ABSTRACT
Background: breast cancer [BC] has become a health priority due to its increasing incidence. It is line at' curable when detected at an early stage, so there is an urgent need for its early detection. Mammography screening [MS] is the main recommended test for early detection of BC
Objectives: the aim of the study was to assess MS utilization behavior among female employees and to identify some factors based on the Health Belief Model that determines the likelihood of MS utilization behavior in terms of health beliefs, knowledge about BC and its risk factors, and access and need for MS
Methods: the study was conducted among 400 female employees aged 40 years and older in four workplace sectors in Alexandria using a cross sectional approach. A predesigned interview questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data, habits, reproductive history, family history, culture affiliation, access to MS, reproductive health screening behavior, MS utilization behavior, need for MS, knowledge about BC and MS, perceptions towards BC and MS, perceived threat [susceptibility and severity], perceived benefits and perceived barriers to MS, [personal barriers, economic barriers, health care system barriers]
Results: more than two thirds of females [69.7%] had bad MS utilization. Seventy-two percent females had poor knowledge about BC protective factors, signs and symptoms and risk factors of BC and about MS. The perception of the studied females was high concerning susceptibility and seriousness of BC and benefits of screening but there were some perceived personal, economic and health care system barriers to MS. Multiple linear regression analysis of the factors predicting MS utilization shows that age, accessibility, perceived need, total knowledge of BC, MS, and occupation sector were the significant predictors
Conclusion: the majority of female employees had poor knowledge about BC and MS. Increasing the females' knowledge about BC and accessibility to screening areas are important strategies influencing their decisions about whether or not to participate in cancer preventive practices
ABSTRACT
Background: Rational use of medicine can be defined as receiving medications appropriate to theclinical needs, in doses that meet the individual requirements and for an adequate period of time.Relieving or treating pain is one of the most common reasons for using analgesics. It has been reportedthat non-prescribed and improperly used analgesics has reached worrisome levels
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the magnitude and to determine thepattern of analgesics utilization among adults in Alexandria, to identify the factors associatedwith frequent analgesics use and misuse, and to investigate the adults' knowledge concerninganalgesics use
Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional approach. It included 607 adultsattending 30 private pharmacies in the 8 districts of Alexandria. A predesigned structuredinterviewing questionnaire was used to collect data from the adults attending the selectedpharmacies
Results: More than three quarters of the adults [82%] reported taking one or more analgesics.Nearly two-thirds [64.1%] used to take only one analgesic, while 29.9% used to take twoanalgesics and 6% used to take three or more analgesics. There was a statistically significantas sociation between age, gender, hyperacidity and analgesics use. Paracetamol was used bymore than one quarter [27.5%] of analgesic users, while non steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs[NSAIDs] were used by 86.6% of them. More than one third [37.3%] of the studied adultswere considered frequent analgesic users, while about 16.5% were misusers
Conclusion: Utilization of analgesics was widely prevalent among adults in Alexandria, and it is there sponsibility of Ministry of Health and Population, universities, physicians and pharmacists to rationalize the use of analgesics
ABSTRACT
Background: Anemia constitutes a problem of serious public health significance, given its impact onpsychological and physical development, behavior and work performance
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of anemia, its extent and determinants among secondary school students in El-Kharga, and to identify the effects of anemia onstudents' performance
Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional approach. It included 330 secondary school students allocated to different schools according to the number of secondary school studentsattending each school. A predesigned structured interviewing questionnaire was used to collect datafrom the students. Anthropometric measurements [weight and height], body mass index and laboratory investigations were done. School records were reviewed for the grades of the previous exams
Results: The prevalence of anemia among secondary school adolescents in El-Kharga was 51.8%.Infection with parasites, total energy calories, plant protein, total carbohydrate and iron from plantorigin were significantly higher among anemic school students than among normal students. Thelogistic regression model showed that only those who were infected with parasites had a highersignificant risk of anemia and plant protein had a protective effect compared to relevant categories.Anemic students had more than four and half times less scholastic achievements than the normalstudents
Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia among school adolescents in El-Kharga indicates a publichealth problem based on the WHO epidemiological criteria for diagnosis of anemia
ABSTRACT
The term Chronic liver disease [CLD] encompasses a large number of conditions existing on acontinuum between hepatitis infection and cirrhosis. Chronic hepatitis C infection was found to be associated with diabetes mellitus [DM] with a significantly higher prevalence than the prevalence in the general population.The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of glucose abnormalities among patients with CLD in Alexandria, Egypt.Over a period of two years, 264 consecutive patients with CLD referred to the Hepatology and Gastroenterology Unit, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University were enrolled in the study. Personal,demographic and medical histories were obtained by interviewing each patient and reviewing his/her records. Clinical examination for each patient was also performed. Complete blood picture, fasting blood glucose level and lipid profile, liver profile and imaging were recorded. Serological and/or immunological markers identifying the etiology ofCLD were also recorded.The prevalence of glucose abnormalities among hepatitis C positive patients was higher than that among patients with other CLD [39.2% versus 21.7% respectively], with a statistically significant difference. Three independent risk factors were found to be significantly affecting the prevalence of glucose abnormalities among CLD patients; namely etiology of liver disease, presence of fatty liver and total cholesterol level.The present study indicates a high prevalence of DM in patients with CLD in Alexandria, It is therefore imperative that patients with CLD especially chronic hepatitis C patients be screened periodically for glucose intolerance