Smoking stages, prevalence of drug abuse and role of associated psychological and social factors: A study on male high school students in Ilam city

Background & Aims: There are limited information about prevalence of smoking, drug abuse and its associated factors amongst Iranian students. The present study aimed to determine prevalence of smoking and drug abuse amongst male high school students in Ilam and the role of associated psychological and social factors. Method: Overall, 1000 male high school students were recruited using a multi-stage sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data gathering. Chi-square test and logistic regression model were used for univariate, multivariate and interactions analyses. Results: Mean age of students was 16.2 years. The prevalence of experimenter and regular smokers were 11.4 (95 CI: 9.3 -13.4) and 1.3 (95 CI: 0.5-2.0) respectively. Prevalence rates of alcohol, opium, Tramadol, Hashish, Ecstasy and methamphetamine abuses were 11.1 (9.1-13.0), 2.8 (1.7-3.8), 7.6 (5.9-9.2), 3.3 (2.1-4.4), 2.7 (1.6-3.7), and 2.1 (1.1-3.0) respectively. The logistic regression model showed a significant relationship between having a smoker friend (AOR: 1.99), self-injury (AOR: 2.35), peer pressure (AOR: 2.37) and Tramadol abuse (AOR: 3.00) and different stages of smoking. None of the considered interactions had significant effect. Conclusions: Although, prevalence of smoking in Ilam high school students was less than the corresponding reports from other provinces in Iran, drugs abuse followed the same pattern as the other provinces. In addition, psychosocial variables had an important role in adolescents smoking

Threat appraisal for skin cancer among rural farmers in Ilam, Iran

Background: Skin cancers are among the most prevalent malignancies in Iran. According to statistics, it is the most common cancer in the population of Ilam, west of Iran. The present study aimed to assess threat appraisal of skin cancer among rural farmers of Ilam in 2013-2014. Method: In this cross-sectional study, we used multistage random sampling. We collected the data through distribution of a researcher-developed questionnaire among 248 farmers from the rural areas of Ilam in June 2013. The items of the questionnaire were based on the protection motivation theory, and covered components included perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, and rewards. Result: We found a generally lower perceived vulnerability and severity and higher rewards among the farmers; 14.5 and 30.6 of the farmers displayed higher perceived vulnerability and severity, respectively. Only 15.7 of the farmers were low in extrinsic and intrinsic rewards for unprotected behaviours. We found 149 people (60.1) had unacceptable levels of threat appraisal; 2 people (0.8 ) had borderline levels; and 97 people (39.1) had acceptable levels. Also, there was a significant relationship between perceived vulnerability, severity, income, and education level of the participants (P<0.001), but an insignificant relationship was found between family size, threat appraisal (P<0.747), family size and perceived threat (P<0.247). Conclusion: The overall findings of the present study indicated unacceptable levels of psychological perception about skin cancer in farmers, which highlights the importance of designing, implementation, and evaluation of educational interventions related to the issue. © 2013 Iranian Society of Dermatology

Social and Psychological Predictors of Initial Cigarette Smoking Experience: A Survey in Male College Students

Knowledge about social and psychological risk factors for initial cigarette smoking experience (ICSE) is sparse. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of ICSE and to examine the psychological and social factors related to ICSE. In a cross-sectional survey, 1,511 male college students were recruited using multistage sampling techniques from four universities located within the city of Ilam, Iran. Self-administered multiple-choice questionnaires were distributed to students from March to June 2013. Risk factors for ICSE were evaluated using logistic regression models. Participants were 22.3 +/- 2.4 years of age. ICSE prevalence was 30.6. In multivariable adjusted analysis, risk taking behavior (odds ratio OR = 1.61; 95% confidence interval CI = 1.11-2.33), perceived peer smoking prevalence (OR = 2.48; 95% CI = 1.03-5.97), positive thoughts about smoking (OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.02-1.10), high self-efficacy (OR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.93, 0.98), presence in smokers' gathering (OR = 4.45; 95% CI = 2.88-6.81), comity of smokers (OR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.66, 3.92), very hard access to cigarettes (OR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.16-4.16), close friends' medium reaction toward smoking (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.02-1.88), and sporting activity (OR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.56-0.98) were significantly associated with ICSE. This study identified that a combination of psychological and social variables account for up to 78% of the probability of ICSE. The most important protective factor against ICSE was physical activity, whereas the most important risk factor for ICSE was frequent gathering in the presence of smokers