Sexual Transmitted Infection Prevention in Adolescents Essay

Sexual Transmitted Infection Prevention in Adolescents - Essay Example These could include family planning clinics, sex workers and gynecologists. STIs are very commonly found amongst most women suffering from sexual assault. Little data on men has been found. STIs put men and women especially to considerable risk. There is a huge lack of awareness and dearth of information available to these people at large. Most young women are most concerned about pregnancy prevention than STI transmission. There is a lack of concern and negligicence towards the seriousness of this matter that makes it an all the more important issue to address. STIs can lead to cancer, organ damage, pregnancy issues and even death. Thus it is important for health agencies to look into it. The definition of adolescence has been subjected to intense debate and argument over the course of last couple of years. In the 1950s it was thought that adolescent should be best considered to be the period of transitioning other literature defines it in terms of the words â€Å"young† and â€Å"youth†. However, the term young adult was also introduced recently. The treatment of adolescence has varied in different parts of the world. It is different in the west and different in the east. For instance in India, many girls have pre-arranged marriages before they hit their first menstruation. As soon as they hit get their first periods, they are married off at ages as young as 16 years. This increases the probability of STI transmission in them. On the contrary, in the west, marriage does not materialize till really long. Girls there are subjected to consummation with different people at different phases of their life. There are no ethical obligations to restricting sex to one partner. Hence, all this makes it very difficult to come up with a universal STI prevention transmission program for health agencies. There are various barriers to prevention and treatment of STIs amongst adolescents. The biggest problem associated with STI control is considered to be the as ymptomatic nature of the infections caused by STI. The infections remain invisible in many young girls in particular till some severe sequels. In some settings the proportion of infections that are rated as asymptotic may even be even higher because many women would consider them to be â€Å"normal†. The only viable way of detecting asymptomatic infections is via the use of laboratory test. In some resource poor settings, this is impeded by the fact that the tests are not just difficult to perform they are even expensive. Even more difficult is obtaining tissue samples for these tests as they are less likely to be accepted without them. The adoption of these tests is perpetually impossible in most developing countries like India. This is because they are very expensive to conduct and obtain there. More than half the population, lives below the poverty belt which makes it impossible for them to afford such tests. Another important reason behind the failure of STI transmission prevention is the fact that most adolescents don’t consider it to be an issue important enough. It is only HIV which is considered to be important by these young adult and hence, this topic is at an all time low priority for them. Adolescent girls tend to be more cautious about preventing pregnancy and their menstrual problems then about their STI problems. For the boys on the other hand, sexual health concern outride reproductive health ones. A study was recently conducted in Zimbabwe. The study unveiled

International corporate reporting issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International corporate reporting issues - Essay Example International corporate reporting issues The objective of this standard is to frame the foundation for the presentation of financial statements. The standard is to ensure the compatibility with the company’s financial performance in previous years as well as with that of its competitors. US GAAP is the framework that offers Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which are used by United States organisations or the companies listed on Wall Street. This set of standards is developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The framework is a combination of authoritative standards introduced by the responsible authorities, as well as the accepted ways to carry out accounting and reporting activities. These standards are constructed solely by input of US organisations rather than any outside influences. The key objectives of accounting standards are identification, measurement, and reporting of financial information of the organisational entities to the interested stakeholders. Financial accounting is a process culminating in the preparation of the financial reports of the organisations. These are done for the use of both the internal and external stakeholders. These financial statements include balance sheets, income statements, and statements of the owner’s equity and cash flow situation including assets and expenses. In the United States, the most significant source of influence on accounting standards is politics. The most substantial factor in the political arena is user groups. These groups include the parties most affected by accounting standards, rules, and regulations. â€Å"Accounting standards are as much a product of political action as they are of careful logic or empirical findings† (Wiley, 2002, p.14). These groups of stakeholders require accounts and re ports regarding company finances which are essential to successful business planning and strategizing. Groups know the best way to influence these standards in order to have a more favourable outcome financially is to participate in the framing of those same structures or to try to influence or persuade the authorities more directly responsible for the formulation and amending of the standards. In the US there are many authoritative bodies responsible for the formulation and development of the generally accepted financial standards; FASB is the significant and major contributor in this development. Undoubtedly, the board faces intense amounts of pressure and efforts to incorporate and influence the changes in the present standards and in the development of new ones. Moreover, the situation gets complicated with the involvement of two

Geology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Geology - Assignment Example Religious divide on the other hand seem to disagree with idea of millions of years and squeeze it to before six days of creation (Dawkins. 2012). Having gone through all this for years I tend to agree with the scientist. â€Å"Young Earthers,† are ignoring the overwhelming â€Å"scientific† evidence for an old Earth. It is certain that both the scientist and men of religion do agree on the story of Noah and the arc (Dawkins. 2012). The scientist then went ahead to study the consequence that such a catastrophe might have left on the surface of the earth. Because the flood did take place it must have left some effects on the surface of the earth. This argument is so compelling because looking at millions of years of erosion at Colorado River the Grand Canyon was formed and such activity must have took place during Noah’s flood (Dawkins. 2012). Many geologists, who are Christian and non-Christian, have looked at the hundreds of thousands of feet of rock layers and fossils worldwide have simply assumed that the Flood didn’t produce them (Dawkins. 2012). They went ahead and invented theories that those rock layers and fossils formed long ago before we came into existence. We can’t ignore the fact that global, year-long, catastrophic Flood did happen at the time of Noah. We can say this with without doubt because of the authority of the historical record in the book Genesis. Such a catastrophe must have therefore left a massive amount of geological evidence (Dawkins. 2012). Since the flood took place it must have buried both vegetation and creatures and as water recede back they must have eroded many of the sediments laid down in the first half of the Flood and redeposit them elsewhere (Dawkins. 2012). As we look at the thousands of feet of rock layers and fossils worldwide surely Flood could have produced them. If such an event was to take place today, it will be naà ¯ve for us to think that no geological features will result from it. To

The concept of beauty in anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The concept of beauty in anthropology - Essay Example Due to this it is considered a great challenge to find a uniform definition of beauty because what a person finds beautiful is not the same as another. Beauty is based on personal perspective and own concepts honed by own culture and society. It is a universal word but has many definitions and meaning. Scrotun (1) cited the idea of Pato and Plotinus that beauty is an ultimate value  ­Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œsomething that people pursue for its own sake and for the pursuit of which no further reason is needed to be given. As Santayan stated beauty is truth, the expression of the ideal, the symbol of divine perfection and the sensible manifestation of the good. According to Scruton (5) beauty pleases us, it is always a reason for attending to the thing that possesses it, and it is a subject-matter of judgement: the judgement of taste where it is all about beautiful objects not the subject’s statement of mind. Beauty is always associated with aesthetics and is always associated with arts. Stout as cited by Van Damme (40) defined aesthetic as a branch of philosophy dealing with the beautiful and the tests by which the beautiful may be judged. Beauty can be found in different works of art. Paintings on the wall that give joy to the audience; sculptures that please the eye and resonate the beauty that can be touched; and other works of art that are considered as important possessions because of beauty. According to Santayana (126), our judgment of aesthetic is intrinsic when based on the perception of beauty and based on the character of immediate experience and never consciously on the idea of eventual utilities of the object. Judgements about moral worth, on the contrary, are always based, when they are positive, upon the consciousness probably involved. However, in Africa, art forms are made to illustrate ugliness (Van Damme 41). This is the definition by the word anti-aesthetic introduced by R. Thomson

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Accounting - Essay Example There may be mandatory precise formats and standards for statutory accounts. 3. Financial accounting must abide by predetermined accounting principles that are generally accepted whereas management accounting is basically an estimate, which emanates from the fact that exact figures required do not exist every time crucial decisions need to undertaken. 4. Financial accounting yields financial accounts usually prepared at the end of a trading period, mostly a year. On the other hand, management accounting yields accounts that are prepared at any time depending on the frequency at which the management requires such accounts. 2. Vertical analysis: every financial statement line item is expressed as a fraction of another. It helps managers to assess the proportion of an account with respect to other accounts over a particular period. 4. Operating budget: this enables managers to assess the variances of the budget from actual outcomes. It helps the management to plan business expenditure for a given period and maximize

The Essence of Food Essay Example for Free

The Essence of Food Essay Food is any substance, usually composed primarily of carbohydrates, fats, water and/or proteins, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal or human for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered food may be sourced from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol. Although many human cultures sought food items through hunting and gathering, today most cultures use farming, ranching, and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods of a local nature included but playing a minor role. Most traditions have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions, preferences, and practices, the study of which is known as gastronomy. Many cultures have diversified their foods by means of preparation, cooking methods and manufacturing. This also includes a complex food trade which helps the cultures to economically survive by-way-of food, not just by consumption. Many cultures study the dietary analysis of food habits. While humans are omnivores, religion and social constructs such as morality often affect which foods they will consume. Food safety is also a concern with foodborne illness claiming many lives each year. In many languages, food is often used metaphorically or figuratively, as in food for thought. Contents [hide] 1 Food sources 1. 1 Plants 1. 2 Animals 2 Production 3 Preparation 3. 1 Animal slaughter and butchering 3. 2 Cooking 3. 2. 1 Cooking equipment and methods 3. 2. 2 Raw food 3. 3 Restaurants 3. 4 Food manufacture 4 Commercial trade 4. 1 International exports and imports 4. 2 Marketing and retailing 4. 3 Prices 5 Famine and hunger 5. 1 Food aid 6 Safety 6. 1 Allergies 7 Diet 7. 1 Cultural and religious diets 7. 2 Diet deficiencies 7. 3 Moral, ethical, and health conscious diet 8 Nutrition 9 Legal definition 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References Food sources Almost all foods are of plant or animal origin, although there are some exceptions. Foods not coming from animal or plant sources include various edible fungi, such mushrooms. Fungi and ambient bacteria are used in the preparation of fermented and pickled foods such as leavened bread, alcoholic drinks, cheese, pickles, and yogurt. Many cultures eat seaweed, a protist, or blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) such as Spirulina. [1] Additionally, salt is often eaten as a flavoring or preservative, and baking soda is used in food preparation. Both of these are inorganic substances, as is water, an important part of human diet. Plants A variety of foods from plant sources Many plants or plant parts are eaten as food. There are around 2,000 plant species which are cultivated for food, and many have several distinct cultivars. [2] Seeds of plants are a good source of food for animals, including humans because they contain nutrients necessary for the plants initial growth. In fact, the majority of food consumed by human beings are seed-based foods. Edible seeds include cereals (such as maize, wheat, and rice), legumes (such as beans, peas, and lentils), and nuts. Oilseeds are often pressed to produce rich oils, such as sunflower, rapeseed (including canola oil), and sesame. [3] One of the earliest food recipes made from ground chickpeas is called hummus, which can be traced back to Ancient Egypt times. Fruits are the ripened ovaries of plants, including the seeds within. Many plants have evolved fruits that are attractive as a food source to animals, so that animals will eat the fruits and excrete the seeds some distance away. Fruits, therefore, make up a significant part of the diets of most cultures. Some botanical fruits, such as tomatoes, pumpkins and eggplants, are eaten as vegetables. [4] (For more information, see list of fruits. ) Vegetables are a second type of plant matter that is commonly eaten as food. These include root vegetables (such as potatoes and carrots), leaf vegetables (such as spinach and lettuce), stem vegetables (such as bamboo shoots and asparagus), and inflorescence vegetables (such as globe artichokes and broccoli). Many herbs and spices are highly-flavorful vegetables. [5] Animals Various raw meats Main article: Animal source foods Animals can be used as food either directly, or indirectly by the products they produce. Meat is an example of a direct product taken from an animal, which comes from either muscle systems or from organs. Food products produced by animals include milk produced by mammals, which in many cultures is drunk or processed into dairy products such as cheese or butter. In addition birds and other animals lay eggs, which are often eaten, and bees produce honey, a popular sweetener in many cultures. Some cultures consume blood, some in the form of blood sausage, as a thickener for sauces, a cured salted form for times of food scarcity, and others use blood in stews such as civet. [6] Production Tractor and Chaser Bin Main article: Agriculture Food is traditionally obtained through farming, ranching, and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods of subsistence locally important. More recently, there has been a growing trend towards more sustainable agricultural practices. This approach, which is partly fueled by consumer demand, encourages biodiversity, local self-reliance and organic farming methods. [7] Major influences on food production are international organizations, (e. g. the World Trade Organization and Common Agricultural Policy), national government policy (or law), and war. [8] Preparation While some food can be eaten raw, many foods undergo some form of preparation for reasons of safety, palatability, or flavor. At the simplest level this may involve washing, cutting, trimming or adding other foods or ingredients, such as spices. It may also involve mixing, heating or cooling, pressure cooking, fermentation, or combination with other food. In a home, most food preparation takes place in a kitchen. Some preparation is done to enhance the taste or aesthetic appeal; other preparation may help to preserve the food; and others may be involved in cultural identity. A meal is made up of food which is prepared to be eaten at a specific time and place. [9] Animal slaughter and butchering Workers and cattle in a slaughterhouse. The preparation of animal-based food will usually involve slaughter, evisceration, hanging, portioning and rendering. In developed countries, this is usually done outside the home in slaughterhouses which are used to process animals en mass for meat production. Many countries regulate their slaughterhouses by law. For example the United States has established the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958, which requires that an animal be stunned before killing. This act, like those in many countries, exempts slaughter in accordance to religious law, such as kosher shechita and dhabiha halal. Strict interpretations of kashrut require the animal to be fully aware when its carotid artery is cut. [10] On the local level a butcher may commonly break down larger animal meat into smaller manageable cuts and pre-wrapped for commercial sale or wrapped to order in butcher paper. In addition fish and seafood may be fabricated into smaller cuts by a fish monger at the local level. However fish butchery may be done on board a fishing vessel and quick-frozen for preservation of quality. [11] Cooking Main article: Cooking Cooking with a Wok in China The term cooking encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor or digestibility of food. Cooking technique, known as culinary art, generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual cooking. [12] The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it. [13] Cooking requires applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, chemically transforms it, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional properties. [14] Cooking proper, as opposed to roasting, requires the boiling of water in a container, and was practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC with the introduction of pottery. [15] There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at Homo erectus campsites dating from 420,000 years ago. [16] Cooking equipment and methods There are many types of cooking equipment used for cooking. Ovens are one type of cooking equipment which can be used for baking or roasting and offer a dry-heat cooking method. Different cuisines will use different types of ovens, for example Indian culture uses a Tandoor oven is a cylindrical clay oven which operates at a single high temperature,[17] while western kitchens will use variable temperature convection ovens, conventional ovens, toaster ovens in addition to non-radiant heat ovens like the microwave oven. Ovens may be wood-fired, coal-fired, gas, electric, or oil-fired. [18] A stainless steel frying pan. Various types of cook-tops are used as well. They carry the same variations of fuel types as the ovens mentioned above. cook-tops are used to heat vessels placed on top of the heat source, such as a saute pan, sauce pot, frying pan, pressure cooker, etc. These pieces of equipment can use either a moist or dry cooking method and include methods such as steaming, simmering, boiling, and poaching for moist methods; while the dry methods include sauteing, pan frying, or deep-frying. [19] Traditional asado In addition, many cultures use grills for cooking. A grill operates with a radiant heat source from below, usually covered with a metal grid and sometimes a cover. An open bit barbecue in the American south is one example along with the American style outdoor grill fueled by wood, liquid propane or charcoal along with soaked wood chips for smoking. [20] A Mexican style of barbecue is called barbacoa, which involves the cooking of meats and whole sheep over open fire. In Argentina, asado is prepared on a grill held over an open pit or fire made upon the ground, on which a whole animal is grilled or in other cases smaller cuts of the animal. [21] Raw food Many types of sushi ready to be eaten. Certain cultures highlight animal and vegetable foods in their raw state. Sushi in Japan is one such cuisine that features raw sliced fish, either in sashimi, nigiri, or maki styles. [22] Steak tartare and salmon tartare are dishes made from diced or ground raw beef or salmon respectively, mixed with various ingredients and served with baguette, brioche or frites. [23] In Italy, carpaccio is a dish of very thin sliced raw beef, drizzled with a vinaigrette made with olive oil. [24] A popular health food movement known as raw foodism promotes a mostly vegan diet of raw fruits, vegetables and grains prepared in various ways, including juicing, food dehydration, not passing the 118 degree mark, and sprouting. [25] Restaurants Toms Restaurant, a restaurant in New York Many cultures produce food for sale in restaurants for paying customers. These restaurants often have trained chefs who prepare the food, while trained waitstaff serve the customers. The term restaurant is credited to the French from the 19th century, as it relates to the restorative nature of the bouillons that were once served in them. However, the concept pre-dates the naming of these establishments, as evidence suggests commercial food preparation may have existed during the age of the city of Pompeii, as well as an urban sales of prepared foods in China during the Song Dynasty. The coffee shops or cafes of 17th century Europe may also be considered an early version of the restaurant. [26] In 2005 the United States spent $496 billion annually for out-of-home dining. Expenditures by type of out-of-home dining was as follows, 40% in full-service restaurants, 37. 2% in limited service restaurants (fast food), 6. 6% in schools or colleges, 5. 4% in bars and vending machines, 4. 7% in hotels and motels, 4. 0% in recreational places, and 2. 2% in other which includes military bases. [27] Food manufacture Packaged household food items Main article: Food manufacture Packaged foods are manufactured outside the home for purchase. This can be as simple as a butcher preparing meat, or as complex as a modern international food industry. Early food processing techniques were limited by available food preservation, packaging and transportation. This mainly involved salting, curing, curdling, drying, pickling, fermentation and smoking. [28] During the industrialization era in the 19th century, food manufacturing arose. [29] This development took advantage of new mass markets and emerging new technology, such as milling, preservation, packaging and labeling and transportation. It brought the advantages of pre-prepared time saving food to the bulk of ordinary people who did not employ domestic servants. [30] At the start of the 21st century, a two-tier structure has arisen, with a few international food processing giants controlling a wide range of well-known food brands. There also exists a wide array of small local or national food processing companies. [31] Advanced technologies have also come to change food manufacture. Computer-based control systems, sophisticated processing and packaging methods, and logistics and distribution advances, can enhance product quality, improve food safety, and reduce costs. [30] Commercial trade International exports and imports Food imports in 2005 World Bank reported that the EU was the top food importer in 2005 followed at a distance by the USA and Japan. Food is now traded and marketed on a global basis. The variety and availability of food is no longer restricted by the diversity of locally grown food or the limitations of the local growing season. [32] Between 1961 and 1999 there has been a 400% increase in worldwide food exports. [33] Some countries are now economically dependent on food exports, which in some cases account for over 80% of all exports. [34] In 1994 over 100 countries became signatories to the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in a dramatic increase in trade liberalization. This included an agreement to reduce subsidies paid to farmers, underpinned by the WTO enforcement of agricultural subsidy, tariffs, import quotas and settlement of trade disputes that cannot be bilaterally resolved. [35] Where trade barriers are raised on the disputed grounds of public health and safety, the WTO refer the dispute to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which was founded in 1962 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Trade liberalization has greatly affected world food trade. [36].

Quality of Life in Turkish Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients

Quality of Life in Turkish Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients Introduction Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatological disease characterized by spinal inflammation, usually in the form of sacroiliitis and spondylitis which may lead to syndesmophyte formation and ankylosis in the further course of the disease [1]. AS most commonly begins in the second and third decade of life as persistent inflammatory back pain that can already be associated with significant loss of function, work disability and impaired quality of life early in the disease [2-4]. In studies conducted previously, risk factors affecting the functional status and quality of life in patients with AS have been evaluated. Age, duration of symptoms, pain severity, stiffness, peripheral arthritis, total hip arthroplasty, smoking habit of patient, having history of more physically demanding jobs and lower levels of education have been demonstrated as risk factors for functional limitations and quality of life in patients with AS [3-8]. In other rheumatic diseases, level of education has been found to be possibly associated as a risk factor [9-11]. In this study, we planned to determine the possible risk factors affecting functional situation and quality of life in Turkish patients with AS. Materials and Methods Eigthy nine Turkish AS patients diagnosed with AS according to the Modified 1984 New York Criteria who were admitted to the Rheumatology Outpatient Clinics of Akdeniz University and Adnan Menderes University were included in the study. This study was approved by the Research Eth ­ics Committee Yet, one patient, who did not want to participate, was excluded from the study. Thus, a total of 88 volunteer Turkish AS patients consisting of 24 females (27.3%) and 64 males (72.7%) with their age ranging from 21 to 81 were enrolled in the study. Demographic information of the patients was obtained, their heights and weights were measured and these values were recorded. Then body mass indices (BMIs) of the patients were calculated by dividing the body weight as kilograms by the square of height in meters. Levels of education of the patients were investigated and recorded (0: illiterate, 1: literate, 2: primary school graduate, 3: secondary school graduate, 4: high school graduate, 5: university graduate). Dates of diagnosis of the patients, drug(s) they used, their duration of morning stiffness (as minutes) were investigated and recorded. Patients with diagnosis of AS who were admitted to the Rheumatology Outpatient Clinics are routinely instructed with a home-based exercise program. Exercises recommended are as breathing and posture exercises, and range of motion/stretching exercises for all joints. Patients were inquired about the extent they do these recommended exercises, and they were rated as 0 (not doing the exercises) , 1 (doing irregularly or occasionally), 2 (doing regularly every day), and the results were recorded. Smoking habits of the patients were evaluated. Those who have smoked at least one cigarette a day for a period of longer than 6 months during their lifetime were included in the smoking group. Whether or not the individuals in this group were currently smoking and how many cigarettes a day and for how many years they have smoked were determined. â€Å"Packs/year† term was calculated by multiplying amount of cigarettes (as packs) smoked daily by smoking period (as years). Indices have been developed to measure the activation status, functional status, spinal mobility values and quality of life of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), developed for evaluating disease activity, consists of 6 visuel analog scale (VAS) measurements comprising of fatigue, spinal and peripheral joint pain, severity and morning stiffness [12]. Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), developed for functional evaluation, was determined to have been superior regarding sensitivity to the change to the Dougados Functional Index (DFI) which was developed for the same purpose [13]. Bath AS metrology index (BASMI) was developed by evaluating 20 different clinical assessment methods and selecting 5 among them with the property of the highest validity, reliability, repeatability, and sensitivity to the change [14]. Developed to assess the quality of life of patients with AS, Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (ASQoL) has been demons trated to be a valid and reliable tool that can be used both in clinical practice and in scientific research [15]. To evaluate the functional status, disease activity, spinal mobility and quality of life of the patients, BASFI, BASDAI, BASMI and ASQoL scales were used respectively. All indices were assessed by the same physician. Turkish versions of BASFI, BASDAI and ASQoL were used. The reliability of the Turkish versions of BASFI, BASDAI, and ASQoL has been confirmed [16-19]. BASMI is a combined index comprising five assessments of spinal mobility in AS patients. The index include assessments of lateral lumbar flexion, tragus-to-wall distance, lumbar flexion, intermalleolar distance and cervical rotation [20]. These measurements have been found to be clinically practical and reliable in reflecting axial status [1]. In our study, measurements of tragus-to-wall distance, modified Schober, cervical rotations (mean of the sum of right and left rotations was taken), lumbar lateral flexion difference (mean of the sum of right and left lateral flexion differences was taken), intermalleolar distance were performed by the same physician on all patients to obtain BASMI score. Apart from these mobility assessments performed, occiput-to-wall distance, chin-to-sternum distance, chest expansion, thoracic Schober, lumbar Schober, hand-to-ground distance and intermalleolar distance were measured. As laboratory values of the patients, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (using Standard Westegren Method) and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured. SPSS 14.0 (SPSS Inc., Il., USA) software package was used for data analysis. Results for continuous variables were presented as maximum, minimum and mean  ± standard deviation (SD). Descriptive statistical method was used to obtain these values. For the correlation analysis of the results, Pearson Correlation test was used. Multivariate regression models were constructed to evaluate associations between identified variables. A p value of