Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health Dr. Faculty Member Ahmet Mekin Çetin made special statements for the Public Health Week on September 3-9.
Emphasizing the purpose of Public Health Week and the importance of public health, Dr. Ahmet Metin Çetin said, “The basis of public health is preventive medicine and health-promoting practices. These practices are mainly the services provided at Family Health Centers and Community Health Centers. Friends working as family physicians and family health workers at Family Health Centers can both provide you with preventive health services such as vaccination, child / pregnant follow-up, and inform you about health promotion services. In Community Health Centers, on the other hand, preventive services such as inspecting water and health institutions and health-promoting services are provided by dieticians, psychologists, physiotherapists and similar staff.”
Important factors threatening public health
Emphasizing that the main factor that determines the importance of issues in public health is the extent of harm to society, Çetin said: “Many public health professionals emphasize that the most common diseases that kill the most and reduce the quality of life the most are the most important dangers. TurkStat data lists the most common causes of death in our country as cardiovascular diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. Just by looking at this list, it can be said that tobacco products, which greatly affect these three diseases, are one of the main health problems for our country. Again, the fact that TÜİK data says that the rate of individuals over the age of 15 who consume tobacco every day in our country is 28.3 percent is sufficient for us to explain the extent of this problem.”
Common misconceptions in the field of health
Underlining that the misunderstandings encountered in our country, as in the whole world, are largely due to intentional or unintentional misinformation on social media, Çetin said: “In order to avoid misinformation, it will be in the best interest of all of us to get our information only from official institutions, and if we cannot access sufficient information, to contact our family doctors.”
The most needed supports
Emphasizing that public health constitutes the most important support of the state institutions that mediate the service since it provides its services directly through the administrators, Dr. Faculty Member Ahmet Mekin Çetin said, “Our current Minister of Health has made statements stating that he wants to strengthen the connections between family physicians and hospitals. This effort can be considered as one of the best examples of taking the necessary steps to meet the support needed by public health. Although individuals can support some practices from time to time because they want to contribute to the society, it is not a viable approach to expect dedication from individuals everywhere, as the problems of importance are of concern to the whole society. Nevertheless, the fact that individuals do not fall for misinformation can be considered as the biggest support in a way.”
The biggest threats to public health in the future
Drawing attention to the increasing obesity problem in our country, Dr. Çetin said, “According to TurkStat data, the body weight of 20.2 percent of our people is high enough to threaten their health (obese). This rate reveals that our country is worse than all European countries. Again, in terms of the use of tobacco products, we take the second place after Bulgaria compared to European countries. It may be more important to focus on such obvious problems as public health problems in our country than to examine future problems; however, the increasing problem of vaccine opposition in recent years is an indication that we will start to face new problems that European countries face before we can solve the problems they have solved.”
Things to do for a healthier life
Emphasizing that health promotion is an important topic among public health issues, Çetin said: “It should be repeated again that it is essential to always address the most fundamental issues in public health. In other words, in order to improve health individually, physical activity and diet should be addressed first. For physical activity, brisk walking at least 3 days a week for 30 minutes shows a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. At the same time, walking outdoors is essential for Vitamin D formation and will strengthen bones. For the diet, we should first try to reduce calories if we are overweight. As is known, excess body weight increases blood pressure, increases the risk of diabetes, and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases as a result of these and other reasons such as increased cholesterol. Apart from these, consuming Mediterranean-type foods with plenty of fiber in the diet will be beneficial for our bowel regularity and will help us protect against colon cancer. In addition, giving up the behavior of adding salt to meals will help protect against diseases such as stroke and heart attack, especially by enabling older individuals to control their blood pressure. Another point to be considered in the diet should be to increase the consumption of milk and dairy products; because milk and dairy products will help to protect against diseases such as osteoporosis in advanced ages by strengthening the bones with the calcium it contains. Finally, it is useful to remind that individuals who consume tobacco should at least give up this habit before they get too old, and if they have difficulty, they should apply to tobacco cessation polyclinics and get the necessary help. It should not be forgotten that being late in quitting tobacco products slows down the return of the damage caused.”
Things to do to raise healthy children and young people
Stating that young people today are also faced with problems such as high body weight and inactivity, Çetin said, “The main reasons for this are pre-packaged high-calorie foods, which we also know as junk food, and fast-food restaurants. The solution is for conscious families to make it easier for their children to access home-cooked meals. For this, it will be effective to prepare their meals at home and teach them how to cook so that they can prepare their own meals at an older age. One of the most important causes of inactivity is the widespread use of electronic devices with screens as one of the main sources of entertainment. Instead, it would be effective to ensure that children take up sporting hobbies. It is also of absolute importance to teach children tooth brushing habits and fluoride toothpastes should be preferred during this brushing. Although fluoride applications are our most successful weapon against tooth decay and tooth loss, it has been a health tool that has been maligned by certain groups in order to generate income and has been affected by misinformation.”
Asking those who have health problems or who want to get information to apply to health institutions without hesitation, Çetin said, “Many health professionals are happy to serve you. Especially your family physician is your closest health counselor and of course, it would be best for you to listen seriously to the advice of all your physicians and not to change your treatments without the advice of your physicians. In case you do not get along with your family physician, our state offers you the right to change physicians; but please let us take care not to break the framework of love/respect with your healthcare professionals. Let's not forget that a positive relationship will benefit everyone.”
