Sociodemographic Properties Research Articles

Authorship conflicts in academia: an international cross-discipline survey

Collaboration among scholars has emerged as a significant characteristic of contemporary science. As a result, the number of authors listed in publications continues to rise steadily. Unfortunately, determining the authors to be included in the byline and their respective order entails multiple difficulties which often lead to conflicts. Despite the large volume of literature about conflicts in academia, it remains unclear how exactly these are distributed over the main socio-demographic properties, as well as the different types of interactions academics experience. To address this gap, we conducted an international and cross-disciplinary survey answered by 752 academics from 41 fields of research and 93 countries that statistically well-represent the overall academic workforce. Our findings are concerning and suggest that conflicts over authorship credit arise very early in one’s academic career, even at the level of Master and Ph.D., and become increasingly common over time.

OLYMPUS-POPGEN: A synthetic population generation model to represent urban populations for assessing exposure to air quality.

With the new individual- and activity-based approaches to simulating exposure to air pollutants, exposure models must now provide synthetic populations that realistically reflect the demographic profiles of individuals in an urban territory. Demographic profiles condition the behavior of individuals in urban space (activities, mobility) and determine the resulting risks of exposure and environmental inequalities. In this context, there is a strong need to determine the relevance of the population modeling methods to reproduce the combinations of socio-demographic parameters in a population from the existing databases. The difficulty of accessing complete, high-resolution databases indeed proves to be very limiting for the ambitions of the different approaches. This work proposes to evaluate the potential of a statistical approach for the numerical modeling of synthetic populations, at the scale of dwellings and including the representation of coherent socio-demographic profiles. The approach is based on and validated against the existing open databases. The ambition is to be able to build upon such synthetic populations to produce a comprehensive assessment of the risk of environmental exposure that can be cross-referenced with lifestyles, indicators of social, professional or demographic category, and even health vulnerability data. The approach implemented here is based on the use of conditional probabilities to model the socio-demographic properties of individuals, via the deployment of a Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) simulation. Households are assigned to housing according to income and house price classes. The resulting population generation model was tested in the Paris region (Ile de France) for the year 2010, and applied to a population of almost 12 million individuals. The approach is based on the use of census and survey databases. Validation, carried out by comparison with regional census data, shows that the model accurately reproduces the demographic attributes of individuals (age, gender, professional category, income) as well as their combination, at both regional and sub-municipal levels. Notably, population distribution at the scale of the model buildings remains consistent with observed data patterns. The outcomes of this work demonstrate the ability of our approach to create, from public data, a coherent synthetic population with broad socio-demographic profiles. They give confidence for the use of this approach in an activity-based air quality exposure study, and thus for exploring the interrelations between social determinants and environmental risks. The non-specific nature of this work allows us to consider its extension to broader demographic profiles, including health indicators, and to different study regions.

The a criminal’s identity as an element of forensic characteristics of causing negligent serious or moderate bodily harm

The characteristic features of the criminal’s personality as an element of forensic characteristics of causing negligent serious or moderate bodily harm have been defined and revealed. The following criminologically significant features inherent in the person of the criminal have been analyzed, such as demographic data, moral qualities, psychological features; a set of psychophysical properties and qualities, motivational attitudes, emotional and rational spheres of human consciousness; social and legal data, natural and biological information about a person; socio-demographic properties, psychological qualities, biological features; social, biological, psychological and other characteristics.
 An analysis of the suspect’s moral and psychological characteristics, the presence of a certain degree of irritability and excitement, the ability to go to active aggressive, inappropriate actions has been carried out. It has been established that the criminal’s lifestyle, propensity to abuse alcoholic beverages or the use of narcotic drugs are of great importance, which can affect the psychological state of a person and his reactions to events.
 Aggressive reactions of the criminal during careless infliction of severe or moderate bodily harm have been studied, among which the following were highlighted, in particular physical aggression (assault); indirect aggression; irritability; negativism; image; suspiciousness; verbal aggression. Reckless criminals were divided into the following categories: random criminals who committed reckless crimes for the first time, acted unconsciously under the influence of a contributing or even provoking situation or a special psychophysiological state; unstable criminals, who for the first time committed careless crimes in a normal or hindering situation, violated the rules of caution knowingly; malicious careless criminals who were previously convicted of crimes, and also committed particularly malicious violations of the rules of caution with a general negative orientation of the person.
 According to the results of the conducted research, the following characteristic features of criminals who commit bodily harm due to carelessness have been identified, namely they are mainly adult men who commit the crime alone, without prior training, have secondary special and general secondary education, are unmarried, are temporarily employed in a low-paid job or not work, were not in a state of intoxication at the time of committing the crime, mainly had no previous convictions.

MAIN CRIMINALISTIC FEATURES OF A PERSON COMMITTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN UKRAINE

The relevance of the research subject is conditioned upon changes in social relations, modification of the criminological nature of perpetrators of domestic violence in Ukraine, in particular, foreign policy and socio-economic changes in Ukraine and the world. The purpose of the research is to identify the main socio-demographic and moral, and psychological features of a person who committed domestic violence. The main methods used in the research are the structural and systemic method, which allowed identifying the typical properties of a person committing domestic violence, and the statistical method, which allowed for studying the empirical base, which provided one of the main sources of information about such a person. The research analyses the criminal and legal properties of a person committing domestic violence. Noted that although a part of offences does not receive proper legal assessment in Ukraine there is a positive tendency to increase the realism of statistics on the commission of these crimes. The proposal on the necessity to modify the system of punishment is substantiated, in particular, the establishment of stricter sanctions for repeat offenders. In the research, it is suggested to use more often as a preventive measure conversations with a psychologist. The socio-demographic properties of a person who commits domestic violence in Ukraine are analysed. Based on statistical data, it was concluded that the number of women committing domestic violence is increasing; in particular, this is explained by the complicated economic and political situation in the country and social processes. Notably, offenders inherit the criminal behaviour of their parents (or one of them), and partly come from disadvantaged families, with low educational and cultural levels and difficult financial situations. The moral and psychological properties of a person who commits domestic violence in Ukraine are analysed. Notably, the behaviour of a person is influenced by both moral provisions and values and legal consciousness, in particular, if it is deformed, it can be an additional incentive to commit a crime. The practical significance of this research is that its provisions will help in further scientific research on the forensic and legal features of domestic violence in Ukraine in particular, its scientific originality may provide a foundation for new areas of research in the field of jurisprudence and research in other fields of social sciences.

Self-care and quality of life in comorbid patients with chronic coronary syndromes: is there any correlation?

Aim: to assess self-care skills and quality of life in patients with chronic coronary syndromes (CCS). Material and methods: the study involved 100 consecutive patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) admitted to cardiology departments. All patients admitted to the clinic underwent standard examination and treatment, taken in the management of patients with CCS. Besides, we assessed socio-demographic properties (marital status, education level, profession, disability for all reasons, income level), quality of life (using SF-36, SAQ questionnaires), levels of anxiety and depression (HADS scale), type D personality (DS-14 questionnaire), treatment adherence (Four-Item Morisky-Green-Levine medication adherence scale), Charlson comorbidity index, The Self Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory. Data processing was carried out using descriptive statistics, correlation and variance analysis. results: type D personality was identified in 60 patients (10.2 ± 5.6) on the scale of negative excitability, in 59 people (10.4 ± 3.7) — on the scale of social inhibition. An increased level of anxiety was found in 48 patients (7.6 ± 3.5), depression — in 49 people (7.1 ± 3.4). The average values of the physical component of the quality of life according to the SF-36 questionnaire were 36.9 ± 18.7 and 45.9 ± 19.6 points, respectively. The quality of life associated with exertional angina pectoris, according to the SAQ questionnaire, was 48.8 ± 19.7 points on the scale of limiting physical activity, 49.7 ± 28.2 points for seizure stability, and 70.5 ± 17.8 points for satisfaction with treatment. Treatment adherence according to the Morisky-Green scale was, on average, 2.6 ± 1.2 (Me: 2, [2.4]). Self-care skills on the scale A was 61.3 ± 12.2 points, on the scale B — 49.0 ± 16.2 points, on the scale C — 32.3 ± 14.5 points. In groups of CCS, significant (p <0.05) differences were found on the scales A and B. Significant differences in the self-care skills were obtained among the groups of patients with and without a history of postinfarction cardiosclerosis. Conclusion: the capacity for self-care skills and the quality of life of Russian comorbid patients with CCS is unsatisfactory, which requires active medical intervention and the development of tools for their effective modification.

Visiting nearby natural settings supported wellbeing during Sweden’s “soft-touch” pandemic restrictions

The coronavirus pandemic entailed varying restrictions on access, movement and social behavior in populations around the world. Knowledge about how people coped with “soft-touch” restrictions can inform urban spatial planning strategies that enhance resilience against future pandemics. We analyzed data from an online place-based survey on 2845 places across Sweden that respondents abstained from visiting, visited with similar frequency, or visited more frequently in spring 2020 as compared to before the pandemic. In spatial logistic regression models, we relate geographical and sociodemographic properties of places (fields, forests, water, residential population density and daytime population density) to self-perceived changes in wellbeing from visiting the given place less or more often, respectively. Abstaining from visiting places with natural features located in areas of high residential density was associated with a self-perceived negative influence on wellbeing. Yet, fields, forests and water were strongly associated with places people claimed wellbeing benefits from during pandemic restrictions. The further a visited place was from the respondent’s home, the more likely it was to have a positive wellbeing influence. As an illustrative case, we map our models onto the landscape of Stockholm, showing that some neighborhoods are likely more resilient than others when coping with pandemic restrictions. Both the most and least resilient neighborhoods span the socio-economic spectrum. Urban planning will do well to enable equitable, easy access to natural settings by foot or bike, to increase pandemic preparedness as well as support climate change mitigation and biodiversity protection.

Translation and cross-cultural adaption of an instrument measuring patient's well-being under treatment for schizophrenia.

The Subjective Well-Being under Neuroleptic (SWN) Scale is a self-rating scale measuring the well-being of patients with schizophrenia under antipsychotic drug treatment. The instrument has been globally used, with issues regarding the well-being assessment scale across different cultures, patient characteristics, and country-setting remains a controversy. This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the SWN scale into the Indonesian version (Indonesian Modified SWN or IM-SWN) and evaluate its validity and reliability. The SWN instrument was translated and culturally adapted following internationally accepted procedures, including forward translation, expert panel review, backward-translation, pretesting and cognitive interviewing, and psychometric analysis for the final version of the scale. The translated instrument was tested on 108 schizophrenia patients. The instrument's validity and reliability were assessed using Pearson's correlation and Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. Additional analysis for the socio-demographic and psychometric properties of the patient was also conducted. The range of IM-SWN total score between 30 and 112. IM-SWN was found to have a high-reliability coefficient (0.897), and the internal consistency values of each question item ranged between 0.885 and 0.910. The results also showed a high correlation between five order factors (Physical functioning, mental functioning, self-control, emotional regulation, and social integration), with a total score of between 0.768 and 0.885. This study highlighted that the IM-SWN is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring well-being among the Indonesian population with schizophrenia.

Factors associated with off-label (OL) drug use in oncology: The role of cost and financing in a universal healthcare system.

e18825 Background: In recent years, OL use in oncology has become widespread, with estimates ranging up to 50-75% of all prescriptions. Most OL use is not publicly reimbursed within universal healthcare systems. We aimed to characterize the financing sources of OL use and to identify predictors for forgoing such treatment. Methods: We studied 708 oncology OL prescription requests submitted for approval to the Institutional Drug Committee in Rabin Medical Center, a large tertiary center in Israel, between January 2016 and December 2018. We included only requests for patients that were alive for more than 60 days following prescription approval. For each indication we extracted the level of supporting evidence at the time of prescription (sufficient, limited, inadequate). We also examined patients’ disease and sociodemographic properties, treatment costs, and financing sources. We used univariable logistic regression to ascertain these variables’ effects on actual OL drug initiation. We then used multivariable logistic regression to explore predicting factors for drug initiation. Results: The median monthly cost of a planned OL treatment was ILS39,928 (approximately US$ 11,500). Approximately one third (31%) of the treatments did not have a financing source at the time of request approval. The primary financing sources were patient access plans (30%) and private health insurance (25%). Of 708 approved OL requests, only 583 (82.3%) treatments were initiated. The proportion of requests that were eventually initiated was higher in the metastatic versus adjuvant setting (84.9% vs. 76.5%; p= .008). The estimated median OS for metastatic patients was 9.9 months, significantly higher in patients that did initiate treatment versus patients that did not (10.4 vs. 7.2 months; p= .048). Although not significant, median costs of initiated treatments were higher compared to treatments that were not (ILS41,686 vs. ILS24,670). Prescriptions for the metastatic setting and immunotherapy as well as ones with sufficient evidence had higher odds for treatment initiation (OR = 1.73; p= .007, OR = 1.69; p= .013 and OR = 1.62; p= .016). Prescriptions with limited supporting evidence and with no planned financing source had lower odds for treatment initiation (OR = 0.59; p= .012, OR = 0.37; p< .0005). A multivariable logistic regression showed that if no financing plan was in place at the time of request, there was a 2.5 times higher likelihood of not initiating the treatment (OR = 2.5; p< .0005). Conclusions: While OL recommendation is widespread and institutional approval is granted, a substantial proportion of treatments are not initiated. Although cost was not associated with treatment initiation, having a planned financing source was a strong predictor for OL treatment initiation. This study elucidates the financing sources of OL treatments in a universal healthcare system and identifies access barriers.

Health data from diaries used in low-income communities, north India.

ObjectiveTo determine the acceptability of keeping a self-written health diary among members of low-income communities, with the aim of generating needed health data.MethodsWe identified three different types of impoverished communities (tribal, inner-city slum and rural) in north India, and conducted a baseline survey to establish the sociodemographic properties of the members of 595 (tribal), 446 (slum) and 51 (rural) households. We designed health diaries with a single page to fill in per month, each with a carbon duplicate, and distributed diaries to willing participants. Health volunteers visited households each month to assist with diary completion and to collect duplicate pages for a period of one year. We compared the frequency of illnesses reported in health diaries with baseline survey data.FindingsA total of 4881 diary users (tribal: 2205; slum: 2185; rural: 491) participated in our project. In terms of acceptability, 49.6% (1093/2205), 64.7% (1413/2185) and 79.0% (388/491) at the tribal, slum and rural sites, respectively, expressed satisfaction with the scheme and a willingness to continue. In the tribal and slum areas, we observed increased reporting of illnesses from health diaries when compared with baseline data. We observed that influenza-like illnesses were reported with the highest frequency of 58.9% (2972/5044) at the tribal site.ConclusionWe observed high levels of acceptability and participation among the communities. From our initial field studies, we have observed the benefits to both our study participants (timely preventive education and referrals) and to service providers (obtaining health data to allow improved planning).

Efficacy of Rapid Antigen Test and McIsaac / Modified Centor Scores for Diagnosis of Streptococcal Tonsillopharyngitis in Children

Objective: We aimed to determine the efficacy of rapid antigen tests, clinical signs, and McIsaac / modified Centor clinical scoring systems in the diagnosis of Group A streptococcus (GAS) at children. Materials and Methods: Subjects aged 3-14 years who presented with acute tonsillopharyngitis were questioned about their sociodemographic properties and symptoms. Their clinical signs and McIsaac / modified Centor scores were recorded. They underwent a rapid streptococcal antigen test and throat culture sampling. Results: GAS proliferated in culture %11 of cases. The risk of culture positivity was 4.8 times greater in children aged 6 years or older. There was a significant correlation between culture positivity and muscle pain, tonsillar edema. Rapid strep test had a sensitivity of 75% and a specifity of 100% for the diagnosis of streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis. Rapid strep test showed a sensitivity of 80% and a specifity of 100% in children with a McIsaac / modified Centor score of 4-5. Conclusions: Unnecessary antibiotic use for tonsillopharyngitis is an important problem. Therefore, it is ideal to order throat culture and act accordingly in every case suggesting GAS infection. However, when culture is not possible, rapid strep testing and McIsaac / modified Centor scoring are effective in guiding diagnosis and treatment.

Exploring the relationship between 8th graders' assertiveness levels and family functions

This research has been conducted to examine the relationship between primary school 8th grade students’ levels of assertiveness and a) family function b) socio-demographic variables. In the research with the family assessment scale, rathus assertiveness and socio-demographic properties inventory has been used. The personal information form has been used for socio-demographic variables according to family assessment functions and social demographic properties, the students’ levels of assertiveness have been studied whether significantly differentiate (p<.05/p<.01) or not. Socio-demographic properties are gender, number of siblings, birth order, self-confidence and lack of self-confıdence, parents’ education level, and family income level. In the sample group there are 195 girl students and 236 boy students classes of the society totally 431 students form the sample group. As a result, the level of assertiveness doesn’t change according to the gender. Terms of roles, affective involvement and behaviour control, male students have higher average scores than female students. Generally the students who have got two siblings, have lower scores than the other number of siblings group (1,3,4,6); in terms of the relationship between the family function and assertiveness, the overall high scores have been found to cause a decrease in the communication, roles and general functions (sub-family functıons) of the 8th grade students’ levels of assertiveness.
 
 Key Words: Assertiveness; Family Functions; Elementary Students; Socio-demographic; Family C ounselling

Government trust, perceptions of COVID-19 and behaviour change: cohort surveys, Singapore.

ObjectiveTo evaluate how public perceptions and trust in government communications affected the adoption of protective behaviour in Singapore during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.MethodsWe launched our community-based cohort to assess public perceptions of infectious disease outbreaks in mid-2019. After the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Singapore on 23 January, we launched a series of seven COVID-19 surveys to both existing and regularly enrolled new participants every 2 weeks. As well as sociodemographic properties of the participants, we recorded changing responses to judge awareness of the situation, trust in various information sources and perceived risk. We used multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate associations with perceptions of risk and self-reported adopted frequencies of protective behaviour.FindingsOur cohort of 633 participants provided 2857 unique responses during the seven COVID-19 surveys. Most agreed or strongly agreed that information from official government sources (99.1%; 528/533) and Singapore-based news agencies (97.9%; 522/533) was trustworthy. Trust in government communication was significantly associated with higher perceived threat (odds ratio, OR: 2.2; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.6–3.0), but inversely associated with perceived risk of infection (OR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–0.8) or risk of death if infected (OR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–0.9). Trust in government communication was also associated with a greater likelihood of adopting protective behaviour.ConclusionOur findings show that trust is a vital commodity when managing an evolving outbreak. Our repeated surveys provided real-time feedback, allowing an improved understanding of the interplay between perceptions, trust and behaviour.

The long-term effects of modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors of stroke

Stroke is a major cerebrovascular disease causes high mortality and morbidity in people around the world. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability. The largest country in the middle East, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), has been occupying approximately four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula supporting a population of more than 28 million. Stroke is getting to be a quickly expanding issue and is the leading cause of illness and deaths in Saudi Arabia. It is clear that researches and studies regarding the incidence, prevalence and their sociodemographic properties of stroke is still incomplete due to lack of present studies being conducted in these specified areas. This article aims to discuss the aspect of stroke in Saudi Arabia beside the effects of modifiable and the non-modifiable risk factors from the literature published.

Validity and reliability of the Russian-language version of the Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory in patients with chronic coronary syndromes

Aim . To assess the validity and psychometric properties of the Russian version of the Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory (SC-CHDI) in patients with chronic coronary syndromes (CCS). Material and methods . The study was performed on 100 patients with stable coronary artery disease, who were sequentially admitted to the cardiology departments in December 2019. All patients admitted to the clinic underwent standard examination and treatment for patients with CCS. We have also evaluated socio-demographic properties (family status, educational level, profession, disability, income), quality of life (using questionnaires SF-36 and SAQ), levels of anxiety and depression (HADS), type D personality (DS-14 questionnaire), medication adherence (four-item Morisky-Green Medication Adherence Scale), Charlson comorbidity index. Self-care skills were assessed with the Self Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory. Results . Test-retest reliability of the questionnaire scales ranged from 0,79 to 0,85, while Cronbach's alpha varied from 0,738 for the entire questionnaire and from 0,649 to 0,716 for each of the scales, which indicates its sufficient reliability. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the correspondence of the obtained model to the experimental one. The criterion-related validity revealed correlation between the scales with the SF-36 physical functioning scale (r=-0,212, p<0,05), Charlson comorbidity index (r=0,282, p<0,01), physical activity restriction (r=-0,218, p<0,05) and the frequency of angina episodes (r=-0,340, p<0,05) of the SAQ questionnaire, duration of CCS (r=0,354, p<0,01) and Morisky-Green scale value (r=0,25, p<0,05). Conclusion . The Russian-language version of the Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory showed sufficient psychometric properties and is a valid tool for assessing the self-care skills in patients with CCS.

The communication between physicians and patients

Abstract Background The first appointment between the physician and the patient is unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the communicative skills of the physician with the patient through the eye of the latter. Methods This descriptive study has been conducted in the clinics of a university hospital in Ankara. After physical examination a questionnaire, including socio-demographic properties and relations between the physician and patient, was applied under observation to 200 participants. Results Of the participants 56.5% were female, 47.5% were under 30 and 45.5% were high school, 16.0% were university graduates. 60% stayed in the examination room for 10 and 32.5% 5 minutes. 62% stated the conditions in the examination room were totally satisfied, 10% were partially and 28% were unsatisfied. “My doctor accepted me with a smiling face” has received the highest positive answer during initial communication with 78%, while “My doctor had a conversation with me” has got the lowest positive answer with 44%. “My doctor paid special attention to my privacy” has been to one to receive the highest positive answer during examination(90.5%), the lowest positive answer was “My doctor took notice of my social and cultural values”(45%). After examination, “My doctor was very kind and friendly” has received the highest positive answer(89%). “He listened to my opinions for the treatment” has been given lowest positive point 55%. “I recommend my doctor to other people” was accepted by 95.2%. Ages over 30 had more positive answers than younger participants in every item whereas two were significant (p &amp;lt; 0,05). Male had given more positive answers in every item and 8 items were significant (p &amp;lt; 0,05). “He listened to my opinions for the treatment” item received positive answer from 80% of those with a secondary education degree and 48% for the high school or university graduates (p = 0.023). Conclusions The manner that was used for communication in clinic was acceptable by the patients. Key messages The regulations/awareness of patient-physician rights the communication between the physician and patient has been favourably affected by the increasing satisfaction of patients from health services. Patients still have problems related to communication while their checkups in hospitals. Communication skills must be taught in internships also.

The Social Media Disorder and Ostracism in Adolescents: (OSTRACA- SM Study).

Social media disorder (SMD) is defined as a behavioral addiction and has been associated with depression, loneliness, narcissism, low self-esteem, poor sleep quality, and low academic performance. Ostracism is a term defined as being ignored or excluded by others. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictors of ostracism in adolescents and test the effect of SMD on ostracism. This study was performed as a survey study. Adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age were administered a structured questionnaire to assess socio demographic properties, SMD, and ostracism. The SMD Scale and Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents (OES-A) were used. Between January and June 2018, 864 university students ≤18 years of age were invited to the study and 684 (79.1%) of them participated. We found a positive correlation between OES-A and SMD scores (r=0.52, p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, male gender, absence of a hobby, not being successful in the university, and high SMD scores were associated with high OES-A scores. This is the first data obtained proving an association between SMD and ostracism. The impact of SMD and ostracism on psychosocial issues should be further evaluated.

Are Sociodemographic Properties or is Carbon Monoxide Measured in Exhaled Air More Effective in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction?

Introduction According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the use of tobacco products ranks first as the most preventable health problem in the world. According to the data of the World Health Organization, 1.3 million people worldwide use tobacco products and approximately 5 million people die every year due to tobacco use-related causes. Approximately 100 thousand people die every year due to tobacco products in our country. While the mortality rate due to tobacco use is expected to be approximately 8.4 million people by 2030 in the entire world, it is expected to be around 240,000 in Turkey [1]. While the use of tobacco products is gradually decreasing in developed countries, it is increasing in underdeveloped and developing countries. It is estimated that 80% of deaths expected to occur due to tobacco use in 2030 will be in underdeveloped and developing countries [1,2]. There are three main cases in terms of the use of tobacco products (cigarettes etc.). The first one is people who do not smoke tobacco products (cigarettes, etc.) or have not used them at any time in their life. The second case is people who have quit using tobacco products or used tobacco products in the past but have not been smoked for a certain period of time (at least 6 months). The third case describes people who use tobacco products and who still smoke tobacco products regularly or non-regularly [3]. According to the data of 2016, Turkey's current rate of tobacco product use is 40.1% in men, 13.3% women, while it is 26.5% in the general population [4]. Turkey is among the countries in the first place in terms of rates of the use of tobacco derivatives and is among the countries with the highest tobacco product addiction among the male population in Europe, according to WHO [5]. In Turkey, one of the widespread uses of tobacco products will also cause a decrease in the rates of quitting tobacco-product. Although tobacco users are often unaware of this addiction, they consider it more of a habit, but it is addictive due to nicotine in tobacco products. Tobacco products are among the substances with high addiction potential. While 70% of the people who use tobacco products in our country think that they are thinking of getting rid of their addictions, 80% reported that they tried to quit tobacco products with or without support at a certain time in their lives [6,7]. Most tobacco users try to get rid of their addiction without help, and many result in relapse after a short time [8]. There are many studies reporting different results on the factors affecting the success of quitting in tobacco users. Motivation and determination, sociodemographic features, addiction, psychological and environmental factors, chronic diseases are the significant factors [3]. About 75-80% of tobacco addicts want to quit these habits [9]. There are two approaches that have been shown to be beneficial in quitting tobacco products. These are supportive therapy and pharmacotherapy, consisting of behavioral therapy and motivation (Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Bupropion, and Varenicline) [10]. Better results are achieved with the combined use of these two approaches [11]. In 2010, the Tobacco Products Cessation Hotline (ALO 171) was introduced by the Ministry of Health in order to encourage those using tobacco products in our country to get rid of these habits [12]. Addicts of tobacco products calling ALO 171 are directed to the nearest tobacco product (smoking cessation) cessation clinic. Socioeconomic and cultural factors often play an important role in determining who will start tobacco products or who and how they will continue this habit. In our country, an increase in the level of social awareness causes an increase in polyclinic admissions of people who use tobacco products. The process of quitting tobacco products in these polyclinics is supported by pharmacological treatment and behavioral education. In our study, patients who were admitted to our tobacco products outpatient clinic in a district state hospital within 1 year and who were registered to the Ministry of Health's tobacco addiction treatment monitoring system were included. In our study, it was evaluated whether the sociodemographic features or the level of carbon monoxide (CO) measured in exhaled air are effective in the success of quitting tobacco products (commercial tobacco and rolling tobacco) in the light of the literature.

Almanya'da Yaşayan Türk Göçmenlerin Ruh Sağlığının Değerlendirilmesi

This study aimed to identify if there is a difference between the Turkish people living in Turkey (TPTs) and the Turkish immigrants living in Germany (TIGs) regarding the social anxiety level. It is hypothesized that the TIG group would score higher on the subscales avoidance and anxiety level of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) compared to the other group. For this study, 120 subjects were recruited through the Facebook official website of the Psychiatry department of the Harran University. In this study, participants fill out a questionnaire on sociodemographic properties and score on LSAS. The results of this data displayed a non-significant outcome on subscales, social anxiety (t (n) = 1.15, p = 0.25) and social avoidance (t (n) = 1.67, p = 0.1). It is demonstrated that TIGs had higher scores in the items related to telephoning in public, speaking up at a meeting, expressing a disagreement or disapproval to foreign, giving a report to a group, but these findings were not significant. Further studies with larger sample size are needed.

Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in the Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis

INTRODUCTION: Lateral epicondylitis is a disease with unknown etiology that influences %1-%3 of society.(1) The major symptom is a kind of pain which originates from common extensor tendon, spreads out distally and increases with activities. Generally, it depends on using muscles excessively while sport or working and comprises of macroscopic and microscopic ruptures in common extensor origin and especially extensor tendon that are formed while strong grasping and excentric contractions with recurrent, rapid movements of wrist. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ESWT in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. METHODS: We evaluated patients with lateral epicondylitis who were admitted to the treatment program and who had not yet received treatment. 60 patients were studied in two groups of 30s. Patients applied treatment 1000 shots 18 hz frequency,1,8 bar point and 1000 shots 21 hz frequency, 1,4 bar peripheral total 2000 shots once a week for three times.Patients in all groups underwent stretching and eccentric strengthening exercises. Socio-demographic properties, dominant hand, affected elbow, existence of trauma or repetative movements and the comorbid diseases, duration of symptoms, triggering factors and clinical examination results created the data. By the assessment of symptoms and signs VAS, algometer, HAQ and PRTEE-T scores were evaluated. RESULTS: At the end of the study, the ESWT-treated group showed statistically significant improvement in all variables compared with the groups (p

The effect of Benson relaxation method on anxiety in the emergency care.

Objective:To analyze clinical and sociodemographic properties of the patients as measured by the “Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-HADS” including the subscale regarding anxiety (HAD-A) in emergency department (ED) and to detect the effect of a session of Benson relaxation method (BRM) on high anxiety level.Methods:Adult patients presented to the state hospital ED in seven days were recruited in this prospective study. Patients with high (≥8) scores were randomized to the treatment or control groups. They were asked to pursue BRM to alleviate anxiety.Results:Six hundred thirty-four patients were recruited (mean age 44.1 and 52% were female). Patients with acute exacerbation or with psychiatric illness, with a systemic disease and higher acuity level had higher HAD-A scores (P < .05). BRM group had a mean score change higher than controls (7.2 ± 2.9 vs 3.4 ± 2.6, t test, P = .026).Conclusions:Patients who underwent BRM had larger decreases in HAD-A scores than others.