Occupational health of Turkish Aegean small-scale fishermen.

BACKGROUND: Fishing has always been a dangerous occupation, and numerous factors have a direct or indirect impact on the health of fisherman. AIMS: To examine the health, safety and working conditions of small-scale fishing fleets in the Turkish Aegean Sea coasts. METHODS: Data were obtained from a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of small-scale fishermen along the Aegean Sea coast. Data collection took place between September 2009 and January 2010. RESULTS: Out of 5714 Aegean Sea small-scale fishermen, 1166 from 76 fishing ports participated. Twenty-nine per cent of fishermen did not have any social security cover. The most prevalent health problems (using International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision [ICD-10]) found were musculoskeletal problems (e.g. discopathies, muscular strain, rheumatism) and eye, ear-nose, digestive and urinary system problems. Alcohol consumption was high (68%) in fishermen and 72% reported that they smoked more during fishing trips. Health problems appeared to be associated with a number of factors including migrant status, income satisfaction, rank, type of fishing and cumulative work per year. CONCLUSIONS: In Turkey, small-scale fishermen experience a significant number of health problems and have unhealthy lifestyles. Interventions designed to improve working conditions of small-scale fishermen could help to reduce the number of occupational injuries, which in turn may impact positively on their health. Prevention policies to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption should also be developed.

Publication rates of public health theses in international and national peer-review journals in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Thesis is an important part of specialisation and doctorate education and requires intense work. The aim of this study was to investigate the publication rates of Turkish Public Health Doctorate Theses (PHDT) and Public Health Specialization (PHST) theses in international and Turkish national peer-review journals and to analyze the distribution of research areas. METHODS: List of all theses upto 30 September 2009 were retrieved from theses database of the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Turkey. The publication rates of these theses were found by searching PubMed, Science Citation Index-Expanded, Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBIM) Turkish Medical Database, and Turkish Medline databases for the names of thesis author and mentor. The theses which were published in journals indexed either in PubMed or SCI-E were considered as international publications. RESULTS: Our search yielded a total of 538 theses (243 PHDT, 295 PHST). It was found that the overall publication rate in Turkish national journals was 18%. The overall publication rate in international journals was 11.9%. Overall the most common research area was occupational health. CONCLUSION: Publication rates of Turkish PHDT and PHST are low. A better understanding of factors affecting this publication rate is important for public health issues where national data is vital for better intervention programs and develop better public health policies.

What kinds of hand injuries are more likely to result in amputation? An analysis of 6549 hand injuries.

We analysed 6549 hand injuries treated between 1992 and 2005 at a specialist hospital in Turkey to identify risk factors for amputations. There were 2899 (44%) hand amputations. Left-side injuries were more prone to amputation. The risk of amputation was higher in men, workers and those in the 15-24 and 45-54 year-old age groups. Compared to home, commercial areas were the places with highest risk, followed by farms and industrial/construction areas. The majority of amputations occurred in industrial/construction areas (87%). Among objects/substances producing injury, watercraft led to the highest risk of amputation and contact with machinery was the mechanism with highest risk. Press machines were the most frequent objects causing amputation both in men and women, followed almost equally by powered wood cutters in men. Doors were the most frequent objects of amputation in children, followed by powered wood cutters. Education, enforcement, and improved engineering are the keys to prevent amputations. Precluding illegal child labour is essential.