Development of a scale for attitude toward sexually transmitted infections based on the Health Belief Model.

OBJECTIVES: Determination of the attitudes of individuals toward sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can also help identify barriers to health service-seeking behavior. Hence, this study aimed to develop a scale for determining the attitudes of individuals toward sexually transmitted diseases. STUDY DESIGN: This was a methodological study. The Health Belief Model (HBM) framework was used to elucidate the perceptions and interpretations of illnesses among individuals. After reviewing the relevant literature, an item pool was created to include 4 dimensions (perceived susceptibility (A), perceived severity (B), perceived benefit (C), and perceived barriers and self-efficacy (D)) about sexually transmitted diseases from the perspective of HBM. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the construct validity of the scale. Moreover, confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the suitability of the items in terms of factor structures. RESULTS: The final version of the scale comprised 19 items and 4 subdimensions. The first subdimension of the scale accounted for 20.11% of the total variance, whereas the second, third, and fourth subdimensions accounted for 17.83%, 12.50%, and 8.75% of the total variance, respectively. Collectively, these four subdimensions accounted for 59.19% of the total variance. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.74. CONCLUSIONS: Briefly, the present study led to the development of a novel assessment tool, Attitude Toward Sexually Transmitted Infections Scale. Higher scores on the scale indicated higher likelihood of taking action for a possible STI treatment according to the HBM approach.

Turkish Validity and Reliability of Comprehensive Diabetes Self-Management Scale.

Objectives: A self-care approach is very important in diabetes management. In this study, it was aimed to make the Turkish validity and reliability of the Comprehensive Diabetes Self-Management Scale (CDSMS), which examines the behaviors of diabetes patients. Methods: The study is of methodological type. CDSMS, which was translated into Turkish from its original version and tested for language validity, was first included in the pilot application and then in the main study. The validity of the scale was evaluated by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Then, a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the cut off score. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 57.10 ± 11.20 years and the mean disease duration was 9.96 ± 7.79 years. The internal consistency of CDSMS was 0.73, which was measured using Cronbach's alpha. After the ROC analysis, the optimal cut-point score of CDSMS to predict good glycemic control was determined as 21.17 points. Conclusion: With this study, it was found that the Turkish version of CDSMS is valid and reliable for use in the Turkish population. It is thought that CDSMS will be beneficial to physicians working in the clinic in terms of showing the disease management skills of diabetic patients.

The prevalence of peer bullying and psychiatric symptoms among high school students in southeast Turkey.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of bullying among high school students, its associated factors, and the effects of engaging in bullying behaviors on mental health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2021 and 2022 in the province with the highest population of children in the Southeast Anatolia region of Turkey. The data of the study were collected using the Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire prepared by the researchers, Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 42 (DASS-42). RESULTS: Of the 880 students who participated in the study, 34.2% reported being a victim of bullying and 13.9% reported bullied someone. Regression analysis revealed that overweight/obesity was a risk factor for both victims and bullies. On the other hand, male gender and alcohol consumption were significantly associated with bullying. Scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly higher in both the victim and the bullying groups compared to students who did not fall into this cycle. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that bullying in school creates problems not only for the bullying victims but also for the bullies. Health professionals assessing youth should be aware of the characteristics of young people who may be involved in bullying.

Effect of elderly individuals' perceptions and attitudes toward COVID-19 pandemic on rejecting COVID-19 vaccination.

Despite the fact that COVID-19 vaccines serve as an important tool for protection against COVID-19 infection, in individuals aged above 65 years, as well as the entire community, there are significant problems associated with getting vaccinated. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of perceptions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 epidemic in individuals over the age of 65 living in Sanliurfa, Turkey in 2021, on the situation of having COVID-19 vaccination. The study is designed as a case-control type of research. The study population was comprised of individuals aged 65 years and above located in Sanliurfa, Turkey. The Case Group consisted of individuals, who rejected the COVID-19 vaccination and the Control Group consisted of individuals who have received the vaccine. The individuals recruited in the Case and Control Groups were selected by means of the snowball sampling method. The study included a total of 240 individuals including 120 in the Case Group and 120 in the Control Group. Rate of vaccine rejection was higher in individuals who believed that the media exaggerated the pandemic, the disease had low contagiousness, the pandemic was a conspiracy, the environmental pollution had no role in the disease, the domestic measures taken against the epidemic were inadequate, the personal hygiene could not protect from disease, and who did not believe that the disease was inevitable [p < 0.05]. Governments have a lot of responsibilities in providing accurate information about vaccination to people and increasing confidence in the health system.