Mehmet Enes Gökler

Prevalence of domestic violence and associated factors among married women in a semi-rural area of western Turkey

Objective : To determine the prevalence of domestic violence and associated factors among married women in a semi-rural area of western Turkey. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted between March 1 and April 29, 2011 on married women aged 15-49 years. Exposure to at least one of these types of violence at least one time within the past one year was regarded as the presence of domestic violence. Chi-square test and Logistic Regression analysis was used for statistical analysis. Results: Prevalence of domestic violence against women was found to be 39.0%. About 38,4% and 26.8% of women reported verbal and psychological violence respectively. The risk factors found for the domestic violence included youngest age group, an educational level of secondary/high school for men, form of the first marriage, number of children, alcohol and gambling habits of the husband. Conclusion: Our study found higher prevalence of domestic violence than expected. Verbal violence is also a significant problem particularly in terms of its consequences. It was concluded that further informative studies are needed on domestic violence to find out the causative factors to chalk out preventive strategies.

Dry eye disease and depression-anxiety-stress: A hospital-based case control study in Turkey.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between dry eye disease (DED) and psychosomatic conditions, such as depression, stress, and anxiety, and the distribution of associated risk factors. Methods: In this case control study, the sample consisted of 121 DED subjects and 242 control subjects. Each subjects was diagnosed as having DED or not by an ophthalmologist. Ocular Surface Disease Index and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were administered to all subjects. Data were analysed using chi-square and Mann Whitney U tests as a univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression as a multivariate analysis. Results: Of 1,458 consecutive outpatients, clinically diagnosed DED was present in 121 individuals (8.3%). There was a significant relationship of family history of DED (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 0.84-2.41), chronic disease history (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.66-4.87), OSDI score (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.97–4.06), depression (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.30-3.27), anxiety (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.67-4.23), and stress (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.48-3.67) with DED. Conclusion: Individuals with depression, anxiety and stress are more likely to experience DED. In addition to confirming some well-known risk factors, this study has found new associations between DED and a family history of DED and the presence of stress.

Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Among Individuals Aged 50 Years and Over and Its Effect on the Quality of Life in a Semi-Rural Area of Western Turkey

The number of individuals with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is increasing as the average age of the men in the community increases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of LUTS and to assess the quality of life in men aged 50 years and older in Sivrihisar.

Characteristics of community health centers from the perspective of the centers’ leading physicians

Amac: Calismada, Toplum Sagligi Merkezi (TSM) sorumlu hekimlerinin gorusleriyle TSM’lerin genel ozelliklerinin belirlenmesi amaclandi. Gerec ve Yontem: Calisma, Turkiye’deki TSM sorumlu hekimleri (n=971) ile yapilan kesitsel tipte bir arastirmadir. Sorumlu hekimlerin Turkiye’deki dagilimi NUTS bolgeleri esas alinarak yapildi. Hazirlanan anket formu, hekimlerin sosyo-demografik ve mesleki ozelliklerini, TSM’lerin fiziksel olanaklarini ve TSM hekimligi ile ilgili dusuncelerini sorgulamaktaydi. Bulgular: Toplam 611 (%62.9) TSM sorumlu hekimine ulasildi. Calismaya katilan hekimlerin %66.6’si erkekti; %81.3’u ilce merkezlerinde gorev yapmakta iken %37.8’inin ilk gorev yeri TSM’lerdi. Calisma grubunda ortalama hekimlik suresi 8.1±7.7 yil, TSM hekimligi calisma suresi ise ortalama 2.2±1.9 yildi. TSM sorumlu hekimlerinin %63.8’i TSM hekimliginin sayginligi, %43.9’u gelecegi, %76.6’si sorumluluklarina gore yetkileri ve %64.2’si gorevinde kalici olmak konularinda olumsuz bir degerlendirme icindedir. Hekimlerin %43.7’si TSM personelini sayica, %57.3’u nitelik acisindan yeterli gormezken, %68.9’u TSM’nin fiziksel olanaklarini yeterli bulmamaktadir. Sonuc: TSM’lerle ilgili politikalarin gelistirilmesi gereklidir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Toplum Sagligi Merkezleri, saglik hizmetleri, sorumlu hekim