Relationship Between Household Food Insecurity and Growth Disorders in Children Aged 3 to 6 in Qazvin City, Iran / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

Purpose@#Food insecurity, which is the inability to obtain food or inadequate food consumption in terms of quality and quantity, has physical and psychological consequences on children's health. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between children's growth disorders and food insecurity in Qazvin city, Iran. @*Methods@#A case-control study was conducted on 177 cases and 355 controls of children aged 3 to 6 years, who were referred to health centers in Qazvin city. The case group consisted of children with growth disorders. Data were obtained with the 18-item US Department of Agriculture questionnaire, a household socioeconomic questionnaire, a and growth monitoring card. The data were analyzed with using IBM SPSS Version 22.0, by independent sample t-test, chi-square test, and logistic regression. @*Results@#A significant relationship was found between children's growth disorders and household food insecurity with (p<0.05, odds ratio [OR]=17.0, confidence interval [CI]=5.9, 48.8) and without hunger (p<0.05, OR=2.69, CI=1.4, 4.9). There were also significant relationships between children's growth disorders and socioeconomic status (p<0.05, OR=3.4, CI=1.4, 8.5), the duration of breastfeeding (p<0.05, OR=0.94, CI=0.9, 0.98), and children's ages (p<0.05, OR=0.94, CI=0.92, 0.96). Sex and birth order, and the age of the parents was not found to be significantly related with growth disorders. @*Conclusion@#Lower socioeconomic status and household food insecurity were the important predictors of children's growth disorders. Policymakers should focus more on promoting steady employment and income among family members. Nutritional education for mothers is also recommended, in order to better meet the nutritional needs of the children.

Relationship between happiness and tobacco smoking among high school students / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: Recent research has described negative relationship between happiness and habitual smoking among adolescents. No study of this relationship has been conducted among Iranian adolescents. The aim of the present study was to characterize the relationship between happiness and cigarette or hookah smoking among a sample of high school students.METHODS: A sample of 1,161 10th-grade students in Tabriz (northwest Iran) was selected by multi-stage proportional cluster sampling. Participants completed a self-administered multiple-choice questionnaire including information on cigarette smoking, hookah smoking, happiness score, substance abuse, self-injury, general risk-taking behavior, attitudes towards smoking, socioeconomic information, and demographic characteristics. An ordinal logistic regression model was used for data analysis.RESULTS: It was found that 5.9 and 5.0% of students were regular cigarette smokers and regular hookah smokers, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, higher happiness scores were found to protect students against more advanced stages of cigarette smoking (odds ratio [OR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 0.99; p=0.013). However, no significant relationship was found between happiness scores and hookah smoking status (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.02; p=0.523).CONCLUSIONS: Happiness scores were associated with less advanced stages of habitual cigarette smoking among high school students. Our findings underscore the necessity of conducting longitudinal or interventional studies aiming to determine the effects of enhancing happiness on preventing the transition through the stages of cigarette and hookah smoking.

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.

Relationship between happiness and tobacco smoking among high school students / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: Recent research has described negative relationship between happiness and habitual smoking among adolescents. No study of this relationship has been conducted among Iranian adolescents. The aim of the present study was to characterize the relationship between happiness and cigarette or hookah smoking among a sample of high school students. METHODS: A sample of 1,161 10th-grade students in Tabriz (northwest Iran) was selected by multi-stage proportional cluster sampling. Participants completed a self-administered multiple-choice questionnaire including information on cigarette smoking, hookah smoking, happiness score, substance abuse, self-injury, general risk-taking behavior, attitudes towards smoking, socioeconomic information, and demographic characteristics. An ordinal logistic regression model was used for data analysis. RESULTS: It was found that 5.9 and 5.0% of students were regular cigarette smokers and regular hookah smokers, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, higher happiness scores were found to protect students against more advanced stages of cigarette smoking (odds ratio [OR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 0.99; p=0.013). However, no significant relationship was found between happiness scores and hookah smoking status (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.02; p=0.523). CONCLUSIONS: Happiness scores were associated with less advanced stages of habitual cigarette smoking among high school students. Our findings underscore the necessity of conducting longitudinal or interventional studies aiming to determine the effects of enhancing happiness on preventing the transition through the stages of cigarette and hookah smoking.

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.

Relationship between happiness and tobacco smoking among high school students / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES@#Recent research has described negative relationship between happiness and habitual smoking among adolescents. No study of this relationship has been conducted among Iranian adolescents. The aim of the present study was to characterize the relationship between happiness and cigarette or hookah smoking among a sample of high school students.@*METHODS@#A sample of 1,161 10th-grade students in Tabriz (northwest Iran) was selected by multi-stage proportional cluster sampling. Participants completed a self-administered multiple-choice questionnaire including information on cigarette smoking, hookah smoking, happiness score, substance abuse, self-injury, general risk-taking behavior, attitudes towards smoking, socioeconomic information, and demographic characteristics. An ordinal logistic regression model was used for data analysis.@*RESULTS@#It was found that 5.9 and 5.0% of students were regular cigarette smokers and regular hookah smokers, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, higher happiness scores were found to protect students against more advanced stages of cigarette smoking (odds ratio [OR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 0.99; p=0.013). However, no significant relationship was found between happiness scores and hookah smoking status (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.02; p=0.523).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Happiness scores were associated with less advanced stages of habitual cigarette smoking among high school students. Our findings underscore the necessity of conducting longitudinal or interventional studies aiming to determine the effects of enhancing happiness on preventing the transition through the stages of cigarette and hookah smoking.

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.

Estimating economic burden of cancer deaths attributable to smoking in Iran in 2012

Background: There is a broad consensus among health policy-makers that smoking has a significant impact on both heath system and society. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic burden of major cancer deaths caused by smoking in Iran in 2012

Methods: Number of major cancer deaths due to smoking by sex and age groups in 2012 was obtained from GLOBCAN database. The life expectancy and retirement age were used to estimate years of potential life lost [YPLL] and cost of productive lost attributable to smoking, respectively. Data on prevalence of smoking, relative risk of smoking, life expectancy table, annual wage and employment rate were extracted from the various resources such as previous studies, WHO database and Iranian statistic centers. The data analysis was conducted by Excel software

Results: Smoking was responsible for 4,623 cancer deaths, 80808 YPLL and $US 83,019,583 cost of productivity lost. Lung cancer accounts for largest proportion of total cancer deaths, YPLL and cost of productivity lost attributable to smoking. Males account for 86.6% of cancer deaths, 82.6% of YPLL and 85.3% of cost of productivity lost caused by smoking

Conclusions: Smoking places a high economic burden on health system and society as a whole. In addition, if no one had been smokers in Iran, approximately two out of ten cancer deaths could be prevented

association of the transitions in smoking stages with prevalence of cigarette smoking in the classes and schools: a longitudinal study

Adolescent tobacco use remains a major public health priority to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use in community. The aim of this study was determining the association of the transitions in smoking stages with prevalence of cigarette smoking in the classes and schools in adolescents of Tabriz City [northwest of Iran]. Fifty-six high schools were randomly selected, and 4903 students completed a self-administered questionnaire on cigarette smoking twice with a 12-months interval in 2010 and 2011. Transition from experimenter to regular smoker stage was associated with the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the school. The results have shown the association of student's smoking uptake with the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the school. This highlights the importance of enforcing smoke free policies in schools

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

Prevalence of hookah smoking in relation to religiosity and familial support in college students of Tabriz, northwest of Iran

Hookah smoking has increased worldwide especially among youth and young adults and has been identified as an emerging threat to public health. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of hookah use and related factors in a sample of Iranian college students. This study took place in Tabriz [northwest of Iran] in April and May 2011. The randomly selected sample consisted of 1837 college students. Data was collected in a survey. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure religious belief, parental support and risk taking behaviors including hookah smoking. Logistic regression model was performed in data analysis. The prevalence of hookah smoking was 8.5% [CI95%: 7.3-9.9]. After adjustment, being male [OR= 2.01], living in single house in comparison with living with parents [OR= 2.22], smoking [OR= 5.96] and ever drug abuse [OR= 3.02] were factors associated with students' hookah use. Our results showed a low prevalence of hookah smoking in Iranian college female students and revealed some of its associated factors. We demonstrated the co-occurrence of risky behaviors which emphasizes the importance of interventions aimed at reducing or preventing different high risk behaviors simultaneously

Prevalence of professional burnout and its related factors among nurses in Tabriz in 2010

Burnout is a syndrome containing three dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduction of personal accomplishment. Nurses are exposed to professional burnout [PB] due to their exposure to physical, mental, and emotional stressors, which can lead to numerous complications in their personal, social, and organizational life. This study aimed to define the prevalence of PB amongst nurses working in hospitals in Tabriz and to detect its related effective factors in 2010. This is a cross sectional analytical study conducted on all selected nurses working in hospitals in Tabriz. The questionnaires were filled and returned by 712 subjects after taking their consent. The data were collected by a questionnaire including questions on demographic characteristics and Maslach Burnout Inventory [MBI]. Independent t test was employed to compare mean quantitative variables in two groups of individuals with and without PB. Chi square test was also adopted to compare the prevalence of PB in levels of qualitative variables. Logistic regression test was employed for multiple analyses of PB related factors. In this analysis, variables in level of 0.2 which had an association with PB as a single variable were entered to the model. Among the nurses taking part in the study, 156 [21.9%, CI 95%: 19.0-25.1] suffered from PB based on its definition. The risk of burnout is increased by 1.12 folds for each overwork night shift. Higher education increases professional burnout by 3.17 folds. The prevalence of burnout among nurses in Tabriz was revealed. Night shift and education level were shown to have an association with professional burnout.

Smoking stages in an Iranian adolescent population

The aim of this study is determining the prevalence of smoking stages in adolescents of Tabriz city [northwest of Iran] and identifying the personal, environmental, and psychological factors relating to cigarette smoking. Fifty-seven high schools were randomly selected, and 4903 students were completed a self-administered questionnaire about cigarette smoking and the related risk factors. The association of independent variables with cigarette smoking was evaluated using the ordinal logistic regression model. In total, 17.3% of the participants were experimenters [95% CI: 15.8-18.9] and 5.0% were regular smokers [95% CI: 3.7-6.2]. The results showed that the male gender [OR=2.92; CI: 1.94-4.77], age [OR=1.27; CI: 1.02-1.64], having general risk taking behavior [OR=1.50; CI: 1.02-2.21], presence of a cigarette smoker in the family [OR=1.78; CI: 1.23-2.54], friendship with close cigarette smoker friends [OR=2.52; CI: 1.65- 3.86], substance abuse experience [OR=8.27; CI: 2.61-25.61], attitude toward cigarette smoking [OR=1.22; CI: 1.10-1.27] and positive thinking about cigarette smoking [OR=1.05; CI: 1.01-1.14] are associated to cigarette smoking in adolescents. The cigarette smoking prevalence is minimal in Tabriz city adolescents, especially in girls; but the experimenter prevalence is considerable. Findings of this study justifies adopting more serious measures in the pre-adolescence and adolescence period

Intention to start smoking and its related factors in never smoked adolescents in Tabriz, 2010

Intention to smoking is a strong predictor of future smoking behavior. The aim of this study is identifying the personal, environmental, and psychological factors relating to intention to smoking in adolescents of Tabriz city [Northwest of Iran]. Four thousand nine hundred and three [4903] students were randomly selected and completed a self-administered questionnaire about cigarette smoking, intention to smoking, and the related risk factors through multi-stage sampling. The association of independent variables with intention to smoking was evaluated using the multi-variable logistic regression model. The mean age of student was 15.7 +/- 0.73 years, and 42.9% of the samples were male. The results showed that 95.0% of students were in committer stage [students who had never smoked and were sure never start smoking]. Having general risk-taking behavior [OR 2.90; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-6.97], smoker in the family [OR 2.60; 95% CI: 1.20-5.61], and positive attitude towards cigarette smoking [OR 1.30; 95% CI: 1.18-1.43] had statistically significant association with intention to start smoking in future. Majority of non-smokers have firm decision to not start smoking in the future. Having general risk-taking behavior, smoker in the family, and positive attitude towards smoking are associated with intention to smoking in adolescents

Tourette's syndrome, chronic tics, and comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in elementary students

This study estimated the true prevalence of chronic motor and vocal tic disorders, and Tourette's syndrome in students as well as its comorbidity with attention deficit deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]. A random clustered sample of elementary students was selected from schools in Tabriz, Iran. Students were screened by Conner's teacher rating scale for ADHD and a detailed history from parents and teachers for the presence of any type of tic was obtained. Next, a clinical interview based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version [K-SADS-PL], and an interview with parents lead to the definitive diagnosis. A total of 1658 children were evaluated. Vocal tic was observed in 3.2% [ +/- SD = 0.02] students, and was more prevalent in boys. ADHD was diagnosed in 45.5% of these students. Motor tic was observed in 7.3% [ +/- SD = 0.02] of students. Almost half [48.1%] of these students had ADHD. Tourette's syndrome was observed in 1.3% [ +/- SD = 0.01], with a male/female ratio of 3.5:1. This is the first study to provide the prevalence of chronic tics in elementary school students in Iran. ADHD is more common among students with chronic tics and Tourette's syndrome