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Objectives: Total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children born per woman of childbearing age. The baby boom refers to a noticeable increase in the birth rate and is believed to occur in migrants from wartorn and economically challenged countries. During the Syrian war in 2011, nearly 5 million Syrians had to leave their country. A significant part of the migration movement has been directed toward Turkey. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the baby boom presence of Syrian migrants in Turkey and to make comparisons. Materials and Methods: Our study is an observational, descriptive epidemiological study, and the data were reviewed and compiled retrospectively. A comparison of TFRs of Turkey and Syria according to the last 20 years of the United Nations' data and the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey of 2018 was done. Results: According to United Nations 2018 data, Turkey's TFR was 2.07, while Syria's was 2.8. According to 2018 Turkey's data, TFR in Syrian migrants is 5.3. When these rates are compared, it can be said that there is a significant increase in the fertility rate of Syrian migrants in Turkey, and this reveals the presence of a baby boom. Conclusion: In conclusion, when TFRs in the pre-war period and after the war are compared in literature, there was a post-war baby boom in the Syrian migrant in Turkey. The factors which may have effect on the fertility of Syrian migrants found as psychological, economic, social, cultural, religious, and socio-demographic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Konuralp Medical Journal / Konuralp Tip Dergisi is the property of Duzce University Medical School 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 Ankara Medical Journal is the property of Yildirim Beyazit Üniversity 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.)

This study aims to determine Vitamin-D level in patients with primary dysmenorrhea and investigate the effect of Vitamin-D replacement on symptoms. About 100 patients in the 18-30 age group followed-up with primary dysmenorrhea diagnosis were included in this observational study. The pain severity was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). 25-hydroxy vitamin D(25(OH)D) levels of the patients were measured and the replacement therapy was applied according to measurement results. The patients were followed for three months in total. At the end of the three-month period, the 25(OH)D level was measured and the VAS score was assessed once more after the therapy. 25(OH)D level was insufficient in 23.0%, deficient in 45.0%, and severely deficient in 32.0% of the patients. It was found that the VAS score increased as the 25(OH)D level decreased (r = −0.320; p = .002). A significant reduction was observed in VAS scores after Vitamin-D treatment in all three groups; the amount of reduction in VAS score was determined to be higher in the patients with severely deficient levels of 25(OH)D, compared to the patients with deficient or insufficient levels (p < .001). A significant and negative correlation was found between Vitamin-D and symptoms associated with dysmenorrhea in our study. The Vitamin-D replacement therapy led to a significant decrease in symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 50% of the employees in health sector are exposed to violence at any time. This study investigated international workplace violence guidelines for the health care sector to compare their quality and content and explore whether these guidelines could be used in different settings. We ran a broad review to identify international guidelines for violence in health care. After identification of the guidelines, the quality of the guidelines was assessed by personal experience and views of the authors, also taking AGREE domains into consideration as a guidance. The identified guidelines were later qualitatively analyzed for the content by two researchers and compared to each other. Canada, New Zealand, USA, UK and Turkey's guidelines were involved in the study. Definitions of workplace violence, risk factors, objectives of the guideline, legal requirements, responsible stakeholders, target population, strategies recommended, physical environment, training and staffing were assessed in the content of the violence guidelines. It was found that current guidelines need improvement in both quality and content, but it is possible to have an international guidance that could be applicable in different settings. The development of violence guidelines should be the first and most strategic step for better protection of the health care workers. We expect our results to be useful in preparation of new guidelines for different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus with its limb and life-threatening complications such as diabetic foot infection and amputation are increasing at epidemic rates all over the world. The objective of this study was to determine the rate of lower extremity amputation, the risk factors and the bacteriologic profile for diabetic foot lesions. The records of all 84 patients with diabetic foot infections of a large general hospital over a 4-year period were retrospectively included. The most commonly isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (39%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14%), Proteus mirabilis (14%), Escherichia coli (14%), Group B streptococci (12%), and Klebsiella pneumonia (8%). The variables, independently associated with higher foot infections, were inadequate diabetic regulation (93%), peripheral neuropathy (88.1%), peripheral vascular disease (73.8%), smoking (56%), past history of ulcer (28.5%), penetrating injury (20.3%), inadequate foot wear (15%) and Charcot osteoartropathy (10.7%). The general amputation rate was 38.1%. Diabetic foot ulcers and its complication rates including infection, gangrene and lower extremity amputation in Turkey are still high. Preventive care of the foot in patients with diabetes mellitus is extremly important. Therefore early diagnosing of risk factors for diabetic foot infections in the primary care setting and their adequate therapy under multidisciplinary approach should not be neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, obesity and smoking are known to be the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Because the elderly population has been increasing globally, CVD may become a more important public health problem in the future. This report examines the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly in Ankara, Turkey. This was a cross-sectional survey and included a total of 2720 individuals living in the Ankara district. Trained research staff administered a standard questionnaire in the participants’ homes and worksites. The questionnaire collected information on clinical and demographic characteristics and a self-reported medical history, including past history of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, coronary artery by-pass graft operation, and cerebrovascular accident. The mean age of the study participants was 69.5 ± 7.2 years. The study identified 1298 women (78.1%) and 753 men (71.2%) with hypertension, and the overall prevalence of hypertension was 75.4%. A total of 739 (27.2%) people had diabetes mellitus, and, of these people, 603 (81.6%) were hypertensive. A total of 1361 people had hyperlipidemia, and 1103 of these patients were also hypertensive. The overall prevalence of obesity was 27.2%. A total of 553 (20.3%) people were smokers. Our findings indicate that cardiovascular risk factors are very common in the elderly. To maximize risk reduction, physicians must take aggressive measures to decrease cardiovascular risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac valvular calcification is frequent among hemodialysis (HD) patients. The presence of valvular calcification can help identify HD patients with a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of valvular calcification (VC) in our maintenance hemodialysis (HD) population and to examine some possible etiologic factors for its occurrence. We studied forty-four patients on hemodialysis (23 women and 21 men; mean age 57 ± 18 year; mean HD duration 34 ± 28 months). Valvular calcification (VC) was observed in 21 patients (48%). Of these patients, 6 patients (13%) had mitral valvular calcification, 9 patients (20%) had aortic valvular calcification, and 6 patients (13%) had calcification of both valves. The patients with VC were older than patients without VC (66±14 vs. 50±18). The patients with aortic calcification had longer HD duration than others (48±29 vs. 27±24 months). Patients with VC had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures than patients without VC. The patients with mitral calcification had higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (14 ± 13 vs. 7 ± 7). No significant differences were found with respect to calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, alkaline phosphatase and mean Ca × P product. Our study confirmed that there is an increased prevalence of VC in HD patients. Age is a risk factor for cardiac VC in HD patients. Longer HD duration was associated with aortic valve calcification. In addition, elevated level of CRP is associated with mitral valve calcification in HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the opinions of health professionals (HPs) who provide family planning counselling (FPC) within the scope of primary health care services since they are perceived as role models by the society. The number of HPs providing family planning counselling in primary health services in Turkey was 43,000 and 40,000 of these individuals were invited to participate in this observational, cross-sectional study via e-mail and social media. There were 740 responders and all were included in the study. Physicians providing FPC within the scope of primary health care services consisted of 45.1% of the responders and the remaining were nurses. Among all HPs, 59.7% had insufficient awareness regarding Turkey's population growth. Most of the HPs (52.4%) believed that the ideal number of children was 2 or less. The abortion rate was 9.1% in all pregnancies of HPs. The rate of caesarean section was 56% in all live births. According to responses, 75.6% of all pregnancies experienced by HPs were planned. According to 42.1% of the HPs, abortion must be performed if there is a life-threatening situation for the mother or if the fetus has some abnormalities. The most common method of birth control used by married HPs between the ages of 18 and 49 was male condoms (39.9%), while the pull-out method ranked first in the general population (25.5%). It was found that HPs, who had different opinions and practices about family planning than the general population, had insufficient awareness regarding population growth. Increased awareness of demography and FPC among HPs will likely contribute to the quality of service and the general wellbeing of the population.

Background/aim: In order to determine elderly people's capabilities in daily activities, we evaluated the factors that may affect their daily instrumental activities., Materials and Methods: We performed an observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study on 101 patients above 60 years of age in 2008 and 2009. We applied the Lawton Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) scale, the Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE), and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) during one-on-one interviews with the patients. Demographic data and disability levels were also recorded. These data were used to evaluate the possible effects of factors on the IADL scale., Results: Statistical analyses indicated that total scores of instrumental activities are affected negatively by increased age, female sex, and literacy (P < 0.001, P = 0.005, and P = 0.021), whereas scores are affected positively by educational level (P = 0.047)., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that increased age, sex, literacy, and education levels influence elderly people's daily instrumental activities. Daily functional activities and factors influencing these activities should be determined in order to increase elderly people's quality of life and independence. It is important to evaluate elderly people's capabilities in daily activities.

Hirsutism is a clinical condition commonly encountered in the practice of primary care medicine. The etiology and the age of the patient when it occurs vary widely. Causes range from a basic illness or condition (drug exposure, smoking, idiopathic, and obesity) to complex and serious diseases (Cushing's syndrome, neoplasms, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, insulin-resistance syndromes, hyperprolactinemia, polycystic ovary syndrome, and hyperthecosis). Hirsutism may appear in childhood as well as in older persons. Some drugs (oral contraceptives, L-thyroxine, danazol, and diazoxide), tobacco smoke, some syndromes (polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, insulin resistance, hyperprolactinemia, hyperthecosis, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and idiopathic), and some neoplasms (adrenal or ovarian) may lead to hirsutism. The most frequently defined "causes" of hirsutism are polycystic ovary syndrome and idiopathic hirsutism. In hirsutism of gradual onset, hyperprolactinemia, insulin-resistance syndromes, hyperthecosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and idiopathic hirsutism may be responsible. Cushing's syndrome, neoplasms, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia should be suspected if there has been rapid onset.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the etiologies of serum gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) elevation and relations between multiple etiologies prevalent in the Pursaklar region of Ankara in Turkey., Patients and Methods: The patients referred to the Family Medicine and Internal Medicine departments with various complaints from the Pursaklar region of Ankara between July 2000 and July 2002 were evaluated, and values for GGT, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were determined. GGT elevation was classified as being associated with hepatic, biliary, and other origins., Results: For GGT elevation, hepatobiliary etiologies were more prevalent. The most prevalent hepatic etiology was nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, followed by biliary etiologies. The most prevalent etiology of biliary origin was cholelithiasis. Other etiologies, in order of prevalence, were drug exposure and urinary infection. There were no gender-related differences for distribution of GGT elevation; however, the GGT values for women were higher than those for men.

Background: The relationship between hypertension and cognitive impairment has been investigated in the literature; several clinical studies suggested a relationship between hypertension and retinopathy., Methods: We examined the relationship between the retinopathy status and cognitive functions by using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) among hypertensive subjects older than 40 years who were admitted to our Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Ophthalmology clinics. The subjects were categorized into three groups: group 1 = control subjects (n = 39), group 2 = hypertensive patients without retinopathy (n = 32), and group 3 = hypertensive patients with retinopathy (n = 25)., Results: The number of patients with total MMSE scores less than 24 was distributed as follows: group 1: 3 patients (7.7%), group 2: 4 patients (12.5%), and group 3: 14 patients (56%). Hypertension was found to be related with a significant decrease in total MMSE scores in comparison with group 1 subjects (p < 0.001). Furthermore, retinopathy significantly correlated with lower MMSE scores among hypertensive patients (p = 0.001). Compared with group 1, group 3 showed a significant decrease in orientation (p = 0.001), registration (p = 0.001), attention and calculation (p = 0.004), recall (p = 0.009), and total (p < 0.001) MMSE scores. We also found a significant decrease in recall (p = 0.032) and total (p = 0.034) scores in group 3 when compared with group 2. There was a significant decrease in registration (p = 0.002) and total (p = 0.029) MMSE scores in group 2 when compared with group 1. We also observed negative correlations between duration of the disease and orientation (R = -0.597, n = 32, p = 0.001), and between duration of the disease and total (R = -0.495, n = 32, p = 0.006) scores in group 2., Conclusions: Hypertension was found to be related with a decline in MMSE scores. This relation was even more significant in the group of hypertensive patients with retinopathy. Thus, we suggest that cognitive tests be routinely used in the follow-up of hypertensive patients., (2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.)