Stroke is the second most common cause of mortality and a major cause of long-term disability of adults in most countries. This study was performed to determine the level of knowledge and awareness regarding risk factors and warning signs of stroke in a selected sample. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Aydin between November and December 2005, utilizing a study sample of 920 people registered at urban health centers. The questionnaire, prepared by the investigators, was administered by 20 trained students utilizing face-to-face interviews at participants' homes. Two-thirds of the participants knew the organ effected by stroke. The participants reported that stroke was a consequence of occlusion (28.0%) or bleeding (18.0%) in brain arteries. Paralysis/weakness of one side of the body (37.1%), speech impairment (26.8%) and numbness of one side of the body (14.2%) were reported as three major stroke warning signs. Sixty-four percent of the participants knew at least one of these risk factors. Their primary sources of information were family and friends. Our study showed the great need for increasing awareness of risk factors and warning signs for stroke, perhaps utilizing community based education programs and the mass media.

Houses may accommodate environmental barriers that pose a risk for older people. This study aimed to identify the main characteristics of the dwellings of the elderly, and to assess the impact of those on home accidents. In that cross-sectional study, 3,277 people over 60 years of age living in Aydin province of Turkey were evaluated in December 2004, using a questionnaire and a home safety check list. The results indicated that 38.6% of the elderly have had any type of home accident within the last 12 months, and the most common type of accident was falls (31.9% of all accidents). Possible causes of accidents were analyzed and the houses were graded based on two different types of safety point scales (SP): SP1 for "house characteristics" and SP2 for "personal opinions." According to SP1, 22.7% of the houses were defined as in poor condition while this percentage was 20.1% according to SP2. Poor housing conditions, being female, living alone, having a chronic illness, physical and hearing disability, wearing eyeglasses, inactivity, use of assistive devices and more than four drugs were found to be associated with having a home accident. The environmental hazards and factors contributing to accidents or injuries were well-known. However, the information about home accidents in the elderly and the impact of dwelling characteristics was limited. This study was considered to be helpful to provide a new perspective on this subject. More studies are needed using the home safety check lists to collect additional quantitative data.

This descriptive, hospital-based study, performed in western Turkey, was designed to assess the level of pre-hospital delay and reasons for such delay in acute stroke patients, taking into consideration certain factors such as socioeconomic status, availability of transport options at onset of symptoms. Data were collected from hospital records, and a questionnaire was administered that included questions about socio-demographics, self-reported risk factors and questions related to hospital arrival. The rate of patients arriving at the hospital more than 3 hours after symptom onset was found to be 31.6% for this study. Approximately 1/3 of patients delayed going to the hospital because they were waiting for symptoms to go away while 1/3 of patients were not aware of the importance of seeking immediate medical help. There was a significant relationship between the use of ambulance transportation and length of time before arrival at the hospitals, though there was no statistically significantly relationship between the existence of stroke risk factors and hospital arrival delay. These results will likely be helpful to health care decision makers as they develop a model for stroke health care and community based training.

This cross-sectional study was carried out in October, 2001, with the aim of measuring formaldehyde levels in 399 homes representative of those in the central districts of Ankara province. Measurements were carried out with a Formaldemeter 400 in the living rooms and kitchens of these homes. The average formaldehyde levels in living rooms and kitchens were 0.064 and 0.060 ppm, respectively. The correlations between formaldehyde levels and type of house, construction materials, and method of ventilation were assessed. Formaldehyde levels were found to be significantly higher in apartments than in detached houses (living room: 2 ¼ 38.7, p < 0.001; kitchen: 2 ¼ 43.2, p < 0.001), significantly higher in reinforced concrete homes than in brick and mortar homes (living room: 2 ¼ 43.1, p<0.001; kitchen: 2 ¼ 34.9, p < 0.001), and significantly higher in homes using mechanical methods of ventilation than in homes with natural ventilation only ( 2 ¼ 6.2, p < 0.05). People living in homes with formaldehyde levels higher than 0.10 ppm had a significantly higher incidence of watering eyes, dry throats, and running noses than people living in homes with lower levels. The correlation between kitchen formaldehyde levels and the type of fuel used in the kitchen was assessed, and homes using natural gas in the kitchen (53.4%) were determined to have significantly higher levels than homes using bottled propane (46.6%) ( 2 ¼ 48.8, p < 0.001). The results of the study show a significant correlation between formaldehyde levels and the type of home and construction materials, and between formaldehyde levels and residents' complaints of watering eyes, dry throats, and running noses. This study was carried out during the warm season. The results suggest that a similar study should be conducted during the winter, when heating is used and ventilation is less adequate.

This preliminary study suggests that physical environmental factors in the salons may be contributing to the health problems of the hairdressers, and the electrical equipment in the workplaces may have cumulative electric and electromagnetic effects.