Study of risky behaviors leading to unintentional injuries among high school students in Tehran, Iran

To determine risky behaviors leading to unintentional injuries among Tehrani high school students in 2009. This cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2009. Out of 237,300 [185151 governmental, 52149 non governmental] Tehrany high school students in both genders, 727 subjects were selected by multistage randomized sampling. Among 20 education districts, 8 districts were selected and divided by stratified sampling into 3 areas: North, Center, and South. Data were collected by cluster random sampling in each district using the standard questionnaire of the Management Diseases Center of America, which had been validated in Iran. Subjects were healthy students aged 12-18 years. Risky behaviors including fall, burn, poisoning, and road traffic injuries were studied. The mean age of subjects was 16.8 +/- 1.2, range 12-18 years. Overall, 44% of boys and 38% of girls were exposed to risky behaviors leading to unintentional injuries. Significant differences were observed in driving without licence among boys and in governmental schools [p=0.000]. Using a motorcycle was more prevalent in the south of Tehran [p=0.000]. Significant differences were observed among boys related to poisoning substance exposure, driving without a license, motorcycle driving, and non-helmet use during motorcycle driving [p=0.000]. Approximately half of the boys and more than one-third of the girls were exposed to risky behaviors leading to unintentional injuries. Prevention of unintentional injuries caused by children's risky behaviors is crucial, particularly among boys and those from deprived areas

[Association of provisional driver licensing intervention by police with changes in incidence and severity of road traffic injuries in Iran]

This study was conducted for external evaluation of one intervention that has been carried out by traffic police. In this study the efficacy of provisional driver licensing on reducing traffic injuries and the intensity of injuries [fatal or non-fatal] was investigated. Data on traffic accidents and injuries from one year before till two years after the implementation of provisional driver licensing were obtained from traffic police data base. After data cleaning and stratification traffic injuries and mortalities, the implementation of graduate driver licensing compared in those in early years of their driving experience. Drivers under 23 years of age consisted 22.8% of total road traffic injuries [RTIs] in the year prior to the implementation of graduate driver licensing. This proportion reduced to 15.5% and 16.1% in the first and second year after implementation, respectively, among holders of provisional B1 type driver license [P<0.001]. Our findings suggested that this intervention was efficient in reduction of intensity of traffic injuries and provisional driver licensing was also efficient in reducing the crude number of traffic injuries. More interventions such as demerit points, license suspensions and vehicle confiscation might be implemented to prevent RTIs in long term

Risk assessment of workers exposed to crystalline silica aerosols in the East Zone of Tehran

The term "crystalline silica" refers to crystallized form of SiO2 and quartz, as the most abundant compound on earth crust, is capable of causing silicosis and lung cancer upon inhaling large doses in course of occupational exposure. In this study, airborne respirable dust samples were collected on mixed cellulose filters [25 mm diameter, 0.8 mm pore size], by using a cyclone separator at the flow rate of 2.2 l/min for a maximum volume of 800 liters. Infrared absorption spectrometry was used according to the "National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health" [NIOSH] method No. 7602 for analysis of samples. Risk assessment techniques predictive of silicosis and lung cancer were employed. The geometric mean of workers' exposure to crystalline silica in ten industrial fields [stone milling and cutting, foundry work, glass manufacturing, asphalt, construction, sand and gravel mining, sand blast, ceramics, bricks and cement manufacturing] was in the range of 0.132 to 0.343 mg/m[3]. Mortality rate of silicosis was predicted to be in range of 1 to 52 per one thousand exposed individuals. Risk of lung cancer mortality in exposed workers in the east zone of Tehran based on geometric mean exposure of industrial activity and 45 years of exposure was in range of 50 to 129 per one thousand. In terms of risk assessment of silicosis mortality, cumulative exposure of 21 percent of population complied with the notion of acceptable risk. In regard to lung cancer mortality, 100 percent of the population were expected to have an unacceptable risk after 45 years of active work experience. This study is the first of its kind in Iran demonstrating a profile of exposure in different groups of workers in the east zone of Tehran's greater city, covering 5.5 million populations. Considering the total population of one hundred thousand workers exposed to quartz in east zone of Tehran and aging of the current young workforce, numerous cases of silicosis and lung cancer are forecasted in near future