The 5-year incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women older than 15 years in Ankara, Turkey: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant cause of morbidity and premature mortality especially in adults. In Turkey, there are few studies on DM incidence. This study aimed to determine the incidence of type 2 DM in women 15 years or older in Turkey. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was performed from December 2002 to May 2003. Preliminary population-based screening was performed in 1997 and 1998 on women 15 years or older living in 4 villages in the Gölbasi, Ankara province. Five hundred sixty-three women who were considered nondiabetic in the first study comprised the population for the present study. Data collection was accomplished by using a questionnaire and randomly measuring the blood glucose levels of the women. The chi and Fisher exact tests were used to analyze the risk factors for DM. RESULTS: The 5-year incidences of type 2 DM, impaired glucose tolerance, and impaired fasting glucose were 2.3%, 0.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. The 5-year incidence of type 2 DM increased with age (P < 0.05). The DM incidence was 6.2% in those with mixed-type hypertension and 4.0% in those with a body mass index of 30 kg/m or higher. At 5-year follow-up, age (>or=35 years), hypertension, and body mass index (>or=30 kg/m) were the risk factors for incidence of abnormal glucose metabolism (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of abnormal glucose metabolism in this study is in accord with that in the literature. Our results will contribute to our understanding of the incidence of DM in women in Turkey.

Self-medication with antibiotics: questionnaire survey among primary care center attendants.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and reasons for self-medication with antibiotics within the last 12 months among primary healthcare center attendants aged 18 or over, in Ankara. METHODS: A questionnaire was applied by face to face interview technique to 2696 subjects attending at five primary healthcare centers. Information on demographic characteristics, intention to self-medication with antibiotics and self-medication within last 12 months were collected. RESULTS: It was found that 28% of the subjects were storing antibiotics at home. The percentage of self-administering antibiotics was 19.1% in the last 12 months. The most common reasons for self-administration of antibiotics were sore throat (59.6%), fever (46.2%), and cough (40.0%). Other reasons were dental infection, rheumatism, and fatigue. According to age groups, the most common self-medicating group was those aged 40-49 with 23% while the least self-usage was in the 60-69 age groups with 11.8%. Male sex, being single, educational level of secondary school or higher, being employed and not having social security increased self-administration of antibiotics (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated the need for legal regulations regarding the sale of antibiotics without prescription and, health education is required for the community to decrease the inappropriate use of antibiotics and self-medication.

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in the elderly living in nursing homes.

BACKGROUND: : Communal living situations such as nursing homes create a risk for the spread of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and HCV in the elderly living in 2 nursing homes in Ankara, Turkey. METHODS: : A total of 227 persons (mean age, 76.11 +/- 8.55 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. All individuals were investigated seroprevalence for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBs immunoglobulin G (IgG), anti-hepatitis B core IgG, and anti-HCV IgG. RESULTS: : Positive seroprevalence was 11.9% for HBsAg, 48.0% for anti-HBs IgG, 25.1% for anti-hepatitis B core IgG, and 2.5% for anti-HCV IgG. Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity was 12.4% in males and 11.5% in females (P > 0.05); and the seroprevalence was 10.4% for those living in nursing homes for 1 year or less and 13.0% for those living in nursing homes for more than 1 year (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: : The fact that nearly half of those living in nursing homes had not encountered hepatitis B infection or had not received hepatitis B vaccination indicates the need for administering hepatitis B vaccines in this group.

Burnout and its correlates among nursing staff: questionnaire survey.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study to determine the burnout level and its correlates in nurses. BACKGROUND: Healthcare providers and especially nurses are generally considered a high risk group regarding work stress and burnout and this syndrome has been a major concern in the field of occupational health. METHOD: The study was carried out at a university hospital in Turkey during May-June 2005. A total of 418 nurses from the 474 working at the hospital at the time (88.2%) answered a self-administered questionnaire including the Maslach Burnout Inventory. FINDINGS: All the nurses were female, with a mean age of 30.6 (5.4) and a median age of 29 years. The mean score was 17.99(6.35) for the Emotional Exhaustion subscale, 5.72 (3.87) for the Depersonalization subscale and 19.83 (4.66) for the Personal Accomplishment subscale. Emotional Exhaustion decreased with increasing age (P < 0.05). Total time in the job, weekly working hours, shift-working and the unit where employed influenced burnout scores (P < 0.05). Not being happy with relations with superiors, not finding the job suitable, feeling anxious about the future, perceived poor health, problems with personal life and financial difficulties were also factors influencing burnout scale scores (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to consider nurses having the characteristics shown as the correlates of burnout in this study as a target group, to screen periodically the burnout status and improve their working conditions, especially relationships with colleagues.

Water usage habits and the incidence of diarrhea in rural Ankara, Turkey.

This aim of this study was to determine water usage behavior and incidence of diarrhea during the summer months among people in rural areas of Turkey. Information was collected using a questionnaire during face-to-face interviews with people aged 18 years and over in their homes. Diarrhea was detected in 31.7% of the 543 households included in the study in the summer of 2003. The percentage of those living in the study area experiencing at least one bout of diarrhea was 10.0%. The diarrhea episode rate was 18.7%. A logistic regression model of factors that could influence the incidence of diarrhea showed that the reported distance between the septic tank and the well, the total monthly household income and water shortages of longer than 12h had a significant effect on diarrhea incidence (P<0.05). The fact that water shortages are the biggest risk factor for diarrhea points to the need for (i) health education to raise awareness and (ii) the supply of equipment to enable households to use both the first running water after a water shortage and the water they have collected during the shortage as drinking water.

Incidence of stress urinary incontinence among women in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of stress urinary incontinence among women at the age of 15 and above who applied to the primary health care centers in Ankara, Turkey. We applied the urinary stress incontinence questionnaire to 2,601 women at the age of 15 or above who consulted to the "mother-child health care and family planning centers" in January 2002. To evaluate the urinary incontinence status with respect to age groups and other risk factors, chi-square test was used. Stress incontinence prevalence was 16.1% in our population. Age was a statistically significant risk factor affecting the incidence of stress incontinence. As the number of gravida increases, the frequency of stress incontinence increases (p<0.05). Presence of a systemic disease was also an important risk factor (p<0.05). Alcohol use and smoking were not found to affect the incidence of urinary stress incontinence (p>0.05). As urinary incontinence greatly influences life quality and social and psychological status of the person, and also creates economic burden, predisposing factors of stress incontinence should be well defined and measures should be taken to encourage women experiencing this problem to visit a doctor and to get an efficient treatment.