Ayla Bayik Temel

Barriers to Research Utilization Scale: psychometric properties of the Turkish version

AIM This paper is report of a study designed to assess the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Barriers to Research Utilization Scale. BACKGROUND The original Barriers to Research Utilization Scale was developed by Funk et al. in the United States of America. Many researchers in various countries have used this scale to identify barriers to research utilization. METHODS A methodological study was carried out at four hospitals. The sample consisted of 300 nurses. Data were collected in 2005 using a socio-demographic form (12 questions) and the Turkish version of the Barriers to Research Utilization Scale. A Likert-type scale composed of four sub-factors and 29 items was used. Means and standard deviations were calculated for interval level data. A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. FINDINGS Language equivalence and content validity were assessed by eight experts. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the Turkish version was made up of four subscales. Internal consistency reliability coefficient was 0.92 for the total scale and ranged from 0.73 to 0.80 for the subscales. Total-item correlation coefficients ranged from 0.37 to 0.60. CONCLUSION The Turkish version of the scale is similar in structure to the original English language scale.

Visual inspection with acetic acid in cervical cancer screening.

Background: Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is an attractive screening method for early-phase cervical cancer in underdeveloped countries. Objective: This study addressed the validity of VIA in cervical cancer screening by comparing results with colposcopy findings. Methods: Of 350 women screened at the Ege University clinic using the Papanicolaou test, colposcopy and VIA were used additionally to screen 50 of these women. Colposcopy, VIA, and Papanicolaou test results were compared. A sociodemographic data questionnaire and a VIA questionnaire were used. Results: When VIA findings were compared with Papanicolaou test findings, the sensitivity of VIA was 82.14%, specificity was 50.00%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 67.64%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was 68.75%. When the method of VIA was compared with colposcopy, VIA had a sensitivity of 85.29%, specificity of 68.75%, PPV of 85.29%, and NPV of 68.75%. Conclusions: In the screening of cervical cancer, the sensitivity of VIA was high, whereas the corresponding specificity was only at an acceptable level. The PPV and NPV of VIA were found to be high. In other words, the validity of VIA during early-phase screening is high in terms of sensitivity and acceptable for specificity and predictive values. Implications for Practice: Visual inspection with acetic acid is an acceptable screening method for cervical cancer and seems to be an efficient and cost-effective method to detect high-level dysplasia.

Bibliometric review of references of nursing research papers during the decade 1994–2003 in Turkey

AIM To identify important information on the state of academic nursing and the characteristics of academic nursing publications in Turkey. METHODS The study consists of retrospective bibliometric research. The selected sample of the research consisted of six Turkish nursing journals published between 1994-2003 from a total population of ten journals. Seventy-four issues of these six journals were included and 825 research papers were analysed. A series of classic bibliometric indexes were used. RESULTS The average number of references per scientific paper is 16.19 [+/-standard deviation (SD) 8.56]. The changes in the number of references taken from journals over time do not show strong fluctuations but were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The average number of references per paper is 17.71 (+/-SD 8.09) for research papers, while it is 14.50 (+/-SD 8.76) for reviews. The Prices index is 23.8% and the insularity index is 31.8%. CONCLUSIONS The number of references used for papers has been increasing in recent years. The use of journals within references is high while the use of books is low. The Prices index tendency is decreasing. The high insularity index observed in the articles may be considered as a negative indicator of nursing journals in Turkey.

Effectiveness of premarital sexual counselling program on sexual satisfaction of recently married couples

BACKGROUND Through its ability to address and remove fear and misunderstanding and the resulting sexual reluctance and related problems, pre-marital sexual education and counselling can contribute to sexual satisfaction. METHODS This quasi-experimental research conducted in a pre-test-post-test control group design aimed to examine the effectiveness of nursing interventions on a premarital counselling program and its impacts on the sexual satisfaction of couples (36 couples in the experimental group and 35 couples in the control group). RESULTS Although no difference was detected between the experimental and control groups in terms of the level of knowledge on pre-test point averages, the difference between them in terms of post-test knowledge gain averages was statistically significant. Approval rates for sexual myths in the pre-test were 27.87% in the experimental group and 37.03% in the control group; in the post-test they were 23.51% and 36.66% respectively. In the experimental group, 80.6% of the women and 63.9% of the men, and in the control group, 77.1% of the women and 71.4% of the men were established as having a problem-free sexual life. CONCLUSIONS It was also discovered that levels of sexual satisfaction were shown to be higher among women and men in the experimental group who had attended premarital sexual counselling education than the women and men in the control group. A recommendation to encourage engaged couples to attend premarital sexual counselling is made based on the findings. It is thought that an intervention plan prepared within the framework of the Information, Motivation, Behavioural Skills theoretical model will help nurses guide recently-married couples to greater sexual satisfaction.

The effect of the support program on the resilience of female family caregivers of stroke patients: Randomized controlled trial

AIM The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of a support program on the resilience of female family caregivers of stroke patients. METHODS This is a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted 70 female family caregivers (34 experimental, 36 control group). Data were collected three times (pretest-posttest, follow-up test). Data were collected using the demographical data form, the Family Index of Regenerativity and Adaptation-General. RESULTS A significant difference was determined between the experimental and control groups follow-up test scores for relative and friend support, social support and family-coping coherence. A significant difference was determined between the experimental groups mean pretest, posttest and follow-up test scores in terms of family strain, relative and friend support, social support, family coping-coherence, family hardiness and family distress. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the Support Program contributes to the improvement of the components of resilience of family caregivers of stroke patients.

The Relationship between quality of life and social support in homosexuals living in Izmir, Turkey

It has been well documented that quality of life (QL), an indicator of people’s subjective sense of well-being, is not evenly distributed among people in society. This descriptive study investigated the levels of social support and quality of life in homosexuals living in the city of Izmir in Turkey and the factors affecting the levels of their quality of life and social support, and to determine the relationship between their quality of life and the social support they received. Seventy-two individuals were included in the study by network/ snowball sampling method. The World Health Organization Brief Quality of Life Assessment Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support scale (MSPSS) and socio-demographic questionnaire were used in the research. All the individuals involved were male. According to the Turkish Penal Code, same-sex relations among people over 18 are not considered a crime although secret prostitution is prohibited. Little research has been carried out on homosexuality in Turkey. According to studies in Turkey, attitudes towards gay men and lesbians are usually negative. Yuzgun argued that homosexuals in Turkey are regularly exposed to police terror. One of the major causes of negative attitude is religious beliefs. Of the participants, 60.3% were transsexual and 39.7% were homosexual and their mean age was 30.5 ± 8.9 (16-55). The quality of life scores of homosexuals were lower than were those of heterosexuals, as has been found in other studies. Transsexuals’ and homosexuals’ mean scores for overall quality of life and social support were determined as 53.66 ± 8.29 (33.05-73.43) and 51.68 ± 27.06 (12-154) respectively. The study findings revealed that homosexuals’ scores for perceived social support and quality of life were worse than those of other people and transsexuals’ scores for quality of life, psychological health and social support subscales were better than those of homosexuals (p<0.05). Among the reasons why transsexuals have better quality of life domain scores are that they are perceived by the society as females due to their physical appearance, and that they have overcome the sexual identity problem and thus they see themselves as women. The most important feature designating the quality of life is the parents’ education level (p<0.05). This result can be interpreted to suggest that families with higher education can communicate with their children better and try to understand them more. In addition, the fact that those who become aware of their sexual identity and acknowledge it at an early age, and thus are accepted by their families more easily, can be considered another factor affecting the high scores for the family subscale. Those whose parents’ education was higher than primary school education (n=39; 53.4%), who did not grow up in fragmented families (n=55;75.3%) or who acknowledged their sexual identities after puberty (n= 55; 75.3% ) achieved higher scores for the friends subscale. Not having experienced any sexual assault (n= 16; 21.9%), being aware of the groups dealing with their problems (n=38; 52.1%), not smoking (n=12; 16.4%) and not using alcohol (n=10; 13.7%) or any illicit substance (n=30;41.1%) are among the other variables affecting their quality of life positively. The relationship between social support and the quality of life was determined by the fact that the quality of life increased as social support increased (r=0.328, p=0.005). The data in the literature indicate that social support is important for homosexuals, because the more social support they have the fewer psychological, physical and emotional health problems they experience, but they cannot get enough social support from their families. It is reported that homosexuals who do not get enough social support from their families seek more support from their friends, and that the support from friends affects their psychosocial life positively, as indicated in our study. The study group stated that they mostly shared their problems with their homosexual friends (36.9%), and that the main problem they experienced was being despised because of their sexual identities (36.9%). Struggling against similar problems arising from social pressure, and sharing the same fate, are among the other factors which strengthen friendship. Previous research has suggested that if families of gays and lesbians do not provide the support they need, they receive it from their partners and friends. As found in our study, several other studies in the literature have found that social support improves homosexuals’ quality of life and encourages them to behave positively. Studies also show that social support influences health behaviours. But studies conducted on homosexuals in our society only deal with disease. There is a need to perform more social studies and research to determine the status and needs of homosexuals. It would be appropriate to develop individual training programs and national social service programs in order to improve the social support homosexuals receive and thus their quality of life.

The effect of an eye health promotion program on the health protective behaviors of primary school students

INTRODUCTION: Undiagnosed and uncorrected refractive errors in childhood can negatively affect the development of vision and cause students to have low academic success and even quit school before graduation. This study aims to determine the effects of an eye health promotion program on the health protective behaviors of primary school students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This experimental study using a pretest-posttest design with a control group was conducted in three public primary schools in Aydın, a city in the Western Anatolia Region of Turkey, between April and November 2014. The eye health promotion program was provided by the researchers to the experimental Group 2 days in 4 weeks. The data were analyzed using the t-test, Chi-square analysis, the Mann–Whitney U-test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the McNemar test. RESULTS: The average age of the students was identified as 9.0 ± 3.64 years. The students wearing glasses all in the experimental group and 53.3% in the control group were found to always wear their glasses after the education program was completed (P < 0.05). These students, 97.9% in the experimental group and 58.1% in the control group underwent eye examinations from an ophthalmologist (P < 0.05). The eye health protective behaviors of the experimental group were found to have positively changed in the final follow-up, compared to the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The eye health promotion program was found to be effective in improving eye health protective behaviors within the experimental group.

Behavioural soothing interventions used for reducing crying in infants: a systematic review

ABSTRACT The aim of this review is to identify the behavioural soothing interventions (BSIs) used for reducing infant crying and to determine their effect. Studies had to describe an experimental study addressing infant crying and BSIs in the first six months after birth. Searches were performed in Web of Science, Pubmed, Science Direct, EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, and COCHRANE. It was determined from the studies that massage, spinal manipulative therapy, and occipito-sacral decompression have a positive effect on the soothing of crying behaviour in infants. It was determined that BSIs are most effective when applied before the 8th week and that certain BSIs are effective in reducing the crying duration. It was revealed that there is a need for a standard data collection tool for the determination of the crying duration. Professionals interested in child health should be aware of irregularities in the crying of infants in the early period.ABSTRACTThe aim of this review is to identify the behavioural soothing interventions (BSIs) used for reducing infant crying and to determine their effect. Studies had to describe an experimental st...

A Nurse-Led School-Based Sun Protection Programme in Turkey

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a nurse-led school-based sun protection programme in Turkey. METHODS A randomized controlled trial was performed at two public schools between February and October 2014. Children with written consent from their parents were screened by nurses for skin type, and 80 children at moderate to high risk for skin cancer were included in the study. The sample was randomized by age, gender and skin type. Stratified and block randomizations were used. The participants were separated into an intervention group (n=40) and control group (n=40). Data were collected using a personal information form and two scales for sun protection behaviour and self-efficacy. RESULTS In the intervention group, the pretest mean score for sun protection behaviour was 19.25±5.44 and increased significantly in the posttest assessment (33.05±4.23, p<0.001). Self-efficacy scores also increased significantly after the intervention (pretest 20.50±6.68, post-test 35.85±4.70, p<0.001). However, there were no significant increases in mean sun protection behaviour or self-efficacy scores in the control group (p>0.05). CONCLUSION A nurse-led school-based sun protection programme effectively promoted childrens self-efficacy and sun protection behaviour.

Effect of structured training programme on the knowledge and behaviors of breast and cervical cancer screening among the female teachers in Turkey

BackgroundBreast cancer and cervical cancer are the most common cancers among women in the world. Many studies on the early detection of cancer have been conducted among women worldwide, but few studies have been performed in the world on female teachers regarding breast self-examination (BSE), mammography (MMG) and Pap smear test (PST). As teachers interact with students, this could play an important role in health education and in developing healthy behavior such as cancer screening. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a structured teaching program on breast and cervical cancer screening on the knowledge and practice of teachers. The other objective was to encourage teachers to transfer this knowledge to the women who attended their courses.MethodsSemi –experimental designs with pre-intervention, post-intervention and six month follow-up tests were used in this study. The data were collected from 37 volunteer teachers and their 64 volunteer students with a sociodemographic form, a questionnaire form for breast and cervical cancer, and a Transtheoretical Model of behavior change for BSE, MMG and PST. Behavior of the teachers related to BSE, MMG, PST was evaluated in pre-training and in the first, third and sixth months post-training, and the behavior of the students was evaluated with point follow-up in the sixth month.ResultsIn post-training, it was determined that the teachers’ knowledge of breast cancer increased from 11.70 ± 2.80 to 14.81 ± 3.22 and their knowledge of cervical cancer increased from 7.75 ± 5.60 to 17.68 ± 3.79. For BSE behavior, 47.8% of teachers were in the action and maintenance stage in pre-training, but this ratio was 81.1% in the sixth month post-training. For MMG behavior, all of the teachers were in the precontemplation stage in pre-training, and 38.9% of them were in the action and maintenance stage in the sixth month post-training. For PST, while 24.3% were in the action and maintenance stage in pre-training, this ratio was 45.9% in the sixth month post-training.ConclusionIt was determined that the behavior change for BSE, MMG, PST was positive. Similarly, knowledge transfer from teachers to students was also effective.