Hakan Baydur

Onychomycosis in primary school children: association with socioeconomic conditions.

Onychomycosis in childhood is reported to be unusual. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of onychomycosis in primary school children and to make comparison between different socioeconomic status in the rural and urban areas of the city. Hand and foot nails of 23235 children aged 7–14 were examined. Onychomycosis was suspected and nail scrapings for mycological examination were taken in 116 of them. Hyphae or spores were seen in 41 (0.18%) by direct microscopic examination, and mycological cultures were positive in 24 (0.1%) of them. Toenails were affected in all of the fungal culture positive cases. Trichosporon spp, Trichophyton rubrum, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata grew in 11, 6, 5 and 2 of the cultures repectively. Onychomycosis prevalence was significantly higher in the children living in the rural areas (p = 0.016) [Odds ratio = 3.43 (%95 CI 1.11

Decomposing socioeconomic inequalities in self assessed health in Turkey

IntroductionThis study aimed to measure socioeconomic inequalities in Self Assessed Health (SAH) and evaluate the determinants of such inequalities in terms of their contributions amongst the Turkish population.MethodsWe used data from the Turkish part of World Health Survey 2003 with 10,287 respondents over 18 years old. Concentration index (CI) of SAH was calculated as a measure of socioeconomic inequalities in health, and contributions of each determinant to inequality were evaluated using a decomposition method.ResultsIn total 952 participants (9.3%) rated their health status as either bad or very bad. The CI for SAH was −0.15, suggesting that suboptimal SAH was reported more by those categorised as poor. The multiple logistic regression results indicated that having secondary, primary or less than primary school education, not being married and being in the lowest wealth quintile, significantly increased the risk of having poor SAH. The largest contributions to inequality were attributed to education level (70.7%), household economic status (9.7%) and geographical area lived in (8.4%).ConclusionThe findings indicate that socioeconomic inequalities measured by SAH are apparent amongst the Turkish population. Education and household wealth were the greatest contributing factors to SAH inequality. These inequalities need to be explicitly addressed and vulnerable subgroups should be targeted to reduce the socioeconomic disparities.

High prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in a Western urban Turkish population: a community-based study.

OBJECTIVE Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the largest cause of morbidity and mortality in Turkey and in the World. Heart of Balçova Project is a community- based health promotion project that aims to reduce CVD incidence and prevalence through risk factor modification in the individual and population level. This paper presents results of the baseline survey that aimed to define CVD risk factors and risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) in the Balçova population. METHODS The study population included 36,187 people over 30 years of age residing in Balçova in 2007. Individuals were interviewed at their homes. Anthropometrics and blood pressure were measured and in total 12914 fasting blood samples were collected for lipid and glucose analyses. CHD risk was estimated using Framingham risk equation. Students t test, Chi-square for trend test and ANOVA were used to compare mean levels and percentages of risk factors between age groups and gender. RESULTS In total 5552 men and 10528 women participated in the study. Smoking prevalence was 38.6% in men and 26.8% in women. The prevalence of obesity was 29.4% among men and 44.2% among women and obesity prevalence increased until the age group 75 years old. While 14.6% of men and 12.6% of women had diabetes, 39.8% of men and 41.8% of women had hypertension. The prevalence of high total cholesterol was 56.0% in men and 50.6% in women. Men had a higher risk of developing CHD compared to women in the following 10 years (13.4% vs 2.5%). CONCLUSION The prevalence of preventable risk factors for CHD is very high in Balçova population. Community-based interventions should be planned and implemented targeting both the high-risk individuals and whole population.

EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATORY ERGONOMIC INTERVENTION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF UPPER EXTREMITY MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AND DISABILITY IN OFFICE EMPLOYEES USING A COMPUTER

To evaluate the participatory ergonomic method on the development of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and disability in office employees.

A Prospective, Multicenter Study to Compare the Effect of Using a Disposable, High-fluid Capacity Underpad Versus Nonpermeable Disposable and Reusable Containment Products on Incontinence-associated Dermatitis Rates Among Skilled Nursing Facility Residents

A stoma affects personality, self-esteem, and body image, inevitably impacting lifestyle and quality of life (QOL). A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between May 1, 2015 and May 1, 2016 to evaluate the effect of a stoma on sexual function and QOL among patients receiving care in a general surgery clinic of a university hospital in the western region of Turkey.Eligibility requirements included patients willing to participate, >18 years of age, with a colostomy for at least 4 months, who were married and/or with a sexual partner and in otherwise good physical and mental health with no rectal nerve damage or receiving radio- or chemotherapy. Data were collected during face-to-face interviews. Demographic variables (age, gender, body mass index [BMI], educational status, income level); and clinical information (duration of the precipitating disease, and stoma duration, cause, and type) were collected, and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) measure; the Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF); and a Stoma Quality of Life Scale (SQOLS) were completed. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, Spearmans correlation coefficient, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Of the 57 study participants, 57.9% were >60 years old (mean age: 59.81 ± 10.12), more than half (57.92%) were male, 33.3% had a permanent stoma, and the mean duration of the stoma was 9.60 ± 6.40 months. Scores for all 3 outcomes were low; mean IIEF score was 3.64 ± 2.47 (range 2-10), mean IFSF score was 13.04 ± 5.19 (range 9-29), and mean SQOLS was 45.10 ± 18.88 (range 0-100). Eighteen (18) of the 33 men (54.5%) had severe, 5 (15.2%) had moderate, and 9 (27.3%) had mild erectile dysfunction. The IFSF total score for all female patients was <30; all female patients experienced sexual dysfunction. A negative correlation between age and the SQOLS subscale sexuality/body image was found (rs = -0.305, P <.05). A positive correlation was found among BMI, erectile function (rs = 0.350, P <.05), sexual desire (rs = 0.474, P <.01), and intercourse satisfaction (rs = 0.385, P <.05). These study results provide reference data for future study and underscore the importance of assessing and addressing QOL and sexuality concerns among patients with a colostomy.

Factors affecting the views and experiences of women living in the city centre of Manisa, Turkey, regarding domestic violence

Domestic violence against women is an important social and public health problem worldwide resulting from unequal power relationships between men and women. The purpose of the present cross-sectional descriptive study was to determine the factors affecting the views and experiences of women living in the city centre of Manisa, Turkey, regarding domestic violence. The data were collected from a representative sample of women (n = 873) in 2012. The socio-demographic questionnaire and the World Health Organizations Multi-country Study on Womens Health and Domestic Violence Against Women were used for data collection. The study results revealed that of the women, 14.8% were exposed to physical violence, 7.9% to sexual violence, 20.2% to emotional violence/abuse and 11.2% to economic violence/abuse within the last 12 months. Lower income level, lower social status, lower educational level, unemployment, being exposed to parental violence during childhood and being married to husbands exposed to parental violence during childhood were associated risk factors with domestic violence. The study results indicate that domestic violence against women is a common phenomenon in Manisa.

Effect of socio-demographic characteristics and clinical findings on the quality of life of patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

Objective This study was planned and implemented to evaluate the effect of socio-demographic characteristics and clinical findings on the quality of life of patients with chronic venous insufficiency. Methods The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 163 patients that presented with the diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency to the cardiovascular surgery clinic of an education and research hospital in the west of Turkey. The data were collected during face-to-face interviews using a personal information form, clinical, etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology classification, venous insufficiency epidemiological and economic study-quality of life/symptoms scales and the Short Form-36. Descriptive statistics as well as univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the data. Results The chronic venous insufficiency patients were found to have a low quality of life. Advanced age, higher body mass index, longer working times, being on regular medication, hypertension and presence of pigmentation according to the clinical, etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology classification were found to be associated with a reduced physical score in SF-36. Furthermore, longer weekly working hours and presence of pigmentation reduced the Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study-Quality of Life/Symptoms scores. Undertaking physical exercise at twice and more than twice a week increased the overall physical scores in SF-36. Conclusions The results of the study showed that the quality of life of chronic venous insufficiency patients are affected by not only physical characteristics, working hours and physical activity but also presence of edema and pigmentation.