The prevalence of nutritional anemia in pregnancy in an east Anatolian province, Turkey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Anemia is considered a severe public health problem by World Health Organization when anemia prevalence is equal to or greater than 40% in the population. The purpose of this study was to determine the anemia prevalence with the associated factors in pregnant women and to determine the serum iron, folate and B12 vitamin status in anaemic pregnants in Malatya province.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a cross-sectional survey. A multi-sage stratified probability-proportional-to-size cluster sampling methodology was used. A total of 823 pregnant women from sixty clusters were studied. Women were administered a questionnaire related with the subject and blood samples were drawn. Total blood count was performed within four hours and serum iron, folate and B12 vitamin were studied after storing sera at -20 C for six months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Anemia prevalence was 27.1% (Hb < 11.0 gr/dl). Having four or more living children (OR = 2.2), being at the third trimester (OR = 2.3) and having a low family income (OR = 1.6) were determined as the independent predictors of anemia in pregnancy. Anemia was also associated with soil eating (PICA) in the univariate analysis (p < 0.05). Of anaemic women, 50.0% had a transferrin saturation less than 10% indicating iron deficiency, 34.5% were deficient in B12 vitamin and 71.7% were deficient in folate. Most of the anemias were normocytic-normochromic (56.5%) indicating mixed anemia.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In Malatya, for pregnant women anemia was a moderate public health problem. Coexisting of iron, folate and B vitamin deficiencies was observed among anaemics. To continue anemia control strategies with reasonable care and diligence was recommended.</p

Evaluation of Honour Killings in Turkey

Honour killings are still pervasive in many societies. The aim of this study is to reveal the characteristics of the victims of honour killings and honour killers in Malatya province between 2000 and 2004, and to review the concept of honour killings in Turkey. Data are collected from the records of Malatya Higher Criminal Court. The results are discussed in the light of the data obtained from Turkish Republic Ministry of Justice. There were 36 honour killings in Malatya between 2000 and 2004. An overwhelming majority of the killers lived in the rural areas, and were employed in agriculture (n=22, 61%). Of all victims, 44% were killed with fire arms. An overwhelming majority of the victims were close relatives of their killers (n=25 %70). Sixty-seven percent of the victims were killed in their homes or workplaces. In Turkey, a total of 2736 people were murdered between 2001 and 2008, and out of 2736 victims 511 were female. Prevention of honour killings will definitely decrease the number of murdered women. [Med-Science 2013; 2(2.000): 640-8

The relationship between terrorist activities and cases of malaria in the eastern and south-eastern regions of Turkey, 1984-1998

The objective of this study was to determine whether cases of malaria are related to terrorist activities that have occurred in the eastern and south-eastern regions of Turkey. Some of the determinants related to malaria have been investigated using a national dataset for 11 provinces located in these regions of Turkey. In these regions, both terrorist activity and cases of malaria were common from 1984 to 1998. A multiple regression technique was used to identify the variables that are significantly associated with cases of malaria. Annual incidence of malaria was chosen as the dependent variable along with three independent (explanatory) variables: annual number of terrorist incidences, people per healthcare technician and number of thick blood films per 100 000 people. Based on this analysis, it is determined that the annual number of terrorist incidences has been associated with the annual number of malaria cases in these regions of Turkey since the beginning of terrorist activity in 1984. (c) 2007 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Evaluation of cardiac murmurs in 8647 children at primary school-age children in the Province of Malatya, Eastern Turkiye

We assessed prospectively the prevalence 01 pathologic and Innocent murmurs in childhood, to determine the efficacy of clinical evaluation, to compare the results of physical examinations performed by pediatricians and pediatric cardiologists and echocardiographic evaluations, and to contribute to the determination of the limits of echocardiography indications in children with murmurs. A number of 8647 children, aged 6.5-15 years, 4092 females, 4455 males in ten different primary schools belonging to different socioeconomic levels in Malatya, Eastern Turkey. Those children with a murmur were evaluated by a pediatric cardiologist. Chest X-ray, electrocardiography, and echocardlography were obtained in all subjects having a murmur. The results of physical examinations performed by the pediatricians and the pediatric cardiologist were compared, and the final diagnoses were reached by evaluation of chest X-ray, ECG and chocardiography. The incidence of Innocent murmurs was found to be 3.4% and that of pathological murmurs 0.54% In the population eximaned. The statistical comparison of the results revealed that pediatricians have a tendency toward Innocent murmurs in the interpretation of murmurs (p<0.05). There was not a statistically significant difference between the results of physical examinations of the pediatric cardiologist and the results of echocardlographic examination. Pediatricians can diagnose pathologic cases with a sensitivity of 63.8% whereas pediatric cardiologist could diagnose those cases with a sensitivity of 95.7% and specificity of 99.7%. Our findings support the policy that children with a cardiac murmur should be referred to a pediatric cardiologist, in order to verify clinical diagnosis