Assessment of traditional and complementary methods used by patients with hypertension to reduce blood pressure: Hipertansiyon tanısı olan hastaların kan basıncını düşürmeye yönelik kullandıkları geleneksel ve tamamlayıcı yöntemlerin değerlendirilmesi

This research is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted to evaluate the traditional and complementary methods used by hypertension patients to lower blood pressure. The sample of the survey was conducted in a university hospital in Turkey of West, who are diagnosed with hypertension, matching the sample selection criteria and who wish to participate in the study comprised 193 patients. The data were collected through a questionnaire created by the researchers. In statistical analysis, descriptive statistics and chi-square test and Fisher's exact chi-square test were used. Considering the findings, the average age of the participants in the study was 56.6±9.6 and the diagnosis period of hypertension was 7.1±5.6 years. It was determined that 65.8% of the patients used traditional and complementary methods and 73.6% of those using complementary methods did not inform the healthcare personnel about this situation. 93.7% of the patients stated that they used herbal method as a traditional and complementary method, 43% stated that they received this information from their environment and 52.3% used the traditional and complementary method to lower their blood pressure. As a result, it was determined that patients with hypertension often resort to traditional and complementary methods. Based on this results, we suggest that health professionals should question the traditional and complementary methods used by individuals with hypertension, improve their knowledge on traditional and complementary methods, and increase in-service training on this subject. (Extended English summary is at the end of this document)   Özet Bu araştırma, hipertansiyon tanısı olan hastaların kan basınçlarını düşürmek için kullandıkları geleneksel ve tamamlayıcı yöntemlerin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılmış tanımlayıcı-kesitsel tipte bir araştırmadır. Araştırmanın örneklemini, Türkiye’nin batısındaki bir üniversite hastanesinde hipertansiyon tanısı olan, örneklem seçim kriterlerine uyan ve çalışmaya katılmak isteyen 193 hasta oluşturdu. Veriler, araştırmacılar tarafından oluşturulan soru formu aracılığı ile toplandı. İstatistiksel analizde, tanımlayıcı istatistikler ile ki-kare ve Fisher’in kesin ki-kare testi kullanıldı. Bulgulara bakıldığında, araştırmaya katılanların yaş ortalaması 56,6±9,6 ve hipertansiyon tanı süreleri 7,1±5,6 yıldır. Hastaların %65,8’inin geleneksel ve tamamlayıcı yöntem kullandıkları, tamamlayıcı yöntem kullananlardan %73,6’sının bu durumdan sağlık personelini haberdar etmediği belirlendi. Hastaların %93,7’si geleneksel ve tamamlayıcı yöntem olarak bitkisel yöntem kullandıklarını, %43’ü ise bu bilgiyi çevresinden aldığını ve %52,3’ü geleneksel ve tamamlayıcı yöntemi tansiyonunu düşürmek için kullandığını ifade etti. Sonuç olarak, hipertansiyonlu hastaların sıklıkla geleneksel ve tamamlayıcı yöntemlere başvurdukları belirlendi. Bu bulgulardan hareketle, sağlık profesyonellerinin hipertansiyonu olan bireylerin kullandıkları geleneksel ve tamamlayıcı yöntemleri sorgulamalarını, geleneksel ve tamamlayıcı yöntemler konusunda bilgilerini geliştirmelerini ve bu konuda yapılacak hizmet içi eğitimlerin arttırılmasını öneriyoruz

Spirituality and religion in pain and pain management

Pain relief is a management problem for many patients, their families, and the medical professionals caring for them. Although everyone experiences pain to some degree, responses to it vary from one person to another. Recognizing and specifying someone else’s pain is clinically a well know challenge. Research on the biology and neurobiology of pain has given us a relationship between spirituality and pain. There is growing recognition that persistent pain is a complex and multidimensional experience stemming from the interrelations among biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. Patients with pain use a number of cognitive and behavioral strategies to cope with their pain, including religious/spiritual factors, such as prayers, and seeking spiritual support to manage their pain. This article provides an overview of the complex phenomenon of pain, with a focus on spiritual and religious issues in pain management

Association between social support and diabetes burden among elderly patients with diabetes: A cross-sectional study from Turkey

Background: Elderly patients with diabetes receiving social support are likely to have better compliance with their disease self-care. However, no previous study from Turkey has assessed the effect of social support on diabetes burden among elderly patients. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the association between social support and disease burden among elderly patients with diabetes in Turkey. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 271 randomly selected elderly patients with diabetes who presented to the internal medicine and diabetes polyclinics of three state hospitals (Sindirgi State Hospital, Balikesir Ataturk State Hospital and Balikesir State Hospital) in Balikesir, Turkey, between April and November 2017. A single interviewer collected all data using a sociodemographic form, the Elderly Diabetes Burden Scale (EDBS) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Data were analyzed using arithmetic averages, percentages and Pearson's correlation. Results: The mean age of the participants was 72 ± 5.2 (65–88) years, and most (53.6%) were females and lived with their family: spouse (58.3%), children (18.5%) or both (17.7%). The mean EDBS score was 35.21 ± 6.94 (25–69), and the mean MSPSS score was 67.81 ± 17.33 (12–112). A significant negative correlation was found between the mean total of both assessment tools (P < 0.05), indicating diabetes burden was higher among those with lower social support. A similar significant correlation was observed between symptom burden, social burden, burden of dietary restrictions, burden by tablets or insulin and the total EDBS score. Conclusion: This study found that in Balikesir, Turkey, social support for elderly patients with diabetes was mostly provided by their families and that their diabetes burden decreased with increased social support levels

Validity and Reliability of a Turkish Version of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale

WOS: 000270423200011PubMed ID: 19752664PURPOSE: Anorectal disorders, including fecal incontinence, are a significant healthcare problem that produce bothersome symptoms and adversely affect quality of life. We sought to establish the validity and reliability of a Turkish language version of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQOLS). SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Data were collected at the Fecal Incontinence-Constipation-Biofeedback Clinic, located in the Gastroenterology Department at Ege University School of Medicine Hospital in Izmir, Turkey. The study sample comprised patients with fecal incontinence who attended the clinical assessment and agreed to participate in the study. INSTRUMENTS: A sociodemographic questionnaire form, the 29-item FIQOLS, and the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI), as well as the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were administered to subjects. Both the FIQOLS and FISI were translated from English to Turkish by using a back-translation technique. METHODS: Subjects initially completed the FIQOLS, FISI, and the SF-36 at baseline and again after a 2-week interval to allow test-retest reliability measurement. Internal consistency was also measured, using the Cronbach alpha and Spearman-Brown split-half coefficients. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using interclass correlation coefficient testing. The validity of FIQOLS with respect to the SF-36 and FISI was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Fifty subjects with fecal incontinence participated in the study; their mean age (SD) was 57.1 (+/-15.7) years. Almost two-thirds (66%) were female, and 38% did not complete primary school education. Test-retest reliability analysis revealed an intraclass correlation of r value higher than 0.70 (P < .05). The overall Cronbach alpha coefficient of instrument was .88; the Spearman-Brown split-half value was 0.84 for the first half of the tool and 0.76 for the second half. The Cronbach alpha coefficient for subfactors varied from .56 to .82. The FIQOLS score was found to have a statistically significant (P < .05) correlation with both the FISI and SF-36. CONCLUSION: These findings support the Turkish language version of the FIQOLS as a valid and reliable instrument

Effects of a kefir supplement on symptoms, colonic transit, and bowel satisfaction score in patients with chronic constipation: A pilot study

1st International Probiotics Prebiotics and Functional Food Congress -- APR 11-14, 2013 -- Antalya, TURKEYWOS: 000349080900010PubMed ID: 25599776Background/Aims: Although probiotics have been extensively studied in irritable bowel syndrome, data on the impact of probiotics on chronic constipation are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the effects of kefir, which is a probiotic fermented milk product, on the symptoms, colonic transit, and bowel satisfaction scores of patients with chronic constipation. Materials and Methods: Twenty consecutive patients with functional constipation according to the Rome II criteria were divided into two groups based on their colon transit studies: 1. The normal transit (NT) group (n=10); and 2. The slow transit (ST) group (n=10). After a baseline period, 500 mL/day of a probiotic kefir beverage was administered to all patients for 4 weeks. Defecation parameters (stool frequency, stool consistency, degree of straining, laxative consumption) were recorded in diaries daily by the patients. Bowel satisfaction scores were assessed using a visual analog scale. The colon transit study was repeated in the ST group at the end of the study. Results: At the end of the study, the patients showed an increased stool frequency (p<0.001), improved stool consistency (p=0.014), and decreased laxative consumption (p=0.031). The degree of straining during evacuation showed a tendency to improve after kefir administration; however, this was not statistically significant (p=0.18). A repeat transit study showed an acceleration of colonic transit in the ST group (p=0.013). Bowel satisfaction scores also improved (p<0.001). Conclusion: This pilot study shows that kefir has positive effects on the symptoms of constipation. Our results also suggest that kefir improves bowel satisfaction scores and accelerates colonic transit. Controlled trials are warranted to confirm these findings