Aim: The study was conducted to define characteristics of primary health care utilization of military staff and their families in Turkish Army Forces.
Material-Method: A cross-sectional survey method was used. This study has carried out in 10 primary health care institutions in Ankara Military Zone which is tied to Turkish Armed Forces Land Forces Commandership in 1998. The data have been obtained from the application reasons of Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) staff members and their families to main medical units and the results got after they have applied to those units and the physicians intervention that have been written down on a form prepared by the researcher for a period of three months (January March 1998). The data got from practices have been assessed by percentage
Results:TAFsstaff members commissioned in the detachment (4.0) and their families in dispensaries (8.7) have major application rate. While sergeants/corporals-privates in the detachment infirmary, and TSK staff members and their families in dispensaries have mostly applied to primary health care units for complaints (68.5%, 76.9%, 72.8%), the staff members working at the quatrain infirmary and their families have mostly applied to main medical units for the purpose of prescribing a medicine (59.8%, 90%). The most frequent diseases seen in military staff and their families in TAF are; diagnosed acute respiratory system infections, ankilosis acquired bone and muscle disorders, gastritis-duedonititis-ulcer, influenza, enteritis and diseases connected with diarrhoea, tonsillitis, parazitis-other infection diseases and bronchitis.
Conclusion suggestions: These diseases are acute, preventable, high contagious diseases and the problems that occur related to these diseases could be eliminated within full-equipped primary health care services. Moreover, among the proposals of the research are the appointment of registered nurses to units health care to act as a public health nurses and implementing a compulsory system by which the family members can also benefit from the services of primary health care units .
Key words: Primary level, health service, Turkish Armed Forces, military staff, families. Article Language: Turkish English
|
