A population- based study on awareness of heart attack in Aydin city-Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge and awareness of risk factors and warning signs of heart attack in a selected sample of the Turkish population. METHODS: Population-based cross-sectional study was carried out with people over age 40 years in Aydin. The study group was determined by multi-stage sampling method (simple random and cluster sampling methods). Questionnaire was administered during face-to-face interviews in the participants' homes. Chi-square and t-test were used for analytical evaluation. Risk assessments were performed utilizing logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The percentage of participants who did not know what a heart attack is and its warning signs were 42.3% and 23.2%, respectively. Overall, 11.8% were unaware of risk factors. Loss of consciousness/fainting, chest pain, radiation of pain were reported as three major warning signs. Among risk factors, stress was ranked as the most common, followed by smoking. It was determined that age, place of residence, education, occupation, self-reported risk factors had effect on the knowledge for major warning signs (p<0.05). In multivariate analysis, the factors having a negative effect on knowledge of major warning signs were having primary school/lower level of education (OR=2.447, 95%CI 1.773-3.378; p<0.0001), being older (OR=1.020, 95%CI 1.007-1.032, p=0.002), living in urban area (OR=1.493, 95%CI 1.133-1.968, p=0.004), being unemployed (OR=1.436, 95%CI 1.010-2.041, p=0.044) and absence of self-reported risk factors (OR=1.965, 95%CI 1.201-3.216, p=0.007). The percentage of participants stated that the first action to take for a person having heart attack was to put them on their back, open their collar, elevate their feet was 24.1%. They had learned information about the symptoms and the risk factors from television (28.6%) and neighbors/relatives (28.3%). CONCLUSION: This study revealed the need for increasing awareness utilizing community based education programs and the mass media.

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of nursing and midwifery students regarding breast self-examination in Turkey.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To investigate knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of nursing and midwifery students regarding breast self-examination (BSE). DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional. SETTING: Aydin School of Health at Adnan Menderes University in Aydin, Turkey. SAMPLE: 244 female students of nursing and midwifery. METHODS: Data were collected with a questionnaire. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: BSE-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. FINDINGS: More than half of the study participants stated they had sufficient information about BSE from varied sources, primarily from school curricula. The students were knowledgeable about who should perform BSE and its recommended frequency; however, their knowledge of BSE techniques was limited. First-year students had negative attitudes about BSE but became more positive as they progressed in their education. Half of the study sample stated they performed BSE at recommended times and intervals, but only one-fifth used recommended BSE positions and techniques. The main reasons for not performing BSE included not knowing how to perform it (57%), not having any history of problems in the breast (39%), and forgetfulness (18%). CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that nursing and midwifery education has a positive effect on students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding BSE. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The findings suggest that nursing and midwifery students should be thoroughly prepared to perform BSE on themselves so they can educate other women about this important preventive procedure.

Multiple causes for delay in arrival at hospital in acute stroke patients in Aydin, Turkey.

This descriptive, hospital-based study, performed in western Turkey, was designed to assess the level of pre-hospital delay and reasons for such delay in acute stroke patients, taking into consideration certain factors such as socioeconomic status, availability of transport options at onset of symptoms. Data were collected from hospital records, and a questionnaire was administered that included questions about socio-demographics, self-reported risk factors and questions related to hospital arrival. The rate of patients arriving at the hospital more than 3 hours after symptom onset was found to be 31.6% for this study. Approximately 1/3 of patients delayed going to the hospital because they were waiting for symptoms to go away while 1/3 of patients were not aware of the importance of seeking immediate medical help. There was a significant relationship between the use of ambulance transportation and length of time before arrival at the hospitals, though there was no statistically significantly relationship between the existence of stroke risk factors and hospital arrival delay. These results will likely be helpful to health care decision makers as they develop a model for stroke health care and community based training.

The effects of breast self-exam education on the performance of nursing and midwifery students: a 6-month follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Late detection of breast cancer is still a leading cause of morbidity among patients. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of preplanned breast self-examination (BSE) training on nursing and midwifery students. METHODS: A total of 74 first-year nursing and midwifery students were trained on BSE. Data were collected before and after BSE education by a modified questionnaire. RESULTS: The BSE accuracy of the students was increased after education. Furthermore, positive attitude and behavior of the students toward BSE were improved. The students started to practice BSE with the right techniques and positions at the right time. The main reasons not to perform BSE were the lack of knowledge and motivation prior the education. CONCLUSIONS: BSE training is effective in nursing and midwifery students but should be repeated periodically for better efficacy.

How do nurses and teachers perform breast self-examination: are they reliable sources of information?

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine and compare knowledge, behavior and attitudes among female nurses and teachers concerning breast self-examination (BSE). METHODS: Two-hundred and eighty nine women working in Aydin, Turkey (125 nurses and 164 teachers) were included in the study. The data were collected using a questionnaire designed to measure the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of the groups. Analysis involved percentiles, chi2 tests, t tests and factor analysis. RESULTS: The knowledge of nurses about BSE was higher than that of teachers (81.5% versus 45.1%; p < 0.001). BSE practice parameters (i.e. age groups, indications, frequency) were similar (p > 0.05), whereas skills in performing self-examination were higher in nurses (p < 0.001). Fear of having breast cancer is the most frequent reason for performing BSE. Among nurses, the reasons for failure to perform BSE were the absence of prominent breast problems (82%) and forgetting (56.4%). The teachers who did not perform BSE said that the reasons were lack of knowledge on how to perform self-examination (68.9%) and absence of problems (54%). Both groups had unacceptable technical errors in the performance of BSE. CONCLUSION: We conclude that nurses and teachers should be supported with information enabling them to accomplish their roles in the community. To improve BSE practice, it is crucial to coordinate continuous and planned education.