Ahmet Öner Kurt

Prevalence and factors affecting headache in Turkish schoolchildren.

Abstract Background : Headache is a public health problem affecting life quality negatively. The present cross‐sectional, selective (2nd–5th grades) study was conducted to determine the prevalence of recurrent headache in schoolchildren in Mersin, a city of Turkey.

A cross-sectional prevalence study of depression at various times after delivery in Mersin province in Turkey.

BACKGROUND Postpartum depression (PPD) is defined as a major depression occurring after delivery. Depression in mothers postpartum may affect the development of the infant and life quality of the mother negatively. In this study, PPD prevalence in the first 2 months after delivery was compared with the prevalence in later periods. METHODS This study was conducted in 2001 in the province of Mersin in Turkey. In-home questionnaires were given to nonpregnant married women age 15-44 years from primary healthcare centers identified through a multistage, stratified sampling method. Depression was defined as a score of 13 or higher on the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). RESULTS Data were available on 1447 women. PPD prevalence was 29.0% at 0-2 months, 36.6% at 3-6 months, 36.0% at 7-12 months, and 42.7% >or= 13 months postpartum. PPD prevalence in the 0-2-month postpartum period was lower than in the other groups (F = 4.6, p < 0.01). The prevalence increased with the time since delivery. When compared with the prevalence in months 0-2, PPD risk was 1.41 times greater in months 3-6, 1.37 times greater in months 7-12, and 1.82 times greater in months >or=13 (chi-square for trend test = 11.7, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In this Turkish population, PPD prevalence was substantial at all time points. The prevalence was at its lowest level before the second postpartum month and increased with time. The decrease in the intensive social and physical support given to the mother immediately after delivery may explain this trend.

The prevalence of chronic and episodic migraine in children and adolescents

Migraine is the most important cause of headache leading to a decrease in the quality of life in children and adolescents. The prevalence of episodic (EM) and chronic migraine (CM) increases with increasing age, which especially focused in recent years.

Awareness of emergency contraception among university students in Mersin, Turkey

Aim:  The aim of this study is to determine the degree of knowledge, behavior and attitude of university students in Mersin towards emergency contraception (EC).

Abuse of working children and influencing factors, Turkey

OBJECTIVE The study was planned as the research of the kind/kinds of abuse and the factors influencing the abuse that the children under 18 who are working full-time at a workplace and enrolled in a vocational training center subjected to. METHOD Questionnaires were administered to 595 apprentices who were attending a vocational training center. RESULTS It was determined that totally 62.5% of the apprentices are subjected to abuse at their workplaces -21.8% physical, 53.6% emotional and 25.2% sexual-, 100% of them are subjected to physical neglect, and 28.7% of them are subjected to emotional neglect. While being subjected to abuse in the family increases all kinds of abuse; divorced parents, being male, low wage of the apprentice increase the possibility of the physical abuse at a work place; the low family income and the extended working time of the apprentice increase the possibility of sexual abuse. Working conditions and workplace characteristics, evaluated within the context of physical neglect are bad in all apprentices. In all kinds of abuse, employer abuse is higher than other people at work. CONCLUSION In spite of their being legally protected in theory, the children who are being employed with labor contracts can not benefit from this protection practically at their workplaces. It is seen that most apprentices are subjected to abuse and neglect. Employment of the children is an area which is open to exploitation. It is necessary to prevent the abuse of working children and workplaces should be constantly inspected. The relation between domestic abuse and workplace abuse demonstrates that families occupy the key point in the vicious circle of violence.

The sociodemographic factors related with the adolescent pregnancy

Abstract Objective The adolescent pregnancy is one of the most important problems in the 21st century. The adolescent pregnancies pose more health risks to both mothers and babies when compared with the adult pregnancies. Of all the births in the world, 11% are given by the adolescents. The aim of the study was to determine the sociodemographic factors concerning with the adolescent pregnancy. Methods This study was conducted at 18 primary health care centers in Mersin, Turkey. The adolescent group was comprised of pregnant women younger than 19 years, the adult group was comprised of pregnants aged between 20–29 years. The questionnaire was conducted with face-to-face interviews. Results Respondents included 107 pregnant adolescents and 110 pregnant adults. The median age of adolescent group and adult group was 18 and 26 years, respectively. About 61.7% of the pregnant adolescents and 94.5% of the pregnant adults were officially married. In the adolescent group, the family frequency without social security was more than that in the adult group. In the adult group, the frequency of opposing the adolescent pregnancy for their families was more than that in the adolescent group. The adolescent pregnancy among sisters and friends of the adolescent pregnants was more frequent compared with that in the adult group. Conclusions The family frequency without social security was more in the adolescent group. This situation is certain to cause more problems for the adolescents in benefiting from the health care services. We are absolutely think that efforts should be made so as to improve the society in terms of social and cultural aspects.

Assessment of Environmental Attitudes and Risk Perceptions among University Students in Mersin, Turkey

Background Environmental destruction is one of the most important problems in this century. Objective The aim of the study was to determine the environmental attitudes and perceived risks associated with environmental factors of the students. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in 7 faculties of Mersin University. The research data were collected using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, the “Environmental Attitudes Scale,” and the “Environmental Risk Perception Scale.” 774 students who filled out questionnaires were evaluated. Results The sample included 55.8% females. Environmental Attitudes Scale mean scores of students were identified as 81.1 ± 11.3. The highest perceived risk was release of radioactive materials associated with nuclear power generation. The environmental attitudes and risk perception scores were higher in Health Sciences than in the other faculties. Females were more positive towards the environment and had higher risk perceptions than the men. There is a negative correlation between age and resource depletion risk and global environmental risk score. Conclusion Students had a positive attitude to the environment and had moderate-level risk perception about the environment. Environmental awareness of students, especially those studying in the Social Sciences, should be increased. The environmental education curriculum should be revised throughout all the courses.

An assessment of health and safety practices for employees at health care institutions within the city of Mersin

Objective: The aim of this research was to assess employee health and safety practices, in public and private healthcare institutions providing services in the city of Mersin. Methods: The data of this descriptive study was collected through questionnaires conducted in September 2015. Thirty-four healthcare institutions in total were included for this work. These institutions have been providing second and third tier health services for the city center, as well as the surrounding districts of Mersin. Results: When assessed in terms of the number of employees in occupational health and work safety services, only 10.1% of health workers were found to have satisfactory access to occupational physicians, whereas only 0.8% received enough support from occupational health and safety experts. When the access to both the occupational physicians and the occupational health and safety experts were evaluated together, only 0.8% of the health workers were found to be able to receive adequate contact time. In 2014, 52.9% of the employees were examined periodically and 94.1% of the institutions had established risk assessments. Conclusion: In Mersin, only 1% of the health workers are provided with occupational health and work safety services for a sufficient period of time by occupational physicians and occupational health and safety experts. This has been highlighted as a major shortcoming.

Seroprevalance of rickettsioses among healthy individuals in Mersin province, Turkey

Objective: Studies relevant to rikettsial biology, its pathogenesis and diagnosis have increase due to the increase of rickettsioses incidents in the world, particularly over the the past two decades. We investigated the seroprevalence of the ricketsia disease in the Mersin province of Turkey. Methods: This study included 450 healthy individuals aged 5 years and over, who had attended family health centers in Mersin city center. Serum samples collected during November 2011 were evaluated. Rickettsia antibody assays were used indirect immunofluorescenc techniques. Data were analyzed using a descriptive analysis, the Chi-Square Test and the Student T Test for comparison of variables. Results: The prevelance of ricketsia positivity was determined as 9.8%. The seropositivities were higher in males, in the unemployed, in the occupational risk groups, in people who live in rural regions, in people who work in gardens/farms, in picnickers, in countryside walkers, in hunters, in owners of livestock, in people with no history of rash diseases. When the relationship of spotted fever group (SFG) seropositivity the risk factors was investigated, there was no statistical significance. Conclusion: According to our study rickettsial disease is detected in Mersin and it was seen that the rickettsiosis disease need for more comprehensive studies to show the prevalence in all of Turkey.

Occupational Risk Factors among Primary Health Care Workers in Mersin, Turkey

ABS TRACT Objective: The current study aims to identify the occupational health risks faced by primary health care workers in Mersin city center. Material and Methods: Data were collected between June-July 2009. The target population of this cross-sectional study was 807 health workers serving in the primary health care centers in Mersin city center and related villages. No sampling was carried out; this study aimed to reach all of the health care centers and health care workers in the city center and surroundings. The consent of the ethics committee and the consent of the participants were obtained after informing them about the study. Six hundred sixty six (82.5%) of the workers were reached and agreed to participate in this survey. The workers filled out the forms by themselves. The health risks faced by the health workers within the past year were accepted as the dependent variables. It was compared with independent variables such as the workplace risks, location of the workplace in the urban or suburban regions, occupation group, and sex. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data while Chi-square test was employed to compare categorical variables. Results: 40.7% of the health care workers were working as midwifes and 73.0% were females; 87.2% of them had experienced at least one health risk within the past year. The most frequent health risks faced by the health workers were physical-ergonomic (78.8%), biological (56.8%), psychological (54.4%) and chemical (18.0%) risks. Ninety one percent of them believed that their life was not in safe in the workplace. The rate of physical-ergonomic risks were higher in doctors, in midwifes, and in non-married participants, the biological risks were higher in female health care workers, doctors, in non-married workers; the psychological risks were in non-married participants while the chemical risks were higher for those working in suburban areas. All of the risks were at a higher level among those participants who thought that their workplace was not safe. It was also understood that experiencing psychological risks decreased despite the increase in work period. Conclusion: Primary health care workers face many health risks in the workplace.