Experiences of Infant and Child Care of Mothers with Disabilities in Turkey: A Qualitative Study

Mothers with disabilities have difficulties fulfilling their gender and motherhood roles. The purpose of this study was to determine the infant and child care-related experiences of mothers with disabilities in Turkey. A conventional content analysis was used in this qualitative design. Fourteen mothers with disabilities participated in semi-structured in-depth interviewsconsisting of open-ended questions about their infant and child care experiences. Three themes and eight subthemes emerged from the data analysis. The themes were: role fulfillment, barriers, and coping and support. All of the women said that they wanted to become mothers, and when they did so, they felt they had fulfilled their roles in society. However, there was a societal misconception that woman with disabilities ‘could not give birth to children or would not properly care for them. Measures should be taken to eliminate negative social perceptions of mothers with  disabilities. Public support should be provided to meet the needs of mothers with disabilities. (Afr J Reprod Health 2018; 22[4]: 81-91).Keywords: Mothers with disabilities; child care; infant care; qualitative research, Turke

Obesity prevalence and associated characteristics in primary school students according to age and gender

GİRİŞ: Bu çalışmanın amacı ilköğretim ikinci kademe öğrencilerinde yaş ve cinsiyete göre obezite görülme oranını ve obeziteyle ilişkili özellikleri belirlemektir. GEREÇ ve YÖNTEM: Kesitsel tipte olan bu araştırma İzmir‘in merkeze bağlı dört ilçesinde okul sağlığı çalışmalarının yürütüldüğü, sosyoekonomik düzeyi aynı olan dört ilköğretim okulunda (N:1550), 15 Mart- 3 Haziran 2017 tarihleri arasında yürütülmüştür. Ulaşılabilen ve gönüllü katılım gösteren toplam 1003 öğrenci çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Veri toplamada sosyo-demografik bilgi formu, beslenme özellikleri ve alışkanlıkları formu-çocuk / ebeveyn kullanılmıştır. Antropometrik ölçümler (boy, ağırlık) yapılmıştır. BULGULAR: Çocukların yaş ortalamaları 8,73 ± 1,35 (min-max: 7-12) yıl olup %53,1‘i kızdır. Çocukların %24,8‘i fazla tartılı, %9,7‘si obezdir. Çocuklar tarafından kantinden en çok tüketilen yiyecekler sırasıyla gevrek (%55,8), poğaça (%46,1) ve çikolatadır (%43,5). Çocukların günlük tükettikleri süt miktarı medyanı 1 bardaktır (min-max: 0,25-6). Kızların erkeklere göre her gün meyve (X2 =10,88; p=0,004) ve kuru baklagil (X2 =11,568; p=0,003) tüketimleri daha fazladır (X2 =10,88; p=0,004). Erkekler kızlara göre daha fazla gazlı içecek tüketmektedir (X2 = 20,44; p<0,000). SONUÇ: Araştırma sonuçları öğrencilerin obezite sıklığının cinsiyet, ebeveynin BKİ, bilgisayar ve televizyon başında geçirilen süre ve beslenme tercihleriyle ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Çocukluk çağı obezitesinden korunmada çocuklar için riskli obezojenik fiziksel ve sosyal çevrenin düzenlenmesi öncelikli ve önemli bir adım olacaktır.INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity, and obesity related characteristics among primary school students in terms of age and gender. MATERIAL and METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out between March 15, 2017 and June 3, 2017 with students (N: 1550) going to four junior high schools with the same socioeconomic level in four districts in the city center of İzmir province where school health studies were conducted. Of these students, 1003 who volunteered to participate in the study were included in the study. The Socio-demographic Characteristics Questionnaire, and Nutritional Characteristics and Habits Form child / parent were used to collect data. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight) were performed. RESULTS: The mean age of the participating students was 8.73 ± 1.35 (min-max: 7-12) years. Of them, 53.1% were girls. 24.8% were overweight and 9.7% were obese. The foods most consumed by the students were gevrek (Turkish bagel) (55.8%), poacha (Turkish pastry with cheese filling) (46.1%) and chocolate (43.5%). The amount of milk they consumed per day was 1 cup (min-max: 0.25-6). The girl consumed fruits (X2 =10.88; p = 0,004) and legumes (X2 =11,568; p = 0,003) more than the boys (X2 =10.88; p = 0.004). The boys consumed carbonated drinks more than the girls (X2 = 0.44, p <0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study revealed that the obesity prevalence among the participating students was related to gender, parental BMI, time spent on computer and television, and dietary preferences. To protect children from childhood obesity, regulation of the risky obesogenic physical and social environments will be a priority and an important step