Predictors of transition in smoking stages in Iranian adolescents: latent transition analysis

This study determined the prevalence of smoking stages in adolescents, the probability of transition across stages and the personal and environmental predictors of transition. A school-based study was conducted in 2010-11 using a random sample of 5197 students [mean age 15.7 years] in Tabriz city. The students were evaluated twice, 12-months apart. The latent transition analysis model revealed 9 interpretable statuses for the measurement of smoking stages. Prevalence data showed that at the first and second assessments 75.1% and 66.8% of students respectively were in the committer stage, while 4.8% and 7.1% respectively were daily smokers. Over 12 months, 10.1% of the never smokers became experimenters and 1.7% became regular smokers, while 17.0% of experimenters became regular smokers. The analysis also showed factors associated with transitions in cigarette smoking stages. Although the prevalence of smoking was low in our adolescents, the rate of becoming a smoker over 1 year was high

[Investigating prevalence rate and effective parameters on switching contraceptive methods]

Introduction: A change in the method of contraception result to changing in women's protection against pregnancy and they may encountered with unwanted pregnancy, therefore this study performed with aim determine of prevalence rate and effective parameters on switching contraceptive methods in women referred to health centers in the Tabriz

Method: This study was a descriptive - analytical and a kind of cross- sectional that performed on 861 women in the ages of fertility [15-49]. The research population was women in the ages of fertility that sampled by systematic random. The data were gathered by the researcher made five-part questionnaire. The value of questionnaire was gauged by content validity and test-re-test reliability[r=0.86]. The questionnaire based on the factors in switching of methods was formed in 5 parts: demographic characteristic, medical and fertility history, side effects of contraceptive methods, dissatisfaction of contraceptive method, and effective factors the choice of a new method or continue the previous method of contraception. Face-to-face interview was used to complete the questionnaire. The data analyzed at two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics by software of SPSS v.13

Results: The mean age of women was 31/32 years. The prevalence rate of contraception methods switching was 16.8 percent. The results showed significant relation between the experience of side effects in hormonal methods [P=0.01] and condom method [P=0.001] by switching of the contraceptive methods. The most common side effect was mood changes for hormonal methods, an increased in volume of menstrual blood for IUD method, and vaginal sensitivity for condom method. Also the results showed significant relation between the dissatisfaction of hormonal methods [P<0.001], condom method [P<0.001] and traditional methods [P=0.01] by switching of the contraceptive methods. The most common dissatisfaction factor was forgetting of consumption for hormonal methods, fear of IUD fending off or having experimentation about it for IUD method, low quality of product result to lack of husband's desire in use for condom method and fear of fair in contraceptive method or having experimentations about it for traditional methods

Conclusion: Side effects of contraceptive methods and dissatisfaction of methods are the two effective factors in switching of contraceptive methods. In many cases health services providers can hope to long using of contraceptive and the effectiveness of their by providing sufficient education about the side effects, prescribing methods according to limitations and unique characteristics of clients and being of services in form of client-centered

Substance abuse in high school students in association with socio-demographic variables in Northwest of Iran

Substance abuse in adolescents and its often tragic consequences, including addiction, is one of the preventable major public health problems. The aims of this paper were to estimate the prevalence of substance abuse and to evaluate its some associated factors in adolescents of Tabriz City [northwest of Iran]. A self-administered questionnaire was completed in 4903 randomly selected students with mean age of 15.7 years old. The aim of the questionnaire was obtaining information on substance abuse, socio-economical information, cigarette smoking behavior, general risk taking behavior, self-esteem, attitude towards smoking and self-injury as well as demographical characteristics. Prevalence of substance abuse was 1.4% [95% CI: 1.1-1.7] which was different statistically significant between boys [2.4%] and girls [0.6%] [P<0.001]. Older age [OR=1.43], not living with parents [OR=2.34], having general risk taking behavior [OR=2.26], higher smoking stage [OR=2.39], lower self-esteem [OR=1.09] and positive attitude toward smoking [OR=1.08] were factors associated with student's ever use of substance. The result has shown low prevalence of substance abuse in Iranian adolescents. Our findings showed some associated factors such as lower self-esteem with adolescent's substance abuse

[Smoking prevalence and associated factors to quit among Tabriz Dormitory university medical students, Tabriz, Iran]

Cigarette smoking as a major public health problem contributes extra health costs, and smoking cessation among youths is a priority for any prevention program. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of smoking and examined factors associated with having attempts to quit smoking and the motivations to quit among medical university students. A cross-sectional survey using a random sampling was carried out among 523 [293 male, and 246 female, aged 22.48 +/- 3.33 years] students in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed by t-test, chi-square test and Fisher exact tests. The overall prevalence of smoking was 8.9%. [male 18% and 1.4% female]. There were significant relationships between smoking status with male gender and alcohol consumption [p<0.001]. The reasons for smoking initiation were: satisfying their curiosity, new experience [37.76%], pleasure and entertainment [17.48%], mental, emotional problems and sedation [16.08%], smoker friends [15.38%], inexperience and ignorance [4.89%]. 54.16% of the current smokers had a history of smoking cessation. Regarding the higher prevalence of cigarette smoking in students, especialy in male and attempting to quit smoking in majority of them, preventive interventions in younger age and providing cigarette smoking cessation services for students seem necessary

use-effectiveness of the combined contraceptive methods: standard days method, condom and emergency contraceptive pills

In our country about 20% of couples are using natural methods of family planning or none of the family planning methods. The Standard Days Method is a fertility awareness-based method of family planning in which users avoid unprotected intercourse during cycle days 8 through 19. The aim of this experimental study was to determine the use-effectiveness of the combined contraceptive methods: Standard days method, condom and emergency contraceptive pills. A total of 240 women, age I 7-40 years, in rural area in the west of Tabriz city, with self-reported cycles of 26-32 days, desiring to delay pregnancy at least one year were admitted to the study. After teaching the method to the subjects, they followed-up for 12 months to complete the study or excluded from study. Pearl pregnancy rate was used to determine percentage of protection of unplanned pregnancy. Analysis of data indicated that 117 women didn't get pregnant until the end of study [12 months]. Only 8 women got pregnant, and a total of 1956 woman-months out of 240 women was calculated. So first-year pregnancy rate was 4.91% and percentage of protection of unplanned pregnancy was 95.09 irrespective of correct or incorrect use. The results show that this combined method may be an effective and acceptable method for couples

Prevalence of unwanted pregnancy and multivariate analysis of its correlates in Tabriz city, 2004

Despite relatively easy access to contraceptive, the prevalence of unwanted pregnancy is high. The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion of unwanted pregnancies and related factors among mothers delivering at 6 hospitals in Tabriz. In this cross-sectional study, 1576 women attended to 6 hospitals for delivery or abortion in September 2004 in Tabriz were interviewed. The questionnaire surveyed demographic characteristics, fertility history, contraceptive use, and willingness to pregnancy. The data were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression using SPSS and EPI software. Totally, 414[26.7%] women had unwanted pregnancy. Higher age [OR=1.06], higher number of live children [OR=1.37], and having history of unwanted pregnancy [OR=4.34] were associated with unwanted pregnancy. Unwanted pregnancy is quite common in the region, thus, appropriate policies should be considered to eliminate this maternal health concern