Funda Özdemir

Dysmenorrhea Prevalence among Adolescents in Eastern Turkey: Its Effects on School Performance and Relationships with Family and Friends

STUDY OBJECTIVEnTo evaluate the effect of menstrual pain duration and severity on education performance and attitudes towards family and friends among Turkish female adolescents.nnnDESIGNnDescriptive study.nnnSETTINGn26 high schools located in Erzurum, Northeastern Turkey.nnnPARTICIPANTSnA total of 1951 single female adolescents, aged 13 to 18 years, were selected for this study.nnnMAIN OUTCOME MEASURESnThe effect of dysmenorrhea on female adolescents relationships with families and friends and school performance.nnnRESULTSnThe prevalence of dysmenorrhea was high among female adolescents (68.1-72.2%). Pain mostly lasted for one to three days (56.6%), followed by less than 1 day (23.5%) and more than 4 days (14.9%), respectively. Several symptoms were observed including sweating, appetite loss, headache, distraction, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, diarrhoea, and fainting. School performance was negatively affected by dysmenorrhea. The main visible adverse effects were an inability to focus on the courses, absenteeism from school, and missing exams. One third of the subjects had problems with their families, and they reflected their problems onto family members. This situation also negatively affected their relationships with friends. Statistically significant correlations were observed between pain duration and severity, and school performance (P < 0.0001), relationships with their families (P < 0.001) and friends (P < 0.0001).nnnCONCLUSIONSnFindings of this research suggested that dysmenorrhea prevalence was high among female adolescents. The duration and intensity of pain adversely affected school and social attitudes towards their families and friends.

Evaluation of Menstrual Pain Management Approaches by Northeastern Anatolian Adolescents

We evaluated approaches taken by Northeastern Turkish adolescents to cope with menstrual pain. The questionnaire was prepared according to the facial pain rating scale and applied to 1,408 female high school students (16.05 +/- 1.05 years of age). We investigated the characteristics of dysmenorrhea in adolescents, dysmenorrhea management strategies used by adolescents, and use of medication. We evaluated the relationships among pain duration, severity, and duration of dysmenorrhea experience using the chi-squared test. Dysmenorrhea was considered to be painful menstruation during the past three cycles and was experienced by 81.7% of subjects. It mostly occurred during the past 1-3 years (65.6%). Pain was mostly initiated a day before (38.8%) or at the beginning of (45.8%) menstrual flow and lasted for 1-3 days. It was felt in multiple locations but most commonly in the lower abdomen and lumbar region. Major symptoms associated with dysmenorrhea were sweating, low appetite, headache, distraction, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, as well as varying degrees of pain severity. Approaches taken to deal with dysmenorrhea were: consulting a health professional (8.9%), medication (46.1%), nonmedicinal activities, and other empirical strategies (24.4%). Medication was recommended mostly by mothers (39.0%) and was taken when pain became unbearable (65.5%). More than one-third of the subjects did not know which drug they took. Major nonpharmacologic measures were: heating pad use (36.5%), sleeping (31.0%), walking (11.3%), and massaging (11.0%). Seeing a physician (p < .001), taking medication (p < .001), and applying empirical strategies to prevent dysmenorrhea (p < .01) were associated with prolonged dysmenorrhea. Medication was associated with shortening pain duration during one menstrual cycle. Except for empirical strategies to prevent dysmenorrhea, all other methods used to prevent dysmenorrhea were related to pain duration and severity. Adolescents should be encouraged to consult a physician and should be prescribed medication in addition to other measures to alleviate menstrual pain and shorten its duration. Moreover, school curriculum should be redesigned to address proper management strategies for adolescent problems. School nurses can also provide consultation services and arrange informative seminars to increase public awareness of this issue.

Barriers of research utilization from the perspective of nurses in Eastern Turkey

OBJECTIVESnThis study was performed to determine the barriers to the implementation of nursing research findings, as perceived by the nurses working in the Eastern Anatolian Region.nnnMETHODSnThe study was performed in the Eastern Anatolian Region between April and July 2009. A cross-sectional design was used in this study. Thirteen hospitals were randomly selected using a cluster sampling technique, encompassing general hospitals in all cities of this region. A total of 1094 nurses who agreed to participate in the study were included. The data was collected with a questionnaire and Barriers Scale. Average, percentage distribution, and parametric statistical tests were used in data analyses.nnnCONCLUSIONnAccording to the Barriers Scale, it was determined that the most important impediment perceived by the nurses was insufficient time on the job to implement new ideas. The average point of overall scale was found to be 68.38 ± 14.66.

Social Support and Quality of Life in Turkish Patients with Gynecologic Cancer

The aim of this study was to determine the level of social support and quality of life in Turkish patients with gynecologic cancer using a cross-sectional survey design. A total of 108 patients admitted to the gynecologic oncology clinic at a university hospital from September 2011 to January 2012 were included. Data were collected using patient information forms, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and The Quality of Life-Cancer Survivors Instrument (QOL-CS). Average age was 54.5±10.8 years and it was determined that 65.7% of patients had ovarian cancer and 19.4% had cervical cancer. The total QOL-CS mean score was 5.59±1.10. Average score of total MSPSS was found to be 69.7±14.64. Comparing socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients and average scores of QOL-CS and MSPSS, it was found that there was not a statisticaly significant corelation (p>0.05). Statistically significant relation was found between the average scores of QOL-CS and MSPSS. These results showed that quality of life was moderate and perceived social support was high in Turkish patients with gynecologic cancer.

Determination of the Motherly Reactions to Adolescents' Experience of Menarche

OBJECTIVESnThe study was conducted to identify mothers reaction to adolescent girls experience of menarche.nnnMETHODSnThis retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in the Nursing School and Erzurum Health School of Atatürk University in Erzurum, Turkey, in October 2008. The study comprised 191 first-year students. The data were collected via a questionnaire prepared by the researchers. The data were evaluated using SPSS software, using percentage, arithmetical average, and standard deviation.nnnRESULTSnThe average age of the students was 18.82 +/- 1.1 years. A total of 92.1% of students had a democratic family structure. It was also determined that the age of the mother when the student experienced menarche was generally 30-39 years (71.7%). For 48.2 % of the students, menarche occurred at 12-13 years of age; 52.9% of them found menarche a normal event and 69.1% of them first reported their experience of menarche to their mothers. Mothers reactions to their daughters experience of menarche largely consisted of giving information about what to do in this period.nnnCONCLUSIONSnIt was determined in this study that the extent to which mothers showed reactions of happiness to their daughters experience of menarche is rather low, but the rate of mothers telling their daughters what to do in this period was quite high.

Hastaların hemşirelik bakımından memnuniyet düzeyleri

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine satisfaction levels of inpatients in terms of nursing and affecting factors. Material and Method: This descriptive study was conducted in the Kars State Hospital between March 2014 and May 20014. While population of the study consisted of 280 inpatients who received treatment between specified dates in the Kars State Hospital, sample group of the study consisted of 265 patients who agreed to participate in the study. Questionnaire for determining descriptive characteristics of the patients and Scale of Patient Perception of Hospital Experience With Nursing for determining satisfaction status in terms of nursing were used to collect the data. Statistical evaluation of the data was conducted by using SPSS 15 and performing percentage, mean, Student t-test, and ANOVA. Results: Total mean score obtained by patients from Scale of Patient Perception of Hospital Experience With Nursing was 35.21±5.33 and satisfaction levels of patients in terms of nursing were low. Conclusion: Age, gender, marital status, income status, and educational status, which are descriptive characteristics of the patients, formed a statistically significant difference on satisfaction levels of patients in terms of nursing. Patients having a chronic disease and care giver had effective satisfaction levels in terms of nursing