Validity and Reliability of the COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior Scale.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this research is to develop a scale that will evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of employees about COVID-19 and to test its validity and reliability. METHODOLOGY: The methodological type of research was used between August-November 2020, under observation in organized industrial zones. Information was collected from a total of 543 employees. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis were performed for the value, item-total correlations and construct validity. SPSS 25.0 (IBM Inc., Armonk, NY, USA), Jasp 0.14 (University of Amsterdam) and Lisrel 9.1(Scientific Software International, Inc., Chapel Hill, NC, USA) programs were used in the analysis. RESULTS: 83.1% of the participants in the study are male, the average age is 37.4 ± 8.0, 76.1% are married, and 49.4% are high school graduates. The Cronbach alpha value of the COVID-19 information part is 0.86 in total, the contamination information dimension is 0.71 and the protection information dimension is 0.84. The COVID-19 attitude section consists of four sub-dimensions and 13 items classified within the framework of the health belief model. In summary, the goodness of fit values for the knowledge, attitude and behavior sections, respectively, are: RMSEA values 0.05, 0.03 and 0.04; CFI values 0.98, 0.98 and 0.99; GFI values 0.97, 0.97 and 0.99. CONCLUSIONS: It has been determined that the internal consistency of the COVID-19 knowledge, attitude and behavior scale conducted on employees is high and compatible, and its validity findings are sufficient. The scale is recommended as an applicable tool to measure COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes and behaviors.

Investigating the Association Between Adolescent Internet Addiction and Parental Attitudes.

Objectives: In this study, the association between parents' attitudes and internet addiction among adolescent high school students was investigated through some sociodemographic variables. Methods: The research was carried out with 385 students studying in four high schools in western Turkey. Sociodemographic characteristics, parental attitude scale and internet addiction scale were used in the study. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression analysis and structural equation modeling analysis were applied. Results: The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between the combined mean score obtained from the Parental Attitude Scale and the mean score obtained from the Internet Addiction Scale, and that authoritarian parenting attitude increases the risk of internet addiction [OR = 1.70 (95% CI: 1.33-2.18)]. In the structural equation modeling analysis, the model summary fit values were determined to be at a good level (χ2/df = 2.86, GFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.073) regarding the relationship between parental attitude and internet addiction. Conclusion: Adolescents' internet addiction levels changes related to their parents' democratic attitude evolve.

Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Epilepsy Module of the KINDL Quality of Life Scale.

Introduction: This study aims to present the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the KINDLE quality of life scale, epilepsy module. Method: The psychometric properties of the KINDL Epilepsy module were evaluated from the aspect of internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity on an inpatient sample of 159 Turkish children (mean age 10.84±2.77 years) who had epilepsy. Results: The KINDL Epilepsy module (36 items) showed acceptable αcoefficients ranging from 0.80 (social well-being) to 0.55 (treatment) for each domain. EFA suggested three sub-dimensions that we named as Physical, Mental and Social Well-being sub-dimensions. Root Mean Square Error of Approximation was found as 0.053, and Comparative Fit Index was 0.95. Good known groups results supported the construct validity of the instrument. Correlations between the income perception, family support and Duration of Epilepsy and the domains of its Epilepsy module were significantly high, indicating a satisfactory convergent validity. Conclusion: The Turkish version of the KINDL Epilepsy module showed module is a promising tool in this study. However, further research on the versions of the module in other languages is needed for its global use.

Compassion Fatigue in Informal Caregivers of Children with Cancer; a Section from Turkey.

Compassion fatigue is the natural stress caused by the strong desire to help a valued person and alleviate the pain he/she suffers after he/she undergoes a traumatizing event. That caregiver who witnesses the physical suffering of the patient, who makes intense effort during the process deprived of the social, psychological, or economic support they need is among the reasons causing compassion fatigue. In this study, the aim was to test and describe the effects of compassion fatigue on informal caregivers of children with cancer. The study is phenomenological, a form of a qualitative study. The participants were the relatives of children with cancer. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews. The audio-recorded interviews were analyzed through the inductive thematic analysis to obtain answers to the questions. The findings were categorized under four headings which compassion fatigue was addressed: Empathy ability, compassion stress, problems experienced by the participants as components of compassion fatigue. The results of this study demonstrated that mothers were at risk of compassion fatigue. Those who give care to their relatives are faced with problems more than professionals. It is recommended that the implementation of multidisciplinary interventions that will improve caregivers' well-being, and preventive social work interventions, will prevent them from compassion fatigue.

The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic stressor on the state-trait anxiety level.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect that the coronavirus diseases-2019 pandemic will likely have on public and its impact on the state-trait anxiety level of the masses. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted from May 28 to June 5, 2020, in Turkey, with Kayseri province being the first ring of the chain, and comprised adult citizens of either gender living in Turkey during the pandemic period who could use online technologies. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised was used to determine the effects of the pandemic on the public, and the State Anxiety Inventory and the Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to determine the anxiety level of the public. Data was analysed using SPSS 25 and Stata 14. RESULTS: Of the 1507 subjects, 862(57.2%) were females and 645(42.8%) were males. The largest age group was 18-29 years with 573(38%) sucjects, while the smallest group was aged >60 years with 53(3.5%) subjects. The mean score of State Anxiety Inventory was 39.3±11.3 and mean Trait Anxiety Inventory score was 42.8±8.7, while the Impact of Event Scale-Revised mean score was 27.4±14.5. Each one unit increase in the Impact of Event Scale-Revised total score increased state anxiety score 1.10 times and trait anxiety score 1.07 times. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing age had a protective effect on state-trait anxiety. Consequently, an increase in Impact of Event Scale-Revised score led to an increase in the anxiety level.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Life of Hospitalized Persons with Chronic Foot and Lower Leg Wounds.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors affecting the quality of life of patients with chronic wounds. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital wound care unit in western Turkey with 134 patients. The data were collected via personal information form, Barthel Index for activities of daily living, visual analog scale, and Short Form-12 questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 60.4 ± 10.7 years; 79.9% of the research group had diabetic foot wounds, and 56.7% had wounds on their right/left big toe. The mean duration of wounds was 9.4 ± 11.4 months, and 68.7% had previously been hospitalized because of wounds. The average visual analog scale pain level was 3.5 ± 2.5, and 45.5% of the patients were PEDIS (perfusion, extent, depth, infection, and sensation) classification grade II. A positive correlation was detected between Short Form-12 physical summary score and activities of daily living score. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic wounds have a poor quality of life. Patient quality of life decreases as pain and PEDIS score increase and increases with their level of independence.

Effect of using elastic-pressure socks in spinal surgery patients on orthostatic hypotension in the first mobilization.

BACKGROUND: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common early postoperative finding in patients who undergo major surgery, and it might delay early mobilization, which is the main building block of modern perioperative care programs. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of using thigh-length elastic pressure socks in patients who undergo spinal surgery in development of OH at first mobilization after surgery. METHODS: The study was a randomized-controlled intervention study. A total of 70 patients who underwent spinal surgery were included in the study. The patients were allocated randomly to the intervention group (n = 35) who used thigh-length elastic pressure socks and the control group (n = 35) which received no intervention other than routine nursing care. RESULTS: It was found in the study that 2.9% of the patients in the intervention group developed OH during the first mobilization after the surgery, and 48.6% of the patients in the control group developed OH at first mobilization. The patients in the intervention group were found to have the risk ratio (RR): 0.06 times less probability of developing OH than the patients in the control group (95% confidence interval [CI]:0.01-0.42). The OH symptoms were lower in the patients in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: It was found as a result of the study that using thigh-length elastic pressure socks in spinal surgery patients reduced OH development and symptoms at first mobilization after the surgery.

The effect of music therapy during colonoscopy on pain, anxiety and patient comfort: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: and purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of music therapy on pain, anxiety, and patient comfort during colonoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a randomized, controlled, intervention study, which included 112 patients that underwent colonoscopy. The patients were randomized into the intervention group (n = 56) that was given 30-minute music therapy during the colonoscopy and the control group (n = 56) without any intervention other than routine nursing care. The data were collected using an information and observation form, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS: The pain and anxiety scores were lower in the intervention group whereas comfort score was higher than control group (p < 0.05). The pain and anxiety levels of the patients in the intervention group decreased after the colonoscopy and their comfort levels increased. CONCLUSIONS: The music therapy reduced pain and anxiety, increased comfort during colonoscopy.

The Effect of Hand Massage Before Cataract Surgery on Patient Anxiety and Comfort: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of hand massage on patient anxiety and comfort before cataract surgery. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The 140 patients in this study were assigned to the intervention group (n = 70), which received a 10-minute hand massage before cataract surgery, and to the control group (n = 70), which received routine nursing care. The visual analog scale (VAS) and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to collect data. FINDINGS: The median STAI state scores of the intervention and control groups were found to be 46.0 (44.7 to 48.0) and 57.0 (55.75 to 59.00), respectively. The VAS comfort score of the intervention group after hand massage (4.0 [1.7-5.0]) was lower than that of the control group immediately before surgery (8.0 [6.0-10.0]) (P < .05). In addition, except oxygen saturation, the remaining vital signs were lower in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: Hand massage reduced the anxiety of patients, positively affected their vital signs, and increased their comfort.

Rate of Glove Perforation in Open Abdominal Surgery and the Associated Risk Factors.

Background: Glove perforation is common during surgery. Surgical gloves are used as personal protective equipment to reduce infection risks from bloodborne pathogens for both the surgical team and patients. This research was conducted to determine the perforation rates of gloves worn in open abdominal surgery performed in a general surgery department and the risk factors affecting perforation. Methods: This research was designed as an observational prospective cohort study including 70 open abdominal operations. There were four members of the surgical team (surgeon, first assistant, second assistant, and scrub nurse). A total of 280 (70 × 4) pairs of gloves in 70 consecutive open abdominal procedures were included in this study. A total of 140 unused gloves were tested as control group to assess perforations and pre-existing leaks. After the operation, all gloves were checked for water impermeability using the EN455-1 method and the presence or absence of a puncture hole was recorded. Results: Glove perforation was detected in 54.3% of operations. The rate of perforation in all gloves was 10.7%, of which 78% unnoticed by the surgical team during surgical procedure. It was determined that the puncture in the gloves was mostly on the non-dominant hand (left). For the left-hand glove, the highest number of holes was observed on the index finger (21.1%) and palm/dorsum of the hand (21.1%). The risk of glove perforation was 5.8 times greater for surgeons compared with the other team members, and operation time of 61 minutes or longer increased the risk of perforation by 12.77 times. Conclusions: Glove perforation rates are high in open abdominal surgery. The highest number of perforations occurred in the non-dominant hand (left) has a high rate of perforation in surgeons and long operations. It may be beneficial for surgical team members to change gloves at certain intervals during surgery or use indicator glove systems.

A novel version of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire-3: Turkish validation study.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to adapt the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire Version-3 (COPSOQ-3) into the Turkish language.Methods: This is a methodologic study. The field study occurred in four workplaces (call center, hospital, plastic and metal industries). The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) Measure of Sampling Adequacy and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity were used to assess the suitability of the sample for factor analysis. The principal component analysis and varimax rotation methods were used to identify the factor structure.The internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient.Results: In total, 1076 respondents' questionnaires were evaluated. Fifty-eight percent of the participants were men and the mean age was 31.1 ± 7.7. Sampling adequacy was considered adequate (KMO =0.929). The factor analysis of the Turkish COPSOQ (COPSOQ-TR) identified 19 factors with eigenvalues higher than one and explained 66.1% of the total variance. The Cronbach's alpha values of 23 dimensions were over 0.70. The Cronbach's alpha values of control over working time and predictability were 0.54 and 0.66, respectively. The model was an excellent fit (Chi-Square = 8514.5, x2/df = 2.48, RMSEA = 0.038, SRMR = 0.053, CFI = 0.98).Conclusions: Findings show that COPSOQ-TR is a reliable and valid instrument that can be a useful tool to measure psychosocial risks in the Turkish language.

Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the WHO-5, in adults and older adults for its use in primary care settings.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to determine the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) Turkish version in Turkish adults and older adults. METHODS: This is a multicenter cultural adaptation study carried out with 1752 participants. Internal consistency (by Cronbach's alpha); Construct validity (by known groups and confirmatory factor analysis-CFI) and discriminant validity are evaluated stratified by adults and older adults. Cohen's Effect Size is used in known groups and discriminant validity analyses. RESULTS: Distribution properties of the WHO-5 Turkish version are in acceptable limits. Alpha values are 0.81 for adults and 0.86 for older adults. The variances of the 58.5% of the adults sample and 63.9% of the older adults sample are explained in Exploratory FA. Model fits (CFI) are satisfactory ( > 0.95) in both samples; but RMSEA is poor in the older adults sample (0.166) whereas it is acceptable (0.073) in the adults sample. Known groups validity and discriminant analyses are satisfactory in both adults and older adults. CONCLUSION: The WHO-5 Turkish version has a good measurement capacity, internal consistency and good model fits in both samples. The error values in the older adults group suggest that the results when testing older adults should be interpreted with caution.

Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Postoperative Pain and Patient Satisfaction.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on postoperative pain, changes in patients' vital signs, and patient satisfaction after inguinal herniorrhaphy. DESIGN: This study used a randomized controlled design. SETTING: A state hospital in the west of Turkey. PARTICIPANTS/SUBJECTS: The study was conducted on 52 patients who had inguinal herniorrhaphy between January and July 2015. METHODS: Patients were randomly divided into two groups (intervention and control). Intervention group patients received transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation postoperatively five times for 30 minutes each. Electrodes in control group patients were placed, but the device was not started. At each transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation session, the patients' vital signs and pain severity were recorded. A satisfaction scale was administered before discharge to assess patient satisfaction with nursing care. RESULTS: Pain scores of patients in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group (p < .05). No differences were found in pre-and post-transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the vital signs. Satisfaction scores were higher in the intervention group than control group (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: After inguinal herniorrhaphy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduced postoperative pain without a negative impact on vital signs and increased patient satisfaction with nursing care.

The Effect of Functional Disability and Quality of Life on Decision to Have Surgery in Patients With Lumbar Disc Herniation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effect of functional disability and quality of life (QoL) on the decision to have surgery in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). METHOD/DESIGN: This is descriptive and cross-sectional survey. A total of 239 patients were included in the study. Data were collected using a personal information form, Surgical Belief and Attitudes Questionnaire (SBAQ), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and Short Form-36 (SF-36). The data analysis was undertaken using Mann-Whitney U test, χ test, and logistic regression model. RESULTS: Patients were found to have low mean scores in the SF-36 subscales and SBAQ and high mean scores in ODI, RMDQ, and VAS. Six weeks after the first interview, 48.1% of patients decided to undergo surgery. A statistically significant difference was found between a decision to have surgery and the ODI, RMDQ, VAS, SBAQ scores and 6 of the 8 SF-36 subscales (except for role physical and general health; p < .05). Patients who had higher functional disability, pain intensity, and SBAQ score and those with lower QoL were more likely to decide to undergo surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study showed that patients with LDH who have been referred for surgery experience high functional disability and pain and a poor QoL, and that these factors have an impact on their decision to have surgery process.

The Effect of Preoperative Oral Carbohydrate Solution Intake on Patient Comfort: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: The study was conducted to investigate the effect of preoperative oral carbohydrate loading on the preoperative discomforts and postoperative complications of patients undergoing elective thyroidectomy. DESIGN: A randomized controlled clinical trial. METHODS: Ninety patients scheduled for thyroidectomy were divided into three groups: (1) those receiving a carbohydrate-rich drink (CHD), (2) those receiving an overnight 5% glucose intravenous infusion, and (3) those fasting from midnight. The preoperative discomforts and postoperative complications of patients were evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The patients' vital signs and blood glucose levels were measured perioperatively. FINDINGS: In the preoperative assessment, hunger, thirst, mouth dryness, chill, and headache adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, and duration of the operation were all found to be significantly higher in the glucose and fasting groups than the CHD group (P < .01). In the postoperative period, the fasting group experienced more vomiting and pain compared with the CHD group (P < .05). A significant difference was found between the groups in terms of diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate in the preoperative and intraoperative periods (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The CHD treatment before thyroidectomy increases patient comfort by reducing preoperative discomfort (such as hunger, thirst, dry mouth, fatigue and headache) and early postoperative complications (vomiting and pain).

A Descriptive, Cross-sectional Study to Assess Quality of Life and Sexuality in Turkish Patients with a Colostomy.

A stoma affects personality, self-esteem, and body image, inevitably impacting lifestyle and quality of life (QOL). A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between May 1, 2015 and May 1, 2016 to evaluate the effect of a stoma on sexual function and QOL among patients receiving care in a general surgery clinic of a university hospital in the western region of Turkey.Eligibility requirements included patients willing to participate, >18 years of age, with a colostomy for at least 4 months, who were married and/or with a sexual partner and in otherwise good physical and mental health with no rectal nerve damage or receiving radio- or chemotherapy. Data were collected during face-to-face interviews. Demographic variables (age, gender, body mass index [BMI], educational status, income level); and clinical information (duration of the precipitating disease, and stoma duration, cause, and type) were collected, and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) measure; the Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF); and a Stoma Quality of Life Scale (SQOLS) were completed. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Of the 57 study participants, 57.9% were >60 years old (mean age: 59.81 ± 10.12), more than half (57.92%) were male, 33.3% had a permanent stoma, and the mean duration of the stoma was 9.60 ± 6.40 months. Scores for all 3 outcomes were low; mean IIEF score was 3.64 ± 2.47 (range 2-10), mean IFSF score was 13.04 ± 5.19 (range 9-29), and mean SQOLS was 45.10 ± 18.88 (range 0-100). Eighteen (18) of the 33 men (54.5%) had severe, 5 (15.2%) had moderate, and 9 (27.3%) had mild erectile dysfunction. The IFSF total score for all female patients was <30; all female patients experienced sexual dysfunction. A negative correlation between age and the SQOLS subscale sexuality/body image was found (rs = -0.305, P <.05). A positive correlation was found among BMI, erectile function (rs = 0.350, P <.05), sexual desire (rs = 0.474, P <.01), and intercourse satisfaction (rs = 0.385, P <.05). These study results provide reference data for future study and underscore the importance of assessing and addressing QOL and sexuality concerns among patients with a colostomy.

Adaptation, reliability, and validity study of the Hwalek-SengstockElder Abuse Screening Test (H-S/EAST): a Turkish version

Background/aim: The most important issues in elder abuse and neglect are lack of awareness and difficulties in determining the situation. Our aim is to determine the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S/EAST).Materials and methods: The H-S/EAST (15-itemed, three-dimensional: direct abuse, characteristics of vulnerability, and potentially abusive situation) was translated according to the guidelines and experts evaluated it for content validity and cultural adaptation. Participants' (n = 252) mean age was 73.4 ± 6.4 years and 58.3% were female. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument-Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD) and the Barthel Index were used for validity. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency, exploratory factor analysis for content validity, t-test for construct validity, and discriminant ability were used. SPSS 15.0 was used for analysis and statistical significance was P < 0.05.Results: In test-retest reliability, internal consistency coefficient values for direct abuse, characteristics of vulnerability, and potentially abusive situation were 0.88, 0.73, and 0.80, respectively. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency of the H-S/EAST was 0.741. Exploratory factor analysis obtained 5 factors, and explained variance was 61.8%. Cut-off value was 6, and sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve were 76.9%, 96.2%, and 0.938, respectively.Conclusion: The Turkish version of the H-S/EAST can be used as a reliable, valid clinical tool for the assessment of elder abuse.

Effect of socio-demographic characteristics and clinical findings on the quality of life of patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

Objective This study was planned and implemented to evaluate the effect of socio-demographic characteristics and clinical findings on the quality of life of patients with chronic venous insufficiency. Methods The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 163 patients that presented with the diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency to the cardiovascular surgery clinic of an education and research hospital in the west of Turkey. The data were collected during face-to-face interviews using a personal information form, clinical, etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology classification, venous insufficiency epidemiological and economic study-quality of life/symptoms scales and the Short Form-36. Descriptive statistics as well as univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the data. Results The chronic venous insufficiency patients were found to have a low quality of life. Advanced age, higher body mass index, longer working times, being on regular medication, hypertension and presence of pigmentation according to the clinical, etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology classification were found to be associated with a reduced physical score in SF-36. Furthermore, longer weekly working hours and presence of pigmentation reduced the Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study-Quality of Life/Symptoms scores. Undertaking physical exercise at twice and more than twice a week increased the overall physical scores in SF-36. Conclusions The results of the study showed that the quality of life of chronic venous insufficiency patients are affected by not only physical characteristics, working hours and physical activity but also presence of edema and pigmentation.

Comparison of generic and lung cancer-specific quality of life instruments for predictive ability of survival in patients with advanced lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Our purpose is to examine the relationship of Health related quality of life measured by EORTC QLQc30, QLQ-LC13; FACT-L, LCSS, Eq5D) with survival in advanced lung cancer patients. A total of 299 Lung Cancer (LC) patients were, included in this national multicenter Project entitled of "the LC Quality of Life Project (AKAYAK). Baseline scores were analyzed by using Cox's proportional hazard regression to identify factors that influenced survival. Univariate and multivariate models were run for each of the scales included in the study. RESULTS: Mean and median survival were 12.5 and 8.0 months respectively. Clinical stage (as TNM), comorbidity; symptom scales of fatigue, insomnia, appetit loss and constipation were associated with survival after adjustment for age and sex. Global, physical and role functioning scales of QLQc30; physical and functional scales of LCS and TOI of the FACT-L was also associated with survival. Mobility and Usual activities dimensions of the Eq5D; Physical functioning and the constipation symptom scale of the QLQ-c30; and LCS and TOI scores of the FACT-L remained statistically significant after adjustment. LC13 and LCSS scales were not predictors of survival. CONCLUSIONS: HRQOL serves as an additional predictive factor for survival that supplements traditional clinical factors. Besides the strong predictive ability of ECOG on survival, FACT-L and the Eq5D are the most promising HRQOL instruments for this purpose.

Effects of participatory ergonomic intervention on the development of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and disability in office employees using a computer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the participatory ergonomic method on the development of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and disability in office employees. METHODS: This study is a randomized controlled intervention study. It comprised 116 office workers using computers. Those in the intervention group were taught office ergonomics and the risk assessment method. Cox proportional hazards model and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used. RESULTS: In the 10-month postintervention follow-up, the possibility of developing symptoms was 50.9%. According to multivariate analysis results, the possibility of developing symptoms on the right side of the neck and in the right wrist and hand was significantly less in the intervention group than in the control group (p<0.05). Neck disability/symptom scores over time were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The participatory ergonomic intervention decreases the possibility of musculoskeletal complaints and disability/symptom level in office workers.