Cigarette smoking among male physicians in Ismailia City

In this work, the prevalence of smoking among physicians, the initiation and maintenance factors, and the attempts to give up, are studied. A number of 328 male physicians participated in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to investigate the aforementioned variables, in addition to some personal and socio- demographic factors. The prevalence of cigarette smoking was found to be 34.1%. A significant inverse relationship was found between smoking and higher postgraduate training. Also, the presence of smokers in the surrounding was a strong factor related to smoking. Curiosity and automation were the most frequent initiation and maintenance factors respectively. 29.9% of the studied sample have tried to quit smoking at least once. Less than their half [43.8%] have succeeded in cessation for more than three years. Abrupt cessation was the only factor significantly associated with success. There is a need for organized self-help programs which emphasize the importance of this factor

Stressful life events and hypertension

Using the Arabic modified version of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, the life events were scored retrospectively in 164 hypertensive patients together with 328 normotensive adult controls attending the urban primary health care units for a period of six months preceding the onset of hypertension for patients and preceding the date of the interview for the control group. Results showed that stressful life events were significantly associated with the development of hypertension. Our findings suggest that psychological stresses might contribute to the onset of hypertension stress-management programs might be helpful, and studies of its utility in hypertensive patients should be encouraged

Planning, implementation and evaluation of a nutrition education program in an Education program in an Egyptian village by community health workers

This study evaluates a community based health education program conducted by trained female community health workers [CHWs] in one of the villages in Ismailia. Selection of the CHWs was done by the mothers in the community and training took place in the same village. The first phase of the program was concerned with breast feeding, weaning and monitoring child growth and development. Also the program included training of health workers on communication and leadership skills and record keeping. Evaluation of mothers knowledge, beliefs and practice was done before and eight weeks after the program. The study revealed significant changes in mothers beliefs [p<0.02] and practice [p<0.03] toward child nutrition