Clinical trials

Orthotic and prosthetic devices are essential rehabilitation tools for individuals with functional limitations resulting from amputation, musculoskeletal pathologies, neurological disorders, and congenital anomalies. Physiotherapists play a central role in orthotic and prosthetic rehabilitation, including need assessment, device selection, functional evaluation, patient education, and long-term follow-up. However, limited research has examined the knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes of physiotherapy students regarding this field during undergraduate education. This descriptive, cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the knowledge, self-efficacy perception, and attitudes of undergraduate Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation students regarding orthotic and prosthetic rehabilitation. The study population consists of third- and fourth-year students enrolled in the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation program at Lokman Hekim University, Faculty of Health Sciences, who have completed coursework related to orthotic and prosthetic rehabilitation and voluntarily agree to participate. Data will be collected online via Google Forms using two tools: a demographic information form (age, gender, class level, grade point average, theoretical coursework, and clinical internship experience) and the Orthotics and Prosthetics Awareness Questionnaire. This 32-item questionnaire, developed by the investigators based on relevant literature and finalized through expert consultation using the Delphi technique, covers three subdimensions: Knowledge (11 items), Self-Efficacy (9 items), and Attitude (12 items), rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The study will also examine whether knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitude scores differ according to class level, clinical experience (observation of devices and patients, level of participation in application processes), and academic performance. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of physiotherapy and rehabilitation curricula, strengthen interprofessional collaboration between physiotherapists and orthotist-prosthetists, and support the improvement of rehabilitation service quality in this field.

This study will evaluate the effects of an escape room-based learning activity in an undergraduate neurological rehabilitation course for physiotherapy and rehabilitation students. Third-year students enrolled in the Neurological Rehabilitation course will participate in a team-based educational escape room consisting of six stations. The stations will require students to apply knowledge and clinical reasoning skills related to neurological conditions, sensory assessment, the ASIA Impairment Scale, walking aids, neurological evaluation methods, and rehabilitation decision-making. The study will assess academic achievement, escape room performance, student satisfaction, and student experiences. Academic outcomes may be compared with course results from the previous academic year. Escape room performance measures will include completion time, completed stations, solved puzzles, hints received, errors made, and rubric-based performance scores. Students will also complete a satisfaction questionnaire, and a subgroup of volunteer students will participate in individual interviews. Participation will be voluntary and will not affect course grades. The activity may involve temporary video recording solely for same-day debriefing; recordings will not be used as research data and will be permanently deleted immediately after debriefing. No medical intervention or biological sample collection will be performed.

This study aims to develop and evaluate a questionnaire that measures how health sciences students perceive the clinical environments in which they complete internships or clinical placements. The questionnaire will assess areas such as patient characteristics, supervisor support, working conditions, physical facilities, and learning experiences. Fourth-year health sciences students who have previously completed clinical training will be invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire. Participation is voluntary, and completing the questionnaire will take approximately 10 minutes. No intervention, treatment, image recording, or biological sample collection will be involved. The results may help universities and clinical training institutions identify strengths and areas for improvement in clinical education environments. The developed scale may also support educational quality assurance and accreditation processes.

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of flipped learning in an undergraduate physiotherapy and rehabilitation course on urogenital and maternal health. In flipped learning, students review digital learning materials before class, while class time is used for case discussions, problem-solving activities, group work, and clinical reasoning exercises. Third-year physiotherapy and rehabilitation students enrolled in the Urogenital and Maternal Health in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation course will be invited to participate. The study will compare students' clinical decision-making and academic performance after conventional teaching and after flipped learning activities. Student satisfaction with the flipped learning method will also be assessed. In addition, individual interviews will be conducted with a subgroup of volunteer students to explore their learning experiences. Participation in the research will be voluntary and will not affect course grades. The study involves educational activities, questionnaires, written assessments, and optional audio-recorded interviews; no medical intervention or biological sample collection will be performed. The findings may help improve student-centered teaching approaches in physiotherapy and rehabilitation education.

This cross-sectional study aims to compare work-related health outcomes between general education teachers and special education teachers. The study will assess burnout, occupational balance, perceived stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, pain characteristics, and general job satisfaction. Participants will complete an online questionnaire including sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, such as age, sex, teaching experience, working hours, and type of teaching assignment. Standardized self-report measures will be used to evaluate burnout, occupational balance, perceived stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, and pain-related characteristics. The study will examine whether teachers working in special education differ from general education teachers in terms of burnout, stress, occupational balance, musculoskeletal problems, and pain. The findings may help identify occupational health needs among teachers and support the development of preventive strategies for improving their well-being and working conditions.

This observational cross-sectional study aims to examine the relationship between test anxiety, bowel health, and constipation in university students. The study will include undergraduate students aged 18 years and older who are studying in the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department at Lokman Hekim University and who are in their final examination period. Participants will complete self-report questionnaires during a single face-to-face assessment session. Constipation status will be evaluated using the Rome IV criteria, stool form will be assessed using the Bristol Stool Scale, constipation severity will be assessed using the Constipation Severity Instrument, and test anxiety level will be assessed using the Test Anxiety Inventory. Sociodemographic characteristics and bowel-related symptoms will also be recorded. The study does not include any intervention or treatment. The findings are expected to help better understand whether test anxiety during examination periods is associated with bowel health problems and constipation in university students.

Nursing education is rapidly evolving due to changing healthcare needs and Generation Z learning preferences, which favor short, visual, and interactive methods. Innovative teaching strategies are therefore needed to improve nursing students' critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and problem-solving skills. The Pecha Kucha (PK) method is a concise, visual presentation format consisting of 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each. It has been reported to improve attention, learning motivation, and knowledge acquisition in nursing education. However, its use in teaching Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in cardiovascular surgery has not been previously studied. ERAS protocols are evidence-based perioperative care pathways aimed at reducing surgical stress, complications, and recovery time. Nurses play a key role in implementing these protocols, including patient education, pain management, early mobilization, nutrition, and discharge planning. However, nurses' knowledge and application of ERAS remain limited. This study aims to evaluate the effect of ERAS education delivered via the Pecha Kucha method on nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward evidence-based nursing. The study will contribute evidence on innovative teaching strategies in nursing education. This experimental study will include 71 second-year nursing students at Lokman Hekim University between May 15, 2026 and May 15, 2027. Data will be analyzed using appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests depending on distribution

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of an intervention-consisting of a Health Belief Model-based educational session on the importance of early diagnosis and cancer screening, along with SMS-supported reminders-on the perceptions and attitudes toward cancer screening among women aged 30-70 who do not undergo regular screenings. The study will be conducted in two family centers, which will be assigned to intervention and control groups using a lottery method. The intervention group will receive a single-session group education, followed by weekly SMS reminders encouraging screening for two weeks. The control group will receive no additional intervention and will continue with standard care. Data will be collected simultaneously from both groups at three points: before the education, immediately after the education, and one month post-intervention.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of a gender-specific heart health protection awareness program, incorporating video-supported reminder messages, on knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP) regarding cardiovascular diseases and health literacy among adult women aged 20 to 64 with no prior diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The centers where the study is conducted will be divided into intervention (n=4) and control (n=5) groups using cluster randomization. While the intervention group receives a heart health awareness program consisting of three sessions in total, including education, risk factor screening, and individual counseling over a period of three weeks, the control group will receive standard of care. Data will be collected at the beginning of the first session and after the completion of the final session.

Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a developmental condition that affects the enamel of permanent molars and incisors in children and may cause tooth sensitivity, discomfort, and difficulties during dental treatment. These problems can increase dental anxiety and lead to physiological stress responses during dental visits. The purpose of this observational study is to evaluate physiological stress responses in children with MIH by measuring salivary cortisol levels, heart rate, and oxygen saturation, and to compare these findings with those of children without MIH. A total of 90 children aged 8 to 12 years will participate in the study, including 45 children diagnosed with MIH and 45 healthy control participants. Participation involves no treatment or intervention beyond a routine clinical dental examination. Heart rate and oxygen saturation will be measured during the dental visit, and saliva samples will be collected immediately after the examination using a non-invasive method to assess cortisol levels. The results of this study may contribute to a better understanding of stress responses in children with MIH and support the development of more individualized and anxiety-sensitive dental care approaches.

This randomized controlled trial aims to determine the effect of motivational interviewing-based, digital game-supported counseling on postpartum smoking relapse among pregnant women who quit smoking spontaneously during pregnancy. Women who smoked at least one cigarette per day before pregnancy and quit smoking during pregnancy will be included. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups: in the intervention group, online motivational interviewing sessions will be delivered once each during the third and fourth prenatal follow-ups by the researcher, and a digital game assignment will be provided after each session; the control group will receive routine health counseling delivered during prenatal follow-ups. The primary outcome measure is the rate of smoking relapse at three months postpartum. Secondary outcome measures include the postpartum slip rate, craving to smoke, and motivation to remain abstinent.

The clinical trial titled "Investigation of Respiratory Functions, Thoracoabdominal Movements, and Exercise Capacity in Neuromuscular Diseases" aims to evaluate the respiratory functions, thoracoabdominal movements, and exercise capacity in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) compared to healthy controls. The study will use spirometry, structured light plethysmography (SLP), the six-minute walk test, and the six-minute pegboard ring test to assess these functions. This trial will be conducted at the Lokman Hekim University Muscle and Nerve Diseases Application and Research Center from May 2024 to Dec 2025.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of supervised lumbopelvic stabilization in relation to factors associated with lower urinary tract symptoms in children diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) who have lower urinary tract dysfunction. Children aged between 8 and 12 years, at stages 1-4 according to the Vignos scale, and who have a score of 8.5 or higher on the Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score (DVSS), will be included in the study. Demographic information will be collected through a general assessment form, while lower urinary tract symptoms will be assessed using the DVSS, a researcher-developed evaluation form, and a three-day bladder diary. Bowel symptoms will be evaluated using the Rome IV criteria and a seven-day bowel diary. Physical performance will be assessed via the Timed Up and Go Test and Gower's Test, muscle strength using the microFET2 hand dynamometer, lumbar lordosis angle with a Bubble inclinometer, participation in daily living activities via the Barthel Index, and perceived well-being of both the child and the parent will be assessed using the Faces Rating Scale. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups (Treatment and Active Control) using a block randomization method. In the Active Control group, children will receive only urotherapy education. In the Treatment group, children will receive supervised, online, lumbopelvic exercise-based physiotherapy and rehabilitation sessions, in addition to urotherapy, conducted by a physiotherapist. The sessions will last eight weeks, with a total of 24 sessions. At the end of the eight-week period, both groups will be re-evaluated using the same assessment methods. Intra-group and inter-group comparisons will be completed using appropriate analytical methods.