Background: Intestinal parasitic infections are amongst the most common infections worldwide. Epidemiological research carried out in different countries has shown that the social and economical situation of the individuals is an important cause in the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Previous studies in Turkey revealed a high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection. The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in Aydin among 7-14 years old school children and to identify associated socio-demographic and environmental factors, behavioral habits and also related complaints.

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.

Health literacy is a public health priority which refers to individual's knowledge, motivation and competence to access, understand, appraise and apply health information to prevent disease and promote health in daily life. This study aimed to adapt European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) into Turkish and to investigate its psychometric properties. The questionnaire was translated into Turkish by using both group translation and expert opinion methods. Forward translation-back translation method was used for language validity and the final Turkish version (HLS-TR) was formed. HLS-EU-Q47 and Health Awareness Scale (HAS) were administered to 505 respondents. The scale reliability was examined using Crohnbach's alpha coefficient and the construct validity was assessed by principal axis factoring procedure. The convergent validity was obtained by Pearson correlation coefficients between HLS-TR and HAS scores and discriminant validity was examined comparing the scores of participants who were stratified according to ages, educational status, gender, general health status and social status. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole scale was 0.95. Principal axis factoring extracted nine factors which eigenvalues were >1 and explained 50.01% of total variance. Factor matrix displayed that all items gave greater load in factor 1, showing that health literacy measured with one factor. Positive and significant correlation was found between HLS-TR and HAS. Significant relations were found between HLS-TR scores and selected determinants of health. This study revealed that the HLS-TR was a valid and reliable measuring instrument with appropriate psychometric characteristics.

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.

Pregnancy in adolescence has been and continues to be a problem in public health. A retrospective study of 562 mothers, 18 years of age and below, was carried out. This study has shown a high incidence of preeclampsia (9.9%), low birth weight infants (17.2%), and preterm delivery (9.3%). It is imperative to institute a medical and educational servive with comprehensive prenatal care for adolescent mothers in order to improve the outcome of their pregnancies.