Normative data and discriminative properties of short form 36 (SF-36) in Turkish urban population

BACKGROUND: SF-36 has been both translated into different languages and adapted to different cultures to obtain comparable data on health status internationally. However there have been only a limited number of studies focused on the discriminative ability of SF-36 regarding social and disease status in developing countries. The aim of this study was to obtain population norms of the short form 36 (SF-36) health survey and the association of SF-36 domains with demographic and socioeconomic variables in an urban population in Turkey. METHODS: A cross-sectional study. Face to face interviews were carried out with a sample of households. The sample was systematically selected from two urban Health Districts in Izmir, Turkey. The study group consisted of 1,279 people selected from a study population of 46,290 people aged 18 and over. RESULTS: Internal consistencies of the scales were high, with the exception of mental health and vitality. Physical health scales were associated with both age and gender. On the other hand, mental health scales were less strongly associated with age and gender. Women reported poorer health compared to men in general. Social risk factors (employment status, lower education and economic strain) were associated with worse health profiles. The SF-36 was found to be capable of discriminating disease status. CONCLUSION: Our findings, cautiously generalisable to urban population, suggest that the SF-36 can be a valuable tool for studies on health outcomes in Turkish population. SF-36 may also be a promising measure for research on health inequalities in Turkey and other developing countries

Relationship Between the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and the Presence and Size of Thyroid Nodules

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Does insulin resistance trigger thyroid nodule?

The relationship between insulin resistance and thyroid nodules is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and thyroid nodules in non-diabetic patients. 410 patients who applied to the Internal Medicine outpatient clinic from June 2018 to July 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 216 non-diabetic patients were divided into two groups. The relationship of 105 patients with thyroid nodules and 110 patients without thyroid nodules with insulin resistance was investigated. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance value, serum triglycerides and total cholesterol level, and the ratio of women were higher in the group with thyroid nodules (p < 0.05). There was a positive and significant relationship between homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance value and thyroid nodules (r + 0.29, p < 0.05). In non-diabetic thyroid nodule patients, a significant relationship was detected between nodule formation and insulin resistance. However, these data must be confirmed by other studies in the future

Through Healthier Learning Environments In Turkish Schools

Turkish Acoustical Society (TAKDER) and Occupational Hygienists Society (IHIDER) of Turkey organized a series of events for International Noise Awareness Day (INAD) 2023 in collaboration with, Acoustical Society of Italy and Acoustical Society of Spain with the theme ”Keep your hearing, keep your health: Educational facilities”. As part of INAD 2023 activities, a research project for assessment of acoustic conditions in schools and teachers’ noise exposure and assessment of its health effects was started as a joint project between TAKDER and IHIDER. This short paper introduces the preliminary results of this project, including evaluation of the acoustical quality in four Turkish schools of four institution levels: kindergarten, primary school, middle school, and secondary school. The acoustic performance of schools was analyzed by on-site measurements of sound insulation, reverberation time, ambient noise levels and speech intelligibility. The findings of the survey were analyzed in reference to the national regulation. The results indicate that most of the building elements and school spaces do not comply with acoustic criteria. The findings are further to be discussed in collaboration with professionals from variety of disciplines to transform schools through a healthier and more comfortable learning environment for children and teachers.publishedVersio