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Background: Understanding health-seeking behaviors and determining factors help governments to adequately allocate and manage existing health resources. The aim of the study was to examine the health-seeking behaviors of people in using public and private health facilities and to assess the factors that influence healthcare utilization in Northern Cyprus. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 polyclinics among 507 people using a structured intervieweradministered questionnaire. Health-seeking behaviors were measured using four indicators including routine medical check-ups, preferences of healthcare facilities, admission while having health problems, and refusal of health services while ill. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to explore factors influencing the use of health services. Results: About 77.3% of the participants reported to have visited health centers while they had any health problems. More than half (51.7%) of them had a routine medical check-up during the previous year, while 12.2% of them had refused to seek healthcare when they felt ill during the last five years. Of all, 39.1% of them reported preferring private health services. Current smokers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.17-3.14), having chronic diseases (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.95-2.16), having poor perceptions on health (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.563.48), and spending less on health during the last three months (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.43-3.01) had about twice the odds of having routine checkups. Higher education (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.38-2.55) was shown to be a positive predictor for the health-seeking behaviors, whereas having self-care problems (AOR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.08-0.40) and having a moderate-income (AOR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.57-0.81) were inversely associated with seeking healthcare. Conclusion: The utilization of public and private health sectors revealed evident disparities in the socio-economic characteristics of participants. The health-seeking behaviors were determined by need factors including chronic disease status and having poor health perception and also by enabling factors such as education, income, insurance status and ability to pay by oneself. These findings highlight the need for further nationwide studies and provide evidence for specific strategies to reduce the socioeconomic inequalities in the use of healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To evaluate the demand, efficacy, and satisfaction concerning the Standard Days Method® (SDM; a fertility awareness method) as an option presented among other contraceptive methods at regular service delivery settings. Methods The survey group consisted of 993 women who presented at the primary care units in Umraniye District of Istanbul, Turkey, between 1 October 2006 and 31 March 2008, and started to use a new method. Women were enrolled until reaching a limit of 250 new users for each method, or expiration of the six-month registration period. Participants were followed for up to one year of method use. Results The characteristics of women who chose the SDM were similar to those of participants who opted for other methods. The most common reasons for selecting it were that it is natural and causes no side effects. Fifty-one percent used the SDM for the full year, compared to 71% who chose an intrauterine device (IUD). Continuation rates were significantly lower for all other methods. During the one-year follow-up period, 12% of SDM-, 7% of pill-, 7% of condom-, 3% of monthly injection-, 1% of quarterly injection-, and 0.5% of IUD users became pregnant. Conclusion The SDM had relatively high continuation rates and relatively good levels of satisfaction among participants and their husbands. It should be mentioned among the routinely offered contraceptive methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Helicobacter pylori is an important global pathogen infecting approximately 50% of the world's population. This study was undertaken in order to estimate the prevalence rate of Helicobacter pylori infections among adults living in Turkey and to investigate the associated risk factors. Method This study was a nationally representative cross sectional survey, using weighted multistage stratified cluster sampling. All individuals aged ≥18 years in the selected households were invited to participate in the survey. Ninety two percent (n = 2382) of the households in 55 cities participated; 4622 individuals from these households were tested with the 13C-Urea breath test. Helicobacter pylori prevalence and associated factors were analysed by the t test, chi square and multiple logistic regression with SPSS11.0. Results The weighted overall prevalence was 82.5% (95% CI: 81.0-84.2) and was higher in men. It was lowest in the South which has the major fruit growing areas of the country. The factors included in the final model were sex, age, education, marital status, type of insurance (social security), residential region, alcohol use, smoking, drinking water source. While education was the only significant factor for women, residential region, housing tenure, smoking and alcohol use were significant for men in models by sex. Conclusion In Turkey, Helicobacter pylori prevalence was found to be very high. Individuals who were women, elderly adults, single, had a high educational level, were living in the fruit growing region, had social security from Emekli Sandigi, were drinking bottled water, non smokers and regular alcohol consumers, were under less risk of Helicobacter pylori infection than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal is the property of Marmara University, Faculty of Pharmacy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Archives of the Turkish Dermatology & Venerology / Turkderm is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AbstractBackgroundObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionTobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable mortality and morbidity. Although Cyprus is considered a developed country, the tobacco prevalence and related issues have not been explored sufficiently in the general population of North Cyprus.The objective of this study is to determine the rate of tobacco product consumption and related factors among the visitors of a community health center and a university hospital in Northern Cyprus.The study was designed as a cross-sectional study The data were collected using a questionnaire developed in compliance with WHO guidelines. The data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS18.0 with p < 0.05 evaluated as significant.Out of a total of 635 individuals approached, 615 provided responses. The participation rate was 96%. The frequency of male smokers was 47.2%, while the frequency of female smokers was 34.0%, with a total smoking rate of 40.7%, much higher than world averages. The survey identified friendship influence as the primary reason for starting tobacco use, accounting for 42%, followed by being stressed at 34.6%. Male gender, being single, having no children, Turkish nationality were predictors of smoking, while financial status was not. The participants indicated a high frequency regarding exposure to passive smoke (51.1%). More than half of the respondents thought tobacco control in Northern Cyprus is not satisfactory.More research needs to be done to determine the exact overall prevalence of tobacco consumption in the population, which was found high in this study. Moreover, implementation of comprehensive tobacco control strategies is essential to control the prevalent tobacco dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Helicobacter pylori is an important global pathogen infecting approximately 50% of the world's population. This study was undertaken in order to estimate the prevalence rate of Helicobacter pylori infections among adults living in Turkey and to investigate the associated risk factors.Method: This study was a nationally representative cross sectional survey, using weighted multistage stratified cluster sampling. All individuals aged ≥18 years in the selected households were invited to participate in the survey. Ninety two percent (n = 2382) of the households in 55 cities participated; 4622 individuals from these households were tested with the ¹³C-Urea breath test. Helicobacter pylori prevalence and associated factors were analysed by the t test, chi square and multiple logistic regression with SPSS11.0.Results: The weighted overall prevalence was 82.5% (95% CI: 81.0-84.2) and was higher in men. It was lowest in the South which has the major fruit growing areas of the country. The factors included in the final model were sex, age, education, marital status, type of insurance (social security), residential region, alcohol use, smoking, drinking water source. While education was the only significant factor for women, residential region, housing tenure, smoking and alcohol use were significant for men in models by sex.Conclusion: In Turkey, Helicobacter pylori prevalence was found to be very high. Individuals who were women, elderly adults, single, had a high educational level, were living in the fruit growing region, had social security from Emekli Sandigi, were drinking bottled water, non smokers and regular alcohol consumers, were under less risk of Helicobacter pylori infection than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The impact of a short postgraduate course on rational pharmacotherapy planning behaviour of general practitioners (GP) was investigated via a face-to-face interview with 25 GPs working at health centres in Istanbul., Methods: GPs were randomly allocated to control and intervention groups. Intervention group attended a 3-day-training program preceded and followed by a written exam to plan treatment for simulated cases with a selected indication. The participants' therapeutic competence was also tested at the post-test for an unexposed indication to show the transfer effect of the course. In addition, patients treated by these GP's were interviewed and the prescriptions were analysed regarding rational use of drugs (RUD) principles at the baseline, 2 weeks and 4 months after the course., Results: At the baseline there was not any significant difference between the control and intervention groups in terms of irrational prescribing habits. The questionnaires revealed that the GPs were not applying RUD rules in making their treatment plans and they were not educating their patients efficiently. Training produced a significant improvement in prescribing habits of the intervention group, which was preserved for 4 months after the course. However, very low scores of the pretest indicate the urgent necessity for solutions., Conclusions: Training medical doctors on RUD not only at the under- but also at the postgraduate level deserves attention and should be considered by all sides of the problem including academia, health authorities and medical associations.