Pregnant women's beliefs about third-hand smoke and exposure to tobacco smoke.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to reveal pregnant women's beliefs about third-hand smoke and their exposure to tobacco smoke. METHODS: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of patients attending the obstetrics and gynaecology outpatient clinic of the hospital in Samsun, a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast (annual average 4,000 pregnant women). The minimum sample size of the study was determined as 350 at a confidence interval of 95%, prevalence of 50% and margin of error 0.05. The study data were collected with the personal information form used to determine the personal characteristics of the participants, and the Beliefs about Third-Hand Smoke (BATHS-T) scale. The data were analysed in the SPSS 25.0 program using the descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participating pregnant women was 26.84 ± 4.372 years. Of them, 48.4% were high school graduates and 86% did not work. Their mean gestational age was 29.85 ± 9.238 weeks, and 69.8% of them were in the third trimester. Of them, 9.8% were smokers, and the average number of cigarettes they smoked per day was 6.97 ± 4.931. The mean score they obtained from the BATHS-T scale was 3.79 ± 0.859. There was a significant relationship between the mean score obtained from the BATHS-T scale and the variables such as education and smoking status. As the level of education increased, exposure to third-hand smoke decreased (p < 0.05). The mean score the smoking pregnant women obtained from the BATHS-T scale was lower than that of the non-smoking pregnant women. CONCLUSION: High level of education decreases exposure to third-hand smoke. Belief in third-hand smoke is an important factor affecting pregnant women's smoking habit.

The relationship between violence against women and gender attitudes in men, Bolu province Kibriscik example.

PURPOSE: The study has two purposes: "ascertaining the determinants and the frequency of violence against women in men" and "determining the relation between men's violence against women and gender attitudes." DESIGN AND METHODS: The study is of cross-sectional type. Three questionnaires were used to collect the research data: sociodemographic information form, violence against women questionnaire, and the Gender Equality Scale. FINDINGS: The first important finding of the study is that the rate of domestic violence against women is high. The second important finding is that men who have resorted to violence against women have more unequal gender attitudes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The research reveals the significance related to the participation of men in gender equality policies and provides guiding data for healthcare professionals.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect older adults? Investigation in terms of disability, state-trait anxiety and life satisfaction: Samsun, Turkey example.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the physical and mental health of individuals. The elderly are a special group that is affected by this condition. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults in terms of disability, state-trait anxiety and life satisfaction. METHODS: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of individuals aged 65 and over who presented to a family health centre in Samsun a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast (N = 3950). The study data were collected with the following five forms: Personal Information Form, Quality of Life Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Brief Disability Questionnaire and Life Satisfaction Scale. In the analysis of the study data, descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, paired t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were used. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 70.88 ± 4.818 years. There was a significant difference between the participants' pre- and post-pandemic health status and quality of life levels. In the study, a significant relationship was determined between the scores obtained from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Brief Disability Questionnaire and between the scores obtained from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the variables such as income and marital status (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A significant result of the study is that the older adults' perceptions of health status and quality of life were adversely affected by the pandemic. Another significant result is that disability increased the level of anxiety. The other significant result of the study is that socioeconomic status was an important determinant of anxiety.

Factors affecting the views and experiences of women living in the city centre of Manisa, Turkey, regarding domestic violence.

Domestic violence against women is an important social and public health problem worldwide resulting from unequal power relationships between men and women. The purpose of the present cross-sectional descriptive study was to determine the factors affecting the views and experiences of women living in the city centre of Manisa, Turkey, regarding domestic violence. The data were collected from a representative sample of women (n=873) in 2012. The socio-demographic questionnaire and the World Health Organization's Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence Against Women were used for data collection. The study results revealed that of the women, 14.8% were exposed to physical violence, 7.9% to sexual violence, 20.2% to emotional violence/abuse and 11.2% to economic violence/abuse within the last 12 months. Lower income level, lower social status, lower educational level, unemployment, being exposed to parental violence during childhood and being married to husbands exposed to parental violence during childhood were associated risk factors with domestic violence. The study results indicate that domestic violence against women is a common phenomenon in Manisa.

[Stigma of tuberculosis scale: validity and reliability]. / Tüberküloz Damgalanma Ölçegi: Geçerliligi ve güvenilirlik.

INTRODUCTION: In many health conditions, stigma is receiving increasing attention. Public stigmatization toward social illness can affect particularly the patients and family memberships to help seeking behavior and treatment. This study, the aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish "Stigma of Tuberculosis Scale " which was developed to evaluate of perception of stigma with tuberkulosis patient. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This methodological study was conducted with 150 with tuberculosis disease people who above 18 age and without known psychological and mental disability. In the study, "Stigma of Tuberculosis Scale" was used as data collection tool. During the study, language equivalence, content validity, reliability and construct validity of the scale was performed. The data was assessed by using mean, median, standard deviation, Spearman Correlation, Cronbach Alpha coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of study participants was 45.6 ± 16.1 (20 - 85). years. Spearman correlation coefficient of the scale for test-retest reliability was 0.853 and the Cronbach Alpha coefficient was 0.95. According to fit indexes of confirmatory factor analysis [x2/SD= 481.38/230= 2.09; RMSEA= 0.087; GFI= 0.776; CFI= 0.776; NNFI= 0.875] it was found that one factors were appropriate for the scale. CONCLUSION: The adoption of the translated "Stigma of Tuberculosis Scale"in Turkey is found reliable and valid to evaluate of perception of stigma with tuberkulosis patient.