Musa Şahin

Chronic urticaria (CU) is defined by the presence of wheals (heals), angioedema, or both lasting for more than 6 weeks. Wheals are characterized by superficial, well-demarcated swelling of variable...

Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of smoking status, as measured by pack-years (PY), on components of metabolic syndrome while considering the influence of anxiety. Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a smoking cessation clinic in Turkey, enrolling individuals who visited the clinic in 2022. The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were utilized as assessment tools, while metabolic syndrome parameters (body mass index, hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia) were evaluated. Smoking status was classified based on pack-years. Results: The study revealed a dose-dependent relationship between smoking status and essential metabolic factors such as systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Notably, triglyceride (TG) levels exhibited a significant increase, particularly at 25 pack years. While anxiety levels did not exhibit a significant correlation with smoking status, they demonstrated an upward trend with increasing SBP and DBP values. Anxiety levels did not exhibit a significant correlation with smoking status. Conclusions: A significant association was identified between nicotine addiction, as indicated by PY, and both metabolic syndrome parameters and anxiety levels. Early smoking cessation is strongly recommended for current smokers, and former smokers are advised to abstain from smoking to mitigate its adverse effects on metabolic syndrome components. These findings underscore the interconnectedness of cigarette smoking’s effects on both physical and mental health, emphasizing the necessity of comprehensive approaches encompassing both metabolic disorder management and mental health support within cessation programs.

The integration of refugees into their work lives is crucial issue for public health.This study aimed to reveal some characteristics of the working life of Syrian refugees in Türkiye. This cross-sectional study employed the convenience sampling method to select participants in one of the provinces in Türkiye that hosts the highest number of refugees compared to its population. The data collected via a questionnaire were analyzed using the Chi-square, T test, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation statistical methods. All the Syrian workers surveyed were unregistered, and 42.8% worked in the industry. Average weekly working hours were 66.2 hours, and 78.1% of the workers were paid less than the legal minimum wage. Weekly working hours or a high level of education did not lead to an increase in salary. The Syrian refugees changed jobs frequently due to poor working conditions, and 57.2% had a work accident in Türkiye. Syrian workers have been found to have adverse working conditions, including long working hours, low pay, lack of vocational training and a high risk of work accidents. It is recommended to carry out further studies together with the necessary arrangements.

This study was aimed at evaluating the knowledge and attitudes of religious officials in Turkey about circumcision. Among the Imams, 96.7% (n = 234) were married, and 91.3% (n = 221) had male children. The place of circumcision was at home in 42.1% (n = 102), and 56.1% (n = 123) of the performers were not licensed physicians. Overall, 59.1% of the Imams believed that circumcision provided protection against HIV, 49.6% believed it reduced the risk of penile cancer, and 69.8% believed that circumcision increased sexual potency. Our research reveals that Imams in Turkey lack knowledge about circumcision.

Objective: Distracted walking is defined as any activity that diverts a pedestrian's attention from walking. The increasing addiction to mobile phone use has recently led to a rise in dangerous accidents caused by distracted walking. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and preventable causes of distracted walking among high school students crossing intersections with pedestrian crossings. Material and Methods: High school students (n=3237) between the ages of 14 and 18 from 10 different high schools, including 5 high schools in the Müze crossing area and 5 high schools in the Belediye crossing area, were observed while crossing the pedestrian crossing. Poisson regression was applied to determine the association between distracted walking and various factors, including the city, average household income in the surrounding area, type of pedestrian crossing, and the gender of pedestrians. Results: A total of 3237 students were observed walking near 10 high schools in the city centre of Turkey, of whom 1514 exhibited distracted walking (45.77%). The estimated prevalence of distracted walking was 45.77% (95% CI 45.06-48.49%). Of the students who exhibited distracted walking, 85.5% were engaged in some way with their mobile phones. The highest rate was observed in the group looking down and/or using their phones (62.81%). Conclusion: Our study reveals striking results about the distracted walking behavior of pedestrians in dense urban areas. The high rate of distracted walking among students indicates significant pedestrian-oriented security weaknesses. This study underscores the importance of addressing distracted walking to improve pedestrian safety and prevent potential accidents in urban environments.

Objectives: Very few studies have been conducted to identify the conditions that cause poisoning in pediatric patients needing intensive care, both by age group and toxic agent factor. This study will support the development of strategies for poisoning prevention measures by comparing the data in our region with other data in the world. Methods: This study is a single-centered, retrospective study. The baseline status of acute poisoning was defined in pediatric patients aged one month to 18 years who required intensive care hospitalization between November 2017 and March 2022. Results: There were 148 patient admissions due to acute poisonings (5.2% of all admissions, 69.6% females, median age: 13.6 months). Our study revealed that acute poisoning in children is caused mainly by pharmacological (88.5%), oral intake (97.3%) and at home (85.8%). It was observed that intoxication peaked at two different ages; the first peak was at preschool (33.1%), and the second peak was at adolescence (58.7%). In the univariate analysis, females (odds ratio [OR]=4.1), adolescents (OR=167.6), psychiatric drug users (OR=55.5), and multiple drug intoxications (OR=3.6) were associated with more suicides. Being adolescents and using psychiatric medication contributed significantly to suicide attempts in multivariate analysis (OR=145.3 and OR=37.9). None of our patients died. Conclusions: Preventing both poisoning and suicide attempts is the most critical priority. However, we suggest prevention strategies should be strengthened even if mortality is not observed. Furthermore, our study shows that suicide attempts are very likely to be repeated, especially if an underlying psychiatric illness exists.

Objective: Electric scooters are a new form of inner-city transportation, which is considered to be an accessible, affordable, and popular option within society. Aims: This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals involved in electric scooter accidents and the factors associated with these incidents. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of individuals involved in electric scooter crashes presented to the emergency department of four hospitals in Bursa/Turkey. Those hospitals were divided into two groups as Impoverished Region (IR) and Wealthy Region (WR). Sixty-two individuals who sustained ESA and were admitted to the ED of the four hospitals involved in our study from the start date 11/08/2022 till the end date of 11/012/2022. Results: A total number of 62 patients (24 females, 38 males) sustained electric scooter related injuries. The most commonly seen injury patterns were abrasion (n=42, 67.7%), soft tissue injury (n=27, 43.5%), and bone fracture (n=11, 17.7%), respectively. The lower and upper limbs and head injuries were the most commonly seen injury sites. Injury of the head (p=0.000), injury of the lower extremity (p=0.0230), injury of the upper extremity (p=0.004), and injury of trunk (p=0.008), were significantly associated with multiple injuries. Loss of balance was the most frequent ESA cause (n=43, 69.4%) followed by a hit to a stable object (n=11, 17.7%) Conclusions: Our study revealed that electric scooter accidents occurred in the initial moments of driving in low-income regions of the city compared to the wealthy areas. Head/neck injuries are more likely to occur in children in those cases