Prevalence of cigarette smoking in Iranian adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Cigarette smoking is a shared risk factor for a variety of health conditions. Aims: To estimate the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Iranian adolescents and young adults. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus and domestic databases from January 2001 to December 2018. Cross-sectional studies that reported the prevalence of cigarette smoking among high school students, university students or general population aged 14–30 years were eligible. Data on prevalence of smoking, age and gender of subjects, sample size, date, and location of studies were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. Results: We included 99 studies in the analysis. For high school students, the pooled life-time prevalence of cigarette smoking was 13% in girls and 23% in boys. For university students, the life-time prevalence was 11% in women and 33% in men. The pooled prevalence of current and regular smoking among high school boys was 9% and 5%, respectively, compared with 3% and 1% in girls. The pooled prevalence of current and regular smoking among male university students was 22% and 11%, respectively, compared with 5% and 1% among female students. The prevalence of current smoking among the general population aged 15–24 years was 3.3–13.9%. The prevalence of regular smoking among this population was 1.0–10.2%. Conclusion: Cigarette smoking is notable among Iranian young adults especially boys and university students. Our findings call for reinforcement of tobacco prevention and control policies across Iranian schools and universities.

Is the association of continuous metabolic syndrome risk score with body mass index independent of physical activity? The CASPIAN-III study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although the association of body mass index (BMI) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) is well documented, there is little knowledge on the independent and joint associations of BMI and physical activity with MetS risk based on a continuous scoring system. This study was designed to explore the effect of physical activity on interactions between excess body weight and continuous metabolic syndrome (cMetS) in a nationwide survey of Iranian children and adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data on 5,625 school students between 10 and 18 years of age were analyzed. BMI percentiles, screen time activity (STA), leisure time physical activity (LTPA) levels, and components of cMetS risk score were extracted. Standardized residuals (z-scores) were calculated for MetS components. Linear regression models were used to study the interactions between different combinations of cMetS, LTPA, and BMI percentiles. RESULTS: Overall, 984 (17.5%) subjects were underweight, whereas 501 (8.9%) and 451 (8%) participants were overweight and obese, respectively. All standardized values for cMetS components, except fasting blood glucose level, were directly correlated with BMI percentiles in all models (P-trend < 0.001); these associations were independent of STA and LTPA levels. Linear associations were also observed among LTPA and standardized residuals for blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein, and waist circumference (P-trend < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that BMI percentiles are associated with cMetS risk score independent of LTPA and STA levels.

Inequality in School Readiness and Autism among 6-Year-Old Children across Iranian Provinces: National Health Assessment Survey Results.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the national inequality of school readiness and autism among 6-year-old Iranian children before school entry using a national health assessment survey. METHODS: In a cross-sectional nationwide survey, all Iranian children entering public and private elementary schools were asked to participate in a mandatory national screening program in Iran in 2009 in two levels of screening and diagnostic levels. FINDINGS: The study population consisted of 955388 children (48.5% girls and 76.1% urban residents). Of the whole children, 3.1% of the 6-year-old children had impaired vision. In addition, 1.2, 1.8, 1.4, 7.6, 0.08, 10, 10.9, 56.7, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.6 percent had color blindness, hearing impaired, speech disorder, school readiness, autism, height to age retardation, body mass index extremes, decayed teeth, disease with special needs, spinal disorders, and hypertension, respectively. The distribution of these disorders was unequally distributed across provinces. CONCLUSION: Our results confirmed that there is an inequality in distribution of school readiness and autism in 6-year-old children across Iranian provinces. The observed burden of these distributions among young children needs a comprehensive national policy with evidence-based province programs to identify the reason for different inequality among provinces.