Eating patterns of Turkish adolescents: a cross-sectional survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adolescence is a crucial period for development of dietary behaviors that continue into adulthood and influence the risk of chronic diseases later in life. The aim of this study was to determine the eating patterns of adolescents' and their compliance with the Food Guide Pyramid.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>625 students, aged between 11-15 years, from an elementary school in Istanbul, Turkey were enrolled in this cross-sectional survey. A questionnaire of eating patterns (QEP) was administered to all participants. QEP is consisted of questions assessing the knowledge and behaviors on healthy eating, factors affecting food choice, physical activity status and demographical variables. Height and weight of all participants were measured. Physical activity status was determined by questioning about participation in regular sport activities, how much time spent watching TV, playing computer games or doing homework.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean age of the participants was 12.15 ± 1.15 and 50.5% were female. According to body mass index (BMI) percentiles, 8.3% (52) were obese and 10.2% were overweight. 51% had breakfast every day and only 1.9% met all the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid. Among the participants, 31% have fast food at least once every day and 60.8% skip meals. When participants were asked to rate the factors effecting their food choice according to a 10 point Likert scale, the highest mean scores (high impact on food choice) were for the factors; family, health, body perception, teachers and friends; 7.5 ± 3.1, 7.4 ± 3.1, 6.1 ± 3.2, 4.8 ± 3.3 and 4.2 ± 3.0 respectively. Total mean time spent on all passive activities (TV, computer, reading homework etc) per day was 9.8 ± 4.7 hours.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this study we have demonstrated that, adolescents do not have healthy eating patterns. Educational interventions should be planned to decrease the health risks attributable to their eating behaviors.</p

Aile hekimlerinin elektronik sigara ile ilgili farkındalık düzeyleri, zarar algıları ve bu konuda klinik uygulamalarını etkileyen faktörler

Aile Hekimlerinin Elektronik Sigara ile İlgili Farkındalık Düzeyleri, Zarar Algıları ve Bu Konuda Klinik Uygulamalarını Etkileyen Faktörler. ÖZETAmaç: E-sigaralar, nikotin ve genellikle diğer kimyasal maddeleri de içeren bir solüsyonu, buhar haline dönüştüren cihazlardır ve nikotin replasman tedavisi olarak görülüp, zarar azaltma düşüncesi ile ortaya çıkmıştır. Aile Hekimleri sigaranın bırakılması ve danışmanlık hizmetlerinin sunumu açısından kilit noktada yer almaktadırlar. Bu tez çalışmasının amacı AH’lerinin e-sigara ile ilgili farkındalık düzeyleri, zarar algıları ve bu konuda klinik uygulamalarını etkileyen faktörleri ortaya koymaktır.Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu çalışma tanımlayıcı ve analitik bileşenleri olan kesitsel bir araştırmadır. İstanbul Ümraniye, Maltepe ve Kartal ilçeleri ASM’lerinde çalışan AH’leri araştırma popülasyonunu oluşturmuştur. Veriler anket yoluyla toplanmıştır. Karıştırıcılığın kontrolü için lojistik regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. p<0.05 istatistik anlamlılık sınırı olarak belirlenmiştir.Bulgular: Araştırmaya toplam 271 AH katılmış ve katılım oranı % 66,75(271/400) olarak bulunmuştur. Katılımcıların %49, 1’i (n=133) erkek, medyan yaş 41’dir (32-46). AH’leri arasında e-sigarayı deneyenler %6, 6 (n=18) iken, halen e-sigara kullananların oranı %1, 1’dir (n=3).Yüzde 6, 6 (n=18) AH, sigara bıraktırma amaçlı zarar azaltma düşüncesi ile hastalarına e-sigara önerdiklerini ifade etmişlerdir.E-sigaraların sigara içenlerde sigarayı bıraktırmada işe yarar olduğunu; kapalı alanlarda içilebilir olduğunu; e-sigaradan çıkan buharın güvenli olduğunu; tütün yanma ürünü içeren ürünlerden daha sağlıklı olduğunu ve hastalarına sigara bıraktırmaya yönelik uygun reçete yazdığını düşünenler arasında e-sigara önerme daha yüksek oranda ve istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur.Sonuçlar: Aile hekimlerinin sigara bıraktırma ve elektronik sigara hakkındaki bilgileri yetersizdir. AH hastalarının bildirdikleri tütün ve e-sigara kullanımı davranışları ve ilgilerine dayalı olarak danışmanlık vermelidirler. Bunu yapabilmek için, aile hekimleri nikotin bağımlılığı ve sigara bıraktırmada yeni gelişmeler hakkında eğitilmelidir.Awareness, Perceptions and Related Factors Affecting Family Physicians’ Clinical Practices on Electronic Cigarettes2. SUMMARYObjective: E-cigarettes are devices that transform nicotine solution into vapor which appeared as nicotine replacement therapy and emerged with the idea of harm reduction. Family Physicians play a key role in terms of providing smoking cessation and counseling services. The aim of this thesis was to determine awareness, perceptions and related factors affecting family physicians’ clinical practices on e-cigarettes.Method: This was a cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical components. The family physicians working in Istanbul Ümraniye, Maltepe and Kartal Family Health Centers’ formed the study population. Data were collected through questionnaires. In order to control confounding factors the logistic regression analysis was performed. As statistical significance limit p <0.05 was determined. Results: A total of 271 FP participated in the study. Of the participants 49.1% (n = 133) were males and the median age was 41 years (32-46). Among FPs 6, 6% have tried e-cigarettes (n = 18), and the rate of those currently using e-cigarettes is 1, 1% (n = 3). Of the FPs 6, 6% (n = 18), have stated that they have recommended e-cigarettes to their patients for smoking cessation with the idea of harm reduction.E-cigarette recommendation rates were higher and were statistically significant in family physicians who think that e-cigarettes work in smokers who want to quit smoking; e-cigarettes could be smoked in closed areas; e-cigarette vapor is safe; e-cigarettes are healthier than tobacco combustion products and family physicians who think that they write appropriate prescriptions for their patients for smoking cessation.Conclusion: Family physicians feel inadequate in their smoking cessation training and knowledge on electronic cigarettes. They should counsel patients based on their reported tobacco and their e-cigarette use behaviors and interests. In order to do this, family physicians should be trained about new developments in nicotine addiction and smoking cessation

Aile hekimlerinin elektronik sigara ile ilgili farkındalık düzeyleri, zarar algıları ve bu konuda klinik uygulamalarını etkileyen faktörler

Aile Hekimlerinin Elektronik Sigara ile İlgili Farkındalık Düzeyleri, Zarar Algıları ve Bu Konuda Klinik Uygulamalarını Etkileyen Faktörler . Amaç: E-sigaralar, nikotin ve genellikle diğer kimyasal maddeleri de içeren bir solüsyonu, buhar haline dönüştüren cihazlardır ve nikotin replasman tedavisi olarak görülüp, zarar azaltma düşüncesi ile ortaya çıkmıştır. Aile Hekimleri sigaranın bırakılması ve danışmanlık hizmetlerinin sunumu açısından kilit noktada yer almaktadırlar. Bu tez çalışmasının amacı AH’lerinin e-sigara ile ilgili farkındalık düzeyleri, zarar algıları ve bu konuda klinik uygulamalarını etkileyen faktörleri ortaya koymaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu çalışma tanımlayıcı ve analitik bileşenleri olan kesitsel bir araştırmadır. İstanbul Ümraniye, Maltepe ve Kartal ilçeleri ASM’lerinde çalışan AH’leri araştırma popülasyonunu oluşturmuştur. Veriler anket yoluyla toplanmıştır. Karıştırıcılığın kontrolü için lojistik regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. p<0.05 istatistik anlamlılık sınırı olarak belirlenmiştir. Bulgular: Araştırmaya toplam 271 AH katılmış ve katılım oranı % 66,75(271/400) olarak bulunmuştur. Katılımcıların %49, 1’i (n=133) erkek, medyan yaş 41’dir (32-46). AH’leri arasında e-sigarayı deneyenler %6, 6 (n=18) iken, halen e-sigara kullananların oranı %1, 1’dir (n=3).Yüzde 6, 6 (n=18) AH, sigara bıraktırma amaçlı zarar azaltma düşüncesi ile hastalarına e-sigara önerdiklerini ifade etmişlerdir. E-sigaraların sigara içenlerde sigarayı bıraktırmada işe yarar olduğunu; kapalı alanlarda içilebilir olduğunu; e-sigaradan çıkan buharın güvenli olduğunu; tütün yanma ürünü içeren ürünlerden daha sağlıklı olduğunu ve hastalarına sigara bıraktırmaya yönelik uygun reçete yazdığını düşünenler arasında e-sigara önerme daha yüksek oranda ve istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur. Sonuçlar: Aile hekimlerinin sigara bıraktırma ve elektronik sigara hakkındaki bilgileri yetersizdir. AH hastalarının bildirdikleri tütün ve e-sigara kullanımı davranışları ve ilgilerine dayalı olarak danışmanlık vermelidirler. Bunu yapabilmek için, aile hekimleri nikotin bağımlılığı ve sigara bıraktırmada yeni gelişmeler hakkında eğitilmelidir. Awareness, Perceptions and Related Factors Affecting Family Physicians’ Clinical Practices on Electronic Cigarettes 2. SUMMARY Objective: E-cigarettes are devices that transform nicotine solution into vapor which appeared as nicotine replacement therapy and emerged with the idea of harm reduction. Family Physicians play a key role in terms of providing smoking cessation and counseling services. The aim of this thesis was to determine awareness, perceptions and related factors affecting family physicians’ clinical practices on e-cigarettes. Method: This was a cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical components. The family physicians working in Istanbul Ümraniye, Maltepe and Kartal Family Health Centers’ formed the study population. Data were collected through questionnaires. In order to control confounding factors the logistic regression analysis was performed. As statistical significance limit p <0.05 was determined. Results: A total of 271 FP participated in the study. Of the participants 49.1% (n = 133) were males and the median age was 41 years (32-46). Among FPs 6, 6% have tried e-cigarettes (n = 18), and the rate of those currently using e-cigarettes is 1, 1% (n = 3). Of the FPs 6, 6% (n = 18), have stated that they have recommended e-cigarettes to their patients for smoking cessation with the idea of harm reduction. E-cigarette recommendation rates were higher and were statistically significant in family physicians who think that e-cigarettes work in smokers who want to quit smoking; e-cigarettes could be smoked in closed areas; e-cigarette vapor is safe; e-cigarettes are healthier than tobacco combustion products and family physicians who think that they write appropriate prescriptions for their patients for smoking cessation. Conclusion: Family physicians feel inadequate in their smoking cessation training and knowledge on electronic cigarettes. They should counsel patients based on their reported tobacco and their e-cigarette use behaviors and interests. In order to do this, family physicians should be trained about new developments in nicotine addiction and smoking cessation

Evaluation of diet quality and associated factors in geriatric outpatients: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: In this study, our aim was to investigate the quality of dietary intake of elderly individuals and to identify the factors that may be associated with their diet quality. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 198 elderly participants. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used to evaluate nutritional status. The frequency of dietary intake was assessed using the Elderly Diet Index (EDI) score. RESULTS: The median age of study population was 76.0 years. The median EDI score was 27.0, moreover, only 27.3% of the study population had moderate or high diet quality. The results of the univariate analysis revealed that having an average or a poor appetite reduced the diet quality in the elderly which was statistically significantly (p = 0.010 and p = 0.019, respectively), and each point increase in the MNA score statistically significantly increased the chance of moderate/good diet quality by 1.16 times. CONCLUSIONS: The poor diet quality of the elderly was associated with their education, appetite, nutritional, and smoking status

A qualitative study on factors that influence Turkish Medical Students' decisions to become family physicians after the health transformation programme.

İstanbul Bilim Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi.BACKGROUND: In Turkey, general practitioners were authorized to work as family physicians without specialization, within the scope of the HealthTransformation Programme, due to inadequate number of family medicine specialists since 2004. With this new implementation Family Medicine specialty became a less preferable option for medical students. AIMS: The study was to investigate the perspectives of medical students and understand the issues to choose Family Medicine specialty as a career option. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study was performed with 48 final year medical students using a convenience sample from twomedical universities. RESULTS: Three main categories emerged from the data viewing Family Medicine 'as a specialty', 'as an employment', and finally 'as a system'. Very few students stated that Family Medicine would be their choice for specialty. CONCLUSIONS: Family Medicine does not seem to be an attractive option in career planning by medical students. Several factors that may constrain students from choosing Family Medicine include: not perceiving Family Medicine as a field of expertise, and the adverse conditions at work which may originate from duality in the system

Morphometric features of the thyroid gland: A cadaveric study of Turkish people

Background: Although racial and ethnic variations in the morphology of anatomical structures are defined well, the size, shape, and weight of the thyroid gland have not previously been reported in Turkish people. This study provides data about the morphometric features of the thyroid gland, thyroid lobes, and pyramidal lobe, and highlights some anatomical variations in people from the Marmara region in Turkey. Material and methods: The material for the present study consisted of thyroid glands obtained from 75 male and 75 female adult cadavers aged between 18 and 80 years. A dissection was carried out and the thyroid glands were exposed. The glands were weighed and measured according to the various age groups of the patients. Results: A pyramidal lobe was found to be present in 57.8% of the cadavers (52/90). During midline dissection of the neck 2 males out of 90 cadavers, giving an incidence of 2.22%, did not show an isthmus. The mean thyroid weight was 26.11 +/- 8.14 g. In males it was 26.93 +/- 7.96 g while in females it was 21.93 +/- 7.98 g. Conclusions: This is the first reported morphometric study on cadaveric thyroid glands from Turkey and it highlights individual and ethnic/racial variations. In order to perform safe and effective surgery and for the accurate diagnosis of thyroid disorders, knowledge of normal anatomy and the variations of the thyroid gland are essential

Frequency of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Among Patients Hospitalized for Influenza-like Diseases and its Impact on Mortality: Prospective, Multi-center Real Life Results

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is among the major causes of severe mortality and morbidity in both children and adults worldwide. This study aimed at demonstrating the course of RSV in our country. Materials and Methods: Simultaneous RSV surveillance was implemented within the scope of Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network in Ankara in the season of 2016-2017. Results: A total of 917 cases were included into the study, and RSV polymerase chain reaction was positive in 145 patients (15.8%). Among the RSV positive cases, 132 were under five years old and 13 were over five. There was no underlying disease in 86.3% of the cases under five years of age, and the most common underlying disease was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the five years and older group. While 9.8% of the cases under the age of five was admitted to the intensive care unit, only one case out of 13 patients over the age of five was admitted to the intensive care unit. Although the rate of infection was higher among children under five years of age, there was one mortal case in this group, while one of two patients older than 65 years died in the group over the age of five. Conclusion: In our country, clinical and epidemiological data have great importance for the prevention of mortality and morbidity associated with RSV infections, and extensive surveillance studies are needed