The links between health-related behaviors and life satisfaction in elderly individuals who prefer institutional living

BACKGROUND: Life satisfaction among residents of institutions is becoming an important issue in a rapidly aging population. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the links between life satisfaction and health-related behaviors amongst functionally independent elderly people who prefer institutional living in İstanbul, Turkey. METHODS: The socio-demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, leisure-time activities and fall histories of 133 residents of an institution in Istanbul were assessed by a structured questionnaire during face-to-face interviews. A validated life-satisfaction index questionnaire (LSI-A) was completed. RESULTS: The mean age of the study group was 73.9 ± 8.0 (range 60–90 years). Within the group, 22.6% had never married and 14.3% had university degrees. The majority (71.4%) were in the low income bracket. The overall mean LSI-A score was 20.3 ± 5.9. Participants who declared moderate/high income levels had a significantly higher mean LSI-A score than those in the low-income bracket (p = 0.009). Multivariate analysis of the data suggested that leisure-time activities and participation in regular physical activities are significant predictors of LSI-A scores (R(2): 0.112; p = 0.005 and p = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: The findings imply that regular physical activity and leisure-time activities are significantly related to life satisfaction among residents in institutions. Participation in physical activity and leisure-time activity programs may help to improve the life satisfaction of elderly people living in institutions

Behavioral regulation, visual spatial maturity in kindergarten, and the relationship of school adaptation in the first grade for a sample of Turkish children

Behavioral regulation has recently become an important variable in research looking at kindergarten and first-grade achievement of children in private and public schools. The purpose of this study was to examine a measure of behavioral regulation, the Head Toes Knees Shoulders Task, and to evaluate its relationship with visual spatial maturity at the end of kindergarten. Later, in first grade, teachers were asked to rate the children (N = 82) in terms of academic and behavioral adaptation. Behavioral regulation and visual spatial maturity were significantly different between the two school types, but ratings by the teachers in the first grade were affected by children’s visual spatial maturity rather than by behavioral regulation. Socioeducational opportunities provided by the two types of schools may be more important to school adaptation than behavioral regulation

The level of awareness regarding conflict and violence in university students and the affective factors in Turkey

WOS: 000312158300026Objective: The study was to investigate the awareness level regarding conflict and violence in nursing and medical faculty students, whom in the future will be providing health care, and thus be in direct contact with human beings. Designs: This study was conducted during 2010-2011 educational year, upon 584 students from Ege University, Nursing and Medical Faculties. Any other sampling method was not used. Students who were at the faculties during the school period and voluntarily accepted to participate in the study constituted the sample group (584). Results: A total of 584 students, 362 (62%) from Nursing Faculty, and 222 (38%) from Medical Faculty, participated in the study. 390 (66.8%), were female, and 194 (33.2%) were male. The age of the participants ranged between 19-30 years old, and the mean age was 22.2. The lowest score in the ACVS was 27, and the highest 135, with a mean of 102.81, which shows that the level of awareness of conflict and violence in nursing and medical faculty students was quite high. The difference in the level of awareness of conflict and violence between female and male students was not statistically significant (t=-0.36; p=.71). The level of awareness of conflict and violence was found to be quite high in both groups. Conclusions: According to the results, it was established that the level of awareness of conflict and violence was higher in nursing faculty students compared to medical faculty students, and in the 22-30 age group compared to 19-21 age group. There was no significant difference in the level of awareness of conflict and violence when compared according to gender. In order to solve conflicts by constructive methods and also prevent violence, it is of utmost importance to establish the level of awareness of conflict and violence in individuals

Application of the Asymptotic Taylor Expansion Method to Bistable Potentials

A recent method called asymptotic Taylor expansion (ATEM) is applied to determine the analytical expression for eigenfunctions and numerical results for eigenvalues of the Schrödinger equation for the bistable potentials. Optimal truncation of the Taylor series gives a best possible analytical expression for eigenfunctions and numerical results for eigenvalues. It is shown that the results are obtained by a simple algorithm constructed for a computer system using symbolic or numerical calculation. It is observed that ATEM produces excellent results consistent with the existing literature

The satisfaction levels of patients health services to apply university hospital in Turkey

WOS: 000310816500016Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate patient satisfaction and its related factors. Designs: A cross-sectional design was used in this study. Setting and Participants: Sample size was determined as 390 from 3900 by randomized sampling in several phases according to the proportion of hospitalized and out-patient. Participants were interviewed privately face to face in the hospital time. The scale developed by Ercan et. Al in order to measure patient satisfaction in associations that are in secondary health-care services include components evaluating clinical-policlinical health care services, staff, patient-rights, hospital appearance, cafeteria services. Results: Over 25% of the participants (n=105) were in age group 29-39 years and 64.4% were female. Mean age was 38.95 +/- 8.95. Patient satisfaction differentiates according to socioeconomic, demographic, functional conditions and health. There were the significant among satisfied with patients' with hospitalized, personal relationship, patients' rights and general physical structure of the a large university hospital in Izmir, Turkey. Conclusions: The majority of out-patients were quite satisfied, with their satisfaction include mostly time related with laboratory, radiology services and bureaucratic procedures and cleanliness, hygiene, physical conditions, prices and service quality of cafeteria and quality and amount of the food given to the patients, behavior of the staff

A Multicenter Analysis of the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Turkish Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Holistic Nursing Practice Review Copy

WOS: 000335864700006PubMed ID: 24503747The purpose of this study was to examine the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis living in different regions and cities of Turkey as well as the factors affecting the use of CAM modalities. Planned as a descriptive and cross-sectional study, this research was conducted as a study covering the rheumatology units of 10 university and 4 state hospitals in Turkey. A total of 594 patients meeting the research inclusion criteria comprised the sample. It was detected that 46.9% (n = 279) of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis whose average disease duration was 10.32 +/- 9.05 years used CAM modalities. The most common 3 modalities used by these patients were herbs taken orally, nutritional supplements, and mind-body therapies, with rates of 54.5%, 41.2%, and 40.5%, respectively. It was determined that such variables as age, sex, marital status, education status, and economic situation did not affect the use of CAM (P > .05)

Defining the Needs of the Families of Patients in Intensive Care Unit for Heart Failure

3rd World Heart Failure Congress -- NOV 29-DEC 02, 2012 -- Istanbul, TURKEYWOS: 00031169820017

Pain and Fatigue in Elderly Cancer Patients Turkey Example

WOS: 000353624200008PubMed ID: 25882267The aim of this study was to evaluate the pain and fatigue levels of elderly cancer patients and to examine whether pain is an independent variable in fatigue development. A total of 250 elderly cancer patients undergoing treatment in the outpatient chemotherapy units and internal medicine clinic at 2 hospitals were enrolled. A "Patient Information Form," the "McGill Melzack Pain Questionnaire," and the "Brief Fatigue Inventory" were used as data instruments. It was determined that all patients had pain and that the mean present pain intensity score was 2.70 +/- 0.99, the mean worst pain intensity score was 4.40 +/- 0.86, and the mean least pain intensity score was 1.40 +/- 0.66. Whereas the existing fatigue severity score of the patients with fatigue (43.6%) was 6.27 +/- 2.06, the mean usual fatigue severity of the patients in the last 24 hours was 6.19 +/- 1.63 and that the mean worst fatigue severity score in the last 24 hours was 7.29 +/- 1.57. When the regression analysis carried out between the pain and fatigue intensities is examined, it was determined that pain is an independent variable in increasing fatigue and that there is a statistically significant relationship (P <.05). It is important that nurses develop strategies to prevent and determine activities to decrease the pain and fatigue of the patients while planning and implementing their holistic care in a relevant manner

Symptom Incidence and Defining the Symptom Clusters in the Patients with Heart Failure

3rd World Heart Failure Congress -- NOV 29-DEC 02, 2012 -- Istanbul, TURKEYWOS: 00031169820017