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This study aimed to investigate whether the COVID-19 lockdown affect pain, exam anxiety and general anxiety in students preparing for university exam. A total of 364 students were divided into groups as high school seniors (HS, n = 241) and high school graduates (HG, n = 123). Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for neck and low-back pain, Beck Anxiety Inventory for general anxiety, Exam Anxiety Scale (EAS) for exam anxiety were used. Both groups showed high level of exam anxiety and generalized anxiety (p < 0.05). After COVID-19, neck and low-back pain rates, and VAS pain scores of both groups increased (p < 0.05). Neck pain before COVID-19 and neck and low-back pain after COVID-19 were higher in female students than males (p < 0.05). The COVID-19 lockdown negatively affected the neck and low-back pain level, exam anxiety and general anxiety of both HS and high school graduate students. We suggest that community healthcare services should regard physiotherapy and rehabilitation interventions to treat students with neck and low-back pain via exercise strategies. Psychological and emotional support also could be provided to reduce students' general anxiety and exam anxiety. Future studies should establish the consider menstrual cycle status in female students, and the computer-using time of students.

This study was planned in order to determine physical activity levels of visually impaired children and adolescents and to investigate the effect of gender and level of vision on physical activity level in visually impaired children and adolescents. A total of 30 visually impaired children and adolescents (16 low vision and 14 blind) aged between 8 and 16 years participated in the study. The physical activity level of cases was evaluated with a physical activity diary (PAD) and one-mile run/walk test (OMR-WT). No difference was found between the PAD and the OMR-WT results of low vision and blind children and adolescents. The visually impaired children and adolescents were detected not to participate in vigorous physical activity. A difference was found in favor of low vision boys in terms of mild, moderate activities and OMR-WT durations. However, no difference was found between physical activity levels of blind girls and boys. The results of our study suggested that the physical activity level of visually impaired children and adolescents was low, and gender affected physical activity in low vision children and adolescents. (Contains 4 tables.)

OBJECTIVE: "Fear-avoidance behavior" means that the individual avoids a specific activity or movement due to the perception that it may cause injury. Fear of movement associated with pain can reduce individuals' adaptation to exercise programs. This situation may cause individuals to refrain from taking action and increase the existing limitation. Our aim is investigating of Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) in patients with neck pain and creating a questionnaire option for clinicians and researchers to evaluate the fear-avoidance behavior in neck pain in Turkish. METHODS: The sample of the research was comprised 175 patients between the ages of 18-65, who have a complaint of neck pain that lasted for at least 3 months. The test was applied on patients with neck pain and no treatment, with an interval of 2-7 days. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) were applied on the participants to evaluate the validity of the FABQ. RESULTS: Accordingly, between FABQ and NHP (r=0.227), pain (NHPP) (r=0.214), emotional reactions (r=0.220), and physical activity (NHPPA) (r=0.243), a weak relationship was observed. A weak correlation was observed between physical activity (FABQ-PA) which are subscales of the FABQ questionnaire and NDI (r=0.210), NHPP (r=0.205), and NHPPA (r=0.267). CONCLUSION: FABQ is a valid and reliable tool for patients with neck pain. In our study, a weak relationship was detected between FABQ, NDI, and NHP, as like VAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of adding "Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance Program (PEP)" on jump performance, flexibility, agility, muscle strength, and balance in professional female handball players. Material and Method. 64 players (age 26.2±4.9 years) were randomly assigned to a PEP (n=32) or a control group (n=32). Both groups performed their regular training program where the PEP group additionally performed PEP training 3 times per week for 20 weeks. Teams were assessed at baseline and after 20 weeks by using the Sit and Reach Test, hand-held dynamometer, Star Excursion Balance Test, Illinois Agility Test, Single Leg Hop Test, Triple Leg Hop Test. Results. Both groups showed similar improvements in all tests (p <0.05), except for the Star Excursion Balance Test test. Star Excursion Balance Test scores in anterior and anteromedial directions were significantly higher in the PEP group. Conclusion. In conclusion, the Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance Program, added to routine training in the professional female handball players, has positive effects on dynamic balance but had no effect on agility, flexibility, muscle strength, functional jumping performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The cultural adaptation of a self-report measurement in different languages is important for developing common strategies for evaluation and treatment. The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire (NBQ), which was developed to evaluate patients with neck pain, was adapted from the Bournemouth Questionnaire in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) categories. The aim of this study was to conduct the Turkish cultural adaptation, validity and reliability study of the NBQ.Material and Methods: The study included 119 patients (93 females, 26 males; mean age: 37.2 ±11.8 years) with chronic nonspecific neck pain. The NBQ, Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaires were administered to all the subjects. Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) and the internal consistency (Cronbach's α) were the methods used for the reliability study. The relationship between NBQ, NDI and NHP was investigated for concurrent validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used for construct validity.Results: The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire showed good internal consistency (α = 0.87). The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.913 (95% CI: 0.875-0.940). The correlations between NBQ and NDI and NHP were significant (p < 0.05). The questionnaire was found to have one factor and the explained variance was 59.084% as a result of factor analysis.Conclusions: The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire is a valid and reliable scale for patients with chronic neck pain in the Turkish population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigates reliability and validity of Turkish version of CDC Core Healthy Days Measures assessing health related quality of life (CDC HRQOL-4) in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. Methodology: One hundred eighty nine CLBP patients and 117 healthy controls participated. All respondents filled the following scales; the CDC HRQOL-4, Rolland Morris Questionnaire (RMQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Results: Cronbach's alpha of CDC HRQOL-4-items in CLBP patients was 0.69. Of 57.1% CLBP patients and 13.7% healthy controls defined their health status as fair or poor. The number of physically and mentally unhealthy days, and activity limitation days was found to be higher in the CLBP patients than the healthy controls (p<0.05). The CLBP patients with fair or poor health reported more physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, and activity limitation days than the CLBP patients with excellent, very good, or good health (p<0.05). Correlation coefficients between physically unhealthy days (r=0.30) and activity limitation days (r=0.22), and RMQ scores were significant, but low in magnitude. Moderate correlations between mentally unhealthy days and HAD scores (r=0.41 for anxiety; r=0.39 for depression) were found. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the Turkish version of the CDC HRQOL-4 is a short, reliable and valid tool to assess HRQOL in CLBP patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of aging and gender on balance performance (BP) among ambulatory adults were investigated in the current work. If there was a relation between the BP and a history of falling, this was also detected. Two hundred and forty ambulatory subjects were divided into two groups depending on their age: (1) 125 middle-aged subjects (50–64 years); (2) 115 elderly subjects (65–75). The functional reach (FR) test, the timed up and go (TUG) test, the sit to stand (STS) test and the step test (ST) were used to evaluate the BP. The fall rate (1–2 in the last year) was 8% for the middle-aged group and was 13.9% for the elderly group. Middle-aged adults had better scores on all tests in comparison to the elderly people. There have been differences found between genders regarding the BP in both groups, except the FR scores in the middle-aged group. The FR distance of the faller subjects was rather low in comparison to non-faller elderly subjects. However, there were no significant differences between the faller and non-faller subjects in both groups regarding other tests’ scores. The results of this study indicate that aging affects the BP year by year. The information in this paper can provide normative data to be used as a comparison to clinically obtained information. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: The cultural adaptation of a self-report measurement in different languages is important for developing common strategies for evaluation and treatment. The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire (NBQ), which was developed to evaluate patients with neck pain, was adapted from the Bournemouth Questionnaire in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) categories. The aim of this study was to conduct the Turkish cultural adaptation, validity and reliability study of the NBQ., Material and Methods: The study included 119 patients (93 females, 26 males; mean age: 37.2 ±11.8 years) with chronic nonspecific neck pain. The NBQ, Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaires were administered to all the subjects. Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) and the internal consistency (Cronbach's α) were the methods used for the reliability study. The relationship between NBQ, NDI and NHP was investigated for concurrent validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used for construct validity., Results: The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire showed good internal consistency (α = 0.87). The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.913 (95% CI: 0.875-0.940). The correlations between NBQ and NDI and NHP were significant ( p < 0.05). The questionnaire was found to have one factor and the explained variance was 59.084% as a result of factor analysis., Conclusions: The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire is a valid and reliable scale for patients with chronic neck pain in the Turkish population., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Termedia & Banach.)