Relationship between adolescents' perceptions of social support and their psychological well-being during COVID-19 Pandemic: A case study from Turkey.

The aim of this research was to establish the relationship between the perceptions of social support and the psychological well-being among adolescents during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This research, which includes descriptive and relative features, was conducted from December 15, 2020 to January 31, 2021. There were 378 participants, all of whom were adolescents aged from 13 to 18 years who were living in Turkey. Either the adolescents themselves or their parents used social media tools or sites such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, etc., and they had all agreed to participate voluntarily. The adolescents had given their permission to the ethics committee through oral or written statements before the data were collected. The data collection process involved completing a questionnaire form, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Psychological Well-being Scale for Adolescents (PVSA). The Analysis of the data included numbers, percentages, means, the independent samples t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Kruskal-Wallis H test, multiple regression analysis and correlations between these. Of the 378 participants who were admitted to the study, the mean age was 14.66 ± 1.65, and 52.1% were female. The total mean for the perceived social support among adolescents was established as being 54.39 ± 17.13. The mean level for psychological well-being was determined as being 91.13 ± 12.34. A significant difference was detected between gender and levels of social support and psychological well-being of adolescents (p < 0.05). As a result of multiple regression analysis, the overall score of gender and PVSA has been found to have a statistically meaningful effect on the MSPSS overall score (p < 0.05). However, the difference in relation to the classes, the parents' jobs, the income levels, the family types and the places of residence of the adolescents in terms of social support and psychological well-being was not statistically significant. There was a statistically positive and strong correlation between the scores for social support and psychological well-being. The present study, which occurred during the outbreak of COVID-19, found that the levels of social support perceived by the adolescents and their psychological well-being were decent. In addition, the study showed that as the levels of perceived social support among the adolescents rose, their psychological well-being also increased positively.

Determining the relationship between loneliness and internet addiction among adolescents during the covid-19 pandemic in Turkey.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the levels of loneliness adolescents feel during the pandemic, and their respective levels of internet addiction. DESIGN AND METHODS: The sample of the study consists of 482 adolescents who volunteered to participate in the study. All participants had the cognitive competence to express themselves, and had access to the Internet. Participants filled out a Google Docs form including the "Descriptive Information Form", "ULS-SF" and "IASA", which were used to collect data. RESULTS: As a result of the multiple regression analysis, it was found that family income, mothers' education status, fathers' education status, the duration of Internet use before and during the pandemic, and the total score of ULS-SF had statistically significant effects on the total score of IASA (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that adolescents' internet addiction increases with the increasing level of loneliness. Adolescents who reported feeling moderately lonely had a low level of Internet addiction. There were certain variables that were also found to be influential on adolescents' average levels of loneliness and Internet addiction during the Covid-19 pandemic. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Protecting adolescents' mental health during the pandemic is dependent on taking measures to reduce the risks, while strengthening the protective factors. These protective factors include providing adolescents the access to the appropriate information resources and encouraging the rational use of the Internet, which will support the individual and the individual's social development.

Effects of therapeutic clowning on pain and anxiety during venous blood sampling in Turkey: Randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The research aim was to investigate the effects of therapeutic clowning on pain and fear during the process of venous blood sampling in children. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was conducted in a randomised controlled trial from January to March 2020. The study population consisted of children from 7 to 12 years of age who came to the research centre for blood sampling. The research sample consisted of 166 children (83 in the intervention group and 83 in the control group) who met the research criteria and came to the research centre on a specific date through probable sampling. For the data collection, a questionnaire form, the Visual Analogue Scale and the Children's Fear Scale were used. Therapeutic clowning was used in this process for the intervention group. There was no intervention for children who were in the control group. The calculation of percentage distribution and means, χ2 test, analysis of variance analysis in repeated measures and least significant difference and independent t-test were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The results of the research indicated that children in the intervention group had significantly lower pain and fear than children in the control group (p < .001). Therapeutic clowning seems to effectively reduce pain and fear during venous blood sampling for children from 7 to 12 years of age. Our results support using therapeutic clowns which is an inexpensive, safe, and effective method for lowering children's pain and fear during venous blood sampling. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The use of therapeutic clowns could become the standard of care in blood sampling for children from 7 to 12 years of age in hospitals. Therapeutic clowning, which is an easy-to-use, low-cost and practical method to provide better communication and cooperation with the family and the child, can be used as a complementary therapy in all nursing areas, especially in the field of paediatrics. Nurses could be encouraged to be trained on the use of therapeutic humour based upon a standardised approach and offered guidance on how to apply entertaining methods such as clowns. Therapeutic clowning can be examined in other applications in nursing care in light of these results.

The Effects of Cartoon Assisted Endoscopy Preparation Package on Children's Fear and Anxiety Levels and Parental Satisfaction in Turkey.

PURPOSE: The study was conducted to determine the effect of the cartoon-assisted preparation package, developed for children undergoing an endoscopy procedure, on children's fear and anxiety levels and parental satisfaction. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was conducted in a randomized controlled experimental design between April 2018-July 2019. The study sample consisted of a total of 65 children and their parents (33 in the intervention group and 32 in the control group) who met the research inclusion criteria in this study population. The intervention group was prepared for an endoscopy procedure with the cartoon-assisted preparation package for endoscopy. RESULTS: The mean fear scores of the children in the intervention group were 3.39 ±â€¯0.56 before endoscopy, 1.67 ±â€¯0.54 during endoscopy, and 0.52 ±â€¯0.67 after endoscopy, with statistically significant difference between the mean fear scores. The mean fear scores in the control group were 3.00 ±â€¯0.80 before endoscopy, 3.13 ±â€¯0.79 during endoscopy, and 2.25 ±â€¯1.16 after endoscopy, with statistically significant difference between the mean fear scores. The anxiety scores of the children were 33.79 ±â€¯4.00 in the intervention group and 36.56 ±â€¯3.52 in the control group before endoscopy, and the difference between anxiety scores was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The mean satisfaction scores of the parents in the experimental group after endoscopy (78.44 ±â€¯10.01) was higher than that of the control group (73.52 ±â€¯12.92), but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The cartoon-assisted preparation package for endoscopy was found to be effective in reducing fear and anxiety that may occur in children undergoing endoscopy, in the 7-12 age group.

Effects of Therapeutic Clowning on Pain and Anxiety During Intrathecal Chemotherapy in Turkey.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of therapeutic clowning on pain and anxiety during intrathecal chemotherapy. DESIGN & METHODS: The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest control group design. The study sample was composed of children between 7 and 12 years old (N = 78) who had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and were undergoing intrathecal chemotherapy in a hospital in Turkey. The study was conducted with children who received services at this hospital. The results were obtained from 74 children (i.e. 36 in the control group, 38 in the clown group). The data were collected with a questionnaire developed by the researchers, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Faces Pain Rating Scale (FACES). VAS and FACES were used to measure pain and anxiety levels. Therapeutic clowning was applied to children in the intervention group. Analyses included percentage distributions, mean, chi-square, t-test, variance, and correlation analysis. RESULTS: Results showed that children in the clown group had significantly lower pain and anxiety than children in the control group (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, therapeutic clowning was effective in relieving the pain and anxiety of children between the ages of 7 and 12 years who undergone intrathecal chemotherapy. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Due to its positive effects, therapeutic clowning could be explore for use in other areas of paediatric nursing for the children between the ages of 7 and 12 years as a complementary treatment.

Weaning practices of mothers in eastern Turkey / Práticas maternas de desmame no leste da Turquia

Abstract Objective: The study aimed to determine the practices used by breastfeeding mothers to wean their children from the breast. Method: This qualitative-quantitative research was conducted with mothers whose children were registered the pediatric clinics of a state hospital between June and September 2016. In accordance with a purposeful sampling method, 232 mothers of children between the ages of 2 and 5 years were included in the study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire with demographic characteristics of mothers as well as their weaning practices. The data obtained were analyzed with a computer-assisted program using number and percentage distributions. Results: The mean breastfeeding duration was 19.00 ± 7.11 months. It was determined that the majority of mothers (56.5%) used traditional methods for weaning their children. These included applying substances with a bad taste (58.1%) to their breasts, covering their breasts with various materials (26.2%) to make the child not want to nurse anymore, and using a pacifier or feeding bottle (9.2%) to substitute for the mother's breast. Conclusions: It was observed that more than half of the mothers were used some traditional practices that could cause trauma in their children, instead of natural weaning.

Resumo Objetivo: O estudo visou determinar as práticas utilizadas por mães em amamentação para desmamar seus filhos do peito. Método: Essa pesquisa qualitativa-quantitativa foi realizada com mães cujos filhos foram registrados em clínicas pediátricas de um hospital estadual entre junho-setembro de 2016. De acordo com o método de amostragem proposital, 232 mães de crianças com idades entre 2 e 5 anos foram incluídas no estudo. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas presenciais que utilizam um questionário com características demográficas das mães, bem como suas práticas de desmame. Os dados obtidos foram analisados com um programa de computador que utiliza distribuições numéricas e percentuais. Resultados: A duração média de amamentação foi de 19 ± 7,11 meses. Foi determinado que a maior parte das mães (56,5%) utilizou métodos tradicionais para desmamar seus filhos. Esses métodos incluíram aplicar substâncias com gosto ruim (58,1%) em seus seios, cobrir seus seios com materiais diversos (26,2%) para fazer com que seu filho deixe de querer mamar e utilizar chupeta ou mamadeira (9,2%) para substituir o peito da mãe. Conclusões: Foi observado que mais da metade das mães estavam utilizando algumas práticas tradicionais que podem causar trauma em seus filhos, em vez do desmame natural.

The Effect of Therapeutic Clowning on Handwashing Technique and Microbial Colonization in Preschool Children.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effect of therapeutic clowning on handwashing technique and microbial colonization in preschool children. DESIGN: This randomized controlled trial was conducted using pre-test and post-test experimental and control groups. METHODS: The study was conducted between March and June 2016 in two kindergartens in eastern Turkey. The study was completed with a total of 195 students, including 90 students in the experimental group and 105 students in the control group. A questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire included sections about the subjects' descriptive characteristics and the results of the bacterial cultures of their hand swabs. For the collection of these swabs, the subjects were informed in advance, and samples were collected at predetermined times. The swabs were analyzed to determine the bacterial colonization of the subjects' hands. Clowns and video activities were used as intervention tools in the study. FINDINGS: In the post-test, the microbial growth was ≤103 in 68.9% and >103 in 31.1% of the subjects in the experimental group. In contrast, the growth was ≤103 in 34.3% and >103 in 65.7% of the control group subjects. The difference in the post-test microbial growths of the two groups was statistically significant (p < .000). CONCLUSIONS: The hygienic handwashing technique taught in the therapeutic clowning and videos reduced the bacterial colonization on the preschool children's hands by 50%. Moreover, this method was effective in reducing the growth rate of coliform bacteria that indicate undesirable, poor hygiene of the hands. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Considering these results, we recommend that pediatric healthcare professionals use entertaining methods such as those involving clowns to teach and guide children regarding hygienic handwashing techniques.

Weaning practices of mothers in eastern Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the practices used by breastfeeding mothers to wean their children from the breast. METHOD: This qualitative-quantitative research was conducted with mothers whose children were registered the pediatric clinics of a state hospital between June and September 2016. In accordance with a purposeful sampling method, 232 mothers of children between the ages of 2 and 5 years were included in the study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire with demographic characteristics of mothers as well as their weaning practices. The data obtained were analyzed with a computer-assisted program using number and percentage distributions. RESULTS: The mean breastfeeding duration was 19.00±7.11 months. It was determined that the majority of mothers (56.5%) used traditional methods for weaning their children. These included applying substances with a bad taste (58.1%) to their breasts, covering their breasts with various materials (26.2%) to make the child not want to nurse anymore, and using a pacifier or feeding bottle (9.2%) to substitute for the mother's breast. CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that more than half of the mothers were used some traditional practices that could cause trauma in their children, instead of natural weaning.

Examination of the Correlation Between Internet Addiction and Social Phobia in Adolescents.

This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted with adolescents to examine the correlation between Internet addiction and social phobia. The population of the study consisted of 24,260 students aged between 11 and 15 years. Sampling method was used from population with known number, and 1,450 students were calculated as sample of the study. In this study, 13.7% of the adolescents had an Internet addiction, and 4.2% spent more than 5 hr on the computer every day. There was a positive correlation between Internet addiction and social phobia. The form of time spent on Internet was examined in terms of addiction and social phobia; although Internet addiction was related to games, dating sites, and web surfing, social phobia was related to homework, games, and web surfing. It was hypothesized that adolescents with social phobia were Internet addicts, and the participants used the Internet to spend time rather than socialize.

The effect of the training given to the child development students about foreign body aspiration upon their knowledge levels.

OBJECTIVE: This study was semi-experimentally conducted in order to determine knowledge levels of child development students about foreign body aspiration and to explore the effect of the training given to these students about foreign body aspiration upon their knowledge levels. METHODS: The research was conducted with a total of 231 students who studied at the department of child development of two high schools and one vocational higher school in Erzincan Province located in the east of Turkiye between May 2011 and February 2012. The data were gathered using a questionnaire form of 38 questions. The training on foreign body aspiration (Power point presentation, video presentation and practice on a dummy) was provided in three phases. For the data evaluation; percentages, chi-square test and Mc Nemar test were used. RESULTS: It was found out in the study that 91.8% of the students did not take any training/course about foreign body aspiration and 55% confronted situations of foreign body aspirations (ear, nose, airway). After the training about foreign body aspiration; it was noted that the number of the students who knew risky behaviors for foreign body aspiration increased and the increase in the number of the students was at the highest level among high schools (p<0.05). It was seen that the training was most effective among the university students in terms of knowing first-aid intervention in case a foreign body would obstruct airway among the children aged<1 year (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: It was noted that the training which was applied on the dummy by using visual aids about foreign body aspiration increased the knowledge level of the students. Based on this finding, it may be recommended that nurses should perform their counseling and educator roles more actively for the families and those who are responsible for the baby care about foreign body aspiration by playing a more active role in the health care team.

The self-esteem and anxiety of children with and without mentally retarded siblings.

BACKGROUND: The study was carried out with the aim of determining the factors affecting and to evaluate anxiety situations and self-esteem of children with and without mentally retarded siblings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sampling included 227 healthy children: 108 of them have mental retarded sibling and 119 of them do not have mental retarded sibling. The context of this study consisted of 15-18 year of age healthy children with mentally retarded siblings and 15-18 year of aged healthy children having at least one sibling between the dates February 15(st) and June 26(st) 2010. Personal Information Form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Trait Anxiety Scale were used. RESULTS: It was found out that trait anxiety of 17-18 aged of children with mental retarded sibling (47.04 ± 7.3) was higher than that of the children without mental retarded siblings (44.05 ± 11.23) (P < 0.05). It was observed that self-esteem of children with mentally retarded sibling was not affected from the handicap of their siblings (P > 0.05). Trait anxiety score averages of children with mentally retarded sibling and experience some difficulties due to his or her siblings's handicap (47.00 ± 7.76) were found higher than those of those of the children without any problem with the environment (42.61 ± 7.48) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although the average score of trait anxiety and self-esteem in both groups were not significant different, score of trait anxiety for children with mentally disabled siblings was higher in comparison. It was concluded that anxiety of children with and without mentally retarded siblings increased as self-esteem of these children decreased.

The effects of giving pacifiers to premature infants and making them listen to lullabies on their transition period for total oral feeding and sucking success.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to assess the effect of giving pacifiers to premature infants and making them listen to lullabies on the transition period to total oral feeding, their sucking success and their vital signs (peak heart rate, respiration rate and oxygen saturation). BACKGROUND: It is very important that preterm infants start oral feeding as soon as possible to survive and get healthy quickly. Previous studies have shown that by using some external stimuli, premature babies can move to oral feeding at an earlier period than 34th gestational week, have increased daily weight gain and be discharged from hospital earlier. DESIGN: In this quasi-experimental and prospective study, 90 premature infants were studied with 30 premature infants allocated to each of pacifier, lullaby and control groups. METHOD: The research was conducted at a neonatal intensive care clinic and premature unit of a university hospital in the east of Turkey between December 2007-January 2009. The data were collected through demographic information form for premature infants, the LATCH Breastfeeding Charting System and patient monitoring. RESULTS: We found that the group who proceeded to the oral feeding in the shortest period was the pacifier group (p < 0·05), followed by the lullaby group and the control group, respectively (p > 0·05). We also found that the highest sucking success was achieved by infants in the pacifier group (p < 0·05) followed by the lullaby group (p > 0·05). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that giving pacifiers to premature infants and making them listen to lullabies has a positive effect on their transition period to oral feeding, their sucking success and vital signs (peak heart rate and oxygen saturation). RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Neonatal intensive care nurses can accelerate premature infants' transition to oral feeding and develop their sucking success by using the methods of giving them pacifiers and making them listen to lullabies during gavage feeding.

The effect of training administered to working mothers on maternal anxiety levels and breastfeeding habits.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the effect of training administered to working mothers and its duration on maternal anxiety levels and breastfeeding habits. BACKGROUND: Within the scope of Health for All in the 21st Century project, a goal was set to increase the rate of infants fed exclusively by breastfeeding during the first six months of life to 80% by the year 2015. DESIGN: A randomised design with repeated measures. METHODS: During collection of pretest data, a Personal Information Form, a Questionnaire Form and a State Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to the mothers in the experimental and control groups. Five home visits were conducted starting two weeks before the date when mothers returned to work and ending when the infants became six months old. Breastfeeding techniques were taught to these mothers. Data were subjected to Proc MEAN, FREQ, anova and GENMOD procedures. RESULTS: The rate of natural feeding (breastfeeding exclusively) among trained mothers was greater than untrained mothers. The frequency of breastfeeding affects maternal anxiety levels; the anxiety level of mothers decreased with increasing frequency of breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Educating working mothers about breastfeeding reduces their anxiety levels and influences positively their breastfeeding habits. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: With the support of health-care staff to increase awareness and knowledge on the value and sufficiency of breast milk, the rate and period of natural feeding increased significantly among working mothers.

The effect of the odor of breast milk on the time needed for transition from gavage to total oral feeding in preterm infants.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the application of the odor of breast milk in preterm infants during gavage feeding on the period of transition to total oral feeding. DESIGN: This prospective experimental study was performed on a total of 80 preterm infants: 40 infants in the study group and 40 in the control group. METHODS: This experimental study was performed in eastern Turkey at the Neonatal Intensive Care and Premature Unit of a university hospital between September 2007 and December 2008. The demographic data were collected via a questionnaire, and an intervention and follow-up table was prepared by the researcher based on relevant literature. The study was approved by the local institution, and written informed consent was obtained from all parents. FINDINGS: The findings of the study indicated that the preterm infants who were stimulated by the odor of breast milk during gavage feeding transitioned to oral feeding 3 days earlier than control subjects. Moreover, the mean hospitalization time of these infants was 4 days shorter. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that stimulation with breast milk odor is an effective method for decreasing transition of preterm infants from gavage to oral feeding. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurses can train mothers to pump their breast milk, stimulate their infants with the odor of their breast milk, and feed it to their infants in the premature unit. This may lead to a quicker transition to oral feeding.

The effects of various interventions to newborns on pain and duration of crying.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effects of mother's milk, sucrose and pacifier use to overcome pain during painful interventions to the newborns on the crying time and pain. BACKGROUND: Various non-pharmacological methods are used to overcome the pain associated with painful interventions with newborns. DESIGN: A prospective, randomised, controlled study involved 120 newborns in Turkey. METHODS: The population consisted of healthy newborns hospitalised in the gynaecology clinics of Trabzon Delivery and Children's Diseases hospital between February 2007-January 2008. The newborns who had blood sampling by heel stick were divided into four groups: mother's milk, sucrose, pacifier and control groups with 30 newborns in each. Data collection was performed using an information form on the newborn characteristics, which was developed by the researchers in the light of literature, clinical IR ear thermometer ET1 for temperature measurement, OXIMAX N-65 Pulse oxymeter for oxygen saturation and heart rate and neonatal infant pain scale for the measurement of the behavioural responses of newborns. Results. No differences were determined between the groups for heart rate and oxygen saturation in the newborns during painful interventions (p > 0·05). Sucrose followed by pacifier was the most effective method of reducing the crying time in the newborns. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that all three practices reduce the behavioural responses to pain at a higher rate than in the control group. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Health care personnel should perform painful interventions to the newborns while the babies are held by their mothers and during the procedure use of sucrose should be the primary choice.

Effectiveness of massage, sucrose solution, herbal tea or hydrolysed formula in the treatment of infantile colic.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of massage, sucrose solution, herbal tea or hydrolysed formula, each used individually in the treatment of infantile colic. BACKGROUND: The term colic describes a group of symptoms that occur frequently in infants, consisting of paroxysmal abdominal pain and severe crying. Infant colic is of importance for both parents and the community health services that provide families with care, and is therefore an important clinical problem that is amenable to nursing interventions. DESIGN: This prospective and randomised-controlled study involved 175 infants in Turkey. METHODS: Data were gathered by using Wessel criteria; parents wrote a daily structured diary, recording the onset and duration of crying. Patients were assigned randomly into four different intervention groups (massage, sucrose solution, herbal tea and hydrolysed formula) and control group. Duration of crying following each intervention was recorded in the diary by parents for a one week period. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in crying hours per day in all intervention groups. The difference between mean duration of total crying (hours/day) before and after the intervention infants in hydrolysed formula group was found higher than massage, sucrose and herbal tea group. The difference between mean duration of total crying(hours/day) before and after the intervention infants in massage group was found lower than other intervention groups and all groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that varied interventions such as administration of massage, sucrose solution, herbal tea and hydrolysed formula are effective in the treatment of colic. The difference between mean duration of total crying (hours/day) before and after the intervention in hydrolysed formula group was found higher than other intervention groups. Hydrolysed formula was the most effective in reducing the duration of crying (hours/day) when compared with the other intervention groups. Massage intervention yielded the least symptomatic improvement among all the interventions. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Colic treatment models used in this study can be used by nurses in neonatal and primary healthcare settings as an aid to families for the treatment of infantile colic.

The effect of nurse training on the improvement of intravenous applications.

This research was performed to determine the effect of training on intravenous applications. The research was conducted between March 2004 and December 2004 as a single group pre-test, post-test, quasi- experimental design. The study population was composed of 45 volunteer nurses working in pediatric clinics of three hospitals at Erzurum city, in eastern Turkey. There was no sampling: the research was started with 45 nurses and completed with 40 nurses. Results of the research indicate that after the nurse training there has been a noticeable improvement in the following practices: intravenous peripheral catheter application skills, handwashing, glove wearing, antiseptic use, collaboration with the child, choice of cannula appropriate for the treatment, adequate securement with tape, record keeping of cannula placement time, informing the parents of the reason for cannula placement and the duration of treatment, informing the parents that it will not affect the mobility of the child and that the nurse can be notified in case of pain or discomfort following the procedure. These results may be useful in determining the weaknesses in the nurses' performance and planning their training accordingly.

Methods used to eliminate colic in infants in the eastern parts of Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Infant colic is a common problem characterized by excessive crying and fussing. There is not a consistent treatment method used to eliminate colic. Mothers make use of various models together to eliminate colic in their infants. This study was carried out to delineate the methods used by mothers to eliminate colic in their infants and to determine the efficacy of the various methods. DESIGN: Descriptive study. METHODS: The study was performed by visiting the homes of 186 babies (1-3 months of age) whose mothers had previously registered at a health center in Eastern Turkey between January 1 and February 28, 2005. Questionnaires and Wessel's criteria were used to obtain the data. The methods used by mothers to eliminate colic were classified as behavioral, natural, and drug treatments and were examined accordingly. RESULTS: According to mothers' statements, 75.8% of the babies had colic, while according to the Wessel criteria, 51.1% had colic symptoms. One hundred percent of the mothers used behavioral treatments, 66% used drug therapies, and 64.5% used natural treatment methods to eliminate colic. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers indicated that they achieved the most benefit from behavioral interventions, followed by natural therapies, and the least from drug treatments.

Complementary and alternative medicine use in pediatric oncology patients in eastern Turkey.

The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) among children with cancer is becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, it is important to gain insight into the prevalence and factors related to the use of CAM. This study presents findings from a study of parents of 88 children with cancer who were receiving or had received conventional therapy for treatment of childhood cancer at a pediatric oncology unit in eastern Turkey. The findings indicated that 48.9% of the respondents reported the use of 1 or more CAM therapies. The most commonly used modality was herbal products such as herbal tea and herbal meal, mostly stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). The findings of this study indicate that CAM users were children who were an average of 3 years older than nonuser children and that CAM use was more prevalent among the children who had been diagnosed with cancer for a longer time than nonusers. There were no significant difference between users and nonusers regarding sociodemographic characteristics (such as age education level, economic status), hopelessness score of parents, gender of child, and treatment status. Healthcare providers should remain informed about the benefits and adverse effects of complementary and alternative therapies to discuss treatment options with patients and their families and to monitor treatment efficacy.

Adolescent immunization rates and the effect of socio-demographic factors on immunization in a cosmopolitan city (ERZURUM) in the eastern Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric vaccinations have decreased the incidence and mortality from infectious diseases in children, but adolescents continue to be adversely affected by vaccine preventable disease. The present study was performed to determine the status of adolescents immunization and to investigate the effect of several socio-demographic factors on immunization. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Using the cluster-sampling method, 817 adolescents were selected in 24 high schools (15,000 students) in central district of Erzurum (Turkey). Adolescents were categorized as completely vaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, unvaccinated or vaccination status unknown. RESULTS: Of the 817 adolescents, 6.9% were completely vaccinated, 24.4% were incompletely vaccinated and 64.1% were unvaccinated. The vaccination status of 4.6% of adolescents was unknown. A significantly correlation was seen between the number of siblings, the level of mother and father education, the level of parent's socio-economics status, health insurance and immunization status. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated a small percentage of adolescents receive all of the recommended vaccine. In immunization programs in Turkey, priority should be given to increase adolescent immunization rate with a middle school and/or adolescents, vaccination.