Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran: a latent class analysis / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES@#Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify, for the first time, subgroups of university freshmen in Iran on the basis of substance abuse behaviors. Moreover, it examined the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup.@*METHODS@#Data for the study were collected cross-sectionally in December 2013 and January 2014 from 4 major cities in Iran: Tabriz, Qazvin, Karaj, and Khoramabad. A total of 5,252 first-semester freshmen were randomly selected using a proportional cluster sampling methodology. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify subgroups of students on the basis of substance abuse behaviors and to examine the effects of students' socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup.@*RESULTS@#The LCA procedure identified 3 latent classes: the healthy group; the hookah experimenter group; and the unhealthy group. Approximately 82.8, 16.1, and 2.1% of students were classified into the healthy, hookah experimenter, and unhealthy groups, respectively. Older age, being male, and having a family member or a close friend who smoked increased the risk of membership in classes 2 and 3, compared to class 1.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Approximately 2.1% of freshmen exhibited unhealthy substance abuse behaviors. In addition, we found that older age, being male, and having a close friend or family member who smoked may serve as risk factors for substance abuse behaviors.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Associations with Lipid Profiles in Iranian Men: A Population-Based Screening Program

PURPOSE: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by a collection of interdependent disorders, including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and diabetes. The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence of MS in Qom, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based screening program was conducted in the city of Qom, in 845 urban adult men over 25 years old in 2014. Abdominal obesity, fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure, and the serum lipid profile were measured in subjects after fasting for at least 8 hours. MS was defined according to the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test, t-test, and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MS was 23.0%, and the most common prevalent metabolic abnormalities associated with MS were low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (102 cm in 33.9%, blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg in 27.6%, fasting triglycerides (TG) ≥150 mg/dL in 25%, and FBG ≥110 mg/dL in 20.6%. A FBG level ≥110 mg/dL (odds ratio [OR]=4.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.14~8.24), dyslipidemia (OR=3.51; 95% CI, 2.10~5.89), and a fasting TG ≥150 mg/dL were the most important factors contributing to MS. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MS in men in Qom was higher than has been reported in other countries, but it was lower than the mean values that have been reported elsewhere in Iran. FBG was the most important factor contributing to MS, and all elements of the lipid profile showed important associations with MS.

Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran: a latent class analysis / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify, for the first time, subgroups of university freshmen in Iran on the basis of substance abuse behaviors. Moreover, it examined the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup. METHODS: Data for the study were collected cross-sectionally in December 2013 and January 2014 from 4 major cities in Iran: Tabriz, Qazvin, Karaj, and Khoramabad. A total of 5,252 first-semester freshmen were randomly selected using a proportional cluster sampling methodology. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify subgroups of students on the basis of substance abuse behaviors and to examine the effects of students' socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup. RESULTS: The LCA procedure identified 3 latent classes: the healthy group; the hookah experimenter group; and the unhealthy group. Approximately 82.8, 16.1, and 2.1% of students were classified into the healthy, hookah experimenter, and unhealthy groups, respectively. Older age, being male, and having a family member or a close friend who smoked increased the risk of membership in classes 2 and 3, compared to class 1. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 2.1% of freshmen exhibited unhealthy substance abuse behaviors. In addition, we found that older age, being male, and having a close friend or family member who smoked may serve as risk factors for substance abuse behaviors.

Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran: a latent class analysis / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: Substance abuse behaviors among university freshmen in Iran are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify, for the first time, subgroups of university freshmen in Iran on the basis of substance abuse behaviors. Moreover, it examined the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup.METHODS: Data for the study were collected cross-sectionally in December 2013 and January 2014 from 4 major cities in Iran: Tabriz, Qazvin, Karaj, and Khoramabad. A total of 5,252 first-semester freshmen were randomly selected using a proportional cluster sampling methodology. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify subgroups of students on the basis of substance abuse behaviors and to examine the effects of students' socio-demographic characteristics on membership in each specific subgroup.RESULTS: The LCA procedure identified 3 latent classes: the healthy group; the hookah experimenter group; and the unhealthy group. Approximately 82.8, 16.1, and 2.1% of students were classified into the healthy, hookah experimenter, and unhealthy groups, respectively. Older age, being male, and having a family member or a close friend who smoked increased the risk of membership in classes 2 and 3, compared to class 1.CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 2.1% of freshmen exhibited unhealthy substance abuse behaviors. In addition, we found that older age, being male, and having a close friend or family member who smoked may serve as risk factors for substance abuse behaviors.

Identifying and Ranking Factors Influencing Job Stress Among Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Employees in Phase 14 of South Pars: A Cross Sectional Study in South of Iran

The present paper aims at identifying and ranking the factors affecting job stress of HSE employees in the phase 14 of the South Pars (a petroleum company in south of Iran). In this cross sectional study, all HSE employees in one of the phases in south pars of Iran (the phase 14) including 150 employees were investigated in 2015. The data were collected using a questionnaire and measuring some environmental and occupational factors such as sound and chemical pollution. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by opinion of the 10 expert persons in this field (Content Validity Index .85%) and the reliability of the questionnaire was approved by Cronbach Alpha equal to 0.70. At present study the one sample T test indicated that the environmental and managerial factors affect job stress of the HSE employees. Among the environmental factors, long working hours, poisonous materials risks, air pollution, heat and moisture and air pollution mostly affect job stress, respectively. On the other hand among the managerial factors, job security, lack of meritocracy, not in time payment and prejudice in salary affect job stress the most, respectively. As the results of this study, respect to environmental and occupational factors according to employees’ viewpoint in each industry is too important.

Sleep quality in medical students; the impact of over-use of mobile cell-phone and social networks

Background: poor sleep quality is closely associated with lifestyle habits including use of mobile cell-phones. This study aimed to identify the relationship between sleep quality due to abuse in mobile cell-phones and engagement in social networks

Methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted on 380 undergraduate students selected by proportional stratified sampling in Qom, Iran in 2015. Data were collected by two statndard questionnaire including Cell-Phone Over-Use Scale [COS] and Pittsburgh sleep quality questionnaire beside the status of usage in cell-phone social networks. T-test, chi-square, Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate logistic regression were used in data analysis

Results: the mean age of participants was 21.8 +/- 3.2 yr, 69.1% were female, and 11.7% were married. The mean of COS and sleep quality scores were 48.18 +/- 17.5 and 5.38 +/- 2.31, respectively. The prevalence of over-use of cell phone was 10.7% [CI 0.95; 8.8%, 12.6%] and the prevalence of poor sleep quality was 61.7% [CI 0.95; 57.1%, 66.3%]. The mean of all aspects and total score of sleep quality showed a direct significant association by cell-phone addiction score except sleep duration score that was inversely. Based on multivariate analysis affected to cell-phone addiction, being male gender and studying in general physician level are the most important predictors of poor sleep quality

Conclusions: over use of internet and social networks via smart phones is related to poor sleep quality and quantity. Predefined sport programs, educational, cultural, and interesting entertainment are the essential needs for all medical students. These interventions are more important especially for male students who have longer educational

Dyslipidemia Prevalence in Iranian Adult Men: The Impact of Population-Based Screening on the Detection of Undiagnosed Patients

PURPOSE: Dyslipidemia has been established as one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Due to the higher prevalence of dyslipidemia in males, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemia in Iranian urban men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A screening program was conducted in 845 Iranian men 25 years of age and older in 2014. A health interview survey was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of self-reported dyslipidemia and to collect demographic data, as well as serum lipid profile screening by a reference laboratory. Lipoprotein levels was categorized based on the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria and the data were analyzed using the chi-square test and analysis of variance. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 51.8%, and the prevalence of various forms of dyslipidemia was as follows: hypercholesterolemia (> or =240 mg/dL), 11.4%; hyper-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (> or =160 mg/dL), 9.6%; hypertriglyceridemia (> or =200 mg/dL), 25%; and hypo-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (<40 mg/dL), 34.3%. With the exception of hypo-HDL, all forms of dyslipidemia were significantly less common in men over 65 years of age (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypo-HDL and hypertriglyceridemia was higher than expected in Iranian adult men, with half of men 25 years of age and older affected by at least one form of dyslipidemia. A large gap in primary and secondary care was observed, because nearly 80% of patients with dyslipidemia were unaware of their status. Urgent preventive programs and lifestyle changes are necessary to reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors.

Pattern of use of earphone and music player devices among Iranian adolescents

There is no information about the pattern of use of earphones and music players in Iranian adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and pattern of the use of earphone and music player devices as a main risk factor for hearing loss in adolescents of Tabriz city, northwest of Iran. In this cross-sectional study in November 2011, 2,359 high school students were randomly selected and were asked to complete a 20-item questionnaire about the pattern of using earphones and music players. The results showed that 44.3% [confidence interval [CI] 95%: 38.3-50.3] of the respondents had a history of hearing problems that was significantly different between males and females [42.2% of males and 47% of females, p: 0.02]. Notably, 36.8% of the participants stated that they listened to music without any rest or stop. Almost 49.6% [CI 95%: 44.4-54.4] of the students reported listening to 'somewhat loud' [gain setting at 50%] or 'very loud' [gain setting more than 50%] volume level of music. In terms of the kind of earphones, 17.1% of the participants used headphones, 34.8% used earbud-style headphones, 32.3% used supra-aural headphones, and 15.8% of them did not use any type of earphones. Students have risky patterns of using earphones and music-listening devices. Planning educational programs in this domain for adolescents especially in high schools is necessary