Assessment of parents´ knowledge regarding phenylketonuria and its affecting factors: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: the management of phenylketonuria (PKU) is complex. Practical skills and knowledge of individuals taking care of PKU patients are important for treatment compliance. This study investigated parents´ knowledge about PKU and its affecting factors. The study group consisted of 62 parents of PKU patients. Methods: data were collected using a ready-made questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, PKU and dietary treatment. Total knowledge score (KS) was calculated by giving 5 points for each correct answer. Results: the study included 34 mothers and 28 fathers; 90.3% of patients were diagnosed during the newborn screening program, 6.5% between ages 1 and 2, and 3.2% at age 6 or after. Among all, 38.7% presented to their follow-up appointments with their mothers, 61.3% with both their parents and none with their father alone. Mothers answered all questions more accurately than fathers. Mothers´ and fathers´ mean KSs were 73.97 ± 12.72 and 53.04 ± 22.25, respectively. The highest KS was obtained among parents whose children were 13 years of age or older. Conclusion: the presence of another family member, parents´ education level, working status and professional qualifications, previous training on PKU and family´s economic status were the affecting factors. Creating a PKU dietary plan requires knowledge and diligence. Patients and their parents should be periodically informed about the disease and dietary treatment in order to increase their level of knowledge.

Sleep problems of adolescents: A detailed survey.

We investigated the sleep problems and sleep habits of adolescents at three public primary schools and two high schools. Our study included 428 Turkish school children (244 girls and 184 boys). We used a questionnaire to determine the time they went to sleep at night; waking time in the morning; incidence of nightmares, snoring, daytime sleepiness, and intrafamilial physical trauma; concentration difficulty in class; and school success. The students were divided into age-related groups (group 1 = 11 to 13 years of age; group 2 = 14 to 15 years; group 3 = 16 to 18 years). The time they went to sleep was mostly between 10 and 11 p.m. in groups 1 and 2, and 11 to 12 p.m. in group 3. Difficulty in falling asleep was reported by 16.8 to 19.6% of the students in the three groups. Difficulty in waking up in the morning was reported by 12.7% of group 1, 16.0% of group 2, and 16.8% of group 3. Snoring was present in 12.1% of females and 22.0% of males. The occurrence of one nightmare in the preceding 3 months was reported by 11.3% of the students; 17.9% of the students reported having nightmares several times. Daytime sleepiness was present in 65.1%, and concentration difficulty was present in 56.8% of the students. We conclude that difficulty in falling asleep, snoring, and daytime sleepiness may be seen in adolescents who are in both primary and high schools. Watching inappropriate programs and movies on television and intrafamilial physical trauma may cause nightmares and sleeping problems in these adolescents. Students and families should be educated about the importance of sleep in academic performance. Countries' public health policies should address sleep problems and related educational activities.

Nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy in Turkey.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status, and provide information regarding anthropometric measurements of cerebral-palsied children living in the city of Ankara, Turkey. METHOD: A total of 447 children with cerebral palsy (CP) were participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were assessed for functional motor impairment by the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS). Assesment of nutritional status was based on the triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), arm fat area (AFA) estimates derived from TSF and mid-upper arm circumference measurements. TSF and AFA Z-scores were computed using reference data. RESULTS: Cerebral-palsied children had lower TSF and AFA Z-scores compared to reference data from healthy children. The prevalence of underweight and overweight among boys was 8.3 and 9.5%, respectively, whereas it was 19.0 and 0.5% for girls. Underweight was more prevalent in the low functioning children than in moderate functioning children. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that cerebral-palsied children face nutritional challenges. Underweight is more prevalent than overweight among cerebral-palsied children. To optimize the outcomes of rehabilitation and prevention efforts, an understanding of the heterogeneity of nutritional status among children with CP is required.

Subjective tinnitus and hearing problems in adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the hearing problems and tinnitus frequencies in adolescents at three public primary and two high schools. METHODS: This study was carried out at three public primary and two high schools. 428 Turkish school children (244 girls, 184 boys) were asked to voluntarily answer a set of questionnaires in their classrooms at the beginning of the training program. There were 250 students (105 male, 145 female) in Primary School and 178 (79 male, 99 female) students in High School. We used questionnaire to evaluate subjective tinnitus and hearing problems. Walkman usage, listening loud and noisy music, intra-familial physical trauma, concentration difficulty in class and school success were also evaluated. RESULTS: In age-related groups (Group 1=11-13 years; Group 2=13-15 years; Group 3=16-18 years), hearing loss was present in 32.1% of Group 1, 19% of Group 2 and 28.3% of Group 3. Listening loud and noisy music was reported in 81.8% of Group 1, 95.4% of Group 2 and 87% of Group 3. Tinnitus was present 36.8% in Group 2, 33.5% in Group 1 and 31.5% in Group 3. Tinnitus after listening loud music was present in 42.7% of Group 2, 36.1% of Group 3 and 25.6% of Group 1. Among all students with tinnitus, 19.5% considered their school success as very good, 41.1% as good and 39.4% as bad. In students, using Walkman, tinnitus was seen both in the right and left ears. CONCLUSION: Tinnitus may be seen in adolescents at primary and high schools. Listening loud and noisy music and Walkman usage may cause an increase in the frequency of tinnitus manifestation. Adolescents should be educated about the hazardous effects of loud music. Education should include families, teachers, students, and whole community. These issues should be taken into public health policy of the countries.