Cultural beliefs have a significant influence on breastfeeding practices. Some of these practices are potentially harmful to newborns. Health education programmes should address these beliefs and practices in culture sensitive ways.

Background: To describe the impact of the post-abortion family planning counseling in bringing about the contraceptive usage in women who had induced abortion in a family planning clinic.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends that babies be breastfed within the first hour of delivery and that they should exclusively be given breast milk in the first 6 months. The aim of this study was to ascertain the breastfeeding behaviors of refugee Syrian women and to compare their practices with those of the native mothers of the local community. Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in a Southern city in Turkey. The questionnaire was filled by face-to-face interviews. A total of 381 refugee Syrian mothers were compared with 381 native women living in the same community. Results: A significant difference was found between the two groups regarding breastfeeding. The rate of those who initiated breastfeeding within 1 hour after delivery was 61.4% for the Syrians and 71.1% for the Turkish mothers. In addition, the rates of exclusive breastfeeding (28.1 versus 34.1) and continuing breastfeeding for 12 months (55.0 versus 63.8) were lower in the Syrian refugee mothers. Maternal age and educational level were not correlated to the breastfeeding rates. Conclusions: This study is a rare study in which refugee mothers and local mothers were compared. Forced migration and refugee status are negatively associated with breastfeeding behavior.

Untreated waste water usage in agriculture is an important health-threatening issue which could affect both workers' and the public's health. In this study we researched hepatitis E infection in 46 of 57 farmers who used untreated waste water in agriculture. We compared them with 45 persons of the same socio-economic status and age. Anti-HEV seropositivity was 34.8% in the workers and 4.4% in the control group. We suggest that this type of irrigation is an important potential risk for hepatitis E infection.

Even though studies on the epidemiology of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are increasing day by day, epidemiological data are still unknown in many regions. Our objective was to determine the IBS prevalence, factors associated with this prevalence and probable risk groups in Southeastern Anatolia. The total population in the target region is approximately 6 million. A total of 3000 people (1521 females and 1479 males) randomly selected by stratified cluster sampling were interviewed face-to-face by using a questionnaire comprising demographic features and the Rome II criteria which also included probable risk factors and questions related with Bristol scale stool form. The statistical analysis was performed by using a package program called EPI INFO 2000. IBS prevalence was 10.2% according to the Rome II criteria in our region. Six hundred and twenty-five of 3000 subjects had gastrointestinal symptoms in the last 3 months. IBS rate was higher in women (12.4%) than in men (8.0%), and married subjects had higher IBS rates (11.6%) than singles (6.7%). Those differences were statistically significant (p = 0.000 for both). It was most common in the 35-54-year age group. No difference was observed in terms of settlement (rural/urban), age group, education and occupation. History of abortion in women increased the IBS risk by 1.8 times (p = 0.000 Crude odds ratios = 1.8 (1.3-2.6) 95% confidence intervals). Of the IBS patients, 48.1% had characteristics of diarrhoea-predominance, 38.9% constipation-predominance while 13.0% had none. There was a significant relation between dominant stool form and Bristol scale stool form. IBS prevalence is 10.2% in the first community-based study carried out in this specific subject in Southeastern Anatolia. The dominance of middle age and females remained significant.

The attitude to breastfeeding was highly positive, but more information is needed to encourage the use of colostrum, discourage early supplementation and promote exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 mo of life.

This document investigated the factors that influenced the adolescents’ early marriages. This was a cross-sectional study. Married women (n = 871), aged 15-49 years were selected from the records of primary health centers in Mardin, a multicultural city in southeastern Turkey. We compared the demographic and fertility data and the outcomes of first pregnancies of women during the adolescence. Analysis revealed that 56.1% of the women married when they are younger than 19 years old, and their mean age at first marriage was 16.11 ± 1.49 years (min: 11 years). A number of social factors influenced the adolescent marriages; these were: rural origin, women’s illiteracy, father’s illiteracy, and the prevalent language used at home. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk for adolescent marriage was 1.79 (1.19-2.71) for rural origin women, 3.71 (2.16-6.38) for women with illiterate fathers, and 3.17 (2.17-4.64) for women that spoke Kurdish at home. Consanguineous marriages and marriages without a woman’s consent were also higher in the adolescent married group. Adolescent marriages for women had higher rates of fertility, stillbirth, and child mortality. The study concluded that not only the education level of women, also the men was an important determinant of adolescent marriage. There were many social factors that influenced the occurrence of adolescent marriages and it was an important factor influencing both mother and child mortality.

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