Development and validation of the Earthquake Obsession Scale.

Earthquakes are natural disasters that are very destructive and whose timing is unknown. These disasters can have a very negative effect on people's mental health, and their effects can last for many years. This study examined the psychometric properties of a scale to measure earthquake obsession. Data were collected from adults living in different provinces of Türkiye (N = 732), who completed the new scale, Doomscrolling Scale, Death Distress Scale, and Mental Well-Being Scale. The Earthquake Obsession Scale (EOS) had a two-factor structure, good internal consistency reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Correlational analysis revealed that earthquake obsession was positively associated with doomscrolling and death anxiety, and negatively associated with well-being. Mediation analysis indicated that doomscrolling and death distress mediated the relationship between earthquake obsession and well-being. The results emphasized the potential of earthquake obsession to affect daily life negatively and revealed its relationship with psychological variables.

'I cannot see ahead': psychological distress, doomscrolling and dark future among adult survivors following Mw 7.7. and 7.6 earthquakes in Türkiye.

BACKGROUND: The earthquakes, which occurred on 6 February 2023, affecting a total of eleven provinces in Türkiye, with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, and killing around 50,000 people, caused the greatest loss of life compared to previous earthquakes in Türkiye. In this study, we analyse the psychological status of the adult individuals who experienced the earthquakes three months after the earthquakes in terms of different variables. METHODS: In this research, an analytical cross-sectional study was conducted by applying face-to-face and online questionnaires to 402 adult individuals who had experienced the earthquake. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Dark Future Scale and Doomscrolling Scale were applied. The relationships between variables are discussed in this study using the predictive correlational model. RESULTS: The results revealed that the participants had very high levels of future anxiety and moderate levels of doomscrolling after the earthquake. Although their psychological distress levels were relatively low, as the psychological distress levels of adult individuals who experienced the earthquake increased, their doomscrolling also increased. In addition, as individuals' future anxiety increases, their doomscrolling increases similarly. The mediation analysis reveals that the mediating role of future anxiety between psychological distress and doomscrolling is significant (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Individuals are more exposed to negative news streams in negative life events that occur beyond their control and they need to search for information. Increased levels of depression, anxiety and stress lead to more exposure to this flow. In addition, future anxiety is also an important trigger of this behaviour. The effects of psychological distress on individuals who survived the earthquake are discussed in the context of the literature.

A Comparison of the Acute Effects of Percussion Massage Therapy and Static Stretching on Hamstring Elasticity.

Background: The effect of percussion massage on hamstring flexibility is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of percussion massage on hamstring flexibility and to compare its effectiveness with static stretching. Methods: Fifty-four healthy individuals aged 18-25 years with at least 15 degrees of active knee extension were included in the study. The study was conducted between February and May 2022. The participants were randomly divided into 3 groups in this cross-randomization study as percussion massage (n=18), static stretching (n=18), and control (n=18). The Active Knee Extension test and the Sit and Reach test were used as evaluation parameters, and assessments were performed pre-intervention and 30 min post-intervention (acute). Results: In both percussion and stretching intervention groups, the range of motion (ROM) gain in the Active Knee Extension test was statistically significant (p<0.05) compared to the control group. Active knee extension angle gain was similar between percussion and stretching interventions (p>0.05). It was found that hamstring flexibility improved significantly in both percussion massage and static stretching groups (p<0.05). However, considering the last measurement and flexibility gain values, it was found that percussion massage and static stretching had similar acute effects on hamstring muscle flexibility (p>0.05). Conclusion: Percussion massage had an acute positive effect on hamstring flexibility and ROM, and it was as effective as static stretching. Therefore, percussion massage devices are recommended as part of pre-exercise in a structured warm-up for increase in joint range of motion and flexibility.

Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of L'Insalata Shoulder Rating Questionnaire.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the culturally adapted Turkish version of the L'Insalata Shoulder Rating Questionnaire (TrLSRQ). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Comprehensibility and content validity of the TrLSRQ were tested on 14 patients and seven physiotherapists, respectively. Subsequently, 90 volunteer patients with shoulder pain completed the TrLSRQ twice within a week for test-retest analysis. Correlations with Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), Penn Shoulder Score (PSS), and Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI) were used to assess convergent validity; and pain intensity and active range of shoulder motions were measured to assess criterion validity. RESULTS: Content validity index of the TrLSRQ was 0.99. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α = 0.89); and item-total correlations were 0.37-0.74. In test-retest analysis, ICC values were 0.65-0.95 for all items; and 0.86-0.94 for the subcategories. The TrLSRQ scores were positively correlated with UEFI, and negatively correlated with other scales (p < 0.05). Its correlations with the intensity of pain and shoulder range of motions (p < 0.05) indicated that the questionnaire had good criterion validity. CONCLUSIONS: The TrLSRQ is a reliable and valid measure to assess pain, activities of daily living, sports/recreation, and work in patients with shoulder pain.Implications for RehabilitationPatient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are important tools to assess the impact of health problems on overall well-being of the patients.The Turkish version of the L'Insalata Shoulder Rating Questionnaire (TrLSRQ) is a PROM that evaluates the impact of shoulder problems on patient's pain, daily activities, sportive/recreational activities, and work; as well as overall satisfaction with his/her shoulder, and ranking of areas in which the patient likes to see improvement.The TrLSRQ scores are well correlated with other relevant PROMs, as well as with the intensity of pain and shoulder range of motions.The TrLSRQ is a reliable and valid measure, which can be used for both clinical and research purposes to evaluate symptoms and functional status of patients with shoulder pain.

Circulating fibrocyte level in children with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate circulating fibrocyte levels in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients during stable and exacerbation periods of the condition. METHODS: The study group consisted of 39 patients diagnosed with CF and 20 healthy controls. Individuals included in the study were divided into three groups: CF, CF exacerbated, and a healthy control group. Their circulating fibrocyte levels were compared. Findings from a pulmonary function test and high-resolution computed tomography of the lung were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: The circulating fibrocyte count was found to be significantly higher in patients with CF compared with the exacerbated and control groups. No correlation was found between the forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity values in the pulmonary function test and the circulating fibrocyte count. The circulating fibrocyte count in patients (in the CF group) with positive findings in the high-resolution computed tomography was statistically significantly lower. CONCLUSIONS: The circulating fibrocyte level in the peripheral blood of the patients with CF was increased.