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Objectives: The University of Iowa Child Protection Program collaborated with Turkish professionals to develop a training program on child abuse and neglect during 2002-2006 with the goals of increasing professional awareness and number of multidisciplinary teams (MDT), regional collaborations, and assessed cases. This paper summarizes the 5-year outcome. Methods: A team of instructors evaluated needs and held training activities in Turkey annually, and provided consultation when needed. Descriptive analysis was done via Excel and SPSS software. Results: Eighteen training activities were held with 3,570 attendees. Over the study period, the number of MDTs increased from 4 to 14. The MDTs got involved in organizing training activities in their institutions and communities. The number of medical curriculum lectures taught by MDTs to medical students/residents, conferences organized by the MDTs, and lectures to non-medical professional audiences increased significantly (R[superscript 2]=91.4%, 83.8%, and 69.2%, respectively). The number of abuse cases assessed by the MDTs increased by five times compared to pre-training period. Conclusions: A culturally competent training program had a positive impact on professional attitudes and behaviors toward recognition and management of child abuse and neglect in Turkey. The need to partner with policy makers to revise current law in favor of a greater human services orientation became clear. Practice implications: Pioneers in developing countries may benefit from collaborating with culturally competent instructors from countries with more developed child protection systems to develop training programs so that professional development can improve recognition and management of child abuse and neglect. (Contains 4 tables.)

Objective: The first COVID-19 case in Turkey was detected on March 11, 2020, and measures were taken to prevent the epidemic's progression. As the schools were closed and curfew was imposed on children with periodically updated bans, children had to spend more time at home during the day. In the study, we aimed to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the screen time of children aged 3-9 in Turkey and examine the factors affecting screen time. Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between May 3, 2020, and May 30, 2020. Throughout Turkey, mothers or fathers with at least one child between the ages of 3 and 9 were invited to the online survey via social media, telephone message groups, or e-mail. The parents who voluntarily answered the online questionnaire constituted the study participants. Results: A total of 9483 parents with children between the ages of 3 and 9 participated in the study. It was determined that 82.9% of the children participating in the study had increased screen time compared to the pre-pandemic period. The mean increase in screen time was 151±96 minutes/day. The increase was more than one hour per day in 74.9% of the participants (n=5122). The average daily screen time of the children participating in the study on the dates specified during the pandemic period was 193±124, the average time spent for online education was 67±62 minutes/day, and for leisure activities with the screen was 133±121 minutes/day. Screen time was significantly higher in children whose parent did not have a plan for child's screen use (OR: 3.085, 95% CI, 2.723 to 3.494, p<.001) or children who did not use the screen under parental control (OR: 1.533, 95% CI, 1.352 to 1.73, p<.001). Conclusion: During the pandemic, daily screen time increased in a significant number of children, and the time they spent in front of the screen was relatively high. The purpose and duration of screen use varied between preschoolers and school children. Parental attitudes and behaviors were related to children's screen time during the pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the parents' attitudes towards and identify the possible factors associated with pandemic H1N1 vaccine uptake that was recommended to children between 6 months and 5 years of age. A questionnaire exploring the attitudes of parents to H1N1 vaccine was given to parents of children 6 through 60 months of age attending to Akdeniz and Gazi University Hospitals' well-child departments between 15 November 2009 and 15 January 2010. The questionnaire included questions on demographic characteristics, parental perception of the severity of the pandemic, the presence of anyone in their environment who suffered from pandemic influenza, their decision on whether or not to vaccinate their child, the factors that influenced them during decision-making process and possible factors that might have influenced the opponents of their decision. Those who accepted to get their children vaccinated got it immediately, free of charge. Out of 611 parents who responded the questionnaire 226 (36.7%) had their children vaccinated. Parental education period of less than 12 years, not being a close relative of a health care worker, not having a relative who suffered from the disease, having a child younger than 36 months, being influenced by the relatives' opinions or from the politicians or from the media all decreased vaccine acceptance. Factors that were most significantly associated with vaccine refusal were thinking that the pandemic was exaggerated (OR 9.44, 95% CI 4.28-20.82) and believing that other preventive measures were more effective than H1N1 vaccine (OR 15.61, 95% CI 7.37-33.08). Lessons learned from influenza H1N1/2009 pandemic may help national authorities, health care providers and media on how to keep the public well informed and find ways of better risk-benefit communication with the parents on vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the parents' attitudes towards and identify the possible factors associated with pandemic H1N1 vaccine uptake that was recommended to children between 6 months and 5 years of age. A questionnaire exploring the attitudes of parents to H1N1 vaccine was given to parents of children 6 through 60 months of age attending to Akdeniz and Gazi University Hospitals' well-child departments between 15 November 2009 and 15 January 2010. The questionnaire included questions on demographic characteristics, parental perception of the severity of the pandemic, the presence of anyone in their environment who suffered from pandemic influenza, their decision on whether or not to vaccinate their child, the factors that influenced them during decision-making process and possible factors that might have influenced the opponents of their decision. Those who accepted to get their children vaccinated got it immediately, free of charge. Out of 611 parents who responded the questionnaire 226 (36.7%) had their children vaccinated. Parental education period of less than 12 years, not being a close relative of a health care worker, not having a relative who suffered from the disease, having a child younger than 36 months, being influenced by the relatives' opinions or from the politicians or from the media all decreased vaccine acceptance. Factors that were most significantly associated with vaccine refusal were thinking that the pandemic was exaggerated (OR 9.44, 95% CI 4.28-20.82) and believing that other preventive measures were more effective than H1N1 vaccine (OR 15.61, 95% CI 7.37-33.08). Lessons learned from influenza H1N1/2009 pandemic may help national authorities, health care providers and media on how to keep the public well informed and find ways of better risk-benefit communication with the parents on vaccines.

Objective: Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is given at 2-months of age; diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, whole cell pertussis, oral polio are given at 2, 3, 4 months, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine is given at 3, 4, 9 months of age. The aim was to evaluate the sero-protection rate of HBV vaccine which has been given at 2, 3, and 9 months of age and coincided with BCG vaccine at the first dose., Methods: Hepatitis B virus vaccine was administered to 3 groups of infants at 2, 3, 9 months (n=20), 3, 4, 9 months (n=20) concurrently with BCG or other vaccines, and at 0, 1, 6 months with no other coinciding another vaccine (n=20). These 60 infants who were born between June 2001 and September 2001 have been vaccinated at the Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey. Antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: The simultaneous administration of BCG and HBV vaccines did not influence the immune response to HBV vaccine. We showed that all 3 schedules can induce the sero-protective levels of antibody concentrations to HBV both one month and one year after the vaccination., Conclusion: Bacille Calmette-Guerin and HBV vaccinations can be performed at the same time in endemic countries.