Nazan Bilgel

The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of university students

BackgroundThe mental health of university students is an area of increasing concern worldwide. The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of Turkish university students.MethodsDepression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42) completed anonymously in the students’ respective classrooms by 1,617 students.ResultsDepression, anxiety and stress levels of moderate severity or above were found in 27.1, 47.1 and 27% of our respondents, respectively. Anxiety and stress scores were higher among female students. First- and second-year students had higher depression, anxiety and stress scores than the others. Students who were satisfied with their education had lower depression, anxiety and stress scores than those who were not satisfied.ConclusionsThe high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among university students is alarming. This shows the need for primary and secondary prevention measures, with the development of adequate and appropriate support services for this group.

Public attitudes toward organ donation: A survey in a Turkish community

Abstract. A survey of public attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation was conducted in a Turkish community. The 1030 subjects were chosen using a random, stratified method. Some 50.5% of those interviewed were willing to donate their organs while 33.7% refused and 15.8% were uncertain. A total of 53.6% said they would consent to donate a deceased relatives organs. Reasons for refusal to donate organs were as follows: fear that their body would be cut into pieces (43.8%), religious beliefs (26.2%), no reason (23.1%) and the belief that they would need their body and organs for their second life (6.9%). Attitudes toward organ donation were clearly related to level of education, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Quality of life among Turkish immigrants in Sweden

ObjectivesTo assess quality of life among Turkish immigrants in Sweden by using the WHOQOL-100 scale and to evaluate the domains’ contribution to explain the variance in the quality of life of the immigrants. Our hypothesis was QOL among Turkish immigrants in Sweden are better than Turkish people who are living in their home country.Material and methodsThis study was performed in the districts of Stockholm where Turkish immigrants have mostly settled. With the help and guidance of the Turkish Association, a sample of 520 participants was selected. We collected the demographic data by printed questionnaires, and to measure the quality of life, we used the WHOQOL-100 scale Turkish version. For analysis, we used the SPSS V.13.0 and R package programs, variance analyses, and Bayesian regression.ResultsThe quality of life among the sample of Turkish immigrants was found to be moderate, but higher than the sample of the Turkish population. The quality of life of male immigrants was found to be higher than for females. Swedish-born Turks had better quality of life perceptions.ConclusionTurkish immigrants’ quality of life perceptions were better than those of the Turkish sample. The best scores were received from the third generation. The first generation and female immigrants need attention in order to receive higher quality of life perceptions.

Workplace Violence: A Study of Turkish Workers

This research was conducted to address the experience of workplace violence of Turkish workers from different sectors and to investigate the impact of the exposed violence on their psychological well-being. Data were collected anonymously with printed questionnaires from the volunteer participants and depended on self-reporting. The response rate was 79.0% (1708/2161). The prevalence of workplace violence was found to be 44.8%. The most common type was verbal violence together with mobbing (bullying). Victims of physical violence were mostly males, whereas females were found to be victims of verbal, psychological and sexual violence. Most cases did not result in legal action and the victims remained silent. Psychological well-being of exposed workers in terms of depression, anxiety and stress seemed to deteriorate. Workplace violence remains a silent epidemic in Turkey. Preventive measures against workplace violence and social support for violated workers do not exist.

Attitudes of Turkish Men Toward Wife Beating: A Study from Bursa, Turkey

The objectives of this cross-sectional, descriptive, questionnaire study were to explore men’s attitudes toward wife beating and examine the possible predictors. A total of 1,150 married men aged 18 and up, who had received primary health care in a defined period were the participants. The lifetime prevalence of wife beating was 29.0%. Of the men studied, 42.7% were themselves victims of physical violence during childhood. About 17.9% of the participants thought that they had the right to beat their wives. Significant predictors in logistic regression analysis included women’s low education (OR = 2.8; 95%CI = 1.26–6.46), number of children (OR = 2.4; 95%CI = 1.34–4.51), childhood beatings (OR = 1.6; 95%CI = 1.25–2.16) and alcohol intake (OR = 1.9; 95%CI = 1.49–2.63).Wife beating is a problem in Turkey. To change male attitudes, alcohol abuse control interventions and child abuse prevention should be implemented.

Turkish Immigrants in Sweden: Are They Integrated?

Many in Europe believe that large numbers of Turkish immigrants have failed to integrate into their host communities. How is this situation in Sweden? We found that most of the Turkish immigrants felt themselves to be Turkish and Sweden was accepted as a foreign country. Turkish-originated media was followed frequently and strong ties with relatives in Turkey were maintained. Marriage and friendship with native Swedes were not well accepted. We concluded that despite the multicultural aspects of Swedish integration policies, Turkish immigrants in Sweden were not well integrated and they prefer to live within the boundaries of their segregated, closed, small communities.

Domestic violence: a study among a group of Turkish women

Objectives: With this study we attempt to explore the reality of domestic violence, its prevalence, type and frequency among a group of Turkish women. Methods: This study was performed between October 2000 and May 2001 in the fourth largest city in Turkey. All women over the age of 15, who visited any of 50 health centres in different districts for different purposes, were asked to participate in the study. 506 of the participants who gave their consent were taken as a study group, and printed questionnaires were filled in during face-to-face interviews. Results: 297 (58.7%) of the participants had experienced domestic violence at least once in their lifetime. The male partner was the primary violent person (49.5%), followed by mother and/or father (14.1%). The type of violence seen most was a combination of physical and psychological violence (45.5%). More than half of the women (58.6%) were experiencing domestic violence frequently and continuously. Reasons given for this violent behaviour were economic hardship (18.9%), followed by alcohol consumption by the violent person (18.5%), and inadequate family relations (15.8%). Of the victims 43.8% accepted this violence, but 26.6% reacted with violence. Women were not willing to abandon their relationships despite marital violence, because of their children (48.2%). Womens and mens higher educational attainments did indicate a decrease in the prevalence of domestic violence. Conclusion: Reasons for continuing the abusive relationship and the effectiveness of the scarce support resources should be evaluated more seriously. The potential role of the primary healthcare provider in eliminating barriers for identification and assessment of domestic violence should not be forgotten. Otherwise, domestic violence will still remain a ‘family matter’, hidden and neglected.

Risk factors for wheezing in primary school children in Bursa, Turkey

Background Wheezing is the most common symptom of childhood respiratory tract illnesses. It is important not only for its associated acute morbidity, but also for the fact that early childhood wheezing confers a high risk for asthma. Epidemiological studies from various countries show that 10–15% of children <1 year of age and 25% of children <5 years of age have wheezing-associated respiratory tract illness, and one-third of these children develop asthma later in life. Methods In this retrospective study, we evaluated the association between a history of wheezing and prenatal, postnatal, familial, and environmental risk factors in 858 7-year-old children, randomly selected from seven primary schools in Bursa, Turkey, by means of an easy-to-understand questionnaire form. Among these children, 12.4% had a history of early transient wheezing, 7.1% had persistent wheezing, and 7.7% had late onset wheezing; 72.8% had no wheezing symptoms and 33.3% of children who experienced wheezing during the first 3 years of life had physician-diagnosed asthma. Results Notable risk factors associated with wheezing were as follows: male gender, lower socioeconomic status, premature birth, maternal smoking during pregnancy, bottle-feeding before 2 months of age, dampness and mold at home, hospitalization due to any respiratory illness in infancy, history of croup between 6 months and 5 years of age, frequent upper respiratory infections during the first 3 years of life, allergic eczema in the child, and any allergic disease in the mother or siblings. Conclusion This study shows that the high rates of reported wheezing in the 858 primary school children in Bursa are clearly attributable to important risk factors that have long been recognized and discussed by researchers worldwide, and this suggests that all efforts at primary prevention may be insufficient.

Domestic violence: a tragedy behind the doors.

ABSTRACT Objective: To explore the prevalence, type, frequency and causes of domestic marital violence among Turkish women in a socio-economically developed metropolitan setting. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 2003. All married women, aged 18 years and over, who were visiting any of the 50 primary health care units for different purposes were asked to participate in the study. Of 1427 asked, 1010 gave consent and completed face-to-face interviews. Multiple correspondence analysis, and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses. Results: Domestic violence was statistically significantly associated with educational level. Illiterate women reported marital abuse 2.6 times more than university or more educated women. No statistically significant relationship was observed between domestic marital violence and womens age or occupation, marital duration or family income. The most frequently reported type of violence was physical, followed by psychological. Among women reporting domestic violence, those with the lowest educational level and income were experiencing all types of domestic violence frequently. Conclusion: Placing more importance on educating girls could be a key component of preventing domestic violence.

Public attitudes toward organ donation

A survey of public attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation was conducted in a Turkish community. The 1030 subjects were chosen using a random, stratified method. Some 50.5% of those interviewed were willing to donate their organs while 33.7% refused and 15.8% were uncertain. A total of 53.6% said they would consent to donate a deceased relatives organs. Reasons for refusal to donate organs were as follows: fear that their body would be cut into pieces (43.8%), religious beliefs (26.2%), no reason (23.1%) and the belief that they would need their body and organs for their second life (6.9%). Attitudes toward organ donation were clearly related to level of education, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.