BackgroundIt is a well accepted status that socio-cultural characteristics may affect the onset of menopause and its characteristics. The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence rates of menopausal symptoms and these symptoms related factors, and to assess the women's attitudes towards some climacteric issues.MethodsThis survey was conducted between Jan., 1st 2008 and March, 31st 2008 to research the menopause status of the female population in a city of western Turkey. The study group consisted of 1551 women selected with a multistage area sampling method: a random sample of individuals aged 40-65 years. The questionnaire included questions pertaining to women's sociodemographic characteristics, women's menopausal status, some statements about the climacteric, use of hormones at menopause or before menopause, and some climacteric myths. The data was analyzed by Chi-square (x2) analysis and percent (%) ratios with a significant value of P < 0.05.ResultsThe mean age of the women was 49.1 years. Over 90% of the women were of the negative opinion that the climacteric is "the end of youth", "the end of fecundity", and "the end of unclean days". Most women said that cessation of menstrual periods was the most positive thing because they do not have to wait for monthly bleedings, use sanitary equipment, or take birth control methods. There were significant connections between age groups and nearly all the items, with the exception of the items "the end of life" and "the end of fecundity". Among the women, hot flushes were the most common complaint occurring in 96.5% of women: being severe in 32.9%, moderate in 43.1% and mild in 20.4%. This was followed by low backache or muscle pain 95.0% (25.9% severe, 46.0% moderate and mild 23.1%), headache 91.7% (21.9% severe, 34.9% moderate and 34.9% mild) and feeling tired 91.0% (15.3% severe, 38.6% moderate and 37.1% mild).ConclusionsMost of the women in this study had mixed ideas of opinions concerning the climacteric, and the majority was also suffering from climacteric complaints. This data could assist healthcare providers in the provision of culturally competent health care to midlife Turkish women.

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Purpose The study aims to examine the effect of peer education on the decision to quit smoking, factors that encourage smoking, self-efficacy, addiction, and behavior change in students who apply to the Youth Friendly Center to quit smoking. Participants and Methods This research is a Randomized Controlled Trials study. The experimental group consisted of students who were enrolled in the peer education course (n=759). The control group has consisted of students (n=1095) who did not enroll in this course. Results Participants in the experimental group to quit smoking, more than the control group (p>0,01). The addiction level of the participants in the experimental group, less than the participants in the control group (p>0,01). According to the scores of the participants in the control group of the participants in the experimental group, the factors that trigger smoking, and the benefit sub-dimension scores in the Decision Balance Scale were low. Loss sub-dimension scores, which show the losses from the harms of smoking, increased significantly in the Self-Efficacy Scale, Behavior Change Process Scale, and Decision Balance Scale (p>0,01). Conclusion Peer educators trained by the researcher and her team in the Youth Friendly Center Smoking Quit Program have an important effect in supporting/improving the cognitive and behavioral change processes of university students in smoking quit compared to those who do not receive an education. 94% success of the smoking quit program; Students’ voluntary application to receive professional support, students’ voluntary attendance of the treatment program for 6 months, strong communication and feedback, effective and functional professional counseling, and social support depend on strengthening the program with peer education. Especially with peer education, the development of leadership and role model characteristics made the smoking quit program preferred by students.

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Today's changing environment, economic status and cultural structures affect the behavior of an individual and the personality traits in relation to these effects give direction to the leadership styles perceived in the society. In this context, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between personality traits and leadership behavior in business students. This study was modeled by using a correlational pattern. Data were collected from 386 business students studying at a faculty of management in a state university located in the Central Anatolia. All data were collected by using "Leadership Style Scale" developed by Northouse (2004) and "Five-factor Personality Scale" developed by Goldberg (1992). The leadership characteristics of the students were evaluated only by observation not by self-report. Style scale of Northouse suggests that lieders have two types of leadership behavior: task behavior and relationship behavior. Even, the focus of the style approach is that how the individual combines these two types of behavior in order to influence other people. After informin about the aim and subject of the study followed by obtaining verbal consent, pre-prepared questionnaire forms were filled out by the students under supervision in about 15-20 min. In the Leadership Style Scale, mean task-style score was 38.0±7.0; relationship-style score was 39.5±8.3 and general leadership-style score was 78.0±14.3. This findings reveal moderately high task-style and relationship-style scores and significantly high general leadership-style scores. In the Five-factor Personality Scale, mean sociability score was 31.5±6.1, responsibility score was 37.9±6.5, emotional balance score was 35.5±6.5, adaptability score was 31.0±7.2 and openness to improvement score was 34.6±5.3. Both task-style and relationship-style leadership scores increased with increasing emotional balance personality scores. On the other hand, only relationship-style leadership score was found to increase with increasing responsibility, adaptability and openness to improvement personality scores (p<0.01). There was a significant correlation with increasing scores in Leadership Style scores and increasing five-factor personality scores of "sociability, responsibility, emotional balance and openness to improvement" Leadership scores increased with the increasing age, while status of having education about leadership increased with the decreasing age. In students with no education about leadership, both general score and two subscores of leadership style scale as well as the "sociability, responsibility, emotional balance and openness to improvement" subscores of personality scale was increased. The goodness of fit of the theoretical model was determined by GFI, AGFI, RMSEA, χ 2 ve χ 2 /df ratio. The correlation level of the covariate and the variance commonly explained by the model was GFI 0.97. AGFI goodness of fit value was 0.96 and similar to the GFI. Thus, GFI and AGFI goodness of fit values suggest that theoretical model is appropriate for...