Hepatitis E virus seroepidemiology and its change during 1 year in primary school students in Ankara, Turkey.

The Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is widespread throughout the world. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time-related change of antibody levels against Hepatitis E in primary school children. In this cross sectional study, the samples of 515 students were examined at two times. The mean age of the students was 7(6-13) years. The seroprevalences of anti-HEV were 1.7% and 2.1% at the first and second visits respectively. There was no statistically significant differences between anti-HEV seropositivity and the parents' education and employment status (p >0.05). This serosurvey shows that there is not a high prevalence of enterically transmitted viral hepatitis in Ankara, Turkey, which is a situation similar to developed countries.

A study on the prevalence of accessory auricle anomaly in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Accessory auricular anomaly is a small elevation of skin containing a bar of elastic cartilage localized most commonly just anterior to the tragus or ascending crus of the helix. The anomaly may exist isolated or may be associated with other congenital anomalies of the first arch. The purpose in this study is to detect prevalence of accessory auricle in Turkey and find out whether it is associated with other craniofacial anomalies or hearing loss. METHODS: The study was performed on 850 children from the age of 7 to 9 during a screening program in primary schools. Complete otolaryngologic examination and acoustic reflectometry measurements were performed on all the children. Full physical examination, tympanometric and audiometric evaluation and EEG measurements were added to the cases with accessory auricle anomaly. RESULTS: Among 850 children examined, four had accessory auricle anomaly and prevalence of the anomaly was calculated as 0.47% (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.13-1.20%). Children were developmentally normal, and no other congenital craniofacial or systemic anomaly was detected in any of the cases. Further, tympanometric, audiometric evaluations and EEG tests were in normal limits. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the prevalence rate of the condition was calculated as 0.47%. Although one study from China reported this prevalence as 0.22%, the difference between the reported prevalances was not statistically significant. Further, although external ear anomalies may present together with cranifacial anomalies and neurologic disorders like epilepsy, neuromotor retardation and EEG disorders, in our cases, mental and motor development was normal and epilepsy history or abnormal EEG patterns do not exist. On the other hand, no hearing loss was found to be associated with accessory auricles.

Tetanus immunization in pregnant women: evaluation of maternal tetanus vaccination status and factors affecting rate of vaccination coverage.

The objectives of this study were to determine the tetanus vaccination status for pregnant women, and to examine the effects of various factors on tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccination coverage during pregnancy in reproductive-age women. Four-hundred and ninety-three postpartum women who had live births at a hospital in Ankara were interviewed and information was collected on the mothers' sociodemographic characteristics, TT vaccination history, and prenatal care during the pregnancy studied. The rates for no vaccination, one-dose vaccination, and two-dose vaccination were 53.3%, 18.9%, and 27.8%, respectively. The vaccinated women (with at least one dose) were significantly younger, of lower parity, and had attended more prenatal care visits than the unvaccinated women. Of the women who attended at least one prenatal care check-up, only about half were vaccinated. Significantly more rural women were vaccinated against tetanus than urban women. Current vaccination rates with TT during pregnancy were found to be well below universal levels. Turkey needs to launch effective mass media campaigns that target urban and suburban populations, and inform and motivate women to request vaccination against tetanus.

Prevalence of stress urinary incontinence in both sexes at or after age 15 years: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: We determine the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence among males and females at or after age 15 years in an education and research health district. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a personal interview questionnaires were given to a total of 2,053 people at or after age 15 years in an education and research health district near Ankara, Turkey. In addition to the particular questions about stress incontinence, the medical history, including congenital or acquired diseases of clinical significance, operations and details relevant to positive findings were obtained. Groups with or without stress incontinence were compared in regard to age and sex, and parity in women. Subgroups that emerged as to the presence of nocturia and/or urgency incontinence were examined in regard to systemic diseases, operations, congenital anomalies and regular medications. RESULTS: A total of 229 people (11.1%) had stress incontinence, with a female predominance of 20.8% versus 1.0% (p <0.05). People 65 years old or older experienced stress incontinence 6.24 times more than those in the 15 to 24-year age group. In contrast, females had increasing stress incontinence prevalence by age as noted by relevant odds ratios. Stress incontinence prevalences among women in the 35 to 44 and 45 to 54-year age groups were about 39 and 35 times higher than those of men in the corresponding age groups. As expected the incontinence prevalences increased with the number of births in women. Nocturia was absent in 50.2% of all subjects, whereas 26.7% reported nocturia at all times and 23.0% had nocturia sometimes. Persistent nocturia was present in 21.1% of males and 32.1% of females. Persistent nocturia and urgency were apparently greater in patients with systemic diseases and/or those who had undergone surgery. Urgency incontinence was present in 9.7% of the entire population with a distinct female predominance of 16.3% versus 2.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Stress incontinence occurred in both sexes at or after age 15 years with a female predominance. The prevalence of stress incontinence increases with age and parity in women. Urgency and nocturia are more prevalent in people with systemic diseases and those who have undergone previous pelvic or neurosurgical operations.

Tetanus immunization in pregnant women. Serum levels of antitetanus antibodies at time of delivery.

The objective of this study was to determine the tetanus immunity status of pregnant women at the time of delivery according to tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccination coverage during their most pregnancy. The serum anti-tetanus antibody levels of 493 mothers who had live births at a hospital in Ankara were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Protected women were defined as those with serum antibody levels > or = 0.6 IU/ml. Overall, 69.0% of mothers had protective tetanus antibody titers at the time of delivery. The rates of protection for mothers who had received no vaccination, one TT dose, or two TT doses during pregnancy were 46.4, 93.5, and 95.6%, respectively. Vaccinating every pregnant woman with at least one dose of TT would be an affordable and effective way to protect against neonatal tetanus, and would be a step toward eliminating the deaths that continue to occur due to this preventable disease in Turkey.