statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Results: Thirty-five of the 62 (56.45%) master's theses were presented at an international (n=21, 33.87%) or national (n=14, 22.58%) congress as oral/poster presentations. Thirty-three of the 62 (53.22%) master's theses were published as articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, of the 16 doctoral theses, two (12.5%) were presented as oral/posters at a national and five (31.25%) at an international congress. Ten of the 16 theses (62.5%) were published in an international SCI/SCIE journal. Conclusion: The rate of publication of master's and doctoral theses in national journals has decreased while the rate of publication in international journals has more than doubled. It was concluded that the "publishing theses before graduation" rule significantly increased the publication rates in international journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Tobacco use is an important risk factor for more than 20 types of cancer, especially cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and many other health problems. Cigarettes are one of the most commonly used tobacco products in the world, and they can cause both physical and mental addiction. Adolescence is known to be the highest-risk period in terms of addiction among all age groups. As a result, smoke-free campus practices have become even more important in universities. This study investigates the prevalence of smoking among Pamukkale Medical School students and their views and behaviors regarding smoke-free campus practices. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 548 medical students at Pamukkale Universıty Faculty of Medicine during the academic year 2021-2022, between April 1-29, 2022. A face-to-face interview was conducted. Students' smoking status and their views about a smoke-free campus were assessed. In the questionnaire, the independent variables were socio-demographic characteristics, duration of staying in a smoke-free environment, smoking status in the place of residence, areas where smoking is most common, Fagerström nicotine dependence level, knowledge about smoke-free campus applications and campuses with the smokefree application. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21.0 package program was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics are presented with numbers and percentages for categorical variables, while the arithmetic mean and standard deviation are used for continuous variables. The chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov analysis was used to test the compatibility of data to normal distribution. RESULTS: The student smoking rate increased significantly as the number of semesters increased (P = .021). The smoking rate of male students was higher than that of female students (P = .001). The smoking rate of students living with their family or relatives was lower (P = .020). Smokers (14.7%) were more likely to have heard about the introduction of smoke-free zones on campus than nonsmokers (11%) (P = .280). 81.4% of students affirmed the statement, "The number of smoke-free rooms should be increased," and 84.3% responded, "I support the existence of smoke-free spaces." Nonsmoking students (90.8%) are more likely to agree that smoke-free spaces should be increased than those who smoke (57.7%) (P < .001). Among the students, 17.6% of nonsmokers and 37.8% of smokers find the information about smoke-free spaces sufficient (P < .001). The rate of those who consider smoke-free space inspections to be sufficient is lower for nonsmoking students than for nonsmokers (P = .017). Nonsmokers (89.5%) support the existence of smoke-free spaces to a higher degree than smokers (71.2%) (P < .001). CONCLUSION: One-third of Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine students smoke, and smoking rates are higher among men and those who do not live with family or relatives. All participants strongly support the existence of smoke-free zones (84.3%), while a proportion of tobacco users (31.4%) support the implementation of a smoke-free campus. Student opinions of the smoke-free zones and the smoke-free campus application are more positive among nonsmokers than smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The total annual count of reported tuberculosis (TB) cases continues to decline throughout Turkey. Recognizing the regions with high and low burdens and revealing the factors affecting TB notification rates may play a role in guiding national control programs. This study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of TB notification rates from 2005 to 2018 and evaluate the factors contributing to TB rates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this ecological study, we used freely available open data from the Internet. We employed global and local spatial autocorrelation analysis to identify the spatial distribution and the clusters with low and high burdens. We conducted an ordinary least square regression model, spatial lag model, and spatial error model. The best-fitting model was selected via model parameters. RESULTS: Throughout the study period, the provinces in West Marmara Region (Edirne, Kırklareli, Tekirdağ, Çanakkale) were consistently in a high-burden cluster. In univariate ordinary least square regression, population density, the proportion of contacts screened for TB, the proportion of TB contacts who received prophylaxis, TB dispensary count, mean particulate matter 10 levels, and gross domestic product were found to be positively associated with TB notification rate. The best-fitting multivariate spatial lag model revealed that the proportion of contacts screened for TB (ß, z-value: 0.89, 2.21) positively affected TB notification rate. CONCLUSION: The high TB burden in West Marmara Region should warn policymakers to maintain a focused approach to controlling TB in this area. This study showed the importance of contact tracing efforts to prevent the underdetection of TB cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The pathophysiology of uterine scar dehiscence is not yet clear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether preoperative hemogram parameters can be used as predictive markers of uterine scar dehiscence, thus improving prediction and contributing to management of repeat Cesarean section. Material and Methods: Between 2015 and 2020, 36670 (47.6%) cesarean sections were delivered in our hospital and 16943 of them had a previous Cesarean section. All cases of uterine scar rupture detected during Cesarean section were identified, and a total of 40 patients were included after excluding cases with impairment of the systemic inflammatory response (SIR). Controls consisted of 40 randomly selected, ageand body mass index (BMI)-matched patients, and the groups were compared. Results: Age, BMI, and gravidity were similar (p>0.05). Although the gestational week and Apgar scores were similar between the groups (p>0.05), the birth weight amongst controls was significantly higher than the uterine dehiscence group (p=0.028). Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and other hemogram values were similar in both groups (p>0.05). Mean platelet volume (MPV) in the control group was significantly higher than in the uterine rupture group (p=0.049). Regression analysis found no significant result between hemogram parameters, birth weight, and dehiscence. Conclusion: In this study, which set out to identify predictors of the risk of uterine scar dehiscence with SIR parameters, only the MPV value was lower in the dehiscence group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gadolinium deposition in biological tissues was first reported in patients with renal failure. We aimed to investigate gadolinium deposition in the rat kidney after exposure to single and multiple doses of gadolinium and evaluate deposition for 1- and 3-month periods. We also aimed to determine any correlation between the amount of deposition and T1-weighted image intensity. Methods: Seventy rats (5 animals per group) were included in the sample, and 9 groups received a single dose (0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 mmol/kg) of gadolinium, and 1 group for each dose was sacrificed at the end of the first day, week, and month. Four groups received weekly doses (0.3 and 0.6 mmol/kg) and were sacrificed at the end of 6 and 12 weeks. Measurement of T1 intensities was carried out with postinjection images before sacrifice, and deposition was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: The number of injections was associated with increased gadolinium deposition (P < .001) in the kidney. After the weekly injections, the deposited gadolinium levels did not significantly differ between the low and medium doses at the end of the sixth week (P = .067). There was no agreement between the observers regarding the measurement of T1 signal intensity in both single-dose and multidose experiments (P = .263 and P = .307, respectively). Conclusion: Deposition was dose dependent in the postinjection stage in contrast to the late stage in which deposition was not associated with dose or number of injections until the 12th week. T1 signal intensity measurement is unreliable for assessing deposition in the rat kidney. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Our aim in this study is to examine the relationship of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting glucose with the stage, grade, and histological type of cancer and its value in predicting the prognosis of endometrial cancer in diabetic endometrial cancer patients. STUDY DESIGN: The data of 138 endometrial cancer patients with diabetes who met the study criteria were analyzed. Hemoglobin A1c levels and fasting glucose were compared with cancer stage, grade, histological type, lymphovascular invasion, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy data. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of HbA1c values only according to the lymphovascular invasion (p=0.02). While there was no significant correlation between endometrial thickness and HbA1c, a low positive correlation was found between the fasting glucose value (r=0.191, p=0.025) CONCLUSIONS: The higher rate of lymphovascular invasion in patients with high HbA1c values alone is insufficient in determining the prognosis when other parameters are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cryptocurrency addiction is a new type of behavioral addiction that should be urgently addressed by professionals within the public mental health context. Therefore, a psychometrically sound measurement tool is urgently needed. Objectives: This study aimed to develop a 'cryptocurrency addiction scale'. Design: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and methodological design. Setting: Turkey. Participants: A total of 279 Turkish people participated in the first stage and 289 people participated in the second stage of the study. Methods: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test construct validity. To test criterion-related validity, Pearson's correlation coefficients between the Cryptocurrency Addiction Scale and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2, De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale were investigated. Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's a and McDonald's ra. Test-retest reliability was tested using Pearson's correlation between these two measures. Results: Exploratory factor analysis resulted in the extraction of six factors (conflict, tolerance, relapse, withdrawal, mood modification, and salience), which explained 63.41% of the total variance. The first-and second-order confirmatory factor analysis models showed good model fit. Participants' scores on the Cryptocurrency Addiction Scale showed significant positive correlations with problematic Internet use, loneliness, and sleepiness scores. Cronbach's a and McDonald's ra reliability coefficients of the scale were 0.93. A significant positive correlation was found between the test and retest scores of the scale. Conclusion: The Cryptocurrency Addiction Scale showed good construct validity, criterion-related validity, internal reliability, and test-retest reliability. Validity and reliability studies of the Cryptocurrency Addiction Scale in other languages are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevention and treatment of pain may positively influence mechanical ventilation, physiological indicators and the use of analgesic drugs, and the mortality rate. Depending on invasive procedures, intubated patients experience varying levels of pain and may have various responses to pain. Aim: The present study aimed to define pain behaviors and hemodynamic parameters and to examine the effects of endotracheal suctioning and invasive procedures on hemodynamic parameters and pain behaviors in adult intensive care patients. Methods: The study was conducted using a descriptive-observational design. Each patient was observed during 1 suctioning and 2 different invasive procedures (3 observations). Researchers observed each patient during one suctioning procedure and 2 invasive procedures (intra-arterial catheter insertion, nasogastric tube application, subcutaneous injection, or intravenous catheter insertion). The pain behaviors and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated 4 times in total (before the procedure, during the procedure, 5 minutes, and 15 minutes after the procedure). The observation results were recorded. Results: Statistically significant differences were detected in hemodynamic parameters (i.e. blood pressure, pulse rate, saturation) observed before, during, and after the suctioning (p < .05). The sample consisted of 66 intubated patients treated at the intensive care unit. Behavioral Pain Scale scores increased during the suctioning and invasive procedures compared to pre-suctioning. Nasogastric tube insertion, intra-arterial catheter insertions, and intravenous injection applications were the most painful interventions, respectively. Concluson: The intensive care patients must be monitored closely for pain indicators and hemodynamic changes during invasive procedures. Especially nasogastric tube insertion and injection applications must be performed carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Covid-19, which affected countries all over the world have disrupted health services and cancer screenings worldwide. Aims: The study aimed to determine women's access to cervical cancer screening during the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey. Methods: The study was planned as a descriptive cross-sectional. This study was completed by 443 sexually active women. The data were collected between 19 March and 27 April 2021 using the "Data Collection Form" and the "Attitudes Towards Prevention of Cervical Cancer Scale". Results: More than half of the women stated that Covid-19 and pandemic restrictions did not affect their pap-smear. However, the Attitudes Towards Prevention of Cervical Cancer Scale Cognitive and Affective mean scores of the women who stated that the pandemic restrictions did not affect her getting pap-smear were lower than the women who stated that it did. This situation shows that the attitudes of women who stated that pandemic restrictions do not affect their pap smears have low attitudes towards protection from cervical cancer. Conclusions: It has been found that the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions in accessing the health services related to the pandemic have an impact on the attitudes towards protection from cervical cancer, such as having a pap smear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knee, low back, and shoulder account for most overuse injuries in volleyball. Previous researchers have used methodology that did not examine the extent of injury burden and effect on performance. To develop a more accurate and complete understanding regarding the weekly prevalence and burden of knee, low back, and shoulder problems within the highest levels of men's volleyball, including the role that preseason complaints, match participation, player position, team, and age have on complaints. Descriptive epidemiology study. Professional volleyball clubs and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I program. A total of 75 male volleyball players, representing 4 teams playing in their country's respective premier league (Japan, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States), participated over a 3-season period. Players completed a weekly questionnaire (Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Overuse Injury Questionnaire) reporting pain related to their sport and the extent to which knee, low back, and shoulder problems affected participation, training volume, and performance. Problems leading to moderate or severe reductions in training volume or performance or the inability to participate were considered substantial problems. The mean weekly prevalence of knee, low back, and shoulder problems based on 102 player-seasons was 31% (95% CI = 28%, 34%), 21% (95% CI = 18%, 23%), and 19% (95% CI = 18%, 21%), respectively. Most players (93%, 95/102 player-seasons) reported some level of knee (79%, n = 81/102 player-seasons), low back (71%, n = 72/102 player-seasons), or shoulder (67%, n = 68/102 player-seasons) complaints during the season. Most players (58%, n = 59/102 player-seasons) experienced at least 1 episode of substantial problems affecting the knee (33%, n = 34/102 player-seasons), low back (27%, n = 28/102 player-seasons), or shoulder (27%, n = 28/102 player-seasons). Players with preseason complaints had more in-season complaints than teammates without preseason problems (mean weekly prevalence: knee, 42% versus 8%, t49 = −18.726, P <.001; low back, 34% versus 6%, t32 = −12.025, P <.001; shoulder, 38% versus 8%, t30 = −10.650, P <.001). Nearly all included elite male volleyball players experienced knee, low back, or shoulder problems, and most had at least 1 bout that substantially reduced training participation or sport performance. These findings suggest that knee, low back, and shoulder problems result in greater injury burden than previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The internet has become indispensable for everyone in today's technology world, which makes its responsible usage a crucial concern. Internet use habits and addictions among adolescents are a pressing public health issue because they represent the future adult population. Therefore, this research aims to explore the predictive role of media literacy on internet addiction among Turkish adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ankara Province, Turkey, and the population included 401 adolescents aged 15-18 years in the academic year of 2020-2021. Since the data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sample selection was not feasible, and the study included adolescents who volunteered. The data were collected using a "personal information form," "new media literacy scale (NMLS)," and "young's internet addiction testshort form (YIAT-SF)." The data were analyzed using various statistical techniques, including Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskall-Wallis H test, Tamhane's T2 post hoc test, Spearman correlation analysis, point-biserial correlation analysis, and multivariate regression analysis. Results: It has been determined that adolescents have a high level of media literacy (x² =126.76) and are in the risk group in terms of internet addiction (x² =39.01). The average media literacy among girls (U=153; z=-3.851; 05) and internet addiction among boys is high (U=163; z=-2,961; 05). The results of regression analysis revealed that media literacy predicts internet addiction in adolescents (ß=-0.151; R2=0.060), and also emphasizes the importance of media literacy education in enhancing these skills and mitigating internet addiction. Conclusion: It is evident that media literacy predicts internet addiction. Therefore, it is essential to provide media literacy education to adolescents. Thus, adolescents' awareness of media literacy should be increased, and they should become conscious users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autopsy rates are significantly lower that what they should be worldwide. Additionally, autopsy practices vary between countries. Aims: To examine the autopsy rates, the distribution and temporal changes of forensic autopsy cases, so as to identify the areas in the death investigation system that require improvement in Türkiye. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: "Forensic Death Examination Statistics" of the Council of Forensic Medicine (CFM) and "Death Statistics" of the Turkish Statistical Institute were compared and analyzed for the years 2013-2022 in Türkiye. Results: The number of forensic death cases sent to the CFM has increased over time. For all causes of deaths, the autopsy rate is approximately 3.6-4.8%. The cause-specific mortality rates for deaths due to sharp instrument trauma, blunt trauma, occupational accident, undetermined, and poisoning have increased over the years. "The percentage of "undetermined" deaths, which are important to demonstrate negative autopsies, was 14.2% in 2021. Conclusion: Although the autopsy rates have slightly increased in a volatile trend over time in Türkiye, they are still not at the desired level. Thus, it is essential to further raise awareness among all professionals involved in death investigations about the importance of autopsies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Dentists are in a critical position to help patients quit smoking. This study analyses the effectiveness of Turkish dentists in smoking cessation as part of routine patient care. METHODS An in-person cross-sectional survey on previous dental visit experiences was completed by 226 patients recruited from the Department of Periodontology, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey, from March 2019 to September 2019. The questionnaire included topics on patient's smoking/quit characteristics, experiences on smoking cessation from their dentists, and willingness for the implementation of smoking cessation advice by dentists. RESULTS In all, 38% of the patients were current smokers, 8% were former smokers, and 68% tried to quit previously. Smokers demonstrated consistently higher scores for plaque index, gingival index, and probing depth, than former/non-smokers (p<0.05). Patients' knowledge of adverse effects was high, and the patients presented a positive attitude toward receiving cessation activities from dentists (86.7%). A total of 89% responded positively to be asked about their smoking behavior. However, the dentists' approach for cessation discussions did not go any further than listing the harmful effects. Only 32% of the patients were informed about side effects of smoking and one-third were encouraged to quit. In general, offering smoking cessation advice was relatively infrequent, and the majority of patients tried to quit smoking by themselves (76%) without using any nicotine replacement product (84%). CONCLUSIONS Smoking leads to oral health problems. Dentists in Turkey may ask their patients' about their smoking habits but less frequently offer practical help to quit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although consumers usually have positive attitudes and intentions towards purchasing ethical products, the rate of actual ethical purchasing behavior is relatively low. This research aims to identify barriers to ethical purchasing behavior faced by ethically minded consumers. In order to determine the factors that prevent behavioral intention from translating into actual behavior, a qualitative research was conducted. In-depth interviews indicate that ethically minded consumers face four different barriers in terms of ethical purchasing behavior, which are: (1) search difficulty and availability, (2) price, (3) skepticism, and (4) functional expectations. In addition to in-depth interviews, quantitative data was obtained from a larger sample (n = 349) of ethically minded consumers in order to understand the importance of identified barriers. Descriptive statistics of the responses to Ethical Purchasing Barriers Scale items confirm that ethically minded consumers need to overcome information search difficulty, low availability, high prices, low trust and insufficient functional features which are beyond individual factors and need to be solved at the institutional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Health & Nursing Management / Sağlık ve Hemşirelik Yönetimi Dergisi is the property of Logos Medical Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of University of Health Sciences Journal of Nursing is the property of Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Parents, who make the final decision regarding their child's treatment, play a significant role in their dental care. Parental approval is important for each stage of treatment and may affect the physician's approach to the treatment. Therefore, it is essential for pediatric dentists to comprehend which behavior management techniques (BMTs) are acceptable to parents and to identify the factors that influence their acceptability. Methods: Parents who were bringing their children for dental treatment answered a survey on the acceptance of twenty contemporary BMTs. The sociodemographic data of the parents and the age, gender, and Frankl behavior rating scale (Frankl) scores of their children were recorded. Parents were asked to indicate their level of acceptance of each BMT. Binary logistic regression analysis was designed to see the predictors of "accepted" and "declined" answers. Results: According to acceptance frequencies, the most accepted technique was communication and communicative guidance. The most declined technique was parental absence. The child's age, gender, Frankl score, parental educational status, and parent type predict the acceptability of some BMTs. Conclusion: This study revealed that pediatric dentists must consider parent and child factors when selecting BMTs for children. We believe that this study can provide a basis for determining which factors pediatric dentists should consider when selecting individualized BMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the occupational risks faced by operating room nurses, their working conditions and health problems, and the protective measures adopted. Background: Since operating rooms are high-risk environments, the nurses working in them are exposed to correspondingly greater health risks. Method: This qualitative descriptive study design involved 17 operating room nurses and was performed in a public hospital in Turkey. Data were collected by the author during face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured form constructed on the basis of the study aims. Theme establishment continued until new data emerged from the analysis of all interviews. Data were then subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: Three main themes were determined in the study, worker safety, working conditions, and training. At interview, operating room nurses reported being exposed to several occupational risks, including radiation, sharp implements, long working hours, and working standing up. They also reported experiencing, or were anxious about encountering in the future, various health problems associated with these risks. They also identified activities associated with education and protective measures as inadequate. Discussion and conclusion: Several occupational risk factors in the operating room environment adversely affect the health of nurses working in the unit. We recommend that standards aimed at protecting against occupational risks be applied on a regular basis in order to preserve the personal health and safety of operating room staff. Implication for nursing and health policy: Nurses are responsible for the constant care of their patients under all conditions and environments but may face the risk of compromise of their own health as a result. Training, certification, and nursing policies aimed at protecting the health of employees in clinical settings should be implemented. What is already known about the topic? Operating room nurses are known to experience severe health problems arising from their working environment. Many nurses have to cope or live with these health problems. What this paper adds: The study reveals the need for operating room nursing education programs. It also stresses the importance of legislation and monitoring to ensure a safe working environment for nurses in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caring is viewed as the central focus of nursing but, researchers and scholars have failed in reaching a common definition. The nurses assumes great responsibility in promoting, protecting and developing of individuals and community's' health and meeting needs of care. So, determining the perceptions of the nurses about care and taking this into consideration in professional activities are important for developing, changing, or questioning the perspectives of the nurses about their roles and developing their own nurse identity. Objective: This study was aim to reveal the perceptions of nurses about care via metaphors. Methodology: Qualitative and quantitative study was conducted with 315 nurses at a training and research hospital affiliated to Ministry of Health in Istanbul in Turkey. Data were collected between June-July 2012. To collect data, each nurse was asked to complete the blanks in the sentence, 'The care is like a/an...................because..................' Data were analysed using qualitative (content analysis) and quantitative (chi-square) data analysis methods. The nurses identified 136 metaphors in total. The metaphors were grouped under seventeen conceptual categories depending on the characteristics they had in common. Results: In cognitive image of nurses relating to the concept of care, the outstanding conceptual category was the care as a promoter, protector and developer. Conclusions: The metaphors can be used as a strong research tool in understanding, revealing and explaining the cognitive images of the nurses about care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the difficulties that nurses are confronted with during the procedure of taking stool specimens, and the difficulties that patients experienced during giving stool specimens and their solutions. Background: Specimen collection is often the first crucial step in determining diagnosis and treatment methods. Appropriate specimen collection, transport, and processing are important to diagnose infectious diseases accurately. Methods: This descriptive/cross-sectional study included 173 nurses and 108 patients. To collect data, questionnaires developed by the authors were used. Results: Of the nurses, 24.3% stated that they have difficulty in explaining to patients the method for taking stool specimens. Of the patients, 66.7% expressed that they had difficulties in obtaining their own stool specimens. The main complaints of the patients were “not being able to determine the quantity of the stool to be given”. Of the problematic patients, 16.7% expressed that they found no solution to their problems. Conclusion: Nurses should give patients information regarding an appropriate and applicable method of giving a specimen, and patients should be evaluated as to whether they need explanation on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the financial performances of the publicly held healthcare companies in crisis periods in Türkiye. The 2018 economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic crisis were included in the study as the crisis periods. We collected the financial data of the publicly held healthcare companies and calculated three liquidity, three turnover, three leverage and three profitability ratios through ratio analysis to use as financial performance indicators. We then conducted Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and we performed separate analyses for the 2018 economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The results of the analyses showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the publicly held healthcare companies' liquidity, turnover, leverage, profitability ratios and thus their financial performances before the crises and after the crises. While the results are reassuring and give valuable insights to managers and policy makers to determine the areas that needs to be strengthened to be better prepared for possible future crises, our sample was limited. Therefore, this study presents an exploratory foundation for future studies which are needed to make a case for financial stability for the publicly held healthcare companies before and after the crisis periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common valvular disease in children. Symptoms in children with MVP are not explained by the severity of mitral regurgitation alone. Hence, we sought to correlate symptom status with the incidence of anxiety disorder in this population. Materials and Methods: Groups were as follows: (a) MVP; n = 115; mean age: 13.5 ± 3.06 years and (b) control; n = 53; mean age: 15.1 ± 13.2. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCAREDs) scale was filled by all participants. The SCARED scores of 25 and above determined a warning for anxiety disorders. Results: The mean SCARED scale values of MVP and control groups were 29.2 ± 13.08 and 24.9 ± 14.17, respectively (P = 0.065). Although the SCARED scale score was higher among the MVP patients, no significant difference was found between the groups in terms of the mean SCARED score, or the number of participants with a score of 25 or more. While girls with MVP had higher anxiety scores compared to boys with the disorder, there was no difference with respect to SCARED scores in children with MVP and the general population when analyzed separately by gender. Moreover, the SCARED scale score was significantly higher in symptomatic MVP patients than in asymptomatic cases. Conclusion: Children with MVP did not have higher anxiety scores compared to those without the syndrome. However, MVP patients with higher anxiety scores may benefit from a psychiatric assessment since higher scores correlate with symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]