Association between hirsutism and mental health

To ascertain the prevalence of psychiatric disturbances in a sample of hirsute women. This case-control study was carried out on 100 hirsute women referred to a dermatology clinic in Sari, Mazandaran, Iran from 2004 to 2005. One hundred non-hirsute healthy control subjects were case-matched for demographic variables and completed the symptom checklist revised [SCL-90-R] instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS software [version 11]. Forty-three percent of the women reported psychological distress, with the most common subscales being interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid, depression, and obsessive compulsive. In the control group, 42% were suspicious for mental disorders. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups. No significant difference concerning mental health was reported between the hirsute and non-hirsute women. This maybe due to patients having adapted to their disorder due to the presence of high social stress conditions in Iran

Evaluation of the awareness level of patients referred to Sari dermatologic clinics about sunscreen usage in the summer and autumn of 2004

Sunscreens are used for prevention of skin damage caused by the sun. Since various products are available, people should be encouraged to find the most appropriate one for their skin. We performed this study to detect the awareness level regarding appropriate sunscreen usage in patients referred to Sari dermatology clinics in 2004. This cross-sectional study was done in the autumn and summer of 2004 in Sari dermatology clinics. The study sample size was 400 participants. The measuring device was a questionnaire consisted of questions about sun light and sunscreen usage and demographic data. Most participants had moderate [35.4%] [correct answers to 50-70% of questions] and good [35.5%] [correct answers to 70-100%] awareness level, 26.4% had weak [correct answers to 25-50%] and 1.7% had unacceptable [correct answers to less than 25%] awareness about correct method of application of sunscreens. In this study the awareness level among females was significantly higher than males. There was a significant correlation between education level and awareness level [P<0.001], but no correlation between marital status, age and job and the awareness level was found. The awareness level in females was moderate and good. The awareness level in males was less than females, which shows their less attention to skin care. The weak and unacceptable level of awareness was considerable indicating the need for social educational interventions