Smoking Patterns among Primary School Students in Turkey

Cigarette smoking continues to be a threat to global health. The number of cigarettes smoked per person tends to increase each year, and the age of starting seems to be dropping. The research related to cigarette smoking conducted among young people generally studied high school or university students. However, studies have shown that students usually start smoking during the primary school period out of curiosity or imitation. The purpose of the present study was to find the prevalence of cigarette smoking among primary school students and the reasons for starting smoking, and to determine the characteristics of cigarette smoking of their parents. This study was conducted among 17 primary schools chosen according to their socioeconomic situations in different municipality districts in Turkey, with 9,408 students participating. Data were obtained by questionnaire. The mean age to start smoking was 11.7 ± 1.6; 82.9% of the students who took part in this study had never smoked before, 13.4% had tried smoking at least once, and 3.7% had been smoking regularly. The biggest reason for smoking was just curiosity or imitation. It was determined that a risk factor for students to start smoking was parents who smoke. The 17% smoking rate among primary school students was high in our opinion and prevention studies initiated. In addition, the effects of cigarette-smoking parents on students who start smoking should also be considered

Residents' views about family medicine specialty education in Turkey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Residents are one of the key stakeholders of specialty training. The Turkish Board of Family Medicine wanted to pursue a realistic and structured approach in the design of the specialty training programme. This approach required the development of a needs-based core curriculum built on evidence obtained from residents about their needs for specialty training and their needs in the current infrastructure. The aim of this study was to obtain evidence on residents' opinions and views about Family Medicine specialty training.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The board prepared a questionnaire to investigate residents' views about some aspects of the education programme such as duration and content, to assess the residents' learning needs as well as their need for a training infrastructure. The questionnaire was distributed to the Family Medicine Departments (n = 27) and to the coordinators of Family Medicine residency programmes in state hospitals (n = 11) by e-mail and by personal contact.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 191 questionnaires were returned. The female/male ratio was 58.6%/41.4%. Nine state hospitals and 10 university departments participated in the study. The response rate was 29%. Forty-five percent of the participants proposed over three years for the residency duration with either extensions of the standard rotation periods in pediatrics and internal medicine or reductions in general surgery. Residents expressed the need for extra rotations (dermatology 61.8%; otolaryngology 58.6%; radiology 52.4%). Fifty-nine percent of the residents deemed a rotation in a private primary care centre necessary, 62.8% in a state primary care centre with a proposed median duration of three months. Forty-seven percent of the participants advocated subspecialties for Family Medicine, especially geriatrics. The residents were open to new educational methods such as debates, training with models, workshops and e-learning. Participation in courses and congresses was considered necessary. The presence of a department office and the clinical competency of the educators were more favored by state residents.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study gave the Board the chance to determine the needs of the residents that had not been taken into consideration sufficiently before. The length and the content of the programme will be revised according to the needs of the residents.</p

Getting Better or Worse? General Health Status of 9 th

Adolescence is a transition phase from childhood to adulthood. In this period, rapid changes and development in their physical, biological, psychological, and social lives take place. While adolescents have to acquire many qualifications, they are faced with many problems, especially those that risk their health. In Turkey, one of the most important issues contributing to risky behaviors is the 1st Phase Nationwide High School Exam. Students must pass this phase in order to be in good high schools and to then pass the 2nd Phase University Exam. Most of their time is spent studying in school or in private teaching institutions, and less time is spent with their families or participating in social activities. In order to examine the effects on 9th grade students after the 1st Phase exams, we conducted this study with 1192 students in Bursa, Orhangazi. Data to evaluate students by socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), dietary, smoking, and physical activity behaviors and psychological status were collected via classroom questionnaires. We aimed to determine and evaluate the general characteristics and physical examination findings, to some extent, in a nationally representative sample of 9th grade students a year following the Nationwide High School Exam

Artificial intelligence in medical education: A cross-sectional needs assessment

Abstract Background: As the information age wanes, enabling the prevalence of the artificial intelligence age; expectations, responsibilities, and job definitions need to be redefined for those who provide services in healthcare. This study examined the perceptions of future physicians on the possible influences of artificial intelligence on medicine, and to determine the needs that might be helpful for curriculum restructuring. Methods: A cross-sectional multi-center study was conducted among medical students country-wide, where 3,018 medical students participated. The instrument of the study was an online survey that was designed and distributed via a web-based service.Results: Most of the medical students perceived artificial intelligence as an assistant technology that could facilitate physicians’ access to information (85.8%) and patients to healthcare (76.7%), reduces errors (%70.5). However, half of the participants were worried about the possible reduction in the services of physicians, which could lead to unemployment (44.9%). Furthermore, it was agreed that using artificial intelligence in medicine could devalue the medical profession (58.6%), damage trust (45.5%), negatively affect patient-physician relationships (42.7%). Moreover, nearly half of the participants affirmed that they could protect their professional confidentiality when using artificial intelligence applications (44.7%); whereas, 16.1% argued that artificial intelligence in medicine might cause violations of professional confidentiality. Of all the participants, only 6.0% stated that they were competent enough to inform patients about the features and risks of artificial intelligence. They further expressed that their educational gaps regarding their need for “knowledge and skills related to artificial intelligence applications” (96.2%), “applications for reducing medical errors” (95.8%), and “training to prevent and solve ethical problems that might arise as a result of using artificial intelligence applications” (93.8%). Conclusions: The participants expressed a need for an update on the medical curriculum, according to necessities in transforming healthcare driven by artificial intelligence. The update should revolve around equipping future physicians with the knowledge and skills to effectively make use of artificial intelligence applications, as well as to ensure that professional values and rights are protected.</jats:p

Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice: testing the feasibility of an educational intervention among physicians in five European countries

International audienceBackground: Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice is common in Southern Europe. Recent findings from a research project funded by the European Commission (FP7), the " OTC SOCIOMED " , conducted in seven European countries, indicate that physicians in countries in the Mediterranean Europe region prescribe medicines to a higher degree in comparison to physicians in other participating European countries. In light of these findings, a feasibility study has been designed to explore the acceptance of a pilot educational intervention targeting physicians in general practice in various settings in the Mediterranean Europe region.Methods: This feasibility study utilized an educational intervention was designed using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). It took place in geographically-defined primary care areas in Cyprus, France, Greece, Malta, and Turkey. General Practitioners (GPs) were recruited in each country and randomly assigned into two study groups in each of the participating countries. The intervention included a one-day intensive training programme, a poster presentation, and regular visits of trained professionals to the workplaces of participants. Reminder messages and email messages were, also, sent to participants over a 4-week period. A pre-and post-test evaluation study design with quantitative and qualitative data was employed. The primary outcome of this feasibility pilot intervention was to reduce GPs' intention to provide medicines following the educational intervention, and its secondary outcomes included a reduction of prescribed medicines following the intervention, as well as an assessment of its practicality and acceptance by the participating GPs.Results: Median intention scores in the intervention groups were reduced, following the educational intervention, in comparison to the control group. Descriptive analysis of related questions indicated a high overall acceptance and perceived practicality of the intervention programme by GPs, with median scores above 5 on a 7-point Likert scale

Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice: testing the feasibility of an educational intervention among physicians in five European countries

Background: Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice is common in Southern Europe. Recent findings from a research project funded by the European Commission (FP7), the “OTC SOCIOMED”, conducted in seven European countries, indicate that physicians in countries in the Mediterranean Europe region prescribe medicines to a higher degree in comparison to physicians in other participating European countries. In light of these findings, a feasibility study has been designed to explore the acceptance of a pilot educational intervention targeting physicians in general practice in various settings in the Mediterranean Europe region. Methods: This feasibility study utilized an educational intervention was designed using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). It took place in geographically-defined primary care areas in Cyprus, France, Greece, Malta, and Turkey. General Practitioners (GPs) were recruited in each country and randomly assigned into two study groups in each of the participating countries. The intervention included a one-day intensive training programme, a poster presentation, and regular visits of trained professionals to the workplaces of participants. Reminder messages and email messages were, also, sent to participants over a 4-week period. A pre- and post-test evaluation study design with quantitative and qualitative data was employed. The primary outcome of this feasibility pilot intervention was to reduce GPs’ intention to provide medicines following the educational intervention, and its secondary outcomes included a reduction of prescribed medicines following the intervention, as well as an assessment of its practicality and acceptance by the participating GPs. Results: Median intention scores in the intervention groups were reduced, following the educational intervention, in comparison to the control group. Descriptive analysis of related questions indicated a high overall acceptance and perceived practicality of the intervention programme by GPs, with median scores above 5 on a 7-point Likert scale. Conclusions: Evidence from this intervention will estimate the parameters required to design a larger study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of such educational interventions. In addition, it could also help inform health policy makers and decision makers regarding the management of behavioural changes in the prescribing patterns of physicians in Mediterranean Europe, particularly in Southern European countries