High School Students In Rural Areas Research Articles

Assessment of Nomophobia and Loneliness in Rural Turkish Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Nomophobia, short for “no mobile phone phobia,” is defined as having an involuntary and unreasonable fear when the mobile device is unreachable or uncommunicable. Aims: The study aimed to evaluate nomophobia and loneliness levels of high school (HS) students from a rural region. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between November 5 and December 28, 2018, on 850 HS students in Sivrihisar, Eskis¸ehir, Turkey. Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) and UCLA Loneliness Scale were used. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman Correlation analysis, and Multiple Linear Regression were performed. Results: In the study group, 429 (50.5%) were female. Their ages ranged from 13 to 19, and their mean age (standard deviation [SD]) was 15.66 (1.18) years. The mean score (SD) from NMP-Q was 54.92 (14.87), while the mean score (SD) from the UCLA loneliness scale was 13.95 (4.60). Multivariate analysis showed that being a female, having first smartphone use before the age of 13, having high daily smartphone usage, having a high frequency of checking phones, and having more friends on social media than in real life were associated with higher nomophobia levels (F = 28.424, P < .001, R² = 0.213). There was a positive weak correlation between nomophobia and loneliness levels (r = 0.353, P = .001). Conclusions: Factors such as phone usage habits and loneliness, which can be changed by providing education and creating appropriate environments in schools, are important determinants of nomophobia among HS students in rural areas, suggesting that interventions to combat nomophobia are possible.

The frequency of alopecia and quality of life in high-school students in rural areas (Sivrihisar, Mahmudiye, Alpu, and Beylikova) of Eskisehir.

OBJECTIVE:The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence of alopecia and related factors and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in high-school students in rural areas of Eskisehir. This was a cross-sectional study.METHODS:The study was performed between March 2, 2015 and April 30, 2015. A total of 1662 (74.9%) students were included in the study. The questionnaire performed for the purpose and consisted of four sections was filled out by the students themselves under supervision. The HRQoL was evaluated by Short Form—36 (SF-36). Students’ hair and scalps were examined by a dermatologist. The acquired data were analyzed by SPSS 20 statistical package program. Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U test, and logistic regression analyses were used for statistical analyses. A p value ≤0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.RESULTS:In the present study, the incidence of alopecia was found to be 37.4% (n=622). Alopecia was more frequently seen in male students who have complaints about their scalps and those with a fatty scalp. In the study group, students with alopecia had poor HRQoL in general health perception, vitality, and mental health of SF-36.CONCLUSION:There is a need to provide early diagnosis and treatment to decrease the incidence of alopecia and to improve the quality of life. Health education studies must be performed to increase the awareness of students about alopecia. Integrating hair and scalp examination into school health screening studies, steering the students who have alopecia to the dermatologists, and suggesting students who have fatty scalp regular hair washing will be appropriate.