Hatice Yildirim Sari

Depression among mothers of children and adults with an intellectual disability in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine sociodemographic factors that play a role in depression among mothers of children and adult with an intellectual disability. The research was conducted in 24 special education and rehabilitation centres in Izmir (in Turkey) provincial centre in which intellectually disabled individuals are taught. A total of 355 mothers were reached in the research. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews. Two forms were used for data collection in the research: Family Description Questionnaire Form and Beck Depression Inventory. The mothers included in the study had mean depression scores of 16.7 +/- 10.06 (minimum: 0, maximum: 49). There was a significant relation between depression scores of the mothers and education level of the mothers and their spouses and financial status of the families. Mothers with insufficient income and lower education levels were found to be at risk of depression.

Nutritional status of children with an intellectual disability

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional status of economically disadvantaged 7- to 18-year-old children with mild or moderate intellectual disability in Turkey. The research was conducted in Izmir. Children with mild or moderate intellectual disability with poor socioeconomic status and their families who applied to the Counseling Research Center between May 15, 2010 and June 15, 2010 constituted the sample. The sample consisted of 70 families. The data were collected by filling out questionnaires through face-to-face interviews, and height and weight measurements were also taken. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. BMI percentile values were determined according to the curves used for Turkish children. Of the children, 70% (n=49) had normal weight, 5.7% (n=4) were underweight, 17.1% (n=12) were overweight, and 7.1% (n=5) were obese. Of the children, 61.4% consumed milk and milk products, 2.9% meat products, 34.3% eggs, 58.6% dry legumes, 61.4% vegetables, 62.9% fruits, 98.6% bread and cereal food group, 100% oil, and 11.4% oil seeds every day. A total of 42.9% (n=30) of the mothers stated that they use foods as a reward. In this study, we found that children did not consume enough animal protein sources, such as meat, fish, and chicken. Multifaceted studies should be undertaken to prevent obesity in children with intellectual disabilities. Planning social aids to the nutrition of economically disadvantaged children may be beneficial for the health of those children.

Asthma and quality of life in adolescents in Manisa, Turkey.

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asthma and the association between asthma and quality of life in sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in the city of Manisa. Method: The population of this cross-sectional study includes the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades of primary schools located in the city of Manisa (n=59, 135). The study sample included 763 students from nine schools with different socioeconomic features selected by the Directorate of National Education. Data were collected under the supervision of the researcher with a socio-demographic questionnaire, International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and Kiddo-KINDL, a quality of life scale. Descriptive statistics, Student’s t-test and χ2-test were used for the evaluation of the data. Results: In total, 83 children (10.9%) were diagnosed with asthma by doctors and 82 children (10.7%) had wheezing or asthmatic attacks in the past 12 months. The children with life-long asthma had significantly lower scores for quality of life than those without asthma (p<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of asthma is different in different geographical regions in Turkey. Our results are similar to the results of Western society and asthma has a negative effect on the quality of life of children.

The effects of parental attitudes on health behaviors of adolescents attending 6th to 8th grades in Turkey

Abstract Background: This study aims to determine the relationship between parental attitudes and health behaviors of adolescents attending 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in Turkey. Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study includes the 6th, 7th and 8th grades of primary schools located in the city of Manisa (n=63,424). The sample size was calculated as 759 by taking the pattern effect as 2 and considering the standard error as 0.05 at 50% prevalence and 95% confidence interval. In the study, three questionnaires including questions consistent with the goal of the study were used. The questionnaires used included a socio-demographic questionnaire, parental attitudes inventory and the health behavior questionnaire of HBSC (Health Behavior in School-aged Children) survey instrument. Results: It was found that 70.8% of the adolescents participating in the study did not have a regular diet. Furthermore, 19.9% of the adolescents had at least a 60-min physical activity daily. Of the adolescents in the study, 45.1% watched television for 2 or more h/day. A total of 38.3% of the participants in the study had experienced injuries requiring medical attention and treatment over the past year. Furthermore, 61.2% of the participants in the study had been involved in fights during the past year. It was revealed that 2.1% of the adolescents in the study were smokers and 13.1% of the adolescents in the study had tried alcohol. The results of the study revealed a statistically significant difference between parental attitudes of smokers/nonsmokers and those who had been involved in or had not been involved in fights over the past year (p<0.05). Conclusions: In conclusion, it is suggested that training parents on parental attitudes can influence students’ health behaviors in a positive manner.