Evaluating the frequency of nutrition and eating disorders and related factors among university students of a medical faculty

Amaç: Bu araştırmada bir üniversitenin tıp fakültesinde öğrenim gören öğrencilerin beslenme ve yeme bozukluğu riski taşıma durumlarının REZZY ölçeği kullanılarak saptanması ve ilişkili faktörlerin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Kesitsel tipteki araştırmanın evrenini araştırmanın yapıldığı tıp fakültesinde öğrenim gören 650 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada evrenin tamamına ulaşılması öngörülerek örneklem belirlenmemiş ve toplamda 441 (%67,8) öğrenci araştırmaya katılmıştır. Öğrencilerin beslenme ve yeme bozukluğu riski REZZY ölçeği ile değerlendirilmiştir. Yeme bozukluğu riski ile ilişkili faktörler lojistik regresyon analiziyle değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Araştırmaya katılan öğrenciler arasında beslenme ve yeme bozukluğu riskine sahip olma sıklığı %50,1 olarak bulunmuştur. Kadın cinsiyet ve güne kahvaltı yapmadan başlamak yeme bozukluğu riskini artıran faktörler olarak tespit edilmiştir. Öğrencilerin öğrenim gördükleri dönemin ilerlemesiyle yeme bozukluğu riski azalmaktadır. Sonuç: Araştırma grubunda saptanan beslenme ve yeme bozukluğu riski sıklığı oldukça yüksek olmakla birlikte mevcut literatürde belirlenen sınırlar içinde olduğu değerlendirilmiştir. Genç yaş grubunda en sık görülen kronik hastalıklardan birisi olan yeme bozukluklarının ilgili risk faktörleri de göz önüne alınarak erken tanısı önem taşımaktadır. Yeme bozuklukları özel olarak sorgulanmadıkları sürece tanınmadan kaldıklarından uygun tarama yöntemleriyle bu sağlık sistemine yönelik taramaların, gençlere sunulan rutin sağlık hizmetlerine entegre edilmesi, hastalığın ilerlemesi ya da farklı sağlık sorunlarına neden olmasının engellenmesi için önemlidir.Objective: This study aims to evaluate the risk for eating disorders among medical students of a university with the SCOFF scale and to determine the related factors. Material and Method: The universe of this cross-sectional study is composed of 650 medical students of the university where the research was conducted. We planned to reach all students; therefore, no sample size was calculated, and a total of 441 (67.8%) students participated in the study. Eating disorder risk was evaluated via the SCOFF scale. Factors related to eating disorders were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the participants, 50.1% were found to have a risk of eating disorders. Being female and skipping breakfast are factors that increase the risk of eating disorders. As the grade of the students increases, the risk of eating disorders decreases. Conclusion: The frequency of eating disorders of the research group is evaluated as high but within the ranges of the current literature. Eating disorders are one of the most common chronic diseases among the young population, so early diagnosis is essential for considering the related factors. Eating disorders remain undetected unless questioned specifically, therefore integrating the screening for eating disorders into routine health services targeting the young people is crucial for the prevention of the progress of the disease and further health consequences

Change in the geographic distribution of human resources for health in Turkey, 2002-2016

Introduction: Turkey, which suffers from both undersupply of physicians, nurses and midwives and imbalanced distribution of healthcare personnel, has been developing and implementing various policies to solve these problems. The Ministry of Health launched the Health Transformation Program in 2003 for effective, efficient and fair provision of healthcare services for all people. This study aimed to take a closer look at the impact of policies implemented to reduce the imbalance of the distribution of human resources for health for the past 15 years in Turkey. Methods: Data for the distributional imbalance obtained from Ministry of Health registries was analysed by using Lorenz curves and Gini coefficient for the years 2002, 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Results: Geographical imbalances for healthcare professions decreased distinguishably during the 15 years. Gini coefficient was 0.33 for specialist distribution in 2002, and decreased gradually to 0.26 in 2008 and finally 0.21 in 2016. Similarly, Gini coefficients were 0.18, 0.20 and 0.25 for general practitioners, nurses and midwives, respectively, in 2002. In 2012, Gini coefficients for the same professionals were calculated as 0.09, 0.11 and 0.19, respectively. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the policies targeting the distribution of healthcare personnel in Turkey have yielded positive results. Yet it is evident that these results are not due to a single action. It is essential to improve existing implementations, identify the instruments and factors that satisfy and motivate healthcare personnel, and continue developing and implementing comprehensive policies

Turkish version methodological validation study of the Decision Regret Scale

Background: Experiencing regret after receiving medical care or treatment is a normal aspect of health, based on the quality of service received. This is a considerable component of medical decisions. The Decision Regret Scale is a one-dimensional and five-item scale that evaluates patients' regret after receiving a medical procedure or health service. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Decision Regret Scale. Methods: This is a methodological scale validation research conducted with patients from a university hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Data was collected from 53 participants who had a total abdominal hysterectomy operation after myoma uteri diagnosis without oophorectomy. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, which included socio-demographic information, Decision Regret Scale, and the World Health Organization's WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment scale. Data was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analyses. Results: The Cronbach alpha value of the Decision Regret Scale was 0.868, which indicated an acceptable internal consistency. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis were sufficient with satisfactory model fit statistics (p = 0.282, chi 2/clf = 1.3, RMSEA = 0.069, and GFI = 0.943). Discussion: The Turkish version of the Decision Regret Scale was a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating regret about receiving health services. Conclusions: The addition of regret as an outcome health care received will inform health care providers in terms of their decisions about the various treatment options and their associated feelings of regret. Thus, enabling decisions around health to be more informed, structured and more patient oriented

Role of tobacco exposure in the course of COVID-19 disease and the impact of the disease on smoking behavior

Background The effect of COVID-19 on smoking behavior is not fully known. Studies evaluating the link between smoking and COVID-19 have controversial results. This study aims to evaluate patients' smoking status with COVID-19 and the effect of COVID-19 on smoking behavior. Methods Data were collected from 150 COVID-19 patients with a positive polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 between 11 March 2020 and 15 May 2020 in Rize, Turkey. Patients were interviewed by phone calls 2 months after their recovery. After 9 months, a follow-up was performed for those who quit smoking. Results Of the participants, 19 (12.7%) were current smokers before the COVID-19 diagnosis, and 15 (78.9%) of them stated that they quit smoking after their diagnosis. After nine months of follow-up, 11 of those 15 participants (57.8%) sustained abstinence. Conclusion Smoking cessation rates are high in people with COVID-19. Besides, the frequency of sustaining abstinence in the long term was also high in these individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic should be viewed as an open opportunity to strengthen and prioritize smoking cessation activities

Investigation of the relationship between hemogram parameters and procalcitonin levels in patients with psychiatric diseases

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the hemogram parameters and the levels of procalcitonin, serum C-reactive protein, and inflammation in inpatients with psychiatric disorders. Material and methods: The study population consisted of 549 inpatients treated between January 2018 and December 2020. Data were obtained retrospectively from computer records and inpatient files. Only the first hospitalization of each patient was evaluated, and 199 patients were included in the study. The researchers examined the parameters including platelet activation, neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, monocyte lymphocyte ratio, platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, platelet lymphocyte ratio, and procalcitonin levels in patients and compared them with findings obtained from a control group. Results: Increased levels of C-reactive protein and decreased levels of platelets were observed in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder. Increased platelet distribution width, platelet lymphocyte ratio, and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio were observed in patients with schizophrenia. The patients with bipolar disorder had increased mean platelet volume while patients with depressive disorder had an increased monocyte lymphocyte ratio. Procalcitonin levels increased in patients with anxiety disorder and depressive disorder. Discussion: Platelet activity can be an important criterion to investigate the etiopathogenesis underlying the inflammatory process in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe a positive correlation between increased monocyte lymphocyte ratio and procalcitonin levels in depressive disorder, and a positive correlation between increased procalcitonin levels and anxiety disorder and depressive disorder

Evaluating vaccine rejection during COVID-19 pandemic

Amaç: Aşılar, tıbbın insanlığa sağladığı en büyük başarılar arasında olup bugüne kadar milyonlarca kişinin yaşamını kurtarmıştır. Ülkemizde 2017 yılında 23 binden fazla aile aşı reddi talebinde bulunmuştur. Geçmişte salgın hastalıkların yıkıcı etkilerinin pek çok sosyal, coğrafi, ekonomik, kültürel etkilere yol açtığı gözlenmiştir. Bu çalışmada amacımız; COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında Türkiye’de normalleşme sürecinin başlaması sonrasında, geçmişte çocuklarına aşı yaptırmayan ebeveynler ile görüşerek aşı reddi oranlarında bir değişiklik olup olmadığını değerlendirmektir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Kesitsel tipteki bu araştırmada aşı reddinde bulunan aileler telefon ile aranarak onayları alındıktan sonra anket çalışması gerçekleştirilmiştir. Görüşmeler, ülkemizde “normalleşme sürecinin” başlangıcı olan Haziran 2020 sonrasında gerçekleştirilmiş, ailelerin aşı reddine ilişkin görüşlerinin COVID-19 pandemisinden etkilenip etkilenmediği araştırılmıştır. Bulgular: Aşı reddinde bulunan 82 aile çalışmaya katılmayı kabul etmiş ve anket gerçekleştirilmiştir. Hepatit A aşısı ret oranının (%6,5) diğer aşılara göre yüksek, Hepatit B aşısı ret oranının (%2,1) ise diğer aşılara göre düşük olduğu belirlenmiştir. Aşı reddi için en sık sebep “içeriğine güvenmeme” (%43) olarak gözlenmiştir. Ailelerin tamamı COVID19 pandemisi kontrol önlemleri kapsamında normalleşme sürecine geçilmesi sonrasında da çocuklarına aşı yaptırmayı düşünmediklerini belirtmiştir. Çocuklarına aşı yaptırmayan ebeveynlere “COVID-19 aşısı olsa kendinize yaptırır mısınız” sorusu sorulduğunda %35,7’si olumlu yanıt vermişlerdir. Sonuç: Çalışmamızda COVID-19 pandemisi için ülkemizde normalleşme sürecine geçilmesi sonrasında ailelerin çocuklarına aşı yaptırma konusunda fikirlerinin değişmediği gözlenmiştir. Aşıların bireysel ve toplumsal faydaları düşünüldüğünde aşı ret oranlarını azaltmaya yönelik çalışmaların önemi ortaya çıkmaktadır.Aim: Vaccines are one of the most tremendous medical success in human history and have saved millions of people until this day. There are more than 23 thousand families who had rejected vaccines in our country in 2017. Outbreaks caused numerous social, geographic, economic, and cultural devastations in the past. This study aims to reveal the change in the ratio of people who refused vaccines after the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted via phone interviews with families who rejected vaccines by calling the people who refused to use vaccines after they agreed to join the study. The talks have been made after June 2020, which is also the starting of “normalization process” in our country. It is researched whether the patients' relatives' decisions have been changed during COVID-19.. Results: 82 families who refuse to vaccine their children accepted to join the study. Refusing rate for Hepatitis A (6.5%) vaccine was higher among other vaccines, and refusing rate for Hepatitis B (2.1%) vaccine was lower among all vaccines. Of the reasons for refusing vaccines, “Not trusting the substance” (43%) was higher than other causes. When it is asked parents, who refused to vaccines for their children “Do you use for yourself if a vaccine for a COVID-19 invented?” 37.7% of the participant gave an affirmative answer. Conclusion: At the end of our study, we concluded that the parents' thoughts about vaccines for their children have not changed after the pandemic of COVID-19. Taking direct, indirect, and protective effects of vaccines into consideration on individuals, the importance of studies about decreasing the refusal of vaccines becomes significant

Evaluatıng the Covid-19 Pandemıc Struggle in Terms of National Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan

Bu çalışmada 2019 yılının Aralık ayında ilk olarak Çin’de görülen ve daha sonra Dünya Sağlık Örgütü tarafından Pandemi olarak ilan edilen COVID-19 salgını sürecinde Türkiye’de yapılan Pandemi ile mücadele uygulamalarının Pandemik Influenza Ulusal Hazırlık Planına uygunluğunun değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Yapılan inceleme sonucunda salgın süresince mevzuat hazırlıkları ve aktif sağlık hizmeti sunumu uygulamaları ile salgının kontrol altına alınmasına yönelik uygulamaların genel olarak Pandemi Influenza Ulusal Hazırlık Planına uygun olarak değerlendirilmiştirIn this study the control measures in Turkey targeting COVID-19 outbreak which first occurred in Chine during late December of 2019, then declared as a pandemic as World Health Organization were evaluated in terms of national pandemic influenza preparedness plan. According to the results of this study it is concluded that the health care services, required legislations and measures for taking the pandemic under control were applied adequately and on time during the outbreak period

COVID-19 survivors' ıntensive care unit experiences and their possible effects on mental health

It is known that being hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) for any reason is a risk factor for future psychiatric problems. This qualitative study aims to identify the experiences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ICU survivors and provide insights for relevant mental health problems after being discharged. Participants were COVID-19 patients discharged from ICUs of a secondary care hospital. The experiences of 21 ICU survivors were evaluated using Colaizzi's 7-step approach, which were determined by the purposeful sampling method. There were three themes generated from the interviews as “emotions on COVID-19 diagnosis,” “feelings about ICU stay and health care providers,” and “life in the shadow of COVID-19.” Two subthemes for every single theme were generated, and a total of 19 codes were extracted. It is essential to understand the individual's unique experiences in designing preventive interventions and apply individual preventive mental health interventions during ICU sta

Defining the Quality of Life and Perceived Social Support Levels Among Nursing Students and Evaluating the Quality of Life Related Factors

Amaç: Yaşam kalitesi genel sağlığın belirleyicilerindendir ve insan hayatının her döneminde farklı risk faktörlerinden etkilenmektedir. Araştırmamızda, üniversitede öğrenim gören hemşirelik öğrencilerinin yaşam kalitelerinin belirlenmesi ve yaşam kaliteleri ile ilişkili olabilecek barınma koşulları, sosyal destek algısı ve sağlık durumu gibi faktörlerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Araştırma kesitsel tiptedir ve bir üniversitenin hemşirelik bölümünde öğrenim gören 389 öğrenci evreni oluşturmaktadır. Örneklem belirlenmemiş ve öğrencilerin 353 (%90,7)’üne ulaşılmıştır. Öğrencilerin yaşam kaliteleri Dünya Sağlık Örgütü tarafından geliştirilmiş olan WHOQOL-BREF ölçeği ile değerlendirilmiştir. Yaşam kalitesine etki edebileceği düşünülen risk faktörleri yapılandırılmış bir anket formu aracılığıyla toplanmıştır ve öğrencilerin sosyal destek algıları “Çok Boyutlu Algılanan Sosyal Destek Ölçeği (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support)” ile değerlendirilmiştir. Risk faktörlerinin yaşam kalitesi skorları ile ilişkisinin değerlendirilmesinde lineer regresyon modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırma gönüllülük esasına tabi yapılmış olup, gerek bulunmadığından etik kurul onayı alınmamıştır. Bulgular: Öğrencilerin WHOQOL-BREF puanlarının tüm alt alanları ile sosyal destek algıları arasında pozitif yönde korelasyon tespit edilmiştir. Hemşirelik öğrencilerinin genel sağlık durumunun iyi olması ile arkadaş kaynaklı sosyal destek algılarının yüksek olması WHOQOL-BREF ölçeğinin tüm alt alanları ile istatistiksel olarak olumlu yönde anlamlı ilişki gösterirken; ileri sınıflarda olması, erkek olmak, yurt ya da pansiyon gibi yerler yerine evde kalıyor olmak, gelir durumunun yeterli olması ve algılanan sosyal destek puanının diğer alanlarında yüksek olması, WHOQOL-BREF ölçeğinin farklı alt alanlarında yüksek yaşam kalitesi ile ilişkili bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Öğrencilerin barınma, genel sağlık, gelir ve sosyal destek algısı gibi müdahale edilebilir olan durumlarının yaşam kalitesi ile ilişkili olması, üniversite öğrencilerine yönelik yapılacak hem sosyal hem de sağlık alanındaki politika belirleme ve uygulamalarda öğrencilerin sosyal desteklerinin olumlu yönde etkileyecek müdahalelere öncelik verilmesinin gerekliliğini açığa çıkartmaktadır.Objective: Quality of life is one of the determinants of general health and can be influenced by various risk factors among different periods of life. Our study aims to determine the quality of life of university students and evaluate the related factors such as accommodation status, social support perception and health status. Material and Methods: The universe of this cross-sectional study consists of 389 nursing students of a university. No sample size was defined, and 353 of the students have participated in the study (90.7%). The quality of life of the university students was evaluated by the WHOQOL-BREF which had been developed by the World Health Organization. A structured questionnaire assessed the potential risk factors associated with quality of life and the social support perception evaluated by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The association between risk factors and quality of life is determined with a linear regression model. The participation in the study was based entirely on volunteering, and there was no need for ethical board approval. Results: We found a positive correlation between all aspects of the WHOQOL-BREF scores and the perceived social support of university students. Being in a healthy condition and having social support from friends are found to be related with increased quality of life among all aspects of WHOQOL-BREF. Being a senior student, male sex, residing in a house rather than student dormitories, having adequate income, and having high social support among other aspects of the scale were found to be related with increased quality of life among various sub-domains of WHOQOL- BREF. Conclusion: The gentle nature of issues like residency, general health condition, income and perceived social support makes them essential for the future development of social and health politics and implementations aiming to improve social support among university students

Evaluation Of Obesity At Second And Third Age In Premature Children

Amaç: Prematür yenidoğanlar, yaşayabilirlik sınırı olan 22 hafta üzerinde ve 37 hafta altındaki bebekler olarak tanımlanır. Çalışmada prematür bebeklerin ikinci ve üçüncü yaştaki büyüme özelikleri incelenerek çocukluk çağı obezitesine neden olabilecek etkenlerin değerlendirilmesi ve böylece yetişkin çağda ortaya çıkabilecek metabolik hastalıkların erken dönemde önlenmesi amaçlandı. Materyal ve Metot: Araştırmanın yapısı retrospektif kohort çalışması niteliğindedir. Çalışma Mayıs 2018 - Ekim 2018 tarihleri arasında Rize ili Merkez ilçesine bağlı 18 farklı Aile Hekimliği Polikliniği’nde yürütülmüştür. 3 yaşını doldurmuş ve bu yaşa kadar tüm izlemleri aynı aile hekimi tarafından yapılmış 253 tane çocuk izlem kartı taranmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan bebeklerin ortalama doğum ağırlığı 2574,49±638,79 gr, ortalama boyu 46,20±4,12cm idi ve bebeklerin 123’ü (%54, 66) erkek, 102’si (%45,33) kızdı. VKİ (Vücut Kitle İndeksi) değerlendirmelerine göre 2.yaşta 43 bebek (%19,11) fazla kilolu, 36 bebek (%16) obezdi. 3.yaşta ise 45 bebek (%20) fazla kilolu, 30 bebek (%13,33) obezdi. 2. yaşta obeziteyi etkileyen faktörler açısından değerlendirildiğinde, 2.yaşta obez olarak belirlenen bebeklerin anne hemoglobin değerleri, diğerlerine göre anlamlı olarak daha düşüktü (p<0,001). Sonuç: DSÖ (Dünya Sağlık Örgütü)’nün verilerine göre 2010 yılında çocukluk çağında fazla kilolu olma ve obezite sıklığı %6,70 idi ve bu oranın 2020 yılında %9,10 olması beklenmektedir. Çalışmamızda beklenenin çok üzerinde olan fazla kilolu olma ve obezite sıklığının nedenleri araştırıldığında beslenme durumları ve maternal faktörler açısından anlamlı fark saptanmadı. 2.yaşta fazla kilolu olma ve obezite ile maternal anemi arasında anlamlı ilişki saptandı.Objectives: Premature newborns are defined as babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy and after 22 weeks of pregnancy as a viability limit. Aim of this study was to analyze growth characteristics at the age of second and third age and prevention of metabolic diseases that may occur in adult age at an early phase. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a retrospective cohort study between May 2018 and October 2018 in 18 different Family Medicine Outpatient Clinics in Rize, Central district. All participants were at least 3 years old and their follow-up visits made by the same family physicians for 3 years. Results: It was found that 54.66% of babies were males(n=123), 45.33% of them were females(n=102). According to BMI (Body Mass İndex) evaluations, 19.11% of babies were overweight(n=43), 16% of them were obese(n=36) at the age of two and 20% of them were overweight (n=45), 13.33% of them were obese(n=30) at the age of three. The mean Hb levels of the mothers whom children were obese at the age of two were statistically lower than the others (p<0.001). Conclusion: According to WHO, worldwide prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity was 6.70% in 2010 and it is expected to reach 9.10% in 2020. When we searched reasons of high overweight and obesity prevalence, there wasn't significant difference related with maternal factors and feeding patterns. We found significant relationship between maternal anemia and being overweight and obesity at the age of two