[Smoking prevalence of elementary school students in Manisa]. / Manisa ili ilkögretim ögrencilerinde sigara içme prevalansi.

INTRODUCTION: In this study it is aimed to evaluate the prevalence of smoking, factors affecting smoking status, and the attitudes of the elementary school students towards the smoking prohibition law which was approved in July 2009, in city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The universe of this descriptive study was 6th-7th-8th class, 8236 urban and 4937 semi-urban, total 13.173 elementary schools students in city center. Study population was determined on the basis of a previous study in which the smoking trial prevalence was found 17.5%, 831 students in 6 urban 3 semi-urban, total 9 schools were chosen randomly. A questionnaire was prepared investigating smoking status, the effects of smoking and family history. Among the 9 chosen schools, the questionnaire was applied to 615 students. SPSS 14.0 statistical package was used. RESULT: Forty-seven percentages of the students were female. Prevalence of smoking trial was found 23.5% (16% in urban, 35% in semi-urban schools) while the prevalence of smoking was 7.1% (1.7% in urban, 15.7% in semi-urban schools). Mean age of first smoking trial was 10.04 ± 2.3. The smoking prohibition law was supported by 86.6% of the students, the warnings on the cigarette package was thought to be effective by 43.3% students and 35.2% of the students were exposed to passive smoke. Male gender, social status, education level of the family, smoker family member or close friends were found to be important risk factors for smoking prevalence of the students. CONCLUSIONS: The early onset of smoking should guide the smoking struggle be concentrated in elementary school especially in semi-urban areas where the smoking prevalence is high.

Evaluation of sleep quality and anxiety-depression parameters in asthmatic children and their mothers.

BACKGROUND: Having a child with a chronic disease may cause anxiety and depression and impair the sleep quality in the mothers. The aim of this study was to evaluate sleep quality in asthmatic children and their mothers as well as the status of anxiety-depression in the mothers. METHODS: Study group consisted of 75 asthmatic children aged between 7 and 16 years (mean+/-SD 8.4+/-2.9) and the control group consisted of 46 healthy children aged between 7 and 15 years (mean+/-SD 9.1+/-3.6). Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was administered to both the children and their mothers while Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was administered only to the mothers. RESULTS: Total PSQI score of the mothers in the asthmatic group was significantly correlated with asthma severity of the children (r=0.49, p=0.00). There was a significant correlation between asthma symptom score and sleep disturbing factors subscore in children with asthma (r=0.34, p=0.01). Moreover, anxiety and depression subscores of the mothers in the asthma group were significantly higher (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Asthma may be associated with altered sleep quality in children and their mothers. Similarly, mothers of children with asthma may have disorder of anxiety and depression. Therefore, children with and their mothers need to be assessed for the requirement of support regarding sleep quality and anxiety-depression status.

Prevalence of pseudoneurologic conversion disorder in an urban community in Manisa, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: There is not a wide agreement upon rate of conversion disorder within Turkish population. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of conversion disorder with pseudoneurological symptoms or deficits and related risk factors in a city. METHOD: In total, 1,086 people, aged 15-65 years old, were selected from the city of Manisa, Turkey to take part in the study. We applied sociodemographic and health information questionnaires and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) Somatization Subscales to the samples. RESULTS: The likelihood that an individual might have conversion disorder with pseudoneurological symptoms or deficits was found to be 5.6% (n = 61). The prevalence of conversion disorder with pseudoneurological symptoms or deficits was significantly higher among women (p < 0.0001), 15-24 year old women (p = 0.011) and 25-34 year old women (p = 0.003), people who live as squatters (p = 0.03), those with a history of psychiatric disorder (p < 0.0001) and those having a mother with a psychiatric disorder (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: This study has shown the conversion disorder with pseudoneurological symptoms or deficits is inadequately frequent in the population.