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Objective: To determine physical activity status and knowledge, attitude and behavior of adolescents regarding healthy eating. Material and Method: 375 students, from the first year of a state high school in Uskudar, Istanbul, were enrolled in this descriptive study. Participants were filled in a questionnaire including 21 questions about nourishment and physical activity. Participants were considered as knowledgeable if they write 3 food groups in food pyramid in correct consuming order and as eating healthy if they declared to consume at least three food groups in correct order. Results: Mean age of the participants was 15.34±0.63 and 54.4%were female. Among the participants, 50.1% have breakfast every day, %63.9 skips at least one meal a day, and 49.7%participates a sport activity regularly. %39.3 knows food pyramid and %23.3 eat healthy. Girls eat significantly more healthier than boys and boys are more sportive than girls (p<0.05).Conclusion: Knowledge about food pyramid of our participants was not adequate and they were not eating healthy. There is a need to implement educational healthy eating programs targeting adolescent age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare medical graduates with and without undergraduate research experience in relation to oral or poster presentations after graduation. Materials and Methods: Graduates of Marmara Medical School were enrolled in this cross-sectional study between 20th February and 19th May 2009. Students graduating in 2005 and 2006 were classified as student research exposed and those graduating in 2001 and 2002 were classified as student research naive groups. Two different questionnaires were prepared for the groups and analysed electronically. All graduates of the mentioned years were contacted by telephone (n=425). The reply rates for the questionnaires were 45% in the exposed and 25.5% in the naive groups. Results: Fifty one point six percent of the participants were female and 25.5% were residents. 90.1% of the exposed group were satisfied with their research experience and agreed that this experience had a positive influence on their professional life. There was no statistically significant difference between the study groups for oral or poster presentations during the first 2 years after graduation. Research experience was found to be useful for preparing questionnaires, defining research aims and collecting data. Conclusion: The satisfaction rate from the research experience and the motivation for new research were high in the exposed group. However, an added value of the research experience could not be shown quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the knowledge and behaviour of adolescents from a low socio-economic region of Istanbul, regarding smoking and how these variables are affected by their teachers' smoking status. Method: This is a descriptive study carried out between February-March 2007 among 6th-8th grade students of 3 primary schools in Tasdelen region. A questionnaire was filled out by adolescents under supervision about their smoking experience, related factors and whether the students were affected by their teachers' smoking behaviour. After descriptive and comparative analysis of the data, a logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Among the 560 participants, mean age was 13±1.08 (11-15). The incidence of a smoking experience at least once was 12%. At least one of the teachers was observed while smoking by 83.8% of the students, and 16% of them declared they were negatively affected by their teachers' smoking behaviour. Among the factors related to smoking experience, the teachers' smoking status (being a smoker) increased the risk of smoking significantly, according to the regression analysis (p=0,008;OR 7,476;95% CI 1,703-32,826). Conclusion: Adolescents are influenced by teachers' smoking at school. We think that the extent of this influence will decrease after the legislation (section number 5727, to take effect on July 19th 2009) prohibiting smoking in doors is passed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To test the efficacy of a method which can improve compliance of osteoarthtritis patients to exercise treatment. Materials and Method: This is a randomized controlled, intervention study. Sixty-four patients who applied to the Family Medicine outpatient clinic of Marmara University Hospital were enrolled. Half of the paticipants were allocated randomly to the intervention group(IG) and the other half to the control group (CG). The study period was 12 weeks. IG was given leaflets and gradual exercise training by demonstration. CG received leaflet about exercises. We assessed participitans' adherence with patients' diaries and telephone contact. We determined WOMAC scores of the participants at each follow-up visit. Results: Of the participants 98.4% were women. Mean age was 56.8+9.27 in the IG and 52.4+10.0 in the SCG. Adherence to exercise in the IG was high (median 100%). Pain and WOMAC scores improved significantly [chronologically 43.5 (25.7-50.25), 18.5 (10.5-27.75), 16.5 (9.0-25.0), 9.5 (5.0-18.0)(p=0.0001)]. Although exercise adherence of the SCG was good initially, long-term adherence was only moderate (respectively 72.5 (55.0-97.5) and 55 (25.0-85.0)(p=0.036). Improvement of pain and WOMAC score in the SCG was lower than the IG [respectively 36.0 (23.5-42.25), 31.5 (21.25-46.25), 27.0 (15.25-39.0)(p=0.037)]. Conclusion: Gradual exercise education with demonstration might improve adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: According to the World Health Organization(WHO), drug non-compliance in chronic diseases affects health conditions of patients negatively. The aim of this study is to determine the effects on blood pressure control and drug compliance in hypertensive patients by sending daily short message service(SMS). Methods: In this randomized controlled study, hypertensive patients were selected and divided into control and intervention groups. Daily SMS reminder has been send to intervention group for two months. Weekly ambulatory blood pressure measurements before two visits have been requested of all the patients and measurements were done at the visits. Compliance was scaled by Modified Morisky Questionnaire. Blood pressure measurements and compliance of each group was compared. Results: Sixty patients were enrolled in the study:45 were female,15 male; mean age was 55±11 years; mean BMI was 30±5 kg/m2; mean number of tablets per day was 4±2 pills. There was no statistically significant difference between the average at visit and weekly blood pressure (BP) measurements at first visit of two groups. The average at visit and weekly BP measurements at second visit were found to be statistically significant lower and the average at visit and weekly BP measurement change between first and second visit was found to be statistically significant higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. Drug compliance ratio was 36,7% for the control group, 96,7% for the intervention group. Conclusion: Sending a daily reminder SMS is effective in increasing blood pressure control and enhancing drug compliance in hypertension patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In Turkey going on with the higher education, it is required to be successful in an annual university Student Selection and Placement Exam (OSYS) for the Turkish Universities which 2/3 of the candidates is disqualified and lost his high education occasion. These difficult requisites may establish anxiety with the students. To measure this test performance focused anxiety of the students who are near to university entrance exam and to evaluate the relationship between the anxiety level and sex, age, living area, living with the family, the graduated high school type, number of the attended university entrance exams, to be succeeded in the exam previously, regular attendance to the preparing courses, involving in social activities and using counselling services are aimed in this study. Besides, to give feedback tc the psychological consultancy services and to support the students by giving feedback to reduce their anxiety. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study includes 254 students who take preperation courses for the Student Selection and Placement Exam (OSYS) in two private courses. Questions about socio-demographic characteristics and "Test Anxiety Scale" were applied under supervision, chi-square and student-t tests were applied for analysis. Results: Boys were 76% of the 254 participants and the mean age was 18.0±1.3. Anxiety level of 28.8% of participants was low, 52.4% was medium and 18.8% was high. Among the girls, the students who took the entance exam before, who were irregular, who didn't join social activities and who "never" or "a few" use consultancy senices courses were more anxious. We found low test anxiety with the students who join the courses regularly, who join social activities at least 2 hours a week and makes use of the consultancy services (respectively χ²=5.68, χ²=4.03, χ²=5.07, p-0.02, p=0.04, p=0.02). Conclusion: Though anxiety level was low with the students who use counseling services, medium and high anxiety level in 71.2% of the participants made us to think that psychological counseling services must be disseminated and especially must be aware of the students who have high test anxiety and remind them the positive effect of social activities and counselling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Burnout syndrome is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest due to the workload especially for occupations that need close interaction with crowds. Bus drivers who work in heavy traffic and face too many people, are probably more prone to burnout.This study aims to investigate the presence of burnout syndrome in bus drivers working in Istanbul. Methods: This is a cross sectional study, performed by using Maslach Inventory in bus drivers working in the Anatolian side of Istanbul. The questionnaires were distributed equally to dri-vers working on six main lines at the Anatolian central garage of the municipality (IETT). According to the inventory, burnout syndrome is defined in three areas, the scores for the subgroups were emotional exhaustion, desensitization and low personal accomplishment. Results: A total of 396 bus drivers filled in the questionnaire. All of the drivers were male. Median age was 40.0 (27-59), 96.6% were married, and all had social insurance. Median working course was 10.0 (1-32) year; median daily working hour period were 8.0 (8-12) hours; 53.1% stated they could find time for resting, 99.5% had one day off in a week. The main problem areas were health, economy and social security. Emotional burnout median was 16 (0-36); desensitization median was 7 (0-20); low personal accomplishment median was 20 (0-32). Conclusion: This study showed that burnout syndrome was not frequent among bus drivers working in Istanbul. This may be due to the presence of social security and a regular income. Low work related stress based on working in a secure and safe environment might also contribute to the low number of burnout cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]