Özen Kulakaç

Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire: confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis with Turkish samples

AIM This study is a report of an investigation of the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire. BACKGROUND Cultural, social and family environments influence womens beliefs about and attitudes towards menstruation. Awareness of these beliefs and/or attitudes and their cultural origins is necessary to understand women and their reactions to menstruation when offering health care. Although the Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire has been used in several studies, the psychometric properties of the Turkish version have not been investigated. METHODS Confirmatory factor analyses were carried out with two different samples - high school (n = 650) and undergraduate university students (n = 569) - in Turkey in the spring semester of 2006. Exploratory factor analyses were then used to modify the factor structure. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis did not confirm the factor model reported in the United States of America. However, compared with British and Indian samples, Turkish attitudes showed better fit than both British and Indian samples with comparative fit index values of 0.776 and 0.797 for the high school and university samples respectively. Finally, exploratory factor analysis yielded a 28-item measure for the high school sample and 31-item measure for the university sample, with a 5-factor solution. Reliability estimates of both scales were satisfactory, being 0.73 for the high school and 0.79 for the university sample. CONCLUSION The modified 5-factor Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire could be a useful tool for assessing menstrual attitudes among Turkish high school and university students. The overall score permits comparison with results from earlier studies using the original instrument.

SP27 Pre-Eklampsi and Cardiovascular Disease in Women

In this presentation it is purposed to attract attention to the connection between a gender-related issue, pre-eklampsi and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In Turkey, CVD in men and women in general is 8.1%. This prevalence is higher than East Mediterranean countries but lower than many European countries. Maternal mortality rate from pre-eclampsia is higher from developed countries (18.4%) and both diseases are still very important public health concern in our country. Increasing evidence suggests that hypertension in pregnancy in general, and pre-eclampsia in particular, is an under-recognized risk factor for CVD. The AHA 2007 update guidelines for prevention of CVD in women emphasize that the first step is to assess a woman’s risk factors for CVD and then to classify her level of risk as high risk, at risk, or optimal risk. Current cardiovascular risk stratification strategies do not include pregnancy-related risk factor, pre-eclampsia. However pre-eclampsia shares a number of common risk factors with cardio-vascular disease such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, renal disease or immobile life style. After pre-eclampsia women have an increased risk of vascular disease. On the other hand women who are at high risk of cardio-vascular disease are more prone to developing pre-eclampsia. So gender-related subjects should be considered when evaluating risk of cardiovascular disease in women and history of pre-eclampsia should be assessed. CVD pathogenesis can differ in women with various risk factors. So, Women would depend on more comprehensive risk stratification methods that incorporate reproductive history. Strategies to identify women at risk early in gestation and prevent complications related to pre-eclampsia have considerable importance on her future cardiovascular health implications. Implications in attempt to reduce risk of pre-eclampsia and so CVD in women; Overweight or obese women’ should be encouraged to achieve ideal body weight before conception; Women with chronic diseases such as hypertension, renal disease or diabetes mellitus should achieve control of their disease before or in early pregnancy; Bed rest may be an effective measure in the prevention of pre-eclampsia and early intrauterine growth restriction in high risk woman for pre-eclampsia; Supplementation of multivitamins containing folic acid should be taken in the second trimester because it is associated with reduced risk of pre-eclampsia. Women with history of preeclampsia need to be counseled and screened appropriately at increased risk for CVD later in life and treated aggressively for modifiable risk factors.