Hamit Acemoglu

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.

Öğrenci̇leri̇n Hastadan İyi̇ Tıbbi̇ Öykü Alma Konusundaki̇ Görüşleri̇

Amac: Ataturk universitesi Tip Fakultesi 3. Sinif ogrencilerinin hastadan iyi tibbi hikaye alma konusundaki gorusleri hakkinda bilgi vermektir. Gerec ve Yontem: Ders programimizda iyi bir hasta hekim gorusmesi nasil olmali ve tibbi hikaye alma ders konulari bulunmaktadir. Ogretim uyesi tarafindan 20-25 ogrenciden olusan 10 farkli kucuk grupta etkilesimli ders teknigiyle tibbi hikaye alma konusunda egitim verildi (grup basina bir saat ayrildi). Ogrencilere toplam 23 sorudan olusan bir anket ders oncesi uygulandi. Ogrencilerle soru - cevap seklinde tartisildi. Dersten en az bir hafta sonra da ayni anket uygulandi ve bu dersin faydali olup olmadigi hakkinda ogrenci gorusleri alindi. Veriler 20.0 SPSS programina girilerek analiz edildi ve tekrarlayan olcumlerde varyans analizi kullanildi. Istatistiksel onemlilik duzeyi p 0,05). Egitim sonrasinda egitim oncesine gore (grup ici) hasta-hekim gorusmesine baslama, bilgi alma ve plan yapma alt boyut puan ortalamalarinin tamaminda istatistiksel olarak onemli artis bulunurken (p0,05). Egitim sonrasinda ogrencilerin 171’i (%93,4) konuya farkindaliklarinin artigini, 161’i (%88,0) hastayla gorusmenin gorundugu kadar kolay olmadigini bildirdiler. Sonuc: Hastadan oyku alma ve gorusmeyi planlandigi gibi tamamlama becerisi ogrenciye kazandirilmasi gereken onemli becerilerden biridir ve deneyim gerektirmektedir. Bu arastirma ogrencilerin egitimden yararlandigini ve ilerleyen siniflarda bu beceriyi pekistirici baska egitim aktiviteleriyle desteklenmesinin gerekliligini gosterdi.

Prevalence of Blood Brotherhood among High School Students in Erzurum and the Effect of Peer-led Education on this Practice

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the prevalence of blood brotherhood (BB) in Erzurum, Turkey and to observe the effect of education interventions on this risky cultural behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was designed as a cross-sectional intervention, based on minor interventions through a peer-led awareness campaign regarding the transfer of blood-borne diseases through BB rites. This study was conducted from February through May 2007 at 29 high schools in Erzurum. RESULTS The study population was 53.8% (n=1,522) males and 46.2% (n=1,307) females. The proportion of the students who have participated in BB rituals was 24.1% (n=558). There was a statistically significant link between BB and a history of having Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection, family history of HBV and male gender (p<0.05). After the structured peer-led education the intention to participate in BB rituals decreased from 30.0% to 20.6% (p<0.001). CONCLUSION The prevention of BB rituals, which can result in the transfer of blood-borne diseases, requires urgent public awareness campaigns led by healthcare professionals.

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.