Search

Introduction and aim. The fear of contracting COVID-19, which affects human health biopsychosocially, is expected to affect the self-care management of patients with heart failure (HF). This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived fear of COVID-19 and self-care management in HF patients. Material and methods. The study was conducted with 115 HF patients. "Sociodemographic characteristics form", "Fear of COVID-19 tool" and "Nine-item European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale (EHFScB Scale-9)" were used to collect data. Results. 51.3% of the participants in the study are in the 40-60 age range, 53.7% are male, 92.2% live with their family, 64.3% have a diagnosis of HF for less than 5 years. Levels of COVID-19 fear, and self-care management were found to be high in the participants who are 40 years old or younger, has higher education level, diagnosed within 1 to 3 years, received psychological support during the pandemic process, received training from doctor or nurse about COVID-19. Fear level and self-care levels were moderately positively correlated. Conclusion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to develop effective care strategies to identify individuals with diseases such as HF who should have high self-care management skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Childhood obesity has become a global public health crisis. This study aims to determine the prevalence of obesity and related factors in primary school students in Istanbul., Methods: This research was conducted between May 2015 and January 2018. A school was selected from each of the districts of Istanbul and research was conducted in 39 primary schools. The study was conducted with a total of 5620 students aged 8-12. The students' descriptive characteristics, eating habits, and activity levels were questioned using the Student Information Form. Subsequently, anthropometric measurements (height-weight) were performed for body mass index assessment., Results: The prevalence of childhood obesity was found to be 15.7%. This rate was 14.1% for female students and 17.3% for male students. Body mass index of students was related to durations of time spent on watching TV (r = .064, p < .05) and computer (r = .037, p < .05). In addition, the body mass index was differentiated by gender (p = .004); male students had a higher body mass index compared to female students, and body mass index was higher in those who skipped main meals (p = .001) and those who did not eat regular breakfast (p = .001)., Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity in children was found to be quite high. It may easily be stated that obesity prevalence is rapidly increasing in Turkey; therefore, it should be done through regular screening programs, and preventive interventions should be planned.