Frequency, severity and risk factors for restless legs syndrome in healthcare personnel.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency, severity, and risk factors for restless legs syndrome (RLS) in healthcare personnel. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed at the Outpatient Family Medicine Clinic of Meram Medical Faculty in Konya, Turkey and included 354 healthcare personnel who were working at the Meram Medical Faculty Hospital between October 2010 and June 2011. The International RLS (IRLS) rating scale was used to calculate RLS severity. The RLS symptoms positive patients were investigated for neurological examination. RESULTS: Of all the participants, 277 (78.2%) were female. The overall prevalence of RLS according to the 4 essential criteria in the participating healthcare personnel was 15% (n=53) (16.9% male, 14.4% female). Gender (p=0.726) and age (p=0.197) were not significantly related to RLS. According to the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) the severity scale for RLS, of the RLS positive patients, 16% were classified as mild (n=8), 40% as moderate (n=21), and 44% as severe (n=24). Approximately, 54.7% of 53 RLS patients had a positive family history of the disorder. CONCLUSION: Restless leg syndrome is a treatable disorder; however, it is still widely misdiagnosed by physicians. The history of the patient and family is very important in the diagnosis of RLS.

Assessment of effects of pre- and post-training programme for healthcare professionals about breastfeeding.

This retrospective study assessed the effects of pre- and post-training programme for healthcare professionals about breastfeeding. The study included 3,114 mothers who had children aged 1-72 month(s). Their knowledge and behaviours relating to breastfeeding were evaluated. The mothers were randomly divided into two groups: the 'before' group included 2,000 women who were not informed about breastfeeding, and the 'after' group comprised 1,114 women who had been informed about breastfeeding. 56.2% and 66.1% of the mothers started breastfeeding within 30 minutes after delivery, respectively, in the before and the after group (chi2 = 29.31, p < 0.001). 16.7% and 36.5% gave exclusive breastfeeding for six months (chi2 = 72.85, p < 0.001), and 28.5% and 23.7% stopped breastfeeding within the first five months (chi2 = 17.20, p = 0.002). Ninety-four percent delivered in a hospital or in a primary healthcare centre. Therefore, prenatal and postnatal breastfeeding education and support courses may improve a woman's chance of starting and continuing to breastfeed her baby. In terms of the number of antenatal check-ups, since the differences between the two groups were significant (chi2 = 390.67, p = 0.000), the importance of the training programme about breastfeeding was highlighted. Follow-up interventions after training are suggested.

Evaluation of the mini-mental state examination among the elderly people in Konya, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate cognitive function by using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) among the elderly people in Konya, Turkey, and to examine the acceptance, and screening efficacy of the MMSE in the family medicine practice setting. METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out between 15th December 2004 and 15th February 2005, in Konya, Turkey. Two hundred elderly people were included in the study. Participants were selected from the cases who were at least 65 years of age and older. Cognitive levels were assessed with the MMSE. Two different MMSE forms for educated and uneducated individuals were applied. Socio-demographic characteristics, orientation, registry memory, attention and calculation, recall, and language status were determined. The data were evaluated with SPSS 10.0 software. RESULTS: Participants of 65 years of age and older (36.5% women, n=73 and 63.5% men, n=127) were included in this study. The age interval of participants was 65 and 85, and the mean age was 71.02 (SD=4.569). Of the participants, 66% (n=132) were uneducated, and 34% (n=68) were educated. The mean score of MMSE was 23.33 (SD=4.799). The score of MMSE was considered as normal when the value was 24 and over. Of the participants, 57% (n=114) were evaluated as normal score and 43% (n=86) as abnormal score. The female mean MMSE score was 21.808 (SD=5.352). The male mean MMSE score was 24.204 (SD= 4.230). It was observed that cognitive impairment was higher among women than men (p=0.002). When we compared the cognitive status, there was no significant difference between uneducated and educated people (p>0.05). The cognitive function of participants with a dominant left hand was significantly lower than those with a dominant right hand (p=0.027). CONCLUSION: Family physicians should be able to competently diagnose, evaluate, and initiate treatment in most patients with dementia. Physicians should be familiar with psychometric instruments such as the MMSE. These instruments are useful both to diagnose Alzheimer`s dementia and follow patients on therapy. The MSSE should be used by family physicians of elderly patients, as early diagnosis and treatment will enable patients to retain the greatest possible functional capacity, and may allow families to care for the patient successfully for a longer period. Consequently, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial for people with dementia.

The correlation of the total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and paraoxonase activity (PON1) with smoking.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to assess the total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and paraoxonase activity (PON1) in smokers and nonsmokers. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 100 smokers and 100 nonsmokers. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), TAS, TOS and PON1 levels of the participants were determined in the blood samples. TAS and TOS were determined by using the automated measurement method. Paraoxon was used as a substrate for measuring PON1 activity. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference could not be found between smokers and nonsmokers in terms of mean FBG, LDL-c, HDL-c, TC, TG, TAS, TOS, PON1, oxidative stress index (OSI) and body mass index (BMI). Mean TAS and TOS levels were higher in men than women (p=0.001). As age (p=0.022) and age to start smoking (p=0.023) increased, TOS level decreased. As the age to start smoking (p=0.001) increased, TAS level decreased whereas as BMI (p=0.001) increased, TAS level also increased. A statistically significant relationship could not be established between age, age to start smoking, duration and amount of smoking, dependence score and BMI and PON1 (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, although no significant correlation could be established between smokers and nonsmokers in terms of mean TAS, TOS and PON1, it is a fact that TAS, TOS and PON1 in the organism are affected by many factors and therefore there is a need for more extensive studies in this regard.