Aims: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) values in children between the ages of 6 and 14 years.Methods: Data were collected from 1,439 children during public health screening. Each child was classified on the basis of age-and sexspecific BMI percentile as non-obese or obese (BMI >95th percentile). PEF and BMI were compared among age-sex-BMI percentile groups.Results: PEF values were lower in obese children than in non-obese children. There were also significant differences between girls and boys.Conclusions: The association of higher BMI with lower PEF may indicate that obesity is an important risk factor for reduced airflow or lung function in children. These findings emphasise the importance of the prevention of obesity in children and adolescents in order to avoid possible future respiratory problems.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between BMI and blood pressure as this is of crucial interest in evaluating both public health and the clinical impact of the so-called obesity epidemic. Methods: Data were gathered from 1899 children aged between 6 and 14 years, analysing and evaluating a possible relationship between BMI and systolic and diastolic blood pressure values for both girls and boys. Each child was classified on the basis of age-and sex-specific BMI percentile as normal weight (,85th percentile), overweight ($85th and ,95th percentile) or obese ($95th percentile). Results: In comparisons among age-sex-BMI percentile groups, systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were higher in obese and overweight groups than in normal weight groups for both sexes. Although BMI among girls was higher than among boys in all three percentile groups, there were no significant differences between sexes with respect to blood pressure values. Conclusion: The present findings emphasize the importance of the prevention of obesity in order to prevent future related problems such as hypertension in children and adolescents.

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Success of any vaccination program and uptake of children's vaccines largely depends upon the parents' perceptions and attitudes. This study provides a snapshot of parents' views towards vaccines included in the nationally-funded vaccination program, together with two unfunded vaccines in Kocaeli, Turkey. Methods Data were gathered from a convenience sample through a questionnaire that explored the socio-demographic factors of the parents and the vaccination status of their children. The survey content was based on Health Belief Model. Mann-Whitney test was used for comparisons as there is no prior information regarding data distribution and the dependent variable is represented on an ordinal scale. Out of 300 parents who brought their children into the pediatrics polyclinics, 262 parents responded positively and took part. The questionnaires were filled out by mothers alone 67.6 % (n=177), 28.6 % (n=75) by fathers and mothers (both present), 3.1% (n=8) by fathers alone and the remaining 0.8% (n=2) were filled by other relatives. Results While the majority of diseases prevented by the vaccines were perceived to be serious, pneumococcal infection and chickenpox were considered to be less serious and there was no strong opinion for the rotavirus vaccine. The main reasons that influenced parents' decisions towards unfunded vaccines were advice from a pediatrician and the cost. Lastly, demographic factors such as family income, mothers' education and job types of mothers were important in contrast to previously published studies. Conclusions The acceptance of a new vaccine depends on a complex interaction of factors, but parents' perceptions may vary considerably. The main factors influencing parental acceptance are the availability of information and the cost. Therefore, for a new vaccination program to succeed, it should be funded by the government and a specific public health education program should be undertaken.