Vaccine refusal in pregnant women in Kahramanmaraş: a community-based study from Türkiye.

Background: The global health landscape is increasingly challenged by the rejection of childhood vaccines. This study investigates vaccination reservations and refusal among pregnant women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, spanning January to March 2019, entailing face to face interviews with 938 pregnant women.

Predictors of mortality in patients with geriatric trauma in the emergency service.

Objective: In our study, it was aimed to compare the power of trauma scores (Glasgow Coma Score, Revised Trauma Score, Abbreviated Injury Scale, Injury Severity Score, and Trauma Score-Injury Severity Score) in order to predict mortality in patients with geriatric trauma and to determine the predictive values of these scores in mortality.

Methods: Demographic data, clinical features, etiological causes, laboratory results, and trauma scores of the patients were statistically analyzed. SPSS 20 for Windows was used for this evaluation.

Serum Elabela level is significantly increased in patients with acromegaly.

Background: Although the bioactive peptides associated with the apelinergic system are known to be associated with heart failure and ischemic heart disease, there are no data on their association with acromegaly.

Aim: We aimed to investigate the change in serum Elabela levels, a novel peptide of the apelinergic system, in patients with acromegaly.

Methods: Our study included 30 treatment naive patients who were recently diagnosed with acromegaly, and 50 age-and-sex-matched healthy controls.

Investigation of Long COVID Prevalence and Its Relationship to Epstein-Barr Virus Reactivation.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients sometimes experience long-term symptoms following resolution of acute disease, including fatigue, brain fog, and rashes. Collectively these have become known as long COVID. Our aim was to first determine long COVID prevalence in 185 randomly surveyed COVID-19 patients and, subsequently, to determine if there was an association between occurrence of long COVID symptoms and reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in 68 COVID-19 patients recruited from those surveyed.

Restless legs syndrome and headache cause sleepiness and consequent poor school performance: a community based study from Turkey.

Background: Disturbance of sleep habits leads to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), which may affect learning abilities and consequently academic performance. Therefore the main purpose of current paper was to determine the prevalence of headache and Restless legs syndrome (RLS) in school-aged adolescents and to evaluate the type of headache in adolescents, with a secondary aim to determine the effect of daytime sleepiness on academic success.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years of age, who were in high school education in the 2016-2017 academic years in Kahramanmaraş province.

Modified Lung Ultrasound Score in Evaluating the Severity of Covid-19 Pneumonia.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), which has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The aim of the study described here was to determine the severity of pneumonia and the clinical parameters related to a modified lung ultrasound score (mLUS) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The study included 44 patients with proven COVID-19 pneumonia.

Is there a link between pre-existing antibodies acquired due to childhood vaccinations or past infections and COVID-19? A case control study.

Background: There is growing evidence indicating that children are less affected from COVID-19. Some authors speculate that childhood vaccinations may provide some cross-protection against COVID-19. In this study, our aim was to compare the circulating antibody titers for multiple childhood vaccine antigens, as an indicator of the state of immune memory between patients with COVID-19 and healthy controls, with a specific aim to identify the association between disease severity and antibody titrations which may indicate a protective function related to vaccine or disease induced memory.

Understanding the approach of family physicians in Turkey to the problem of vaccine rejection.

Vaccines not only protect individuals, but also prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases in the community. Vaccine rejection in Turkey increased 125-fold between 2012 and 2019. Thus, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge of family physicians about vaccination, which can be the keystone of vaccine rejection.

Analysis of Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Titers of Recovered COVID-19 Patients.

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been theorized to provide protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our aim was to determine whether any MMR IgG titers are inversely correlated with severity in recovered COVID-19 patients previously vaccinated with MMR II. We divided 80 subjects into two groups, comparing MMR titers to recent COVID-19 severity levels.

Can family physicians have a role in eradication of hepatitis c infection?

Background/aims: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is an important global public health problem. The application of screening programs is important for the elimination of HCV in addition to DAA therapies. The aim of this study was to measure the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of family physicians, who are important in screening programs for the diagnosis, natural history, and treatment of HCV infection.

Otorhinolaryngological symptoms among smokeless tobacco (Maras powder) users.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between smokeless tobacco (maras powder) consumption and otorhinolaryngological symptoms.

Methods: This descriptive study was carried out on 599 participants. The participants were divided into two groups.

Occupational health and safety characteristics of agricultural workers in Adana, Turkey: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Among agricultural workers, especially in the seasonal migratory ones, housing and hygiene related issues, occupational accidents, low levels of education, poverty and absence of social security problems emerge as significant public health problems. This study aims to compare migrant-seasonal workers (MSWs) and resident agricultural workers (RAWs) in terms of socio-demographic characteristics and occupational health and safety in Adana, one of Turkey's most important agricultural cities.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on RAWs and MSWs, aged 15-65, operating in the province of Adana.

The relationship between body mass index and pain, disease activity, depression and anxiety in women with fibromyalgia.

Background: Obesity is a possible factor which affects severity of symptoms and disease activity in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The aim of our study was to determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and pain, tender point count (TPC), disease activity, anxiety and depression in patients with FMS.

Methods: This was a descriptive study.

Self-medication practices and rational drug use habits among university students: a cross-sectional study from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.

Background: Self-medication refers to the use of medicines to treat self-diagnosed diseases without consulting any healthcare professionals. Irrational drug use and self-medication have serious negative consequences both on health and economy. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the habits related to rational use of drugs (RUD) and to estimate the prevalence of self-medication practices among university students.

Does Body Image Affect Quality of Life?: A Population Based Study.

Body image (BI) can be described as the assessment of both positive and negative emotion for one's own body parts and their characteristics by himself or herself. Current research has concentrated mostly on the status of negative BI as a risk factor for mental health problems rather than as a public health problem, thereby little is known about the effects of BI on quality of life. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the BI and Quality of Life (QoL) of individuals and to investigate the relationship between the two.

Assessment of rational use of drugs and self-medication in Turkey: A pilot study from Elazıg and its suburbs.

The concepts of "essential drugs" and "national drug policy" described by the World Health Assembly in 1975 were the first steps taken towards the rational use of drugs (RUD). According to WHO, more than half of all medicines worldwide are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately and half of the patients fail to take them appropriately. The aim of this study has been to evaluate the habits of patients related to RUD with a specific aim to investigate the factors associated with self-medication.

Haemoglobinopathy Awareness among Young Students in Turkey: Outcomes of a City-Wide Survey.

The success of prevention programs demonstrated the importance of raising awareness about haemoglobinopathies since the lack of knowledge and awareness about the disorders may serve as barriers to prevention, disclosure of disease status as well as to testing for haemoglobinopathies. The aim of this study is to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of middle and high school students towards haemoglobinopathies in Hatay, where the disorders are prevalent. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 8th and 9th grade students across Hatay including all sub provinces.

Cervical Cancer Screening in an Early Diagnosis and Screening Center in Mersin, Turkey.

Cancer is a major public health problem due to the jeavy disease burden, fatality and tendency for increased incidence. Of all cancer types, cervical cancer is reported to be the fourth most common cancer in women, and the seventh overall, with an estimated 528,000 new cases worldwide in 2012. It features a long preclinical phase with slowly progressing precancerous lesions such as CIN 2 and 3 and adenocarcinoma in situ.