The aim of this study was to evaluate the autism awareness of mothers having typically developing children at preschool age and to investigate the validity and reliability of the Autism Awareness of Mothers Scale (AAMS). This methodological study was conducted with 136 mothers applying to a family health center in Istanbul, Türkiye. Data were collected in July-August 2021. The AAMS was a 4-point Likert-type scale and consisted of a total of 23 items. The factor structure of the scale was extracted by performing exploratory factor analysis. The median age of the participants was 32 years. Almost all the participants (91.9%) stated that they have heard the word ‘autism’ before. One-third of the mothers defined autism as a “social interaction problem” (33.1%). As a result of factor analysis, the AAMS had a two-factor structure, with Eigenvalues of 7.480 for Factor 1 and 4.978 for Factor 2 and explained 54.17% of total variance. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was found to be 0.947 for AAMS (0.933 and 0.876 for subscales, respectively). According to our results AAMS is a valid and reliable measurement tool. It can be used in Türkiye and in Turkish to determine autism awareness of mothers of typically developing preschool children.

Introduction and Aim: Sleep quality is an important determinant of general health and daily functionality and is affected by many factors, including sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene, on the other hand, is the collection of environmental factors, habits, and practices conductive to the person’s sleep for the right amount of time and quality. This study aimed to evaluate sleep quality and its determinants in medical students. Methods: The data of this descriptive study were collected at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine in January-February 2020. Medical students from Term 2 and Term 5 were included in the study. The data collection form consisted of 37 questions about individual characteristics, behaviors affecting sleep hygiene and sleep quality. The sleep quality level of the participants was evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used in data analysis. Results: Of the participants, 66.9% (n=107) had poor sleep quality. Among the behaviors that negatively affect sleep hygiene, the most common ones were ‘using a mobile phone/tablet computer in bed’ (‘always’ 26.3%, ‘often’ 46.3%), ‘thinking about daily problems and anxious situations in bed’ (‘always’ 13.1%, ‘often’ %30.0%), and ‘sleeping and waking up at different times during the week’ (‘always’ 8.1%, ‘often’ 31.9%). Statistically significant correlations were found between PSQI total score and ‘thinking about daily problems and anxious situations in bed’, ‘sleeping and waking up at different times during the week’, ‘consuming caffeine within four hours before going to bed’, and ‘using a mobile phone/tablet computer in bed’ (rho=0.404, rho=0.334, rho=0.180, and rho=0.169 respectively; p<0.05 for all). Conclusion: It was observed that the frequency of poor sleep quality is high among students, and behaviors that negatively affected sleep hygiene decreased the level of sleep quality. Effective guidance practices that will create lifestyle changes to increase sleep quality and improve sleep hygiene in university students are required.

Considering the high prevalence of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) in asthmatic patients, we aimed to compare asthmatic children and healthy children in terms of SRBD according to Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) scores. A questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics of the patients and the PSQ, which evaluates sleep quality and consists of 22 questions, was administered. During the data collection process, 180 patients in the patient group and 170 patients in the control group were included. The patient group showed statistically significantly higher total scores and subscale scores for snoring, sleepiness, and inattention compared to the control group. Statistically significant correlations were found between the sleepiness subscale and body mass index z score in a negative direction and between age at presentation and duration of asthma in a positive direction. Our findings endorse employing the PSQ as a screening instrument in the outpatient environment to ensure timely referral of asthma patients to a sleep specialist for SRBD evaluation. Considering the widespread occurrence of snoring and asthma, this tool could aid in identifying patients with an elevated risk of SRBD and expedite the scheduling of nocturnal polysomnography for these children.