Browsing by Author "Butun, Ahmet"

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Comparison of Breastfeeding Behaviors of Mothers Toward Infants by Ethnic Groups: an Example of a Multicultural City
(Mary Ann Liebert, inc, 2025) Butun, Ahmet; Deger, Vasfiye Bayram
Introduction: Breastfeeding practices vary widely among different ethnic groups and are influenced by cultural, social, economic, and educational factors. The aim of this study was to compare the breastfeeding behaviors of mothers toward infants in different ethnic groups.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included women of four ethnic groups (Assyrian, Turkish, Arab, and Kurdish) living in Mardin, Turkey. The study was completed with 180 Assyrian, 184 Turkish, 175 Arab, and 169 Kurdish women. In total, 708 women participated in this study. Data were collected between August 12, 2024, and September 22, 2024.Results: The highest rate of traditional breastfeeding practices was seen in Kurdish (99.4%), whereas this rate was 97.3% in Turkish, 96% in Arab, and 84.4% in Assyrian. The highest rate of giving breast milk immediately after birth was in Assyrian (71.7%), while this rate was 69.3% in Turkish, 61.9% in Kurdish, and 47% in Arab (p = 0.000). The rate of those who waited for three calls to prayer to feed the baby was 13.1% in Kurdish, 11.3% in Arab, 9.5% in Turkish, and 7.9% in Assyrian. The rate of those who did not give the first milk (colostrum) to the baby was 15.8% in Assyrian, 11.7% in Turkish, 6.5% in Kurdish, and 6% in Arab. The rate of those who give sugared water as the baby's first nutrient was 37.5% in Arab, 20.8% in Kurdish, 11.7% in Turkish, and 9.2% in Assyrian. Increased education levels were associated with decreased rates of the presence of traditional practices.Conclusion: This study provides novel results regarding the comparison of breastfeeding behaviors among ethnic groups living in the same city. Comparing breastfeeding practices across the four ethnic groups allowed us to better understand different breastfeeding practices, which could lead to the development of culturally sensitive interventions to improve the health of children and mothers. Educating the community about the benefits of breastfeeding and the risks associated with some traditional practices could contribute to public health.
A Cross-Sectional Study of Emergency Care Services During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Study of Healthcare Staff Perspectives
(Springernature, 2024) Butun, Ahmet; Yesil, Yesim
Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted various aspects of healthcare services, including emergency care services. Healthcare staff face mental issues and physical exertion when caring for patients potentially infected with COVID-19. Understanding the experiences and perspectives of emergency department (ED) healthcare staff during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential to inform evidence-based interventions and strategies to mitigate the impact on emergency care services. This study aims to investigate the experiences of ED healthcare staff regarding emergency care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus providing valuable insights into the challenges faced. Materials and methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional study design. Data were collected from 256 ED healthcare staff working in nine different hospitals located in Turkey between November 15, 2021, and December 30, 2021. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 256 participants were included in the study. Of the participants, 58.6% were nurses, 19.5% were ED doctors, and 21.9% were emergency medical technicians. In addition, 67.2% of the participants were infected with COVID-19, and almost all of them (94.1%) were psychologically affected by the pandemic process. It was found that 85.2% of ED healthcare staff felt excluded by society due to being healthcare staff and 71.9% had to be separated from their families. Nurses were separated from their families at the highest rate (78%) during this period. Conclusion: More than half of the ED healthcare staff had problems accessing protective equipment and were separated from their families during the pandemic due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Although the number of ED visits decreased because of restrictions at the beginning of the pandemic, ED visits increased again with the abolition of restrictions.
Healthcare Staff Experiences on the Impact of Covid-19 on Emergency Departments: a Qualitative Study
(Bmc, 2024) Butun, Ahmet
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the access and delivery of healthcare services, posing unprecedented challenges to healthcare staff worldwide. Frontline healthcare staff faced unique stressors and challenges that impact their well-being and patient care. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of frontline ED healthcare staff on emergency care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing valuable insights into the challenges, adaptations, and lessons learned in delivering emergency care.MethodsThis study utilized a qualitative approach. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 ED healthcare staff from three different hospitals located in Turkey between 15/03/2022 and 30/04/2022. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. The duration of the interviews ranged from 28 to 37 min. Data saturation was reached as no new information was gathered. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. NVivo software was used to manage the data analysis process. Member check was carried out to ensure that the generated themes conformed to the participants' views.Results15 sub-themes under three themes emerged: (1) the impact of COVID-19 on emergency care services, including sub-themes of "introducing a COVID-19 unit in the ED", "changes in the routine functioning of EDs", "changes in the number of ED visits", "quality of care", "resources", and "increased workload"; (2) the psychological effects of COVID-19 on ED healthcare staff, including sub-themes of "staying away from family", "fear", "society's perspective on healthcare professionals", "morale-staff burnout", "psychological and emotional effects", and "unable to receive sufficient support"; and (3) the difficulties faced by ED healthcare staff, including sub-themes of "difficult working conditions", "community-based effects difficulties", and "COVID-19 is an unknown situation".ConclusionStaff burnout threatens the quality of patient care and staff retention, and therefore this should be addressed by ED directors and leaders. This study could inform appropriate stakeholders regarding lessons learned from COVID-19 to better manage future pandemics. Learning from such lived experiences and developing appropriate interventions to minimize the difficulties faced during COVID-19 would allow better management of future pandemics. This study calls for a reform to address the challenges faced by healthcare staff, improve the overall response to public health crises, and enhance the resilience of healthcare systems for future crises.
The Role of Family Health Centres in Preventing Paediatric Emergency Department Usage of Parents of Children With Non-Urgent Conditions
(Bmc, 2024) Butun, Ahmet
BackgroundOvercrowding in paediatric emergency departments (PEDs) has become a global public health issue, reducing healthcare quality, increasing dissatisfaction, and driving up costs. Overcrowding in PEDs not only affects patient satisfaction and healthcare costs but also can lead to burnout among healthcare professionals. This burnout could potentially result in suboptimal care for truly severe cases, ultimately increasing morbidity and mortality rates among patients requiring urgent attention. This study aims to determine how family health centres can reduce paediatric visits to PEDs and provide recommendations for alleviating overcrowding.MethodsThis study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Participants were parents whose children were admitted to the PED at a tertiary hospital located in southeast Turkey. The data were collected between 15/05/2024-26/08/2024. This study was completed with 657 parents. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit participants. SPSS 11.5 software was used for data analysis.ResultsThe mean age of the parents and children brought to the PED was 31.99 +/- 8.51 years and 4.20 +/- 4.08 years, respectively. Of the children, 32.1% were admitted to the PED due to fever. Majority of parents (65%) visited the PED outside working hours. 8.8% of parents considered their child's health condition as "very urgent", 54.5% of them considered it as "urgent". The majority of parents thought that the PEDs were overcrowded (82.2%). 50.4% of the parents stated that they trusted the PED, and 52.7% stated that they were satisfied with the PED. More than half of the parents (61.8%) stated that they did not visit their family health centre before visiting the PED. 10.8% of parents reported that they had never visited a family health centre in the last year. Majority of parents (62.7%) stated that they will visit the PED again if their children have the same health problems in the future.ConclusionImproving the use of family health centres, introducing out-of-hours services, and enhancing parents' health literacy could shift non-urgent visits from PEDs to primary care settings. In addition, making parents more aware of services provided in family health centres could affect parents' health-seeking behaviours and choose to use their GP rather than PED for their children with non-urgent conditions.