When and why Ain Shams university students started smoking?

The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence, age of first starting smoking and the risk factors associated with taking up regular smoking. The study included 1291 University students [861 males and 430 females], their ages ranged from 17 to 28 years. The over all percentage of smokers was 37.9% [52% males and 9% females], and 21% of males and 12% of females started smoking before the age of 14 and 80% of males and 57% of females before reaching 18 years of age. Smoker peer colleagues, high income, owning of a car, and family troubles, using drugs, smoking hashish and drinking alcohol are significant associated risk factors to taking up smoking

Epidemiologic study for insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

The present study was designed to study some risk factors which could be incriminated in the development of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM]. 83 patient [15-30 years age] with IDDM were selected from the outpatients clinic of Diabetes Institute in Cairo. A comparable controls were selected from Ain Shams University Hospital outpatients Clinics during the period of study. 2/3 of the patients were less than 25 years of age, 95% of the cases diagnosed less than 2 years ago. The results showed significant association between IDDM and family history of diabetes. The season of diagnosis of IDDM shows higher percentage in fall and winter. The results show also a significant difference in crowding index between cases and controls which together with the seasonality are in support of infection origin in some cases. It was found also that anti-mumps and anti-rubella antibodies in the sera of IDDM cases are significantly higher than the controls. This finding together with the previous findings suggest that some viruses i.e. mumps and rubella could have a role in the occurrence of some cases of IDDM