Hepatitis B screening in the Turkish-Dutch population in Rotterdam, the Netherlands; qualitative assessment of socio-cultural determinants

Background. Hepatitis B is an important health problem in the Turkish community in the Netherlands. Increased voluntary screening is necessary in this community, to detect individuals eligible for treatment and to prevent further transmission of the disease. Methods. We investigated socio-cultural determinants associated with hepatitis B screening in male and female, first and second generation Turkish migrants, by means of Focus Group Discussions. Results. Socio-cultural themes related to hepatitis B screening were identified; these were social norm, social support, sensitivity regarding sexuality, reputation, responsiveness to authority, religious responsibility, cleanliness and religious doctrine regarding health and disease, and the perceived efficacy of Dutch health care services. Motivating factors were the (religious) responsibility for one's health, the perceived obligation when being invited for screening, and social support to get tested for hepatitis B. Perceived barriers were the association of hepatitis B screening with STDs or sexual activity, the perception of low control over one's health, and the perceived low efficacy of the Dutch health care services. Reputation could act as either a motivator or barrier. Conclusion. This study identified relevant socio-cultural themes related to hepatitis B screening, which may serve to customize interventions aimed at the promotion of voluntary hepatitis B screening in the Turkish-Dutch population in the Netherlands

Ethical issues for cancer screenings Five countries - Four types of cancer

PubMed ID: 15226029In recent years, medical ethics has become an undisputed part of medical studies. Many people believe that modern advances in medical technology - such as the development of dialysis machines, respirators, magnetic resonance imaging, and genetic testing and types of cancer screenings - have created the bioethical dilemmas that confront physicians in the 21st century. Debates over research and screening ethics have until recently revolved around two related questions: the voluntary, informed consent of subjects, and the appropriate relationship between risk and benefit to subjects in the experiment. Every patient has a right to full and accurate information about his or her medical condition. This legal principle arose primarily through court decisions concerning informed consent, but over time, physicians recognized that most patients prefer to learn the truth about their condition and use the information well. To screen is to search for disease in the absence of symptoms or, in other words, to attempt to find disease in someone not thought to have a disease. Examples of screening include routine mammography to detect breast cancer, routine Pap smears to detect cervical cancer and routine prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing to detect prostate cancer. Ethical principles to be followed in cancer screening programs are intended mainly to minimize unnecessary harm to the participating individuals. Numerous ethical questions can be raised about the practice of screening for disease. This paper reviews recommendation for cancer screening from five countries, examine them from an ethical perspective, and make conclusion from this analysis. © 2004 The Institute For Cancer Prevention and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Social perceptions of breast cancer by women still undergoing or having completed therapy: A qualitative study

PubMed ID: 26925635Background: Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is a crisis situation which effects women's lives physically, socially and spiritually. Investigating women's perceptions of this disease is crucially important for treatment decisions. We therefore determined social perceptions and interpretations of women diagnosed with breast cancer during therapy and in the post-treatment period. Materials and Methods: In the study, focus group and in-depth interviews were made with women still undergoing or having completed breast cancer treatment. Some 25 women were included in the research. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative data obtained after the focus group and in-depth interviews. Results: Some of the women demonstrated positive perceptions towards accepting the disease, whereas others had emotions such as rebellion and anger. The loss of a breast is important with different interpretations. Conclusions: Women's acceptance or rebellion against the disease varies within their social interpretations after the treatment, as at the stage of diagnosis/treatment. All stages of breast cancer negatively affect the social life of the affected individual as much as her body. Nurses assume crucial roles in coping with these negative effects. Thus, it is necessary to know, and sociologically interpret, what is indicated by the information on what the negative effects concerning the disease are and how they are interpreted

The role of the three phase bone scintigraphy in the evaluation of the patients with idiopatic carpal tunnel syndrome

Annual Congress of the European-Association-of-Nuclear-Medicine (EANM) -- OCT 15-19, 2016 -- Barcelona, SPAIN[No Abstract Available]European Assoc Nucl Me

Sociodemographic aspects of consanguineous marriage in an urban slum of a metropolitan area in İzmir, Turkey

PubMed ID: 23244205Background: Consanguineous marriage is a common practice in Turkey. Sociodemographic and cultural factors associated with it are still unclear. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between sociodemographic and fertility factors and consanguineous marriages in an urban slum of a metropolitan area in Turkey. Methods: This community-based case-control study was conducted in Bayrakli Municipality health centres. Of the 1243 married women, 85 consanguineously married were included in the case group. A control group in non-consanguineous marriages consisted of 85 women matched to cases according to age and neighbourhood. Information about the subjects' sociodemographic features, fertility history and opinions about consanguineous marriage was collected. Results: Factors that were associated with consanguinity included; having a low level of education (OR = 2.7, CI = 1.1-6.7), a brief duration time in Izmir after migration (OR = 4.7, CI = 1.9-11.6) and consanguineous parents (OR = 3.8, CI = 1.5-9.7). Despite the increased numbers in fertility features and higher perinatal mortality for first cousin marriages, there was no significant difference in the mean numbers of pregnancies, births, stillbirths and living children. Conclusion: Time after migration and educational background of women were the main factors associated with consanguineous marriages. Public health interventions to reduce consanguineous marriage in urban areas should target socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in cities. © Informa UK, Ltd.Firat University Scientific Research Projects Management Unit Ege Üniversitesi British Association for PsychopharmacologyDeclaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. This study was supported financially by the Scientific Research Projects (BAP) fund of Ege University. -

Sexual functions in pregnancy: different situations in near geography:a case study on Turkey, Iran and Greece

Purpose: This descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to determine the sexual function status of primipar and multipar pregnant women who admitted to birth clinics in Iran, Turkey and Greece and to investigate the relationship between pregnancy processes and some variables. Methodology: This descriptive and cross-sectional study population consisted of primipar/multipar pregnant women who met the research inclusion criteria, agreed to participate in the research and admitted to the Tabriz Pars Clinic in Iran, Izmir Aegean Maternity Hospital in Turkey and Thessaloniki University Hospital in Greece. Results: When the sexual problems of women are compared according to their countries,it was determined that 40% of Iranian women “can’t easily share their sexuality issues with their spouses”, whereas this rate was 8% in Turkey and 6.7% in Greece.Considering the prevalence of orgasmic and arousal disorder in the pre-pregnancy period,it was reported that this rate was 53% in Iran, 47% in Greece and 5.6% in Turkey.In the study, the mean “Female Sexual Function Index(FSFI)” score of Turkish women was found to be (59.83 ± 21.75), whereas the FSFI score of Iranian women was (62.86 ± 22.71) and mean FSFI score of the Greek women was (54.33 ± 21.15). Discussion: In the study, it was shown that there is a difference in the sexual problems of the women, depending on the religious and socio-cultural structure of the country they live in. For an effective case and training on sexuality,the norms and values of the society have to be understood in order to raise quality of lives and problem-free sexuality of pregnant women. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group