THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTHY LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS AND QUALITY OF LIFE: AN ANALYSIS ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN SPORTS AND WHO ARE NOT

Introduction and Purpose: Developing healthy lifestyle behaviors during university years is important in terms of supporting students’ health and well-being. Assessing the students’ quality of life levels in this period may provide a source of reference for their subsequent years. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviors and quality of life of students studying at the university and to determine the effect of a number of variables, including but not limited to engaging in sports, on healthy lifestyle behaviors and quality of life. Method: The data analyzed in the study were collected through the “Personal Information Form”, “Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale-II and “Whoqol-Bref (TR) Quality of Life Scale”. The data pertaining to 851 students who filled the scale questionnaires completely were evaluated. The Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Scale, developed by Walker et al. (1987), and revised in 1996 was adapted to Turkish language in 2008, by Bahar et al., who also carried out the validity and reliability analysis of the scale. The scale consists of 52 items and 6 sub-factors. The rating of the scale is of 4-point likert type. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF-TR) is a form developed by the World Health Organization. Validity and reliability tests of the scale were performed in 1999 by Eser et al. The scale allows analyzing the quality of life with reference to 4 distinct domains. The scores for individual domains can be in the 4-20 range. Firstly, the normality test was applied, and descriptive statistics were assessed for the data obtained from the scale. The data was found to exhibit normal distribution. In addition, according to the results of the Levene test, the variances were found to be homogeneous. Independent sample T-test, One Way Variance Analysis (Anova), Manova analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were used for the analysis of the data. Scheffe test, which is the 2nd Level Post Hoc Test, was employed to determine the groups among which significant variation occurred. Data were tested at α = 0.05 significance level. Findings and Conclusion: The study's findings showed that the students’ healthy lifestyles and quality of life levels were moderately correlated. Healthy lifestyle behaviors and quality-of-life levels of licensed sports students were significantly more emphasized than those of the students who did not engage in sports. The mean scores the students studying in Physical Education and Sports High School had for the physical activity and diet sub-factors were found to be significantly higher compared to those studying in other departments. Moreover, it was seen that having breakfast regularly affects the students’ quality of life. As a conclusion, it can be said that the healthy lifestyle behaviors of university students are moderately correlated to their quality of life and regular sports have an impact on the variables analyzed in the present study.  Article visualizations

The investigation of the anxiety level of the students prior to exams and competitions participating to the contests for secondary and high schools in Rize province

Aim: The aim of this research is to investigate the level of the anxiety of the students prior to exams and competitions participating to the competitions for high schools and secondary schools in Rize province.Material and Methods: First of all, we applied to provincial and district national education directorates in writing and gave information about the purpose of the study. The surveys were conducted prior to exams and competitions in the schools. Spielberger’s State Anxiety Inventory was used in order to determine the level of the students’ anxiety. In addition, some questions regarding personal information were added to the inventory. MS Excel for Windows was utilised for organising the data and for drawing graphics while SPSS for Windows (version 21) was used for statistical tests and MS Word 2013 for writing purposes. Normality tests of Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test and Shapiro-Wilk test were primarily executed for statistical analysis of the obtained data. As the dataset does not have a normal distribution, the non-parametric tests of Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed. Besides, Pearson correlation analysis was applied so as to determine the degree and direction of the relations between the variables.  Results: The results showed that there is; a very weak correlation in the same direction between pre-exam and pre-competition anxiety scores of the secondary school students (r=0.147 p<0.05); very weak correlation in the same direction between pre-exam and pre-competition anxiety scores of the female students (r=0.245 P<0.05); very weak correlation in the same direction between pre-exam anxiety scores of female and male students (r=0.129 P<0.05); very weak correlation in the same direction between pre-exam and pre-competition anxiety scores of volleyball players (r=0.151 p<0.05)Conclusion: According to the results, it is observed that the difference between pre-exam and pre-competition anxiety scores of the players-students with respect to school type, gender and sport branch was not significant

Comparison of intrastromal corneal ring segment implantation only and in combination with collagen crosslinking for keratoconus

Purpose: To compare visual outcomes, corneal astigmatism, and keratometric readings in patients with progressive keratoconus undergoing intrastromal corneal ring implantation (ICRSI) only and in combination with ultraviolet A riboflavin mediated corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL). Methods: In this retrospective comparative study, there were 2 groups of keratoconus patients. Group 1 consisted of only ICRSI patients. Group 2 consisted of combined ICRSI-CXL patients. Preoperative and postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA) and best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), spherical error, cylindrical error, and mean keratometry were compared. Results: The study evaluated 166 eyes of 121 patients with a mean age of 24.74 years. The UCDVA improved from 0.24 to 0.37 in group 1 and from 0.24 to 0.42 in group 2 at the last visit. The BCDVA improved from 0.34 to 0.62 in group 1 and from 0.31 to 0.67 in group 2. Spherical error decreased from -5.05 D to -1.65 D in group 1 and from -4.82 D to -1.52 D in group 2. Cylindrical error decreased from -6.06 D to -3.47 D in group 1 and from -5.66 D to -3.20 D in group 2. Mean keratometry values decreased from 51.89 D to 47.96 D in group 1 and from 50.89 D to 46.91 D in group 2. p Value was >0.05 in group comparisons. Ring explantation due to corneal melting was applied in 3 eyes. Conclusions: Both combined ICRSI-CXL and ICRSI-only groups experienced favorable outcomes, without statistical difference in any studied effect of both treatment strategies. © 2013 Wichtig Editore

The protective effect of chrysin against oxidative stress and organ toxicity in rats exposed to propetamphos

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective efficacy of chrysin against propetamphos exposure. For this purpose, 2 to 3-month-old 40 male Wistar Albino rats were used. These animals were randomly assigned to four groups. The animals in the control group received the vehicle substance (corn oil) alone. Groups 2, 3 and 4 were administered with 50 mg/kg.bw/day of chrysin (in corn oil), 10 mg/kg.bw/day of propetamphos (in corn oil), and 10 mg/kg.bw/day of propetamphos plus 50 mg/kg.bw/day of chrysin, respectively, for 28 days. Some oxidative stress/lipid peroxidation parameters (MDA, SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, NO, glutathione) and serum biochemical parameters (triglyceride, cholesterol, creatinine, BUN, creatine phosphokinase, ALT, ALP and pseudocholinesterase) were analyzed in tissue/blood samples. Also, histopathological findings were observed. According to the data obtained, no significant alteration had occurred in these parameters and the histological findings in the group given chrysin alone, when compared to the control group. Significant unfavorable alterations were detected in the oxidative stress/lipid peroxidation/antioxidant status parameters, all biochemical parameters and histopathological findings of the group that received propetamphos alone. In the group that was given both chrysin and propetamphos, remedial/recovery alterations were observed in the oxidative stress/lipid peroxidation/antioxidant status values, serum biochemical parameters and histopathological findings, such that the values and histopathological findings showed partly similarity to those of the control group. In result, it is suggested that chrysin may provide protection against propetamphos exposure and propetamphos-induced organ damage in rats at a certain level