Effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in the workplace: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Workplaces are suitable areas for smoking cessation programs and incentives. This study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of interventions in the workplace for smoking cessation in working individuals. METHODS: All studies published in English between 2013 and 2022 were searched in Pub Med, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases. Meta-analysis was based on PRISMA 2020. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO. A random effects model was applied to the meta-analysis processes, and Hedges' g was used to calculate the effect size. RESULTS: Of the included studies, 11 were randomized controlled trials, and 8 were cluster randomized controlled trials. In different working sectors, various interventions such as motivational/individual interviews, group counseling, telephone coaching, web-based training, mindfulness meditation, and financial interventions were implemented. These interventions were carried out alone or in combination with one or more other interventions. The interventions generally have short-term effects, and financial incentives or supports were the factors that positively motivate the interventions. The joint effect size of attempts to quit smoking in the workplace (Hedges' g) was 1.171. Heterogeneity between studies was significant (Q = 199.762, p = 0.015, I2 = 80.477%). No publication bias was detected. CONCLUSIONS: We determined that smoking cessation interventions applied in the workplace have a large effect. We recommend that the long-term effects of increasing effectiveness of these interventions be considered and planned in line with the needs of working groups.

The effectiveness of educational interventions aimed at agricultural workers' knowledge, behaviour, and risk perception for reducing the risk of pesticide exposure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of educational interventions aimed at agricultural workers' knowledge, behaviour, and risk perception for reducing the risk of pesticide exposure. METHOD: All studies published in the English language between the years 2000 and 2020 were screened on relevant databases. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO. Randomised controlled studies (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria according to the PICOS criteria were included. In line with the PRISMA flow diagram, 38 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool. A random-effects model was applied and Hedge's g was used to calculate effect size. FINDINGS: Five of the included studies are RCTs, two are cluster RCTs, 17 are quasi-experimental studies with experimental and control groups, and 14 have single-group pretest-posttest study designs. Educational interventions had a large effect on knowledge level (Hedge's g = 0.890), a medium effect on behaviour level (Hedge's g = 0.707), and a small effect on risk perception (Hedge's g = 0.377). No publication bias was detected. The largest effect of educational interventions on both knowledge and behaviour levels belonged to studies grounded on a theoretical basis and carried out between the years 2011 and 2020. CONCLUSION: It was determined that educational interventions are an appropriate method for reducing the pesticide exposure risks of agricultural workers. To increase the effectiveness of these interventions, it is recommended that consideration is given to a theoretical basis, the use of multiple education components, and evidence-based practices.

Knowledge Levels of Kindergarten Teachers About Skin Cancer, Sun Protection Behaviors, and Affecting Factors.

The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge level of kindergarten teachers regarding skin cancer, the sun protection behaviors they exhibit for themselves/their students, and the affecting factors. This descriptive study was carried out in the Mediterranean region in a province located by the sea. The universe of the study consisted of 181 teachers working in kindergartens, and data were collected from the 81% who agreed to participate in the study. The mean Skin Cancer and Sun Knowledge Scale of the teachers was 12.50 ± 3.27 (range 0-25) and the mean Sun Protection Behavior Scale score was 24.78 ± 6.26 (range 8-40). When the Sun Protection Behavior Scale sub-dimensions were analyzed, the teachers' mean score of refraining from the sun was 13.02 ± 2.02, sunscreen use was 9.88 ± 4.46, and hat use was 5.13 ± 2.52. Significant positive correlations were found between the teachers' knowledge scores and refraining from the sun (r = 0.222; p = 0.007) and sunscreen use (r = 0.243; p = 0.003). The least used sun protection practice of the teachers regarding the students was wearing sunglasses (64.8%) and the most used practice was remaining in the shade (75.9%). The level of teachers' knowledge about skin cancer and sun protection and their behavior regarding sun protection for themselves were moderate, but the sun protection behaviors they use for their students were inadequate. Thus, educational programs about sun exposure are needed in schools and non-formal education institutions.

The effect of 'I am Protecting my Child from the Sun' programme on parental sun protection behaviours: Randomized controlled trial.

AIMS: This study aims to examine the effect of the 'I am Protecting my Child from the Sun' program based on the social cognitive theory, on parental use of sun protection products and sun avoidance behaviours. DESIGN: Cluster randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The study was conducted with three groups using a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design. The study included 185 parents, of which 63 were in the education group, 62 were in the education + SMS group, and 60 were in the control group. The parents in the intervention group were engaged in the 'I am Protecting my Child from the Sun' program for a period of 6 weeks, while the education + SMS group, in addition to the program, also received. Primary outcomes include sunscreen use and sun avoidance behaviour and secondary outcomes were self-protection and protection of their children's behaviour. A repeated-measures ANOVA and marginal homogeneity were the main statistical tests. RESULTS: The interventions made as part of the 'I am Protecting my Child from the Sun' program increased the following behavioural components of parents in the education group and the education + SMS group, compared with the control group: sun protection product use behaviours, sun avoidance behaviours, and behaviours related to protecting themselves and their children from the sun. There was an even higher increase in these behavioural components for those parents who also received short reminder text messages. CONCLUSION: The 'I am Protecting my Child from the Sun' program and the receiving of short reminder messages had positive effects on the parents' behaviours related to protecting themselves and their children from the sun. IMPACT: The 'I am Protecting my Child from the Sun' developed parents' sunscreen use self-efficacy, norms/attitudes about sunscreen use and sunscreen use expectancy behaviour, and reduced their impediments to sunscreen use behaviour. In addition, the program developed parents' sun avoidance self-efficacy, norms/attitudes about sun avoidance and sun avoidance expectancy behaviours, and reduced tanning expectancy behaviour. Receiving SMS messages following the training was effective in parental behaviours for use of sunscreen, sun avoidance, and protecting themselves and their children from the sun. Registration number: Study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04251598.

A qualitative investigation of the professional and social experiences of occupational groups working with individuals with disabilities and their attitudes: An example from Finland.

Working with individuals with disabilities affects the professional and social experiences and attitudes of professional groups. Accordingly, this study aimed to understand the professional and social experiences and attitudes of occupational groups working with individuals with disabilities. A qualitative, descriptive design based on thematic analysis approach was used in this study. The data were collected from 11 staff at the Center for Disability Empowerment in Finland. The results obtained from the study were thematized and eight main themes were established. Some of these main themes are as follows: Opinions about and attitudes toward individuals with disabilities, the effect on personal/inner and spiritual development, satisfaction with occupational performance and key points in working with disabled groups. Working with individuals with disabilities had a positive impact on the attitude and development of the employees from both an occupational and a social perspective. Moreover, it contributed to the professional and personal development of the employees.

Complementary and alternative approaches used by parents of children with epilepsy on epilepsy management.

The aim of this study was to determine the complementary and alternative approaches used by parents of children with epilepsy on epilepsy management. This descriptive study included a total of 304 parents of children with epilepsy aged between 0 and 18years evaluated at the Pediatric Neurology Clinic of Akdeniz University Hospital in Turkey between January and May 2013. Data were collected by using a questionnaire developed by the researchers. It was determined that all the parents use complementary and alternative approaches for their children with epilepsy, and the most common approaches are praying (99.3%); keeping their children away from the effects of smoking (79.8%); feeding their children walnuts (79.6%), butter (59.2%), and bone marrow (58.6%); providing their children with good quality sleep (58.6%); and enabling their children to play games (51%). The approaches commonly applied during seizures include praying (96.2%), comforting their children in their arms and showing affection (55.6%), waiting for seizures to finish at home (45.7%), and laying children on their side (41.1%). Of parents, 98% stated that alternative approaches enable them to control their child's seizures, 100% said that alternative approaches have no adverse effect, and 98.4% stated that they will continue to use these approaches. The children's approaches to cope with epilepsy included looking after pets (72.7%), listening to music (70.1%), watching television (64.5%), playing games (55.3%), praying (51%), and spending time with friends (48.7%). Most of the approaches used by parents and children with epilepsy for the management of illness are determined to consist of complementary approaches that may contribute to management of epilepsy. Knowing the approaches of parents and children with epilepsy that could adversely affect disease management is important for educating parents and children to avoid these potentially harmful interventions.

Effect of lifestyle on quality of life of couples receiving infertility treatment.

This study investigated the effect of lifestyle on the quality of life among couples undergoing infertility treatment. The research universe consisted of 200 couples undergoing infertility treatment in Akdeniz University's Center of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Techniques. The data collection tools the authors used were a personal information form requesting sociodemographic characteristics and history of infertility, the SF-36 Quality of Life Scale, and the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale. This study revealed that the quality of life of the women in the study was lower than that of the men. The authors also found that the couples' quality of life was reduced by variables such as advanced age, low education level, unemployment status, lower income, long duration of infertility, high body mass index, history of andrological surgery, and previous experience of assisted reproduction techniques three or more times. Last, it was determined that the couples' quality of life improved as their healthy lifestyle behaviors increased. Demonstrating positive health behavior is likely to improve the quality of life of couples undergoing infertility treatment.

Living with asthma: an analysis of patients' perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate asthmatic patients' perceptions of their disease. METHODS: The study was done with the participation of 23 patients among the asthmatics whose progress is monitored regularly in a university hospital. Phenomenological methodology was used, and the first step was to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. Then, in order to determine their feelings and opinions on the subject of their asthma, each participant was asked to write a letter to answer the following question: "If asthma were a friend of yours, what would you like to say to it in a letter?" Data were analyzed using the continuous comparative method of Colaizzi (1978; "Psychological research as a phenomenologist views it", in Valle, R. And King, M. (Eds), Existential Phenomenological Alternatives for Psychology, Oxford University Press, New York, NY.). For this purpose, each researcher read the letters separately and identified the important thoughts, and similar statements were classified under the same theme groups. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 41.43 ± 6.23 years, and 69.6% of them were female, 73.9% were married, 34.8% were primary school graduates, and 34.7% were civil servants (with no social security problems). The statements of the asthmatics in the study were grouped according to the following themes: "The Most Important Factor in Accepting Asthma Is Time," "It's So Hard to Be Asthmatic," "Being Asthmatic Means Understanding the Value of Life," "I Don't Like Asthma, so I Can't Make Friends with It," "Learning to Live with Asthma," "One Day I May Recover from Asthma," "Feeling Anger," and "Suffering from Continuous Worry and Fear." CONCLUSION: Asthmatic patients need psychosocial support since they believe that there is no certain treatment for asthma, and attacks are inevitable.

The awareness levels of women for gynecologic cancer in Turkey: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the awareness levels of women for gynecologic cancers and the affecting factors. METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 321 women. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form and the Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Scale (GCAS). RESULTS: The women's mean score (± standard deviation) on the GCAS was 151.08 ± 3.84. It was determined that the awareness of gynecologic cancer in the women who had undergone gynecologic examination and cervical smear test was higher than in other women. It was also determined that the level of education and income level, the status of having gynecologic examination and operation, and the wanting to get information about gynecologic cancer were not found to affect awareness of gynecologic cancers. The gynecologic cancer awareness of the women increased with the increase in age. It was found that there was no statistically significant relationship between the years of marriage, gravida, and the number of children, and the total GCAS score. CONCLUSION: Although the gynecologic cancer awareness levels of the participants were high, they were not at the intended level. Education including early diagnosis, risk factors, and symptoms should be provided to women to increase their awareness of gynecologic cancer.

Prevalence of obesity and hypertension in children and determination of associated factors by CHAID analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity and hypertension in children is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and increases the prevalence of heart failure and associated morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and hypertension, as well as the associated risk factors, in school-age children. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 21 schools in Antalya, Turkey. A total of 5160 students between the ages of 5 and 15 years participated in the study. The data were collected using a questionnaire, and students' height, weight, and blood pressure were measured. The data were evaluated using numbers, percentages, mean, and chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis. RESULTS: In all, 11.4% of children were overweight, 11.8% were obese, 6.8% had prehypertension, and 5.7% had hypertension. School level, school location, and father's educational status were determined as factors associated with overweight and obesity; BMI, school level, school location, and mother's working status were determined as factors related to hypertension in the children. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension, overweight, and obesity was found to be significantly high in the children, especially those living in rural areas. Therefore, it is recommended that these health issues be monitored in children and that necessary measures be taken by considering regional differences.

Determination of Health Literacy in Different Generations.

BACKGROUND: The development of health literacy (HL) is critical in reducing lifestyle-related diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine levels of HL and related variables among members of Generations X and Z. METHODS: This study was a descriptive survey conducted in the city of Antalya, Turkey. Participants were 350 Generation Z students and 150 Generation X parents. We created a personal data form for both students and parents, and used the Secondary Education HL Scale and Adult HL Scale for data collection. RESULTS: The average HL score of Generation Z was 20.98 ± 6.19 and that of Generation X 17.38 ± 3.54. The HL levels of 75% of the Generation Z were low to marginal and those of 33.1% of the Generation X were below average. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the Generation Z students and about one-third of Generation X parents were found to have low HL. Health professionals and nurses can give direction to the different generations to improve overall HL.

Determining the Organizational Cultural Competence of Hospitals Located in the Coastal Strip of the City of Antalya.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the organizational cultural competence of hospitals located in the coastal strip of Antalya city in Turkey. METHOD: The sample of this descriptive study included 31 hospitals. Data were collected with a questionnaire developed by the researchers under the guidance of 2 guides related to organizational cultural competency standards. The questionnaire included 3 sections and 47 questions and was answered by an authorized person to provide information on behalf of the hospital. RESULTS: Among the hospitals participating in the study, 61.3% were private hospitals, 67.7% had international patient departments, 96.8% had quality departments, and 29% reported that they had a budget allocated for providing culturally appropriate care. Most of the hospitals reported that they served multi-menu option to the patients (64.5%) and provided with interpreter assistance free of cost (90.3%). Most of the hospitals stated that they provided end-of-life care for patients who died in their hospitals according to the wishes of the family members (96.8%). CONCLUSION: Hospitals seek to adopt a culturally sensitive approach in healthcare services, but their cultural competence has scope for improvement, as they do not have strategic action plans or sufficient budgets yet.

The relationship between the fear of breast cancer, risk factors, and early diagnosis behaviors of women by age groups.

PURPOSE: This study investigates the relationship between fear of breast cancer, risk factors, and early diagnosis behavior of women aged 20 or above. METHOD: It is a descriptive cross-sectional study. FINDINGS: It was found that 17.3% of the women conducted breast self-examination, 14.0% underwent clinical breast examination, and that 9.3% of them underwent mammography. The predictors regularly affecting early diagnosis behaviors were identified through logistic regression. Different predictors for breast cancer diagnostic behaviors were found in each age group. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study is important in terms of taking into account the age factor in the practices aiming to increase the diagnostic behavior of healthcare personnel, especially nurses. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that there were different predictors of breast cancer diagnostic behaviors in both age groups of the women in the study.

Validity and Reliability of The Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps Scale in Turkey: A Methodological Study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the 'Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps' scale in Turkey. METHOD: A methodological study design was chosen. The data was collected in a primary and secondary school under Antalya Muratpasa District's National Education Directorate. Schools with inclusive classes open to children with special educational needs were chosen using a random sampling method. Four hundred students in primary and secondary education between the ages of 9 and 13 were included in the study. Research data was collected from the chosen schools during the 2016-2017 spring semester. The Child's Descriptive Information Form and Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps scale were used to collect data. Language and content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and reliability analyzes were performed. RESULTS: It was determined that children who have a family member with disabilities had higher scores. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin values were 0.90 and the chi-square value for the Barlett sphericity test was highly significant. The scale was reorganized into a four-factor structure featuring the following subscales: Interaction and Acceptance, Avoidance, Pity, and Sense of Affinity. The results of the analyzes confirm the new structure. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.85. CONCLUSION: The Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps scale was found to be compatible with Turkish culture. The scale's new factors also reflect general attitudes existing within Turkish culture towards people with disabilities that require change.

Developing compassion and emotional intelligence in nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

PURPOSE: This study examined the effect of the Caring Behavior in Nursing course on the compassion and emotional intelligence levels of nursing students. DESIGN AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was carried out using pretest and posttest design. The research sample consisted of the intervention (n = 37) and the control (n = 36) group. Data were collected through "The Emotional Intelligence Evaluation Survey" and "The Compassion Scale." FINDINGS: It was determined that the compassion levels of the students in the intervention group were statistically significantly higher than the compassion levels of the control group of students. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: It was found that the Caring Behavior in Nursing course was effective in developing compassion.

Factors influencing women's decision to have a home birth in rural Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: to ascertain the reasons why mothers choose to have a home birth and the factors that influence these reasons. METHODS: this cross-sectional study involved 392 women and was conducted between June and September 2003 in a rural setting in Turkey. The data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the authors. The questionnaire included demographic information, obstetric background, the reasons for deciding to give birth at home as well as questions on who encouraged the decision to give birth at home and who assisted in the home births. FINDINGS: the decision to have a home birth is related to economic difficulties and the desire to benefit from the assistance of neighbours. Women who had experienced both planned and unplanned home births reported that home birth was unsafe. CONCLUSION: preliminary information is provided about women having home births that may inform practitioners' educational efforts and future research.

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 women's 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.

Hepatitis B-Hepatitis C seroprevalences and blunt-penetrating object injuries in housekeepers in Turkey: a survey study.

AIM: This study aims to identify housekeepers' use of protective measures, provide data about hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalences and HBV immunisation, and investigate blunt-penetrating injuries in patient care services, routine cleaning services and orderly services. BACKGROUND: Hospitals have been described as hazardous work environments with an increase in HBV-HCV seroprevalences and blunt-penetrating object injuries. This situation creates great risks and hazards for housekeepers in their jobs. DESIGN: Survey. METHODS: The study population was housekeepers who work in university hospitals. A total of 824 housekeepers were surveyed by using a 20-item questionnaire. The questionnaire included the sociodemographic characteristics of housekeepers and the risk level of the unit employed. Blood samples were taken from the housekeepers. RESULTS: Their mean age was 32.5 years. The majority of the housekeepers (52.5%) were women and graduates of primary school (51.1%). The mean length of employment was 2.6 years, 73% were working on medical/surgical units, 91.2% were working in routine cleaning and 70.9% had been injured with various blunt and penetrating objects while working in the hospital in the past six months. The obtained result for seroprevalence for HBV-HCV was 2.2%. Only 27.5% of the housekeepers had been immunised with Hepatitis B vaccine. A large percentage of housekeepers in this study had used universal precautions. CONCLUSION: This study showed high seroprevalence rates for HBV-HCV and blunt-penetrating object injuries in housekeepers. Therefore, more effort is necessary to increase the use of protective measures against HBV-HCV and blunt-penetrating object injuries in housekeepers. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Hospitals need to take protective measures and implement innovative educational and support programmes organised for specific groups of housekeepers.

What do midwives in one region in Turkey know about cold chain?

OBJECTIVE: to discover what midwives in one region in Turkey know about cold-chain equipment. DESIGN: a descriptive interview study. SETTING: primary health-care units in Antalya, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: 340 midwives working in 35 primary health-care units between March and April 2005. FINDINGS: all participants were women and their mean age was 34 years (standard deviation [SD]=5.24). Eighty (23.5%) of the midwives had worked for 10 years or less, 109 (32.1%) for 11-15 years, and 151 (44.4%) for 16 years or more. Most of the midwives who had worked for 11-15 years (n=105, 96.3%), or had worked for 10 years or less (n=77, 96.3%), were aware of the need to keep vaccines in a refrigerator between 2-8 degrees C, but 63 (42.3%) of the midwives who had worked for 16 years or more did not know the length of time vaccines that had never been used could be stored under primary health-care-centre conditions. CONCLUSION: most midwives in this research had adequate knowledge of the cold chain. However, with continuing education, knowledge deficits can be corrected, and awareness of their roles and responsibilities can be increased to achieve one of Turkey's priority goals for the 21st century.

Status of influenza vaccination in patients presenting to two neighborhood primary health care clinics in Antalya.

The objective of our study was to determine the status of influenza vaccination in patients presenting to two neighborhood primary health care clinics at the provincial centre of Antalya. This type of descriptive research was conducted between March 15 and April 15, 2006, at Primary Health Care Clinics Number 9 and 16 in Antalya. A prepared questionnaire was completed by Akdeniz University Medical Faculty intern physicians during face-to-face interviews with 1494 patients. Information about infants and children were obtained from their parents. Data that were obtained were evaluated using the SPSS program. It was determined that 7.4% (111 individuals) of the research group had been vaccinated against influenza. Although there were no infants between 6 - 23 months who had been vaccinated, the percentage of individuals in the older than 60 yrs group who had been vaccinated was 27.9%. The vaccination status was significantly higher in the 60+ age group (p <0.001), in university graduates (p<0.001), in civil servants, in those with health insurance (p<0.025) and in those who had any kind of risk (p<0.001). It was determined that 24.6% of the research group had had influenza in the last month. In those at risk of catching influenza the vaccination rate was 14.9%. In the research group 27.3% of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, 21.3% of the chronic cardiopulmonary disease patients, 18.0% of those with asthma, and 13.4% of the individuals with diabetes mellitus had received the influenza vaccination. It is recommended that all health care personnel working in primary health care clinics must educate the public about this issue.