Mustafa Ferit Akkurt

Aim: Regular physical activity (PA) is essential for maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases. However, global evidence shows a consistent decline in PA during adolescence, with Turkish adolescents similarly experiencing increasing levels of inactivity over the last decades. Adolescence represents a critical developmental stage where PA habits are established and influence long-term health outcomes, yet longitudinal evidence from Türkiye remains limited. This study aimed to examine 18-month changes in PA among Turkish adolescents using a prospective cohort design. Method: This study was planned as a prospective cohort study.296 adolescents (grades 5–8, aged 11–13 years) who completed the baseline survey between November – December 2022, a randomly selected subsample of 192 students from one school was followed up in May-June 2024.PA levels were assessed at both time points using anthropometric measures and the validated Turkish version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Results: A total of 157 participants (boys, n=74; girls, n=83) completed assessments at both time points. Significant decreases were observed in six of nine PAQ-C items for boys and two of nine items for girls (p < 0.05). School-time PA (items 2–4) showed significant reductions, while spare-time and extracurricular PA (items 1 and 5–9) remained largely unchanged (p > 0.05). Gender differences indicated greater reductions among boys compared with girls. Conclusions: Over an 18-month period, PA levels among Turkish adolescents declined, with reductions most evident in school-time PA and more pronounced among boys. These findings underscore the need for longitudinal monitoring of adolescent PA in Türkiye. There is limited study estimating the follow-up on physical activity in the Turkish adolescent population.

Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a complex disease characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, emotional disturbances, and autonomic dysfunction. Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) has emerged as a potential noninvasive approach to modulate FMS-related symptoms. To compare the effects of left and bilateral taVNS on pain, mood, functionality, and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in individuals with FMS. Forty female individuals with FMS were assigned to either a left (n = 20) or a bilateral (n = 20) taVNS group. Both received 11 sessions of taVNS targeting the tragus and concha regions (30 minutes each, 25 Hz, 300 µs) over nonconsecutive days, excluding weekends and menstrual periods. Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) were assessed. ANS activity was evaluated via heart rate variability (HRV). After 11 sessions of taVNS, a 2-week follow-up was performed. No significant differences were observed between groups except for FIQ and BAI on day 28 (p = .002-0.008). Both groups showed significant within-group improvements in VAS (r = 0.87-0.94; p < .001), BDI (r = 0.46-0.71; p < .001), FIQ (r = 0.95-0.99; p < .001), and BAI (r = 0.69-0.94; p < .001) scores. Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) (p = .365-0.776) and Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) (p = .598-0.880) indices, which are the subparameters of HRV, showed no significant between-group differences, with small effect sizes (r < 0.15). Both stimulation protocols effectively reduced pain and improved mood and functionality in fibromyalgia, indicating a safe, noninvasive adjunctive treatment option. (Identifier: NCT06871306).