Prevalence of Asthma in East Azerbaijan Adult Population and Its Determinants Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study from the Northwest of Iran.

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases. It is estimated that more than 400 million people will suffer from it by 2025. This study aims to determine the prevalence of asthma in East Azerbaijan and investigate the association between asthma and some environmental and demographic factors. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on a major Lifestyle Promotion Project (LPP) conducted in the districts of East Azerbaijan, including 2641 participants aged 15 to 65 years of the general population selected through probability proportional to size (PPS) multistage stratified cluster sampling. We used the World Health Survey questionnaire about doctor-diagnosed asthma to determine the prevalence of asthma. Age, smoking status, physical activity level, socioeconomic variables such as job and education level, and body mass index (BMI) were used as covariates in regression models. A questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic information and smoking status. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to estimate the level of physical activity (IPAQ). Results: The mean age of participants was 40.9 ± 12.05 years including 1242 (47 %) males and 1399 (53 %) females. The prevalence of asthma was 3.3 %. The frequency of smokers was significantly higher in the asthmatic group compared with the non-asthmatic group (OR=2.33 [1.76-3.31]; p=0.03). There was no significant association between asthma and other demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Obesity has also played a significant role in the development of asthma. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, obesity and smoking have played a significant role in the development of asthma but there is no statistically significant relationship between socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in East Azerbaijan-Iran and its determinants factors.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a prevalent metabolic disorder with increasing prevalence attributed to extended life expectancy. This study aims to investigate MetS prevalence and its determinants in the East-Azerbaijan population. Methods: Conducted as a cross-sectional study within the East Azerbaijan region, this research is based on a major Lifestyle Promotion Project. The study encompasses 700 participants aged 15 to 65 years, representing the general population and selected using probability proportional to size multistage stratified cluster sampling. MetS diagnoses were conducted using the adult Panel III criteria. Data on socio-demographics, smoking status, and physical activity levels were collected through questionnaires. Results: Among participants, the mean age was 42.4±12.38 years, and the mean body mass index was 27.69±4.94 kg/m2. The MetS group exhibited higher mean age and body mass index compared to the non-MetS group (P<0.001). The prevalence of MetS in the population was 34.2%, with higher rates in females (37.1%) compared to males (30.5%), though this difference wasn't statistically significant (P=0.11). Notably, a substantial distinction was observed between the two groups regarding education levels (P<0.001). Conclusion: The study reveals a significant association between increasing age and higher prevalence of MetS. Furthermore, lower educational levels were linked to an elevated prevalence of MetS. While other socio-demographic factors didn't demonstrate statistically significant relationships, these findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions and education in mitigating MetS risks.

Association of quality of life with physical activity, depression, and demographic characteristics and its predictors among medical students.

BACKGROUND: Medical students face a variety of challenges during their years of medical education that can affect their quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to investigate the association of QOL with physical activity (PA), depression, and demographic characteristics, as well as to determine its predictors among medical students in different stages of education. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 186 medical students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in different educational stages including basic sciences, physiopathology, externship, and internship using stratified random sampling method. Data were collected using demographic questionnaire, International PA Questionnaire, World Health Organization QOL Questionnaire, and Beck depression inventory-2. Data analysis was performed using SPSS/Ver 23 through descriptive and analytic statistics including one-way analysis of variance, independent t-test, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient, and multivariate linear regression model. RESULTS: There were significant differences in total score of QOL among students in different stages (P < 0.05). There were indirect significant correlations between total score of QOL (ß [confidence interval 95%]:-0.85 [-1.11--0.59]) and its all subdomains with Beck depression score but direct significant correlations with total PA (P < 0.05) except for social relationship. Educational stage, employment status, family income, inhabitant, moderate PA, and depression were the predictors of QOL and altogether explained 63% of its variance. CONCLUSIONS: To pay attention to the predictors of QOL, life among medical students seems necessary for increasing their QOL to provide high-quality care for people with disabilities as well as for the whole community.