A Comparison Quality of Life of Children of Seasonal Agricultural Workers and Local Residents in Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: Children of seasonal agricultural workers (SAW) live in the worst conditions of agricultural labor and, consequently, face many health risks. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) of these children. This study aimed to compare the QoL between children of SAW and local residents in semi-rural areas of Eskisehir, Turkey, and determine the factors affecting them. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we included children of SAW living in temporary camp areas and those of local residents visiting the Family Health Center close to the camp areas. Basic sociodemographic data collection forms and the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) scale were employed for data collection. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine factors that had a significant effect on the QoL. RESULTS: We included 324 children of SAW and 256 local children. As per the multivariate analysis, QoL was lower in children aged between 8 and 12 years, with physician-diagnosed chronic diseases, and children of SAW. Also, there was no significant association between gender, parental education levels, family income, number of siblings, school attendance status, and QoL level. CONCLUSION: The QoL of children of SAW families was significantly lower than their peer local children. Therefore, the appropriate authorities must prioritize the planning and implementation of health services for SAW families.

Evaluation of health anxiety in adults admitting to primary healthcare institutions.

OBJECTIVE: Health anxiety is defined as the negative over-interpretation of the usual physical sensations, although the person does not have any physical illness. The study aims to evaluate the health anxiety levels of individuals over the age of 18 who admit to primary healthcare institutions in Eskisehir and the factors that may be associated with it. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in adults who admitted to primary healthcare institutions in Eskisehir. The study group consists of 1200 individuals. For the purpose of collecting data, a questionnaire including the questions regarding the factors related to health anxiety and the Health Anxiety Scale were used. In the analysis of the data, a logarithm of The Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) scores was performed to determine the factors affecting the inventory score and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was used. RESULTS: The total scores from The SHAI ranged from 1 to 47, with an mean of 16.4±8.7 and a median score of 15. Of 41.9% of study group scored above mean score. Female gender, deterioration of family income, presence of chronic disease, worsening of general health status, symptoms of mental and behavioral disorders, high number of admissions to health institutions, and hospitalization history were found to be factors affecting the level of health anxiety. CONCLUSION: Health anxiety was found to be an important problem among those who admitted to primary healthcare institutions in Eskisehir. Providing education to individuals in risky groups in terms of health anxiety, and these groups should be closely monitoring in terms of health anxiety and providing psychosocial support when necessary will prevent excessive use of health services in the long-term.

Evaluation of depression, social support and quality of life in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in semi-rural Turkey.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in a semi-rural area in a city in Turkey and to evaluate perceived social support and quality of life by examining some of the variables thought to be related. METHODS: The study was conducted on 827 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women aged 40-60 years. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, some variables associated with depression, questions from the Beck Depression Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and European Health Impact Scale - Quality of Life-8 (EUROHIS-QOL-8) scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression was 23.1% (n = 191) in the study. The prevalence of depression was found to be higher in single/widowed/separated individuals (odds ratio (OR): 2.539; 95% CI: 1.593-4.047) and at poor income levels (1.980; 1.000-3.021). The frequency of depression was found to be lower in those who gave birth once or twice (0.470; 0.294-0.752), those with a high level of social support (0.959; 0.948-0.971), and those with a high level of QOL (0.836; 0.794-0.879). There was a moderate negative correlation between the depression scale and QOL scale scores (r = -0.405, P = 0.001). A weak negative correlation was found between depression and social support scores (r = -0.383, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Women are more vulnerable to depression in premenopausal and postmenopausal periods. Being single/widowed, having a poor income level, having low social support, and low QOL are important risk factors which increase the frequency of depression.

Relationship between Mental Disorders and Optimism in a Community-Based Sample of Adults.

Optimism should be included in efforts to protect mental health, as it can provide cognitive resources. Optimism also reduces the negative effects of stressful life events associated with the occurrence and recurrence of mental disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between mental disorders and optimism in a community-based sample of adults. The study was conducted in three semi-rural clusters determined via random sampling. After adjustment in accordance with the independent variables, the relationship between each psychiatric disorder and Life Orientation Test (LOT) was calculated using logistic models. Overall, 24.5% of participants were categorized into at least one mental disorder group, with 20.8%, 3.5%, and 0.3% having one, two, or three mental disorders, respectively. The median LOT score was lower in patients diagnosed from the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders modules, except for the somatoform disorder module. Maintaining an optimistic view reduced the risk of mood disorders by 0.86 (OR; 95% CI, 0.81-0.91), anxiety disorders by 0.89 (0.83-0.97), and probable alcohol abuse by 0.83 (0.74-0.93) times after adjustment. The role of an optimistic view in coping with mental problems should be investigated in detail.

Menstruation-related headache in adolescents: Point prevalence and associated factors.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of menstruation-related headache and the impact of associated factors in adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in seven randomly selected high schools, and 3,886 girls attending those schools were invited to take part. After the consent of the school principals, a final total of 2,485 girls (63.9%) were involved in the study. A specific questionnaire was distributed to adolescent girls (14-19 years old). The first part of the survey investigated the features of menstruation (age at first menstruation, duration of period, pad fully soaked per day). The last part of the questionnaire surveyed the presence of headache during the menstrual period. The severity of headache was measured using a visual analog scale. Last, participants were requested to complete the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The prevalence of menstruation-related headache and associated factors were studied. RESULTS: Mean subject age was 15.89 ± 1.07 years (range, 14-19 years) and mean age at menarche was 12.96 ± 1.09 years old. The prevalence of menstruation-related headache was 25.9% (n = 646). Onset of menstruation at <12 years of age, longer duration of menstruation period, dysmenorrhea, daily consumption of coffee and cola and smoking significantly affected the frequency of menstruation-related headache. Mean BDI score was 21.68 ± 13.65 and was significantly associated with menstruation headache. CONCLUSION: Menstruation-related headache is a common problem in adolescent girls. It might be associated with different comorbidities such as depression. Accordingly, a multidisciplinary treatment approach must be considered to improve the quality of life.