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ABSTRACT: To determine the effectiveness of an educational program concerning knowledge of breast cancer, early detection practices and health beliefs of nurses and midwives.
Educational programs play an important role in breast cancer preventive behaviour.
The study was designed as an experimental post-test only, control group design. The educational program was applied only to the experimental group. The study group included 157,134 nurses and midwives respectively in the experimental and the control group.
Participants in the experimental group received an educational program on the breast cancer. One year after the educational program was delivered, data were collected from the two groups using a personal data form and the Turkish version of Champion's Health Belief Model Scale. Descriptive statistics, paired samples t-test, chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were conducted in the course of the data analyses.
The mean total knowledge score was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. The application percentage of mammography and clinical breast examination was higher in the experimental group. There were no significant differences between two groups in performing breast self-examination. The experimental group was significantly more likely to feel confident and motivated, and their total score on the health belief scale was much better than that of the control group.
The results of this study showed that educational intervention had a positive impact on knowledge of breast cancer, on practices related to breast cancer, on early detection and on the health beliefs in the experimental group.
The educational programs, including techniques to increase the motivation and skills for early detection of breast cancer, should be made widespread in nursing and midwifery. Health beliefs should be considered in planning educational programs about breast cancer. Interventions should be designed to enhance nurses' and midwives' confidence and motivation.
Journal of Clinical Nursing 08/2010; 19(15-16):2363-71. · 1.12 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The Ege University Faculty of Medicine (EUMF) introduced a community-oriented undergraduate curriculum in 2001. In developing the epidemiology portion of the new curriculum, learning objectives were written for their relevance to different learner stages within the general curriculum and to Turkey's public health problems. Key learning objectives were that students should be able to comprehend the moral values of scientific research, principles of study design and evidence appraisal, and the role of epidemiology in clinical practice. The curriculum included didactic lectures and group activities. The aim of the present study was to explore third-year students' perceptions of the epidemiology curriculum.
The program was evaluated at the end of our students' third year through written evaluations using quantitative and qualitative methods. Two hundred fifty-five students (92.7%) of all third-year medical students participated in the evaluation. Quantitative methods were based on student ratings, whereas qualitative method assessments involved content analysis of the students' open-ended statements.
Based on responses to fixed response items, more than seven out of every 10 students appreciated the value of epidemiology to the work of physicians. More than six out of 10 students evaluated the curriculum favorably, but only a third indicated that they became more interested in epidemiology with time, and one-quarter found epidemiology challenging. In students' open-ended responses, the most frequent positive statements referred to students' heightened interest in research and appreciation of the curriculum's interactive teaching. Some students criticized the content as difficult and felt that there were too many didactic lectures.
Based on their evaluations, students found our new epidemiology curriculum acceptable, and regarded it as relevant and valuable to their future practice.
Education for Health Change in Learning & Practice 08/2008; 21(2):126.
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ABSTRACT: The purposes of this study were to identify the level of breast cancer and breast self examination practice knowledge of primary health nurses and the factors influencing breast cancer and breast self examination knowledge as well as to investigate the frequency of breast self examination practice of primary health nurses and influencing factors and to evaluate the effects of an in-service training program about breast cancer and breast self examination practice for primary health nurses.
An increased awareness among nurses about breast cancer prevention would most likely result in a higher number of better educated women about breast cancer and also motivate adherence to screening recommendations.
A pre-test and post-test design was implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of a Breast Cancer and Breast Self Examination Education Program for primary health nurses. The program was instructed to 192 of the 215 primary health nurses by two nurse trainers. Pre- and post-tests made available a quantitative evaluation of the level of improvement in breast cancer and breast self-examination knowledge.
Mean of total breast cancer knowledge score of primary health nurses prior to the program was 58.51 SD 15.63 whereas, it increased to 75.96 SD 9.53, revealing a statistically significant escalation (p < 0.0001). A significant increase was detected in the number of primary health nurses practising breast self examination as a result of the significant improvement in the mean of self breast self examination practice knowledge score which rose evidently from 71.09 SD 19.31 to 85.02 SD 12.92 (p < 0.0001).
The in-service education program improved the knowledge about breast cancer and practice of breast self examination in trained primary health nurses. The program model, which involved trained primary health nurse also represented an efficient use of the resources.
It is important that primary health nurses have adequate breast cancer knowledge and practice of breast self examination to contribute effectively to primary health care. Findings of this study can be used to guide the planning efforts on continuous education of primary health nurses about breast cancer and breast self examination issues.
Journal of Clinical Nursing 04/2007; 16(4):707-15. · 1.12 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To define the prenatal care utilization pattern in Bornova and determine the factors affecting the amount and content of prenatal care.
Follow-up study.
Bornova is an urban district in western Turkey.
Two hundred and forty-five pregnant women registered with primary care settings in Bornova during the year 2000. Response rate was 83.7%. Main outcome measure. We determined the amount of prenatal care using Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index. Criteria used to assess the content of services include number of checks for maternal weight gain, blood pressure and foetal heart-beat measurements, advice about healthy lifestyles, laboratory examinations, and tetanus immunization.
Rates of the women who visited public primary health care settings, private care sources, and public hospitals at least once were 76.0, 57.1, and 54.6%, respectively. As to prenatal care, 64.9% of the participants received an adequate amount and 25.9% an adequate content. Parity (P = 0.00), insurance coverage (P = 0.00), abortion history (P = 0.03), husband's occupation (P = 0.00), maternal age (P = 0.04), and level of educational attainment (P = 0.03) were related to the amount of care. Employment status (P = 0.03), continuous use of private sources (P = 0.00) and public hospitals (P =0.01) were associated with the content.
This study has highlighted considerable associations between the amount of prenatal care and individual features in addition to those among the content of care, individual features and type of care sources. Causes of variations in prenatal care delivered in urban and relatively wealthy populations of developing countries must be explored using the appropriate criteria.
International Journal for Quality in Health Care 01/2006; 17(6):533-9. · 1.96 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of the presented study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of antibiotic usage in the student groups of a University in a country where the antibiotics are taken without prescriptions.
Out of 5345 students (excluding those from the Faculty of Medicine) of Ege University, 678 were chosen by systematic sampling methods. The sampling group was divided into two groups. Group A included students from the Faculties of Pharmacy and Dentistry and Group B was composed of students of all other faculties. A questionnaire was used.
The mean age was 21.0+/-3.0 and 58% were females. The aim of antibiotic use for common cold was 83.1% (P>0.05) and, to decrease fever was 32.1% (P<0.05) in both Groups. In Group A 36.1% and in Group B 44.9% of the respondents started antibiotics by themselves when they were ill (P>0.05) although 89.1% of both groups agree that antibiotics should be started with doctors' prescription. During their last infection in Group A 11.7% and in Group B 27.3% of the respondents used the same antibiotic as previously prescribed by their doctors and the use of antibiotics as advised by the doctors during their last infection was 50.8% in Group A and 35.3% in Group B.
The use of antibiotics are found to be irrational among university students. National education programmes about the dangers of irrational antibiotic use and restriction of antibiotics without prescriptions should be the priority. This study indicated that knowledge regarding antibiotics cannot be evaluated alone since it did not always correlate with behaviour.
The Journal of infection 08/2005; 51(2):135-9. · 4.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study was devised to determine the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of an educated group of people towards antibiotic use and self-medication with antibiotics. Of 1380 members of academic staff (excluding those from the Faculty of Medicine) of Ege University, 602 were chosen by systematic sampling methods. Two groups were formed. Group A included academic staff from the Faculties of Dentistry and Pharmacy and Group B, members of all other faculties. The mean age was 37.4+/-11.0 and 47.0% were females. The mean antibiotic knowledge score was 7.16+/-3.32. Self-medication with antibiotics was admitted by 45.8% of the total samle and 15.6% of the respondents used antibiotics until their symptoms disappeared regardless of the period of prescription. In Group A 48.8% and in Group B 80.7% of the respondents believed that antibiotics could be used for common cold. It is concluded that priority should be given to knowledge-based behaviour education programmes for the more highly educated community; there must also be restriction on the sale of antibiotics without prescription.
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 02/2003; 21(1):63-6. · 4.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Many antineoplastic drugs are known to be carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic to humans. There is thus a potential risk due to occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs (CDs). Nurses and pharmacists are the main groups that are exposed to these drugs in the ambulatory care and hospital settings. An analytic cross sectional study was here carried out in order to evaluate the level of knowledge of nurses on the health effects and the routes of exposure to CDs, to clarify the protective measures while handling these agents and to determine the influence of this knowledge on clinical attitudes, behaviour and actual usage of safety measures. The level of knowledge of the nurses concerning antineoplastics was not satisfactory. Findings for nurses' safety behaviour and usage of recommended health safety measures showed that, notwithstanding the rules and regulations pertaining to CDs, nurses did not comply with them fully. In service training is a very effective tool to increase the level of knowledge. This study also revealed the necessity for improvement of the working environment and the availability of appropriate protective equipment.
Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention: APJCP 5(2):164-8. · 0.66 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Risk perception is a significant component of awareness of breast cancer risks. It can be helpful to reduce deaths of breast cancer via increasing awareness risk level. This study aimed to discuss the level of perceived and calculated breast cancer risk and to provide data on the practice of breast self-examination and use of mammography among 215 nurses and midwives working in the 23 primary healthcare centers in Turkey. Participants were asked to assess their personal lifetime breast cancer risk by a 4-item Likert scale ("no risk," "usual," "moderate," and "strong" risk), which determined "perceived breast cancer risk." Gail model was used to assess the "calculated breast cancer risk," which was calculated by the tool provided by the National Cancer Institute, version 7. Perceived and calculated risk levels were compared. The relation between sociodemographic and risk factors with "perceived risk" was examined. In addition, the influence of perceived risk on breast cancer screening practice was also assessed. The level of perceived risk of nurses and midwives was higher than that of calculated risk. Considering the fact that participants were healthcare professionals, the use of breast self-examination and mammography practices as a preventive behavior by nurses and midwives was lower than expected. Implications are discussed with regard to breast cancer risk and preventive behavior.
Cancer Nursing 29(3):244-9. · 1.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to determine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) release in response to platelet-activating factor (PAF) induction in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers.
Subjects were grouped into three subgroups. The mean age was 37 +/- 10 years. Group A (n = 15), group B (n = 10) and group C (n = 9) subjects were HBV serology-negative, had natural immunity after recovery from an acute HBV infection, and were chronic HBV carriers, respectively.
Compared with group A, PBMCs from naturally immune subjects and chronic HBV carriers produced significantly higher amounts of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in response to PAF. In chronic HBV carriers, TNF-alpha (1,633.3 +/- 793.7) and IL-6 (2,533.3 +/- 466.3) production was statistically lower than TNF-alpha (2,630.0 +/- 727.3) and IL-6 (3,870.0 +/- 728.4) obtained from naturally immune subjects to HBV.
Differences of TNF-alpha levels between chronic HBV carriers and naturally immune subjects suggest that TNF-alpha may be a critical mediator of HBV clearance.
Medical Principles and Practice 13(5):273-6. · 0.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Children are at greater risk than adults to the effects of inhaling environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) especially in their homes. The aim of this study was to assess parents' knowledge regarding the risks of ETS to the health of their children and the barriers to reducing children's ETS exposure.
Qualitative research was performed for 50 households in which children were to exposed ETS were selected randomly from the questionnaire respondents for home-based interview. We conducted a total of 53 home-based interviews and collected information from parents regarding their knowledge of ETS effects, smoking behavior at home, barriers to quitting smoking or reducing ETS exposure, social attitudes toward parents who ban smoking, and the impact of the smoke-free legislation.
Passive smoking was not a well recognized term but parents recognized that it causes harmful health effects. Some parents reported that their health care professionals did not inform them about the dangers of ETS. Parents restricted smoking in their homes, with a range of spatial restrictions which were frequently modified by family relation factors and the desire to be seen to act in socially and morally acceptable ways. The meaning of hospitality as social habits and traditions were important underlying factors.
Knowledge levels, relationships with family and friends and the social and cultural context in which families live play important roles in the management of smoke exposure in Turkish homes. Despite these factors, awareness of the risks of ETS and smoke free legislation can provide opportunities to support people attain smoke-free homes.
Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention: APJCP 9(3):467-72. · 0.66 Impact Factor
