Evaluation of smartphone addiction and related factors among university students

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of smartphone addiction of university students and determine the related factors.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among first and third-class students of the 2016 fall semester in Eskişehir Osmangazi University with 1492 students. In this study, risk of smartphone addiction was evaluated by using Short Version of Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV). In data analysis, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis and hierarchical multi linear regression analysis were executed.Results: 772 (51.7 %) of 1492 students in the study group was female. SAS-SV median score of the students was 26. In this study; gender, socio-economic level, perceived health status and mostly used smartphone function were specified as factors influencing smartphone addiction. While, using smartphone for functions such as social media, gaming, online messaging and video watching was assigned to be positively related with smartphone addiction; using smartphone for telephone calls, e-mail and news reading was assigned to be negatively related. 71.2% of students (n:1063) declared to have health problems related with using smartphones. Insomnia was revealed as the most common (23.6 %) health complaint related to smartphone use.Conclusions: Social contact and applications with entertaining contents in smartphone enhance addiction. There is need for more studies and researches for exerting smartphone addiction, related factors and applying necessary protective and therapeutic interventions

Problematic internet use questionairre-short form-6 (PIUQ-SF 6): a validity and reliability study in Turkey

Background: The study was a methodological type scale adaptation study in which the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Problematic Internet Use Questionairre-Short Form-6 (PIUQ-SF 6) was assessed and the cut-off score was determined.Methods: The study group was consisted of 465 students studying in five different faculties of Eskisehir Osmangazi University. The questionnaire form consists of questions about the sociodemographic characteristics, internet usage characteristics of the individuals and PIUS, PIUQ-SF 6.Results: The mean age of 465 who agreed to participate in the study was 21.1±2.1, with 256 males (55%) and 209 females (45%). In the study group, the instagram usage frequency was 80.4% and the facebook usage frequency was 78.7%. The content validity ındex value of PIUQ-SF 6 was calculated as 0.90. According to the exploratory factor analysis, 3 sub-dimensional structures consisting of 6 items explained 53.42 % of the total change in PIUQ-SF 6 scores and factor loads of the items in 3 sub-dimensions changed between 0.84-0.89. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient value of PIUQ-SF 6 was 0.82 and the test-retest reliability coefficient value was 0.82. There was a strong positive correlation between PIUS and PIUQ-SF 6. Students who spent more than 5 hours on the Internet were found to get high scores from all 3 sub-dimensions of PIUQ-SF 6. Confirmatory factor analysis values of PIUQ-SF 6 were found at acceptable intervals. As a result of K-Means clustering and ROC analysis, the cut-off score of PIUQ-SF 6 was calculated as 13.Conclusions: As a result, it has been concluded that PIUQ-SF 6 is a valid and reliable measurement tool as well as researches to be carried out in larger and different groups would be useful

The health literacy level and eating behaviours of the teachers working at the city center of Eskisehir Turkey

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the level of Health Literacy of teachers who work at the city center of Eskisehir and to evaluate the relation with eating behaviors and some of possible related variables.Methods: This cross-sectional research study was conducted between 1st of March and 28th of April 2017 with the primary, secondary and high school teachers. Study group consists of 825 teachers who agreed to participate to the study. The Questionnaire form includes the socio-demographic variables of teachers, potential factors associated with the health literacy, Turkish Health Literacy Scale 32 (THLS-32) and The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire.Results: The mean age was 41.91±8.80 years ranging from 22 to 65 years. The median score of the general index of the THLS-32 was found to be as 32.81 and 52.1% of our study population were found to be above the median score. The participants showed a negative correlation between the scores of ‘emotional eating’,‘uncontrolled eating’ scale and THLS-32, positive correlation between ‘cognitive restraint’ eating scale THLS-32.Conclusions: The health literacy level of teachers is important because of effecting both themselves and students. The teachers and the health care providers should collaborate on the topic more and they should be encouraged to participate in health related programmes

Screening for latent tuberculosis in children with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy: Comparison of tuberculin skin and T-SPOT tuberculosis tests

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the coherence between T-SPOT tuberculosis test (T-SPOT.TB) and tuberculin skin test (TST) with different cut-off values in screening latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) both prior to and at the sixth month of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) treatment.Patients and methods: This prospective multicentric study included 57 children (34 girls, 23 boys, mean age 12.4 +/- 3.9 years; range, 6 to 18 years) diagnosed with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) evaluated with TST and T-SPOT.TB for screening LTBI both prior to and at the sixth month of treatment with anti-TNF agents. Coherence between two tests was analyzed for TST cut-off values suggested by the local guidelines and also for different possible cut-off values of TST.Results: Tuberculin skin test was positive (>= 5 mm) in 28.1% (n=16) of patients in the screening prior to treatment and in 33.3% (n=19) at the sixth month of treatment. T-SPOT.TB test was positive in 8.8% (n=5) of patients both prior to and at the sixth month of treatment. Coherence between two tests was poor or fair when compared with all possible TST cut-off values both prior to and at the sixth month of anti-TNF therapy.Conclusion: Our results show poor coherence between T-SPOT.TB and TST for all possible cut- off values of TST. Thus, using both tests would be beneficial in screening LTBI until further studies bring new evidence on the subject

The health literacy level and eating behaviours of the teachers working at the city center of Eskisehir Turkey

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the level of Health Literacy of teachers who work at the city center of Eskisehir and to evaluate the relation with eating behaviors and some of possible related variables.Methods: This cross-sectional research study was conducted between 1st of March and 28th of April 2017 with the primary, secondary and high school teachers. Study group consists of 825 teachers who agreed to participate to the study. The Questionnaire form includes the socio-demographic variables of teachers, potential factors associated with the health literacy, Turkish Health Literacy Scale 32 (THLS-32) and The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire.Results: The mean age was 41.91±8.80 years ranging from 22 to 65 years. The median score of the general index of the THLS-32 was found to be as 32.81 and 52.1% of our study population were found to be above the median score. The participants showed a negative correlation between the scores of ‘emotional eating’,‘uncontrolled eating’ scale and THLS-32, positive correlation between ‘cognitive restraint’ eating scale THLS-32.Conclusions: The health literacy level of teachers is important because of effecting both themselves and students. The teachers and the health care providers should collaborate on the topic more and they should be encouraged to participate in health related programmes