Cigarette smoking and its relationship with perceived familial support and religiosity of university students in Tabriz

Objective: The goal of the present study was to assess the prevalence of cigarette smoking and its relationship to other risk taking behaviors, perceived familial support and religiosity among college students in Tabriz, Iran . Method: In this study, 1837 randomly selected students participated and completed a self-administered questionnaire inquiring demographic characteristics, risk taking behaviors, Aneshensel and Sucoff's 13-items one-dimensional perceived Parental support scale and 28 - items Kendler's general religiosity scale. Results: In general, 15.8 of the students were cigarette smokers. The results indicated that being male (OR = 3.21), living alone or with friends (OR = 2.00), having a part-time job (OR = 1.98), alcohol consumption during the past 30 days (OR = 3.67), hookah use (OR = 5.23), substance abuse (OR = 1.69), familial support (OR = 0.97) and religiosity (OR = 0.98) have statistically significant relationships with cigarette smoking . Conclusion: Our study represents the co-occurrence of risky behaviors. Cultural context in the traditional communities seems to show the crucial role of familial support and religiosity traits with the female gender as predictive factors to not smoke cigarette and perform other risky behaviors

Smoking status in Iranian male adolescents: A cross-sectional study and a meta-analysis

The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of smoking status and its associated factors in Iranian adolescents and a meta-analysis of recent cross-sectional studies in order to estimate the corresponding prevalence for all Iranian adolescents. In a cross-sectional study, 1064 male high school students in Zanjan city (northwest of Iran) were recruited. A self-administered questionnaire was used for smoking status and associated factors. Through the meta-analysis, all relevant published studies were reviewed. Almost one-third of adolescents (34.2, n =354) have experienced smoking either experimentally (23.4, n=242), or regularly (10.8, n=112). Multivariate analysis showed that older age (OR = 1.20; 95 CI: 1.05-1.37), risky behaviors (OR=1.83; 1.25-2.68), Tramadol medication (OR = 2.19; 1.54-3.11), low self-esteem (OR 1.07; 1.03-1.11), positive attitude toward smoking (OR= 1.15; 1.09-1.21), positive thinking about smoking (OR= 1.07; 1.01-1.14) and having smoker friends (OR= 1.94; 1.36-2.77) were significantly associated with cigarette smoking in adolescents. Meta-analysis results showed that 7 of Iranian adolescents are regular smokers and 27 are experimenters. Increasing prevalence of smoking in Iranian adolescents is a major concern for public health. Controlling risky behaviors and increasing health education are recommended. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Prevalence of Cannabis Lifetime Use in Iranian High School and College Students: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analyses,and Meta-Regression

Cannabis is the most widely used substance in the world. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of cannabis lifetime use (CLU) in high school and college students of Iran and also to determine factors related to changes in prevalence. A systematic review of literature on cannabis use in Iran was conducted according to MOOSE guideline. Domestic scientific databases, PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar, relevant reference lists, and relevant journals were searched up to April, 2014. Prevalences were calculated using the variance stabilizing double arcsine transformation and confidence intervals (CIs) estimated using the Wilson method. Heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran's Q statistic and I-2 index and causes of heterogeneity were evaluated using meta-regression model. In electronic database search, 4,000 citations were retrieved, producing a total of 33 studies. CLU was reported with a random effects pooled prevalence of 4.0 (95 CI = 3.0 to 5.0). In subgroups of high school and college students, prevalences were 5.0 (95 CI = 3.0 to -7.0) and 2.0 (95 CI = 2.0 to -3.0), respectively. Meta-regression model indicated that prevalence is higher in college students (beta = 0.089, p < .001), male gender (beta = 0.017, p < .001), and is lower in studies with sampling versus census studies (beta = -0.096, p < .001). This study reported that prevalence of CLU in Iranian students are lower than industrialized countries. In addition, gender, level of education, and methods of sampling are highly associated with changes in the prevalence of CLU across provinces

Preservation effect of organic acids on microbial, chemical and organoleptic parameters of chicken meat

Background: Adding edible acids to food products not only has inhibitory effects on microorganisms, but also causes an appropriate flavor and color. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the preservation effect of organic acids on microbial, chemical and organoleptic parameters of chicken meat. Methods: This experimental study was conducted in 200 samples of chicken meat in Koohdasht, 2014. The chicken thighs were sprayed with sterilized citric acid 1%, acetic acid 1%, and propionic acid 1%. The samples were packed and were kept at 4º C temperature, and were examined with 2 days intervals. The effect of different treatments were studied in terms of microbial (count of mesophilic aerobes, coliforms, psychotropic bacteria and anaerobes), chemical (pH, total volatile nitrogen), and organoleptic (drip loss, flavor, and color quality) parameters. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, LSD and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Findings: The bacterial growth and shelf life were significantly different between the controls and the samples treated with acetic acid and propionic acid. The samples treated with citric acid were significantly different from the samples treated with acetic acid and propionic acid in terms of bacterial growth and shelf life. But there was no significant difference between the samples treated with acetic acid and propionic acid. With regards to the microbial, chemical, and organoleptic parameters, the controls, the samples treated with citric acid, and the samples treated with acetic acid and propionic acid were preserved for 4 days, 5 days, and 6-7 days, respectively. Conclusion: With regards to the results, organic acids (1%) were effective in extending the shelf life of chicken meat without adverse effect on organoleptic parameters. Keywords: Acetic Acid, Citric Acid, Chickens, Mea

Smoking status in Iranian male adolescents: A cross-sectional study and a meta-analysis

The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of smoking status and its associated factors in Iranian adolescents and a meta-analysis of recent cross-sectional studies in order to estimate the corresponding prevalence for all Iranian adolescents. In a cross-sectional study, 1064 male high school students in Zanjan city (northwest of Iran) were recruited. A self-administered questionnaire was used for smoking status and associated factors. Through the meta-analysis, all relevant published studies were reviewed. Almost one-third of adolescents (34.2, n =354) have experienced smoking either experimentally (23.4, n=242), or regularly (10.8, n=112). Multivariate analysis showed that older age (OR = 1.20; 95 CI: 1.05-1.37), risky behaviors (OR=1.83; 1.25-2.68), Tramadol medication (OR = 2.19; 1.54-3.11), low self-esteem (OR 1.07; 1.03-1.11), positive attitude toward smoking (OR= 1.15; 1.09-1.21), positive thinking about smoking (OR= 1.07; 1.01-1.14) and having smoker friends (OR= 1.94; 1.36-2.77) were significantly associated with cigarette smoking in adolescents. Meta-analysis results showed that 7 of Iranian adolescents are regular smokers and 27 are experimenters. Increasing prevalence of smoking in Iranian adolescents is a major concern for public health. Controlling risky behaviors and increasing health education are recommended. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved