The Relationship Between International Students' Health Perceptions and Their Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors.

This study was carried out to examine the relationship between international students' health perceptions and their healthy lifestyle behaviors. This descriptive and relational study was conducted with 216 international students studying at a university in Turkey. Study data were collected using the descriptive information form, the Perception of Health Scale (PHS) and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II). Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. It was determined that the health perception and healthy lifestyle behaviors of the international students involved in this study were moderately positive. The study found a weak and positive relationship between PHS and the physical activity, nutrition and stress management subdimensions of HPLP, while a moderate positive relationship was identified between PHS and the spiritual growth and interpersonal relations subdimensions of HPLP. No relationship was observed between PHS and the health responsibility subdimension of HPLP. The fact that students have a positive perception of health reflects positively on their healthy lifestyle behaviors. It is important to disseminate education programs aimed at improving the health perception and healthy lifestyle behaviors of international students within the university.

Efficacy of Buzzy® on pain and anxiety during catheterization in children.

BACKGROUND: The use of a peripheral intravenous cannula is a common clinical practice, and it is known to be a major source of pain and anxiety in children. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the use of the Buzzy® on pain and anxiety in children during peripheral cannula application. METHODS: The research sample consisted of 60 children between the ages of 8 and 16. For children in the experimental group, external cold and vibration were applied by means of the Buzzy® device. Before and during the peripheral intravenous cannula procedure, the levels of fear and anxiety relating to the procedure of the child patients in both the experimental and control groups were assessed by the children themselves and by an independent observer. Immediately after the vein entry procedure had been carried out, the level of pain felt by the children was determined. RESULTS: The results of the statistical analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the anxiety levels of the groups before and after the procedure (P > 0.05). The results of the statistical analysis also showed no statistically significant difference between the postprocedural mean pain scores of the children as reported by the children themselves and by the observer (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, unlike most studies in the literature, the conclusion was reached that the use of the Buzzy® to reduce pain and anxiety during the application of a peripheral intravenous cannula in children was not effective.

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: Body Safety Training for Young Children in Turkey.

The "Body Safety Training Program" is an education program aimed at ensuring children are informed about their body and acquire self-protection skills. In this study, a total of 83 preschoolers were divided into experimental and control groups; based on a power analysis, 40 children comprised the experimental group, while 43 children comprised the control group. The "Body Safety Training Programme" was translated into Turkish and content validity was determined regarding the language and cultural appropriateness. The "What If Situations Test" (WIST) was administered to both groups before and after the training. Mann-Whitney U Test, Kruskal-Wallis Variance Analysis, and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test were used to compare between the groups and the Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the strength of the relationship between the dependent and independent variable. The differences between the pretest and posttest scores for the subscales (appropriate recognition, inappropriate recognition, say, do, tell, and reporting skills), and the personal safety questionnaire (PSQ) score means for the children in the experimental group were found to be statistically significant (p < .001). The posttest-pretest difference score means of the experimental group children for WIST saying, doing, telling and reporting, total skills, and PSQ were found to be statistically significant as compared to that of the control group (p < .05). The "Body Safety Training programme" is effective in increasing the child sexual abuse prevention and self-protection skills in Turkish young children.

Determining the Appropriateness of the "What If" Situations Test (WIST) with Turkish Pre-Schoolers.

Measurement instruments are needed to assess the child's sexual abuse prevention program. The purpose of the study was to determine the reliability and validity of the WIST (What If Situations Test) for Turkish culture. Participants were children of the 3-6 age group attending pre-school education institutions and the sample size was identified by means of a power analysis. Seventy children were identified as the sample with 0.85 power and 0.05 type I error according to the power analysis. Language validity, content validity, internal validity coefficient (Cronbach alpha coefficient), and test-retest analyses were conducted in terms of validity and reliability in the scope of efforts for adaptation to Turkish culture. Firstly, Kendall W = 0.83 was the score for the expert opinions concerning the content validity of the language validity scale. It was found that the Cronbach alpha coefficients were between 0.68 and 0.90 for the scale sub-dimensions of appropriate and inappropriate recognition, saying, doing, telling, and reporting. The test-retest reliability of the scale was found to be r = 0.89 and the test-retest reliabilities for the sub-dimensions (appropriate recognition, inappropriate recognition, say skills, do skills, tell skills, and reporting skills) were between r = 0.48 and r = 0.92. The test-retest reliability for the Personal Safety Questionnaire (PSQ), as having complimentary items to the WIST, was found to be r = 0.82. The reliability and validity analysis of the 'What If' Situations Test (WIST), used to evaluate pre-schoolers' skills regarding self-protection against sexual abuse, showed that the Test's adaptation to Turkish culture was reliable and valid.