Taste Alteration in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Undergoing Maintenance Treatment.

The purpose of the present study is to examine taste alteration in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) undergoing maintenance treatment. The population of the study was comprised of children with ALL between the ages of 7 and 18 who received maintenance treatment. The study sample was included 72 children (children with ALL:36 and healthy children: 36) determined by power analysis. This was a cross-sectional study. The children in both groups were applied to the taste test by the researcher. It was determined that there is a statistically significant difference ( P <0.05) between sweet (sucrose), salty (sodium chloride), sour (citric acid), and bitter (quinine hydrochloride) taste test score averages of the children with ALL and healthy children and that the 4 taste test score averages are lower in the experiment group. The taste alterations were determined in the present study for children with ALL undergoing maintenance treatment. Problems of children with cancer such as loss of appetite, negative attitude toward food or weight loss can be reduced or prevented when taste alteration is determined in children with cancer thereby improving the feeding of the children thereby increasing their quality of life.

A qualitative investigation of the professional and social experiences of occupational groups working with individuals with disabilities and their attitudes: An example from Finland.

Working with individuals with disabilities affects the professional and social experiences and attitudes of professional groups. Accordingly, this study aimed to understand the professional and social experiences and attitudes of occupational groups working with individuals with disabilities. A qualitative, descriptive design based on thematic analysis approach was used in this study. The data were collected from 11 staff at the Center for Disability Empowerment in Finland. The results obtained from the study were thematized and eight main themes were established. Some of these main themes are as follows: Opinions about and attitudes toward individuals with disabilities, the effect on personal/inner and spiritual development, satisfaction with occupational performance and key points in working with disabled groups. Working with individuals with disabilities had a positive impact on the attitude and development of the employees from both an occupational and a social perspective. Moreover, it contributed to the professional and personal development of the employees.

Knowledge About Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, and Breast Cancer Risks Among Syrian Immigrants and Turkish Citizens: A Comparative, Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: Cancer affects people regardless of being native or immigrants from developing countries. The most common form of cancer amongst displaced and immigrant women is breast cancer. This study provided a cultural comparison of early diagnosis, screening and breast cancer risks among Syrian immigrants and Turkish citizens in Turkey. Materials and Methods: The study was performed with a descriptive, comparative and cross-sectional design with 589 women (Turkish=302, Syrian=287). A Personal Information Form and Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Form were used for data collection. Results: The knowledge of Syrian immigrant women and behavior regarding breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and screening with a mammogram were significantly lower than those of Turkish women (p<0.05). In addition, Syrian women's information about general breast cancer early diagnosis and screening was poorer. However, the mean breast cancer risk score was higher in Turkish women (p<0.05). Conclusion: The data highlighted the importance of understanding locally specific barriers to breast cancer screening among immigrants and developing national programs to increase cancer education as a means of prevention.

Prevalence of obesity and hypertension in children and determination of associated factors by CHAID analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity and hypertension in children is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and increases the prevalence of heart failure and associated morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and hypertension, as well as the associated risk factors, in school-age children. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 21 schools in Antalya, Turkey. A total of 5160 students between the ages of 5 and 15 years participated in the study. The data were collected using a questionnaire, and students' height, weight, and blood pressure were measured. The data were evaluated using numbers, percentages, mean, and chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis. RESULTS: In all, 11.4% of children were overweight, 11.8% were obese, 6.8% had prehypertension, and 5.7% had hypertension. School level, school location, and father's educational status were determined as factors associated with overweight and obesity; BMI, school level, school location, and mother's working status were determined as factors related to hypertension in the children. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension, overweight, and obesity was found to be significantly high in the children, especially those living in rural areas. Therefore, it is recommended that these health issues be monitored in children and that necessary measures be taken by considering regional differences.

Validity and Reliability of The Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps Scale in Turkey: A Methodological Study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the 'Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps' scale in Turkey. METHOD: A methodological study design was chosen. The data was collected in a primary and secondary school under Antalya Muratpasa District's National Education Directorate. Schools with inclusive classes open to children with special educational needs were chosen using a random sampling method. Four hundred students in primary and secondary education between the ages of 9 and 13 were included in the study. Research data was collected from the chosen schools during the 2016-2017 spring semester. The Child's Descriptive Information Form and Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps scale were used to collect data. Language and content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and reliability analyzes were performed. RESULTS: It was determined that children who have a family member with disabilities had higher scores. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin values were 0.90 and the chi-square value for the Barlett sphericity test was highly significant. The scale was reorganized into a four-factor structure featuring the following subscales: Interaction and Acceptance, Avoidance, Pity, and Sense of Affinity. The results of the analyzes confirm the new structure. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.85. CONCLUSION: The Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Towards Children with Handicaps scale was found to be compatible with Turkish culture. The scale's new factors also reflect general attitudes existing within Turkish culture towards people with disabilities that require change.