Determinants of child safety seat use among parents in an International Safe Community, Tehran, Iran.

Objective: Road traffic accidents are a global issue and serious threat for public health. Children are at high risk of serious injury or death from motor vehicle crashes. Child safety seats (CSSs) can reduce the risk of death and serious injury in children. This study was done to determine the prevalence of child safety seat use in vehicles and the factors influencing their use in a safe society (Tehran, Iran) in 2015.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 804 parents with children under 12 years old who owned private cars were questioned in different areas of Tehran. A questionnaire included demographic data, and 2 specific questionnaires were used for families that used a CSS and those did not use a CSS. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. All analyses were carried out using SPSS 21.Results: The prevalence of child safety seat use was 18.7% and was significantly higher among parents with an income greater than 50 million rials/month, parents who received child safety seat recommendations, parents living in the north of Tehran, and fathers with more driving experience. Age, weight, and height of children were also factors that influenced the use of child safety seats. The most common reasons for parents to use child safety seats was awareness about the benefits of this device and fear of harm to the child, and the most common reasons for nonuse were child intolerance while sitting in the seat and cost.Conclusion: The prevalence of child safety seat use in Tehran is very low, and most parents are not aware of the importance of child safety seats. Comprehensive programs, including legislation, law enforcement, public education, and publicity to promote the benefits of using CSSs, in Tehran can be an effective step toward increasing the use of child safety devices.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the God Locus of Health Control (GLHC): A Study on Muslim Pilgrims.

God Locus of Health Control (GHLC) scale is an instrument for assessing to what extent one believes that God controls his/her health or disease. The aim of this study was to describe the cultural adaptation of this scale and to investigate the psychometric properties of Persian version. At first, the scale was forward-translated to Persian, and then, backward-translation was conducted. Finally, the synthesized back-translated version was prepared and compared to the draft Persian-language version of the GLHC. In the next step, in order to test cognitive debriefing, the Persian-language version of the questionnaire was completed by 20 pilgrims. Final version of Persian GHLC scale was answered by 600 pilgrims attending religious holy places. Mean age of respondents was 33.15 (±11.04) years. There was a positive correlation between six items of GLHC scale and inter-item correlation coefficients. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.84. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the G LHC scale had a one-factor structure. The factor loadings for all items ranged from 0.57 to 0.77. Residual correlations of all items were between -0.2 and +0.2. The people with lower income had significantly higher score of GLHC scale. GLHC scale score had a significant positive correlation with DUREL subscale and MHLC Chance Externality subscale score. There was no a significant correlation between GLHC scale score and Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Internality and Powerful subscales scores. The results of the present study showed that the Persian version of GHLC scale has acceptable factorial validity and internal consistency reliability.

The Relationship Between Religion and Risky Behaviors Among Iranian University Students.

One factor that protects an individual from risky behavior is religiosity, which is referred to as a shield against risky behaviors. Belief in God and religion plays an important role in young people's lives, and in comparison with their non-religious peers. They engage less frequently in risky behaviors, such as violence and sexual relations. The present study investigated the relationship between religiosity and engagement in risky behaviors among students from the Pishva branch of the Islamic Azad University, Tehran Province in Iran. This is a descriptive, analytic cross-sectional study. The sample was comprised of 448 students from different degree majors attending the University. Participants completed two questionnaires, including the Risk-Taking Scale and Duke University Religion Index. The data analyses used one-way ANOVAs and Pearson's correlations. This study found that students who engaged more often in organized religious activities and had higher intrinsic religiosity were less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as sexual risk taking, careless driving, violence, smoking, along with alcohol and drug abuse. Participants with higher involvement in private religious activities reported lower tendencies for the above-mentioned risky behaviors, except sexual risk taking. The findings of this study indicate that the different dimensions of religiousness are related to students' tendency to avoid risky behavior. Thus, it appears that religion may have a role to play in preventing risky taking behavior in Iran.

An observational study of child safety seat use in an international safe community: Tehran, Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Despite strong evidence of the effectiveness of child safety seats in reducing injuries, the use of these devices in some communities is still rare. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of child safety seat use and the factors influencing its use in the safe community of Tehran. METHODS: This roadside observational study was conducted in 2015 and 2,178 personal cars with a child under 12 years aboard were observed on Tehran's streets in regard to use of child safety seats. Other variables such as the gender of the driver, driver's age group, type of street, region of municipality, time of day, and day of the week were also collected. RESULTS: Prevalence of child safety seat use was 4.3% and was significantly higher among women drivers, on freeways, and in municipal regions 1, 4, and 7. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of child safety seat use in Tehran as a most populous member of the international safe community was very low and most children commuted in insecure situations in the vehicle. Therefore, it is proposed that plans should be made to increase the use of child safety seats in international safe communities.

An observational study of secondary task engagement while driving on urban streets in Iranian Safe Communities.

In Iran the prevalence of traffic injuries and death from vehicle collisions are high. Driver engagement in non-driving-related tasks has been previously identified as an important contributing factor to crashes. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of drivers' engagement in potentially distracting activities in Kashmar, Khalilabad and Bardaskan, which are three Iranian International Safe Communities. Observations took place at 12 randomly selected roadside locations in each city, which were comprised of six main streets and six side streets. In total 7979 drivers were observed. The prevalence rates of potentially distracting activities in Kashmar, Khalilabad and Bardaskan were 24.3%, 26% and 24.9%, respectively. In both Kashmar and Khalilabad the most frequently observed secondary tasks were drivers talking to passengers (10.6% and 11.5%, respectively) followed by mobile phone use (3.4% and 4.0%, respectively). Although in Bardaskan the most commonly observed secondary task was also talking to passengers (12.7%), the second most common was reaching for an object (3.2%). In all three cities younger drivers were significantly more likely to be observed engaged in a secondary task while driving. Furthermore, involvement in secondary tasks while driving was significantly higher amongst females and those driving on a working day. The percentage of drivers identified as potentially distracted in these three Safe Communities was worryingly high. Thus, interventions should be integrated into the WHO Safe Community network in these cities, including: education regarding the risks associated with engaging in secondary activities while driving, law enforcement, tougher legislation, periodic assessment, raising public awareness, as well as attracting political and social support.

Seat belt use among car drivers in Iranian safe communities: An observational study.

OBJECTIVE: The number of road traffic injuries and fatalities in Iran is high. The aim of the present study was to investigate the rate of drivers' seat belt use and a number of related factors in Kashmar, Bardaskan, and Khalilabad (Iranian Safe Communities). METHODS: In 2014, driver observations were made at 48 road sites on intercity roads, main streets, side streets, and rural roads in these 3 cities. RESULTS: A total of 10,255 vehicles were observed, with the overall rate of seat belt use being 51.8%. The rates in Kashmar, Bardaskan, and Khalilabad were 51.4, 56.3, and 47.7%, respectively. In Kashmar, the odds of seat belt use were higher among drivers who were female, older, and taxi drivers. Higher use was also found during the afternoon, and lower use was observed on rural roads. In Khalilabad the odds of seat belt use were higher among females, older drivers, taxis, and private car drivers. Seat belt use was also higher on weekends and during the morning but was significantly lower on rural roads. Similarly, in Bardaskan the odds of using a seat belt were higher among females, older drivers, taxis, and private car drivers. Seat belt use was also higher during the afternoon but was significantly lower on rural roads, in comparison to main streets and intercity roads. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of seat belt use in these 3 cities was found to be low, despite these cities being designated as International Safe Communities. Therefore, seat belt promotion programs, tougher regulations, stronger enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and more research are needed to promote seat belt use in these Iranian cities.

Correlates of waterpipe smoking among Iranian university students and the role of religiosity.

Waterpipe smoking among youth and adolescents in Iran has gained in popularity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between waterpipe smoking and different dimensions of religiosity in a sample of students attending two major universities in South East Iran. A total of 682 students completed a waterpipe and cigarette smoking questionnaire along with the Duke University Religion Index. The lifetime prevalence of dual cigarette and waterpipe use was 48.3%, with prevalence of current use (within the last 30 days) of 24.9%. The proportions of lifetime and current waterpipe-only users were 27.0% and 18.8%, respectively. Students who participated more often in private religious activities were less likely to report engaging in waterpipe smoking (odds ratio: 0.82; 95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.98). A higher level of attendance of religious services was negatively associated with dual cigarette and waterpipe smoking (odds ratio: 0.71; 95% confidence interval: 0.54-0.93). Waterpipe-only use was significantly higher among males, students who had lower grade point averages, those who reported having a close friend or a family member who was a waterpipe smoker. To conclude, it is possible that religious observance may have a protective role in lowering waterpipe usage among Iranian university students.

Care Seeking Patterns of STIs-Associated Symptoms in Iran: Findings of a Population-Based Survey.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the prevalence of symptoms associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and how care is sought for those symptoms are important components of STIs control and prevention. People's preference between public and private service providers is another important part of developing a well-functioning STIs surveillance system. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was carried out in spring 2011, using a nonrandom quota sample of 1190 participants (52% female) in 4 densely-populated cities of Tehran, Kerman, Shiraz, and Babol. Two predictive logistic regression models were constructed to assess the association between the socio-demographic determinants (independent variables) and the dependent variables of history of STIs-associated symptom and seeking care. RESULTS: Around 57% (677 out of 1190; men: 29.70% and women: 81.80%) had experienced at least one STIs-associated symptom during the previous year. History of experiencing STIs-associated symptoms among men, was negatively significantly associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.34, CI 95%: 0.17-0.67). Women who were married, in older ages, and had higher educations were more likely to report a recent (past year) STIs symptom, however all were statistically insignificant in both bivariate and multivariable models. Among those who have had STIs-associated symptoms in the last year, 31.15% did nothing to improve their symptoms, 8.03% attempted self-treatment by over-the-counter (OTC) medications or traditional remedies, and 60.93% sought care in health facilities. In both bivariate and multivariable analyses, care seeking among men was insignificantly associated with any of the collected demographic variables. Care seeking among women was positively significantly associated with being married (AOR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.60-3.84). CONCLUSION: The reported prevalence of STIs-associated symptoms among our participants is concerning. A considerable number of participants had delayed seeking care and treatment or self-medicated. People should be informed about their sexual health and the consequences of delaying or avoiding seeking care for STIs. Participants preferred seeking care at private sectors which calls for engaging both public and private health sectors for reporting and following up STIs cases.

The road user behaviour of school students in Iran.

The present study developed a Persian version of the Adolescent Road User Behaviour Questionnaire (ARBQ) and investigated the psychometric properties of the scale in a sample of school students in the province of Tehran (Iran). In total 1111 adolescents completed the Persian version of the ARBQ. Exploratory factor analysis, using the shortened 21-item version of the scale revealed the presence of three reliable factors which were also supported using confirmatory factor analysis. According to this research, engagement in dangerous playing in the road was significantly higher among males, residents of large urban areas, students from private schools, students in the south of Tehran, those who reported relatives or friends had been killed in a road crash and those with a personal history of road accidents. Moreover, older adolescents, those who reported relatives or friends having been killed in a road crash and those with a traffic accident history reported higher involvement in unsafe crossing behaviour. Females, older adolescents, residents of small urban areas, students from schools in small urban areas and those with an accident history also reported less frequent engagement in planned protective behaviours. This study confirms that the ARBQ is a useful framework for investigating adolescents' on-road behaviours in Iran. This research also showed that adolescents put themselves at risk by engaging in hazardous behaviours. As is the case in most countries, this study revealed the need for interventions, such as education and enforcement to improve the on-road safety culture amongst Iranian adolescents.

The rate of seat belt use and its related factors among car drivers in Tehran, Iran after imposing new regulations.

The incidence of road crash deaths is high in Iran. Seat belts can reduce the risk of death or serious injury. This study aimed to estimate the rate of seat belt use and its related factors for car drivers in Tehran, Iran after proclamation of the 2011 legislation. A roadside observational study was conducted in 2012 and 10,752 cars and taxis commuting in different streets of Tehran were screened in regard to drivers' seat belt wearing. Other variables including gender, age range, type of street, district, time of day and day of week were also collected. The rate of seat belt use was 70.9%, and was significantly higher in females, elders and on freeways and significantly less in afternoon hours, side streets and in taxi drivers. The rate of seat belt use in Tehran (a representative of Iran) is still low despite the implementation of new legislations. More initiatives are needed to increase this rate especially in certain groups and areas.