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Background and aim: In this prospective study, it was aimed to evaluate effects of obesity on Covid-19 anxiety and role of self-esteem on women in Turkish population. Method(s): Obese (n = 184) and non-obese women (n = 219) who applied to our clinic in the first six months of 2020 were included in the study. The women included in the study were divided into two groups as having Body Mass Index (BMI) 30 or more obese according to the WHO criteria. Demographic information form, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Covid-19 Anxiety Scale was used for data collection. Result(s): Most of the obese participants were housewives, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Family obesity history was more common at obese group with statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Rosenberg self-esteem were lower and Covid-19 Anxiety levels were higher in obese patients with statistically significant differences (p<0.05). obesity, working status and family history were significantly correlated with Covid-19 anxiety (p<0.01). According to GLM model, only obesity had positive contribution to Covid-19 anxiety at multivariate level (p<0.05). The level of Covid-19 anxiety is higher in obese women, and the increase in self-esteem levels decreases this anxiety level. Conclusion(s): In order to reduce this burden, the news and content that indicate obesity as a risk factor in publications about the pandemic should be planned considering the self-esteem of these individuals.Copyright © Mattioli 1885.
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Introduction: Dietary supplement use is continuously increasing in the world and it seems to be more common among women. Data on supplement habits of women in Turkey are still limited. The purpose of this study is to determine dietary supplement use and to evaluate associated factors in Turkish women in the pre-COVID-19 period. Methodology: A total of 727 Turkish women (33.4[10.3] years;25.9[4.57] kg/m2;162.9[6.81] cm) participated in this cross-sectional study. After piloting, the participants completed a six-part questionnaire form that was administered either face-to-face or over the phone by a trained dietitian. The questionnaire intended to collect data about demographic characteristics, use of dietary supplements and factors influencing supplement choices such as eating habits, physical activity and lifestyle habits. Result(s): A total of 307 participants (42.2%) used at least one dietary supplement within the previous year. The most commonly used was iron (30.6%) followed by vitamin D (30.6%), vitamin B12 (26.7%), multivitamins (18.2%), and calcium (11.4%). Supplement use decreased with higher physical activity (p=0.002). Furthermore, it was significantly higher among women who consume meals at regular times (p=0.001) and those that avoid fast food consumption (p=0.014). However, the use of dietary supplements was not associated with lower BMI, older age or higher academic level (p>0.05). Conclusion(s): More than 40% of women were reported using dietary supplements. The use of supplements was not associated with lower BMI, higher physical activity, older age, higher academic level smoking or drinking. Turkish women seem to show a different consumer profile from typical dietary supplement users.Copyright © 2022 Asociacion Espanola de Dietistas-Nutricionistas. All rights reserved.
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COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has rapidly progressed globally started from early days of 2020 and was disseminated to 187 countries and territories by April. As of May 3, 2020, COVID-19 has led to a total of 3,507,442 cases and 245,241 related deaths, globally. Turkey, was successful to delay the first COVID-19 case until March 10, yet, case numbers increased fast, reaching to the top 7th rank in the list of countries with the highest case numbers. It is fortunate that the case-fatality ratio was relatively low, with a somewhat stable course around 2.5%. Somewhat stable course of new case numbers, with an apparent decrease through the end of April led to onset of normalization attempts in the country. The future course of the pandemic will be mainly determined by compliance of the general public with personal hygiene, mask use and social distancing. Globally, COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality rates are lower among children than in adults. Underlying mechanisms for this difference has not been clarified, yet, may be linked to lower exposure rates among children, their immune response may be different and/or higher rates of asymptomatic cases may have lower admissions/testing among children. However, it is important to emphasize that children are prone to SARS-CoV-2, too and all relevant preventions should be ensured. This issue should also be considered in evaluating potential risk of infection transfer from asymptomatic youngsters to the elderly and/or to those with chronic diseases. Data on COVID-19-related case numbers and deaths in Turkey have not been published so far for children. This requires urgent consideration for related reporting and novel research activities on health burden of COVID-19 on Turkish children. Success in combating the COVID-19 pandemic requires concurrent efforts for clinical management of patients together with epidemiological studies of available national data and establishment of specific research to provide evidence for national and international preventive interventions. Learnings from this pandemic will provide direct evidence for management of future pandemics, and all related parties should be motivated to prepare detailed reporting of ongoing efforts and their outputs.
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Background and aims: Ocrelizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody effective against CD20 positive B cells, approved by the FDA in 2017 to treat RRMS and PPMS. Despite these clinical studies, real-life data on ocrelizumab are limited. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center study in Turkey. We obtained medical record data of patients who received at least one infusion of ocrelizumab and were followed for one year before and after treatment initiation. Results: 240 MS patients were included in our study (58.75%) RRMS, (21.25%) SPMS, and (20%) PPMS). Median follow-up was14 months (range, 4-42). 92% of all patients received another DMT or immunosuppressant (98.58% of RRMS, 100% of SPMS, 64.58% of PPMS) prior to treatment with ocrelizumab. ARR before and after initiation of ocrelizumab for both the RRMS and SPMS groups (RRMS, 0.8 vs. 0.1;SPMS, 0.44 vs. 0.04). The most common reason for switching to ocrelizumab was clinical and/or radiological activity. NEDA status at year one was achieved in 88.54% of the RRMS population, and disability progression was found at 12.77% in the same MS subtype. Despite premedication (97.91%), infusion-related reactions were reported in (15.41%). The most common infection in our study was COVID-19 infection (18.33%), followed by urinary and upper respiratory tract infections. Conclusion: According to the first real-world preliminary study in the Turkish MS population using ocrelizumab, it is a well-tolerated, safe, and effective treatment agent in suppressing disease activity in both RRMS and progressive MS forms.
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Purpose: This study aims to determine the effect of religious coping on geriatric anxiety in a group of older Turkish women during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: Implementing a cross-sectional research design, this study was conducted on 356 women who visited the women’s health clinics, for various reasons, in a hospital in Elazig, Turkey, between January and February 2021. Data were collected using a sociodemographic form, the COVID-19 Phobia Scale, the Religious Coping Scale, and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory. Results: The study determined that 78.4% of the women were between 60 and 70 years old, 43.0% had a basic level of literacy, 82.9% were married, 45.8% had equal income and expenditures, and 69.9% were housewives. Data showed 87.9% of the women had chronic diseases and 45.2% had difficulties accessing hospital services. The relationship between geriatric anxiety and the age and marital status of participants was significant. Women aged 71 to 81 years and single women had a higher risk of geriatric anxiety;unemployed women were found to have more geriatric anxiety. Those with geriatric anxiety perceived their health status to be moderate. The negative religious coping score was found to be statistically significantly higher in the older women who experienced geriatric anxiety. Conclusion: These results reveal the importance of supporting older women in coping with fear and geriatric anxiety. Old age often brings loneliness and loss of income for women and those forced to remain at home due to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic period need to be considered holistically.
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Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the values of tracheobronchial angles on computed tomography (CT) and to investigate the relationship between angles and CT severity scores (CT-SS) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. There is no available literature measuring tracheobronchial angles of adult COVID-19 patients and investigating the relationship of angles with pneumonia severity. Material and Methods: This study was a single-center retrospective analysis of 92 RT-PCR positive patients, aged between 18-40 years, who underwent CT between May and October 2020. The right bronchial angles (RBA), left bronchial angles (LBA), subcarinal angles (SCA), and interbronchial angles (IBA) were measured by a radiologist on coronal CT images with the measurement model used in past. CT-SS was calculated by using a visual scoring system with a global score of 0-25. Results: Thirty-seven (40.2%) patients had normal CT imaging and 55 (59.8%) patients had pulmonary involvement. The CT-SS were ranged from 0 to 24, with a median value of 2.5. The mean IBA was calculated as 81.67±15.20°, mean SCA 77.65±15.78°, mean RBA 39.26±7.51°, and mean LBA 43.35±8.43°. No statistically significant difference was found in SCA, IBA, RBA, and LBA between the groups with and without COVID-19 pneumonia (p=0.277, p=0.389, p=0.218, and p=0.227, respectively). Also, no significant correlation was found between tracheobronchial angles and pneumonia CT-SS of the patients. Conclusion: We calculated the distribution range of tracheobronchial angle values in the adult Turkish COVID-19 patients. According to our study, tracheobronchial angles don’t affect the disease severity and clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is increased interest to effectively deliver educational curricula remotely to diverse student populations. Case-based cadaveric MRI visualization and extended reality (XR) technology enhances learning experiences in medicine. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that a virtual, multi-departmental workflow utilizing MRI, XR technology, and a “patient” group, represented by the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) Willed Body Program, supplements case-based learning and promotes student exploration and engagement equally in cross-cultural cohorts represented by American and Turkish medical students. Virtual case-based learning activities were developed and presented to American medical students at JABSOM and Turkish medical students, selected based on education and English proficiency, via Zoom. Subject, medical history, and physical exam data were presented to students who were then divided into breakout rooms where hypotheses regarding cadaveric, neurological findings were generated. Students then reviewed radiology and pathology reports and accessed relevant 3D segmented, photogrammetric and illustrative models. An optional survey was completed to evaluate student opinion based on a 5-point Likert scale. Comparisons between groups were performed using a non-parametric Mann Whitney U test. Data was reported as mean, median (min-max), and percentile. Significant differences (two-tailed P) less than 0.05 were significant. Results revealed significant differences between American (n=40) and Turkish (n=16) student opinion. The Turkish scale was significantly higher when asked if MRI scans of cadavers were useful as online learning tools (p =0.002), if MRI scans of cadavers provided an understanding of relevant anatomy (p<0.001), if 3D models provided a better understanding of anatomical relationships (p<0.001), whether students would like more interactive sessions using MRI scans (p<0.001), and if students would use similar resources in the future (p<0.001). The American scale was higher when asked if students were able to communicate effectively with their breakout groups (p=0.037). The learning activity was positively received by both cohorts as shown by no average score less than a 4 out of 5 for each question. The American scales may have been lower due to having previous experience with similar activities, whereas the learning activity was novel and exciting to Turkish students. Differences in communicating effectively in breakout rooms can be explained by the fact that American students were broken into longitudinal dissection groups, whereas Turkish students were randomly assigned. Based on these results, case-based learning, utilizing MRI and XR technology, enhances the learning experience of medical students and can be expanded to cross-cultural student populations.
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Background: Physical inactivity is one of the greatest problems facing the world today. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of barriers to physical activity for middle-aged adults during the COVID-19. Methods: Using an online survey, a sample of the Turkish population (n = 432: 48.6% female, 51.4% male; mean age 57.3 years) answered questions about sociodemographic characteristics as well as barriers to participation in physical activity during COVID-19 process. A scale of barriers to physical activity was used to determine the barriers to physical activity faced by the participants COVID-19 process. Since the data were homogeneously distributed across binary groups, independent t-tests and ANOVAs were performed for groups of three or more. In addition, if there were significant differences in the results of the ANOVA, Tukey’s post hoc test was also applied. The data were analyzed using SPSS Version 22.0. (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: According to the findings of this study, barriers to physical activity increase significantly as perceived health status decreases, and women’s barriers to physical activity, participation are greater than those of men, and increase with age. At the same time, the strongest relationship was found for environmental factors. In addition, important results were found for the personal and social environment dimensions, and we also found that barriers to physical activity increase significantly with age. Conclusions: Finally, we determined that the barriers to physical activity for individuals with COVID-19 were significantly greater at the personal level compared to those who did not have COVID-19. That is the COVID-19 process negatively affected participation in physical activity.
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The proceedings contain 108 papers. The topics discussed include: toll-like receptor 3 c.1377C/T and -7C/A polymorphisms in COVID-19 infection;a cleft palate with 49, XXXXY karyotype: A case report;a case with atypical autism and hereditary motor sensory neuropathy;investigation of genetic etiology in gastrointestinal cancer patients with next generation sequencing method;a rare disease associated with the CDK13 gene: CHHDFIDD;a case report of pericentric inversion, inv (21) (p12;q22) in repeated pregnancy loss;a case of rare CYP26B1-related craniosynostosis in a Turkish female patient;a novel homozygous mutation in CYP11A1 gene in 46, XX patient with P450scc deficiency;and a novel homozygous variant in SUOX gene causes classic isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency: a case report.