Social Participation of Older Adults in Rural and Urban Areas: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Turkey.

Social participation is important in terms of active aging and quality of life during old age. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the social participation of older adults in rural and urban areas in Turkey. Related factors were similarly identified. The sample comprised 1,224 people over the age of 60, with a mean of 69.78 ± 7.48 years. Among the participants, 61.4% live in urban areas. The data were collected in family health centers through face-to-face interview and the Interview Form, Social Participation Assessment Form, and Social Participation Dimension of the Turkish Version of the Aging Module of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) Scale. The scores obtained from the social participation dimension of the scale among the elderly in urban areas were higher than those obtained among the elderly in rural areas (p = .002). In addition, older adults in the urban areas who talked on the phone several times a month (p = .025), went to concerts, theater/cinema, museum/exhibition, various visual/musical shows (p = .046), and engaged in gardening (p = .032) obtained higher scores in the social participation dimension than the other participants. Health care professionals should take an advocacy role in building relationships with policy makers and create suitable socialization opportunities for older adults in urban and rural areas.

Social participation is important in terms of active aging and quality of life during old age.This is the first study with a huge sample to compare the level of social participation of the elderly in rural and urban areas in Turkey.It provides information on the level of social participation of the elderly in a developing country.

Comparison of anxiety levels of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, individuals under quarantine, and individuals in society.

PURPOSE: This study aims to compare the anxiety levels of COVID-19 patients, individuals under quarantine, and healthy individuals in society. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 25, 2020 to June 25, 2020 in a city located in the northwest of Turkey. The data were collected using a personal information form, the Beck Anxiety Scale, administered in face-to-face interviews, and online questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and logistic regression analyses. FINDINGS: The anxiety level of individuals under quarantine (Median: min-max = 1: 0-55) was significantly lower statistically compared to that of the rest of the society (Median: min-max = 6: 0-63) and hospitalized COVID-19 patients (Median: min-max = 5: 0-42) (p = 0.0001). Female gender, being 61 years of age and older, having psychiatric and chronic illnesses, and experiencing disrupted sleep patterns were determined to be the factors associated with high levels of anxiety. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study found that society in general and hospitalized COVID-19 patients had high anxiety levels. The study results can be useful for creating training and population-based screening programs to control the anxiety of individuals under quarantine, hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and the rest of the society during the pandemic. Additionally, the finding from this study on groups at risk for anxiety will provide important data for future research on this subject and for the planning of health services offered to these groups.

Psychological distress and mental health literacy in university students.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess university students' levels of psychological distress and mental health literacy. DESIGN AND METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study using self-assessment instruments with 417 volunteer university students was conducted in the fall semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. FINDINGS: More than half of the participants had diagnosable psychological distress in terms of mental illness. The participants had a low level of mental health literacy, females and people with a mental illness had higher mental health literacy scores. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The results indicated that the scales could be used to develop interventions to assist Turkish students' transition to healthy adulthood. Determining individuals' psychological distress allows early detection of mental problems.

The Determination of Self-Control Skill of Tuberculosis Patients According to Some Variables.

This study was conducted in Ankara, Turkey. In the study, questionnaire form and Self-Control Schedule (SCS) was used. According to the t-test, statistically significant difference between self-control skill and "support of family members to each other" was found. Analysis showed that the occupational status and educational level had a significant effect on self-control skill. Besides, there is a positive relationship between average monthly income and self-control skill, while there is a negative correlation among number of hospitalizations, diagnosis period, and self-control skill. Our results may be a guide to develop more effective intervention strategies for tuberculosis management.