The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccine in preventing acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME) in children aged 6 to 60 months who attend day care. This prospective, single-blind study was conducted in 8 day care centers in Ankara, Turkey. One hundred nineteen (61 vaccinated and 58 unvaccinated against influenza) healthy children were examined at study entry and at 6-week intervals for 6 months by the same 2 otorhinolaryngologists who were blinded about the vaccination status of the children. The frequency of AOM and OME is compared between the 2 groups and the effect of influenza season on frequency of episodes was evaluated. Based on national influenza laboratory data, the influenza season was determined to be the period between December 15, 2003, and January 31, 2004. The frequencies of AOM, OME and total otitis media episodes in vaccinated children were 2.3%, 22.8% and 25.2%, respectively, and these frequencies were 5.2%, 31.1% and 36.3% in the unvaccinated group. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). This difference was especially prominent in the influenza season (P < 0.05). Influenza vaccine is effective in reducing AOM and OME episodes in 6- to 60-month-old day care children, especially during influenza season.

The aim of the study was to analyse the impact of chronic disease on the quality of life (QoL) and how QoL changes with comorbidity and socioeconomic status in persons who attend primary health care centres. The group of participants comprised 2,560 people who contacted six primary health care centres in Ankara. The level of QoL was determined by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF). Mental disorders and diabetes-hypertension comorbidity had the most negative effect on the QoL. In the physical domain of the WHOQOL-BREF, the effect of diabetes-hypertension comorbidity is greater than the additive effect of hypertension and diabetes individually. The co-occurrence of any disease with cardiovascular disease does not change QoL within any domain, except for the co-occurrence of any disease with musculoskeletal diseases which deteriorated QoL in the physical domain. The higher income and socioeconomic status corresponded to higher QoL. The effect of comorbidity on QoL can be different from the additive effects of the co-occurring diseases. Socioeconomic factors undoubtedly affect the relationship between chronic diseases and QoL, and this relationship points to health inequities among socioeconomic groups.

Background: Previous studies have not shown the level of health literacy or associated factors on a national level in Turkey using a scale that has been adapted to the country and its culture. Objective: This study aimed to determine health literacy levels in Turkey and to investigate the association of health literacy with socioeconomic factors as well as with the instruments used as sources of health-related information. Methods: This cross-sectional, nationally representative study was conducted using a computer-assisted personal interview approach and included 6,228 households (response rate, 70.9%). The Turkey Health Literacy Scale was used to measure health literacy. Sources of health-related information, such as newspapers, television, internet, and smartphones, were included in the regression model for health literacy. Key Results: The proportion of participants with inadequate and problematic health literacy was 30.9% and 38%, respectively, showing that approximately 7 of 10 participants had limited health literacy. The frequencies of inadequate and problematic health literacy were higher in the disease prevention and promotion domains (37.4% and 34.2%, respectively) compared with those in the health care domain (27.1% and 31.3%, respectively). The most frequently used medium as a source of health-related information was the internet (48.6%), followed by television (33%). In controlled models, higher health literacy scores were associated with higher education and income levels. The effects of television (β = 1,917), internet (β = 2,803), newspapers (β = 1,489), and smartphones (β = 1,974) as sources of health-related information were statistically significant in the general health literacy index model. Conclusions: Health literacy in Turkey reflects social inequalities. The model accounting for socioeconomic variables demonstrated the relevance of sources of health information to level of health literacy. These findings emphasize the importance of improving sources of health information to improve health literacy. [ HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice . 2021;5(2):e109–e117.] Plain Language Summary: This is a cross-sectional study that is representative of the population of Turkey. We reported that health literacy scores were higher for people in higher levels of socioeconomic status. We showed that using the television, internet, newspapers, and smartphones as a source of health-related information is associated with health literacy even when accounting for socioeconomic variables.

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of toxocariasis in adult asthmatics and to assess its relationship with risk factors. A total of 124 asthmatic and 60 control group subjects were included in the study. Of the asthmatic patients, 61 (49.2%) were atopic and 63 non-atopic (50.8%). The anti-Toxocara IgG (Toxocara IgG CELISA Cellabs, Australia) positivity rate for all asthmatic cases was 9.7%. There was no significant difference between the asthmatic cases and the control group regarding anti-Toxocara IgG positivity (P>0.05). When risk factors were analyzed, there was a statistically significant difference between the control group subjects and patients with non-atopic asthma and also between the atopic asthmatic patients and the patients with non-atopic asthma regarding pets being under veterinary control (P<0.05). The percentages of those who had their pets defecate indoors were 0, 15 and 8.6%, respectively, for the control subjects, patients with non-atopic asthma and those with atopic asthma. There was a statistically significant difference when the control group subjects were compared to the patients with atopic asthma (P<0.05).