Furkan ÖZOĞLU, Emine İremnur TOPBAŞ, Cevriye Ceyda KOLAYLI, Atakan ŞENGÖR, Amine Zümra HACIKÖLEOĞLU, Murat TOPBAŞ

The water preferences in their home countries and in Turkey of foreign students studying at the Karadeniz Technical University Medical Faculty

Introduction. Students from foreign countries may exhibit different water preferences when they begin living in a foreign country compared to in their home countries. Study aims. To evaluate the water consumption preferences, the reasons for these and perceptions of water quality in Turkey among foreign students at the Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) Faculty of Medicine. Materials and Methods. This descriptive study was performed with 51 foreign students at the KTU Faculty of Medicine. A questionnaire developed by the authors and investigating the water preferences of foreign students in their home countries and in Turkey was used as a data collection tool. Results. 74.5% of students used tap water for drinking in their home countries and 74.5% also used packaged water. In Turkey, however, 98% preferred packaged water in school and 64.7% preferred dispenser size water in their places of residence. Tap water was more employed for other domestic purposes. Additionally, 76.9% of students reported that the quality of packaged water was better in their home countries and 64.3% reported that the quality of dispenser size water was better. Meanwhile, 80% of students thought that packaged waters were of good quality in Turkey, and 94.9% that dispenser size water was of good quality. Conclusions. In their home countries, students prefer tap and packaged water for drinking purposes, while in Turkey they prefer packaged and dispenser size water for drinking and tap water for other domestic purposes.

Keywords:

The water preferences in their home countries and in Turkey of foreign students studying at the Karadeniz Technical University Medical Faculty,

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Furkan ÖZOĞLU1, Emine İremnur TOPBAŞ2, Cevriye Ceyda KOLAYLI3, Atakan ŞENGÖR1, Amine Zümra HACIKÖLEOĞLU1, Murat TOPBAŞ3 1Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey 2İstanbul Medipol University, Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey 3Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Trabzon, Turkey Corresponding Author: Furkan ÖZOĞLU Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine 61080 Trabzon / TURKEY e-mail: reussozoglu@gmail.com