Birgül Özçırpıcı

Patterns of active and passive smoking, and associated factors, in the South-east Anatolian Project (SEAP) region in Turkey

BackgroundSmoking is an important health threat in Turkey. This study aimed to determine the frequency of and main factors associated with smoking in persons of 15 years and over, and the frequency of passive smoking in homes in the South-east Anatolian Project (SEAP) Region in Turkey.MethodsA cross sectional design was employed. The sample waschosen by the State Institute of Statistics using a stratified cluster probability sampling method. 1126 houses representing the SEAP Region were visited.Questionnaires about tobacco smoking and related factors were applied to 2166 women and 1906 men (of 15 years old and above) in their homes. Face-to-face interview methods were employed. Participants were classified as current, ex, and non-smokers. The presence of a regular daily smoker in a house was used as an indication of passive smoking. The chi-square andlogistic regressionanalysis methods were used for the statistical analysis.ResultsThe prevalence of smoking, in those of 15 years and over, was 11.8% in women and 49.7% in men. The prevalence of current smokers was higher in urban (34.5 %) than in rural (22.8 %) regions. The mean of total cigarette consumption was 6.5 packs/year in women and 17.9 packs/year in men. There was at least one current smoker in 70.1% of the houses.ConclusionSmoking is a serious problem in the South-eastern Anatolian Region. Male gender, middle age, a high level of education and urban residency were most strongly associated with smoking.

Obesity prevalence in gaziantep, Turkey.

Background: Obesity is associated with reduced quality of life, development of serious chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, increased medical care costs, and premature death. Environmental effects, especially feeding habits may cause hyperinsulinemia and obesity. A Healthy People 2010 objective is to reduce the proportion of adults who are obese to 15%. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1647 persons in a sample representing Gaziantep, Turkey. Over the selected 329 houses, 310 houses were reached (94.2%) and data about 1315 related persons was collected. The body mass index (BMI) shows the relationship between the weight and the height of people, calculated by the ratio of mass by kg over the square value of height measure. In statistical analyses chi-square, students t-test and logistic regression analysis were used. Results: The mean BMI increased with time for both sex, whereas decreased for 60+ age group. The fastest increase for both sex was seen while transition from 18 year to 19-29 age groups occurred. Another increase in women was in 30-39 age group; BMI=25.08±4.39 in 19-29 ages whilst BMI=29.02±5.79 in 30-39 ages. The increases in both sex in other age groups were not as much as in this group. Conclusion: Obesity is not only a problem in the Gaziantep but is also a major health concern in Europe and other regions of the world. As an accepted method against obesity, life-style changes should be put into use from childhood supported in school and family life.

Association between household conditions and diarrheal diseases among children in Turkey : A cohort study

Background : This aim of the present study was to estimate the frequency of diarrheal diseases among children as well as investigating the relationship between diarrheal diseases and household conditions and other factors.

Elevated red cell distribution width and inflammation in printing workers

Background The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of exposure to chemical compounds on systemic biochemical inflammatory markers in printing industry workers. Material/Methods Fifty-eight printing workers from 19 different small- and medium-sized enterprises in the printing sector were investigated. For comparison, 80 healthy workers not subjected to workplace chemicals served as control subjects. Results No significant differences were observed between the printing workers and control subjects with respect to age, BMI, waist circumference/hip circumference ratio, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Printing workers had significantly higher serum TNF-alpha levels (11.02±5.34 vs. 9.26±3.87 pg/ml, p=0.039), plasma fibrinogen levels (1.74±0.49 vs. 1.38±0.5 mg/dl, p=0.012), and red blood cell distribution width (RDW-SD) (49.77±3.09 vs. 47.3±2.88 p<0.01) compared to control subjects. Conclusions Elevation of RDW, serum TNF-alpha, and plasma fibrinogen levels in printing workers may be due to systemic toxic effects of chemical compounds used in this sector. TNF-alpha is an inflammatory cytokine that has a wide spectrum of biological activities, and fibrinogen plays an important role in pathological processes. Some compounds may be carcinogenic or mutagenic. Better designed workplaces and working conditions will help to reduce the hazardous effects of chemical compounds.

The effects of family planning education provided to different gender groups

Objective To determine whether women or men should be preferred as the target group of the family planning education.

One-year incidence of occupational accidents among agricultural workers in Oguzeli, Turkey

Employment and working conditions have powerful effects on health equity. Agriculture is one of the most hazardous sectors, with high rates of accidental death, injury and work-related illnesses; inadequate living and housing conditions; basic sanitation deficiencies,;lack of access to adequate and balanced nutrition; exposure to chemicals such as pesticides, and to extreme heat and cold; and lack of access to services. There is, however, still a lack of knowledge about accidents in agriculture.

Attitudes towards family planning in the Southeast Anatolian Project (SEAP) region of Turkey

Objective To determine attitudes towards family size and last pregnancies in order to improve family planning services in the Southeast Anatolian Project (SEAP) region. Methods A questionnaire survey in the nine SEAP regional provinces was carried out under the auspices of the ‘SEAP Public Health Project’ from 2001 to 2002. The participants comprised 1756 women and 661 men from 1126 households. Results For men and women aged 15 years and over the median ideal number of children was three. The rate of unintended last pregnancies (43.1%) in the present study was very high compared to the national average of 18.8%. Some 30.1% of the last pregnancies were unwanted by either partner. Conclusions The number of pregnancies and children in this region is approximately twice as high as the ideal number. Families in the region are having more children than they want. Basic education must be given to women, particularly non-Turkish speakers, to improve their knowledge and use of family planning. Family planning education for men in rural areas also needs special attention.