Rabia Hacıhasanoğlu

The effect of patient education and home monitoring on medication compliance, hypertension management, healthy lifestyle behaviours and BMI in a primary health care setting

AIM The aim of this study was to determine the effect of anti-hypertensive patient-oriented education and in-home monitoring for medication adherence and management of hypertension in a primary care setting, by providing education on healthy lifestyle behaviours and medication adherence. BACKGROUND Hypertension is the third most common cause of death worldwide. Prevalence of hypertension in Turkey is approximately 30% in the general population and 45-50% in population over 50. DESIGN Randomised controlled study. METHODS This study conducted in Turkey used a study group comprised of 120 subjects (40 Group A, 40 Group B, 40 controls), all previously diagnosed with hypertension and who started medication therapy at least one year prior to start of study. The study was conducted between February-November 2006 at public primary health care facilities and homes of the study participants. Participants in Group A and B received a total of six monthly education sessions, four times during clinic visits and two home visits. Medication adherence education for Groups A and B and education about healthy lifestyle behaviours for Group B were administered in a structured and individualised format. The control group was routinely monitored in health care facilities. RESULTS Healthy lifestyle behaviours and perception of self-efficacy regarding medication adherence showed improvement after education sessions in Groups A and B. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures of subjects in Group A and B showed a significant decrease compared with those of the control group; the blood pressure decrease in Group B was greater than in Group A. CONCLUSION Nurses play an important role in uncontrolled hypertension detection and can improve medication adherence and healthy lifestyle behaviours. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Patient education medication adherence alone and in combination with healthy lifestyle behaviour teaching is an effective tool for blood pressure reduction in the hypertensive population in primary health care settings.

Loneliness in elderly individuals, level of dependence in activities of daily living (ADL) and influential factors

This study has been carried out to investigate the level of loneliness, determine the level of dependence in the ADL and influential factors in the elderly people. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 Family Healthcare Centers (FHC) located in central Erzincan, Turkey between March and June 2010. The data of the research was collected using a questionnaire that determined the descriptive and UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS). Mean score of the UCLA-LS was determined as 51.59 ± 4.44. It was determined that 2% of the elderly ADL were completely dependent, 14.5% were semi-dependent. Factors such as being old, a widow/divorced, having a lower level of education and/or income, living alone, having a chronic disease, poor self-perceived health, lack of visits by relatives or acquaintances, dissatisfaction with the place of living, and being fully dependent while performing daily activities were determined as factors which increased the level of loneliness. Furthermore, factors such as being old, a female, a widow/divorced, living together with a daughter/son, having a chronic disease and poor self-perceived health were found to be influential in dependency. Elderly people who are alone and dependent in fulfilling their ADL should be monitored more closely.

Healthy lifestyle behaviour in university students and influential factors in eastern Turkey.

This research was carried out to determine the healthy lifestyle behaviour of university students receiving education in central Erzincan. The population of this descriptive and cross-sectional research included a total of 4506 students receiving education at Erzincan University in the city centre, and the sampling included 981 students selected by a simple random sampling method from these schools. Data were collected between April and May 2008 by using an identification form and the Health Promotion Life-Style Profile (HPLP) Scale. Healthy lifestyle behaviour point averages of students were detected to be at medium level (118.41±20.90). It was established that students grade, educational level of parents, economic status of the family and the student, the place where the student stays and smoking status of the student resulted in a significant difference in HPLP Scale total score average and the mean score of the majority of subscales.

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Adaptation of Medication Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale in Hypertensive Patients

Abstract: Background: Despite a lot of study related to medication adherence in hypertension, a major problem in research is the measurement of adherence. Aim: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Medication Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale (MASES) among hypertensive patients in an outpatient setting in Turkey. Methods: One hundred-forty adult patients, who are receiving medication for hypertension in the last one year, were included to study sample. MASES was translated using a back-translation technique, which includes the use of a panel of experts and interpreters to translate the items from the source language to the target language and then back-translate them to the source language. Psychometric evaluations of MASES-Turkish form were used construct validity; item analysis, principal component analysis and known group validity and internal consistency reliability (Chronbachs alpha) Results: Reliability coefficient of the Turkish adaptation of MASES was found 0.92, and item–total correlations ranged between 0.26 and 0.72. It was found that factor structure of the MASES-Turkish consisted with original instrument. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension had lower self-efficacy scores compared to those with normal blood pressure.

Stress Copıng Levels and Mental States of Polıce Vocatıonal School of Hıgher Educatıon Students

SUMMARY AIM: This study was planned and carried out with the objective of determining stress coping levels and mental state of students attending Police Vocational Schools of Higher Education, in addition to factors effecting these. MATERIAL and METHOD: This desciptive and cross-sectional study consisted of 300 male students enrolled in the 2005-2006 academic year, at Police Vocational School of Higher Education, located in central Erzincan, Turkey. In this study, instead of random sampling, 281 (93.7%) students who were present at the school at the time of the study and accepted to partipate in it were included. Data for this study was collected using a desciptive form created by the researchers, Rosenbaum’s Learned Resourcefulness Scale (RLRS) and The Symptom Check List-90-R (SCL-90-R). During the data analysis, frequency distributions, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis and analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) were used; and for analysis of independent groups, t-test was used. RESULTS: Among the students, it was determined that 54.8% were 1. grade, 90.7% had their parents living together, 43.5% had a father and 60.5% had a mother who graduated from elementary school, fathers of 23.5% of students were retired, 93.6% of them had mothers who were home makers. In addition, it was found out that 78.6% of students chose their profession willingly, the average family income of 71.5% of students were at medium levels, 82.9% always believed in themselves and 63.3% of students did not smoke. Based on the results obtained, it was observed that second grade students, those with mothers who are highly educated and those who trusted themselved all the time had significantly high stress coping levels; students who chose their own profession, believed in themselves and did not smoke had significantly low levels of mental symptom indications. CONCLUSION: In this study, the students were determined to posess averge levels of stress coping skills and they were found to be under low levels of risk in terms of showing phsychological symptoms. Programs to protect the mental health of students should be developed and implemented.