Decomposing economic disparities in risky sexual behaviors among people who inject drugs in Tehran: Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: To our knowledge, no previous study has systematically assessed the role of economic status in risky sexual behavior among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran. In this study, we used Blinder-Oaxaca (BO) decomposition to explore the contribution of economic status to inequality in unprotected sex among PWID in Tehran and to decompose it into its determinants.METHODS: Behavioral surveys among PWID were conducted in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, from November 2016 to April 2017. We employed a cross-sectional design and snowball sampling methodology. We constructed the asset index (weighted by the first principal component analysis factor) using socioeconomic data and then divided the variable into 3 tertiles. We used the BO method to decompose the economic inequality in unprotected sex.RESULTS: Of the 520 recruited individuals, 20 were missing data for variables used to define their economic status, and were therefore excluded from the analysis. Not having access to harm reduction programs was the largest factor contributing to the economic disparity in unprotected sex, accounting for 5.5 percentage points of the 21.4% discrepancy. Of the unadjusted total economic disparity in unprotected sex, 52% was unexplained by observable characteristics included in the regression model. The difference in the prevalence of unprotected sex between the high-income and low-income groups was 25%.CONCLUSIONS: Increasing needle syringe program coverage and improving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge are essential for efforts to eliminate inequalities in HIV risk behaviors among PWID.

Decomposing economic disparities in risky sexual behaviors among people who inject drugs in Tehran: Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: To our knowledge, no previous study has systematically assessed the role of economic status in risky sexual behavior among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran. In this study, we used Blinder-Oaxaca (BO) decomposition to explore the contribution of economic status to inequality in unprotected sex among PWID in Tehran and to decompose it into its determinants. METHODS: Behavioral surveys among PWID were conducted in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, from November 2016 to April 2017. We employed a cross-sectional design and snowball sampling methodology. We constructed the asset index (weighted by the first principal component analysis factor) using socioeconomic data and then divided the variable into 3 tertiles. We used the BO method to decompose the economic inequality in unprotected sex. RESULTS: Of the 520 recruited individuals, 20 were missing data for variables used to define their economic status, and were therefore excluded from the analysis. Not having access to harm reduction programs was the largest factor contributing to the economic disparity in unprotected sex, accounting for 5.5 percentage points of the 21.4% discrepancy. Of the unadjusted total economic disparity in unprotected sex, 52% was unexplained by observable characteristics included in the regression model. The difference in the prevalence of unprotected sex between the high-income and low-income groups was 25%. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing needle syringe program coverage and improving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge are essential for efforts to eliminate inequalities in HIV risk behaviors among PWID.

Impact of HIV status notification on risk behaviors among men who inject drugs in kermanshah, west of Iran

Background: It is unclear whether knowing of current HIV status is associated with change injecting behaviors among people who inject drugs [PWID] in Iran. The objective of the prese study was to determine whether awareness of HIV positive status is associated with a reductn in injecting risk behaviors, after matching for socio-demographic characteristics

Methods: Five hundred male PWID were recruited in 2014 from two drop-in centers [DICs] Kermanshah west of Iran

Trained interviewers collected data on socio-demograp characteristics, HIV testing and drug-related risk behaviors over the last month prior to intervi using a structured questionnaire

Our primary exposure of interest was awareness of HIV sts used to group participants into three categories: positive, negative, unaware. We u coarsened exact matching to make the three groups statistically equivalent based on age, pi of residence, education and income, and then compared them regarding the proportior borrowing, lending and reuse of syringes

Results: Matched sample [n=320] had a mean age +/- standard deviation [SD] of 33.5 +/-7J Overall, 25% [95% Cl: 14%, 32%] of participants reported [borrowing a syringe] in the month and 15% [95% Cl: 7%, 22%] of them reported [lending a used syringe] to others ii past month. In comparison to PWID who were unaware of their HIV status, those knew were HIV positive [OR 1.68, CI95%1.32-2.81] or negative [OR 1.54; 95% Cl: 1.28, 2.71] both more likely to report borrowing syringes in past month

Conclusions: PWID WHO know they are positive for H//V are more likely to borrow are person's syringe, to report reuse of their own used syringes and less likely to report lending syringes to others. Strategies to scale up HIV testing and counseling for PWID, whicl increase awareness of HIV status, may decrease injecting related the risk behaviors

[Relation between home work and preterm labor]

Preterm birth is the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity; so, prevention of preterm labor is a priority in health care. This study aimed to determine relationship between house works with preterm labor. In this case-control study, 150 term pregnant women [control group] and 150 preterm pregnant women [case group] delivered in Izadi hospital in Qom were selected in 2008-2009. The data were collected using the "physical activity in pregnancy" scale. Data were analyzed using the Chi-squared test, t-test, and logistic regression. The P-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant level and the adjusted OR was reported for all variables. We used the SPSS- 16 for analyzing the data. According to the findings, there was no significant relationship between house work regarding duration and severity of activity in pregnancy with preterm labor. There was no relationship between house work in pregnancy and preterm labor. Further studies are recommended

Epidemiological features of Malaria in Qom province from 2001 to 2011

Malaria is still one of the most serious health problems all across the world. This study aimed at investigating the epidemiological features of malaria in Qom province form 2001 to 2011. It was a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study conducted on the malaria cases in Qom province from 2001 to 2011. The data analyzed by SPSS software and t-test and chisquare test. During those 10 years, 553 cases of malaria were reported. Most of those cases were Iranian men of 15 years old and over. In most of the cases, Plasmodium vivax was the main cause of the disease. Considering the huge number of pilgrims entering Qom city and also the existence of Mosquito vectors, programs to combat malaria should continue.

What are differences between non-injecting and injecting drug addicts?

This study aims to identify the differences between Injecting Drug Users [IDUs] and non?IDUs, with regard to some potential factors. This could be useful to design effective interventions for harm reduction, which is one of the priority areas in reducing the burden of addiction. Sixty cases and 60 controls participated in this pair-matched case-control study, which was conducted in Tehran. The cases were IDUs who were asked to introduce two friends; one IDU and the other non-IDU as the paired control. In addition to demographic variables, onset age of cigarette smoking, dropping out of school, imprisonment, history of being sexually abused for money, and family history of using illegal drugs were obtained from the cases and controls via an interview. Pair Odds Ratio [OR] was estimated through McNemar and conditional multivariable logistic regression analysis. Eighty-three% of the IDUs and 92% the controls were male. The mean for onset age of cigarette smoking was 16 in the cases and 20 in the controls, which was significantly different between cases and controls [P<0.001]. In the multivariate analysis, dropping out from school was significantly different between cases and controls [OR=4.22 95% CI: 2.23 - 14.0]. Imprisonment was more frequent in IDUs compared to non-IDUs [OR=3.70 95% CI: 1.09 - 11.08]. The cases had more sexual relationship for earning money compared to the controls [OR=3.14 95% CI: 1.24 - 13.70]. Onset age of cigarette smoking was significantly [P<0.001] sooner in the IDUs compared to the non-IDUs [15.9 and 20.1 years, respectively]. IDUs reported 5.5 times more that non-IDUs of having an addict in their family [P value=0.04]. The finding of this study can be useful in identifying the persons who are at risk of IDU. Therefore, people who involve with risk factors recognized in this study should be triggered for harm reduction prevention strategies