Waterpipe (narghile) smoking among medical and non-medical university students in Turkey

Objectives

This investigation was performed in order to determine the prevalence rate of waterpipe smoking in students of Erciyes University and the effects of some socio-demographic factors.

Methods

A total of 645 students who study the first three grades of the medical faculty and the engineering faculty of Erciyes University were enrolled in the study. A questionnaire including 48 questions was applied. Chi-square test and logistic regression method were performed for the statistical analyses.

Results

The total prevalence rate of waterpipe smoking was found to be 32.7%. The prevalence rate of waterpipe smoking was 28.6% in the medical and 37.5% in the non-medical students. It was determined that 41.6% of the males and 20.2% of the females currently smoke waterpipe. Gender, cigarette smoking, and the presence of waterpipe smokers among family members and friends have significant effects on the prevalence of waterpipe smoking. Residence and economical status of the family and with whom the students live have no significant effect on the prevalence rate.

Conclusions

Approximately one-third of the students currently smoke waterpipe. Smoking of both cigarette and waterpipe was frequently found. The measures against all tobacco products should be combined.     

Prevalence of cigarette smoking among Iranian women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Smoking has physical, psychological, and social impacts on women’s health and subsequentlythe community’s health. Therefore, it is important to have an estimation of smoking among Iranian women.Since comprehensive data are not available in this respect, the authors performed a systematic review and metaanalyzedall high-quality studies in this field.

Methods

All available electronic papers were searched by certain keywords and were included in this studyaccording to the inclusion criteria regardless of the publication year. Furthermore, non-electronic resources includingthe final report of research projects, dissertations, unpublished papers (grey literature) and books publishedby the Iranian ministry of health were also evaluated in the study. The materials were assessed for theirquality and meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Considering the high degree of variability in many selectedstudies, we used random effect method for meta-analysis.

Results

The highest and lowest rates of cigarette smoking among women were 10.5% and 0.04%, respectively.The prevalence rates of smoking were different in various subgroups; ranging from 0 to 0.4% in students, 1.1to 3.1% in adults, and 1.4 to 8.7% in all subgroups. According to the meta-analyses performed for the subgroups,the mean age of participants, performing the study in urban or rural areas, and the year of paper publicationwere major sources of heterogeneity.

Conclusion

The studies were highly different with regard to their findings, and it seems that there is an ageand time trend for the findings. Furthermore, the prevalence of smoking was different in various regions of thecountry.     

Genital chlamydia trachomatis infection among female undergraduate students of University of Port Harcourt,Nigeria

Background:

Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection is a common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. There is little information about this infection in Nigeria. This study determined the prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection among female undergraduates of University of Port Harcourt and identify the various associated risk factors.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional prospective study of 354 female students was done. Their socio-demographic characteristics and pattern of sexual behaviour was noted followed by collection of endocervical swab which was analysed with a Chlamydia Rapid Test Device. Data management was done by SPSS version 17.0 statistical package.

Result:

The prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection was 30.2%. First coital exposure at14 years or less had the highest prevalence of the disease. Multiple sexual partners, tribe and inconsistent use of condom were significantly related with Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

Conclusion:

Genital Chlamydia trachomatis is prevalent among female undergraduates of the University of Port Harcourt.     

Simulated surgical workshops enhance medical school students’ preparation for clinical rotation

Background

A major focus of the medical school curriculum is to ensure medical students are well prepared prior to entering clinical rotations, which includes the compulsory surgical rotation.

Aims

The objective of this research was to design and formally evaluate a set of real-life surgical workshops aimed at better preparing medical students for their clinical rotation in surgery. These workshops would be incorporated into the pre-clinical medical school curriculum.

Method

Dedicated surgical workshops were introduced into the preclinical component of the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program at our University in 2009. These workshops encompassed training in the clinical skills needed in the perioperative and wider hospital setting. A survey comprising of eight to nine ranked questions (utilising a five-point Likert Scale) as well as three short answer questions was administered to the medical students after they completed their compulsory surgical clinical rotation.

Results

The overall response rate to the survey evaluating the surgical workshops was 79% (123/155). The mean of the ranked questions ranged from 4.05 to 4.89 which indicated that the students found the workshops useful. When evaluating the short answer questions (via topic coding), additional information was provided that supported and explained the survey findings and also included suggestions for improvements.

Conclusion

The findings of the medical student survey demonstrated the value of incorporating dedicated preparatory surgical workshops in the medical school pre-clinical curriculum. However, further research is warranted to determine if this inclusion translated into improved student performance during the clinical surgical rotation.     

A comparative drug utilisation study of the treatment of diabetes in Malaysia and Australia

Background

Once a disease of developed countries, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become widespread worldwide. For people with T2DM, achievement of therapeutic outcomes demands the rational and quality use of medicine.

Aims

The primary aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of diabetes and prescribing patterns of anti-diabetic medications in Australia and Malaysia.

Methods

The most recent, publicly available, statistical reports (2004–2008) on the use of medicines published in Australia and in Malaysia were evaluated. Defined daily doses (DDDs/1,000 population/day) were derived from the reports and used to rank and compare individual drug use.

Results

There was an increasing trend in the prevalence of diabetes in Australia, although there is a greater predicted increase in prevalence for Malaysia. While drugs used for the treatment of diabetes were not the most highly used drugs in Australia, their use increased during the study period, from 42.64 to 48.61 DDD/1,000/day. Anti-diabetic drugs were the most frequently dispensed class of drugs in Malaysia. Although the total consumption of anti-diabetic drugs in Malaysia decreased between 2006 and 2007 (from 40.30 to 39.72), this was followed by a marked increase to 46.69 in 2008. There was a marked reduction in the dispensing of insulin in Malaysia from 2004 to 2007 (7.77 to 3.23).

Conclusion

The use of drugs to treat diabetes does not reflect the usage patterns found in Australia. Effective drug use reviews are required to ensure impartial access in middle- and low-income countries.     

An audit of 3859 preadmission chest radiographs of apparently healthy students in a Nigerian Tertiary Institution

Background:

Chest radiographs are routinely requested as part of the medical screening process prior to admission to institutions. Literature on the yield of such an exercise is sparse especially in the Nigerian setting. This study was therefore carried out to assess the usefulness of routine chest radiography for students at the time of admission.

Materials and Methods:

This was a prospective study of 3859 chest X-rays taken at the department of radiology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital for one admission screening for the 2008/2009 academic year. The age and sex of the subjects were also recorded. The heart, lung fields and bony thorax were examined for any abnormality.

Results:

Out of the 3859 pre-admission chest radiographs studied, there were 1951 males or 50.56% and 1908 females or 49.44% subjects. The mean age for males was 21.15±3.

Conclusion:

This study has shown that pre-admission routine chest radiography in asymptomatic patients remains a relevant screening tool for medical fitness during admissions into institutions. However because of dangers of exposure to ionizing radiation, we advise that a detailed medical history and physical examination be done to restrict its use to only those subjects with signs and symptoms suggestive of disease.     

Prevalence of depression in students of a medical college in New Delhi: A cross-sectional study

Background

Medical education is associated with various pressures and stresses which can lead to depression. This study was undertaken to discover the prevalence of depression in medical students and various factors contributing to depression.

Method

This is a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study. Using stratified random sampling, 237 students were selected according to year of study. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), based on PRIME-MD Today, was used to make a provisional diagnosis of depression.

Results

The overall prevalence of provisionally diagnosed depressive and major depressive disorder using PHQ-9 was 21.5% and 7.6%, respectively. Year of study and academic performance of students had a statistically significant association with depression. Other factors, including gender, self-reported past history of depression, family history of psychiatric disorders, type of social support, family structure, number of siblings and education of parents were not found to have any significant association with prevalence of depression in the study. It was also observed that students were reluctant to seek help for depressive symptoms.     

The Prevalence of Depression among patients and its detection by Primary Health Care Workers at Matawale Health Centre (Zomba)

Background

Little information is available on the prevalence of depression in Malawi in primary health care settings and yet there is increased number of cases of depression presenting at tertiary level in severe form.

Aim

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of depression among patients and its detection by health care workers at a primary health care clinic in Zomba.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was done among patients attending outpatient department at Matawale Health Centre, in Zomba from 1st July 2009 through to 31st July 2009. A total of 350 adults were randomly selected using systematic sampling. The “Self Reporting Questionnaire”, a questionnaire measuring social demographic factors and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders Non-Patient Version (SCID-NP) were administered verbally to the participants.

Findings

The prevalence of depression among the patients attending the outpatients department was found to be 30.3% while detection rate of depression by clinician was 0%.

Conclusion

The results revealed the magnitude of depression which is prevalent in the primary health care clinic that goes undiagnosed and unmanaged. It is therefore recommended that primary health care providers do thorough assessments to address common mental disorders especially depression and they should be educated to recognise and manage depression appropriately at primary care level.     

How are our medical students using the computer and internet? A study from a medical college of north India

Background:

In today''s world, use of Internet has become indispensable. Medical students have much to gain from the Internet technology that has revolutionized the medical field. There is a very rapid change in the way communication technology is being handled and our medical students should also be ready to embrace it. Very few studies have been done on this topic in India. The aim was to find out the knowledge, practice, and barriers of Internet use among the medical undergraduates of Subharti Medical College, Meerut.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among the MBBS students belonging to the first, second, third, and fourth years of their course during August to October 2009. A pretested questionnaire was used collecting information on their Internet usage patterns, knowledge about information technology, and barriers to using it. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and appropriate statistical tests were applied for analysis.

Results:

The proportion of respondents having a laptop were more in cohort of students belonging to the admission year 2009 (65.8%) followed by 2008 (54.7%), 2007 (53.0%), and 2006 (38.0%), i.e., a gradual increase in newer cohorts. About half (57.4%) of the students had some sort of formal training in computer and Internet use. Knowledge about Internet was more among the junior cohorts compared to the senior cohorts (P<0.0001). Only about one-fifths of the respondents used Internet for searching literature for projects from medical journals on the Internet. Majority of the respondents accessed Internet for less than 3 hours per week. About one-tenth (8.0%) of the students felt that Internet is totally useless in medical field. The major barrier (54.4% of the respondents) to using Internet was lack of time.

Conclusions:

Further research should focus on designing and implementing computer and Internet training for medical students.     

Oral self-care practices among university students in Port Harcourt,Rivers State

Background:

The maintenance of optimum oral health is dependent on the efficacy of oral self-care. The objective of the present study was to evaluate oral self-care practices and knowledge among non-medical students at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria.

Materials and Methods:

The cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduate students at the University of Port Harcourt Nigeria, in January, 2014. Self-administered questionnaire elicited information on demography, frequency of tooth brushing, type of tooth brush, use of dental floss and previous visit to the dentist.

Results:

A total of 360 young adults, 188 males and 172 females, aged 18-33 years participated in the study. Brushing habits of the study population was at least once a day (90%). Approximately half (52.5 %) of the samples used medium-sized bristles and about 28.8% of the students replaced their toothbrush every 3 months. Regarding oral hygiene aids, few students, 5.8% and 4.2% used dental floss and mouthwash, respectively, as oral cleaning aid. Most of the students (71.6%) had never visited the dentist, 18.1% visited due to dental pain and 8.1% for extraction. Regarding knowledge on oral hygiene practice, approximately 60% of students knew that we have to brush our teeth twice daily, 31% knew we need to visit the dentist twice a year and only 18% knew what was dental floss.

Conclusion:

Oral hygiene practices among the students were poor. Therefore, oral health education and promotion is required to improve oral hygiene practices and health among young adults and the general population.     

Anogenital warts in Northern Nigeria: A ten-year Review

Background:

Anogenital warts are a common cause of morbidity affecting mainly the productive age group of the economy. Paucity of data in Nigeria necessitated this study.

Materials and Methods:

The pathology records of anogenital warts diagnosed in the Department of Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria between 1^st January 2000 and 31^st December 2009 were reviewed.

Results:

A total of 68 warts were diagnosed within the study period with anogenital warts constituting 39.7%. Majority of cases (62%) were in the 20-39 years age group (range: 5–50 years) and vulva was the most common site affected.

Conclusion:

Genital warts are common in our environment, biopsy of suspicious lesions is recommended for diagnostic yield.     

Trends of Sexually Transmitted Infections : A 33 Year Experience

Background

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are a major public health problem the world over. This study was aimed at analyzing the trends of STIs in a 33 year period at a tertiary care service hospital.

Methods

A retrospective data analysis was done of all the cases diagnosed as STIs during a 33 year period from 1974 to 2006.

Result

A total of 4532 STIs were seen in 4215 males. The commonest STI was chancroid (37.2%), followed by syphilis (16.2%). The commonest age group involved was the 21-30 year group (57.6 %). STIs declined from a total of 311 cases in 1974 to seven cases in 2006. This trend was mirrored in all major STIs. Multiple STIs were seen in 317 (07.5%) cases.

Conclusion

The frequency of STIs has shown a distinctly decreasing trend from over the last 33 years.Key Words: Sexually transmitted infections, Trends     

Medical students' perceptions of using e-learning to enhance the acquisition of consulting skills

Background

This study aims to evaluate medical students'' perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of an e-learning package developed to enhance the acquisition of consulting skills.

Method

A survey with mixed method data analysis was conducted. Participants were 67 medical students completing their third year primary care rotation as part of a five-year degree at the University of Tasmania. Participants completed a 10 question anonymous online survey after using the elearning package

Results

Of the participants, 92% found it enjoyable and 95% found the e-learning package useful; 75% perceived it to be effective in increasing their performance and 91% believed it increased their knowledge in consulting skills. Benefits for participants'' confidence, style and structure of consulting skills were found.

Conclusion

Participants found the e-learning package to be enjoyable and effective. E-learning should be further utilised in a blended learning environment to support face-to-face teaching in consulting skills.     

Prevalence of HIV infection and the correlates among homeless in Tehran,Iran

Objective

To determine the prevalence of HIV infection among homeless men and women and the related risk behaviors in Tehran, Iran.

Methods

In 2007-2008, Tehran municipality stacked up 10 657 homeless men and women for assessment of HIV and began collaboration with Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS (IRCHA) departments to conduct HIV infection prevalence surveys in homeless populations. The results were analyzed for associations with demographic information, family support, status of drug abuse and relation with family and friends.

Results

Overall HIV prevalence was 1.7% (95% confidence interval 1.4-1.9). Factors independently associated with HIV infection included history of using drugs [AOR 8.15 (4.86-13.67)], older age [AOR 1.80 (1.08-2.99) for 40- 55 yr], occupation [AOR 1.64 (1.19-2.24) for unemployed], and no relation with family [AOR 1.82 (1.30-2.54)].

Conclusions

This study supports the idea that injection drug use is contributing to the increased spread of HIV among Iranian homeless. Harm reduction programs should be expanded, particularly among homeless injection drug users.     

The frequency of latent prostate carcinoma in autopsies of over 50 years old males,the Iranian experience

Background

Latent adenocarcinoma of prostate refers to cases who present no obvious sign or symptom during their life spans and the tumor is incidentally found at postmortem examination. Its frequency can be very important in epidemiologic investigations, prevention and treatment. No previous study has been done in this regard in Iran and the studies performed in other countries show various results. The aim of present study is to determine the frequency of latent prostate carcinoma by studying the corpora of men above 50 years old referred to forensic medicine organization in Tehran in 2008 and 2009.

Methods

In this study, 149 men aged above 50 who had died of different reasons and undergone autopsy were examined. Their prostates were excised and the slides were studied for the presence of adenocarcioma and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). In each case, age, weight of prostate, location of lesion, and grading according to Gleason''s system were determined and the results were analyzed by SPSS software (version 16).

Results

Out of 149 cases, 34(22.8%) had low grade PIN, 26(17.4%) high grade PIN, and 14(9.4%) invasive adenocarcinoma. Most of the tumors were located in posterior lobe of prostate and they were more frequent in older cases (>65 years of age) and heavier prostates (p value <0.05). All invasive adenocarciomas were accompanied by PIN.

Conclusion

Worldwide studies show lower prevalence of latent carcinoma of prostate in Asian men than white European ones. Considering the absence of such studies in Iran, a larger study to compare and find out the precise rate of this kind of carcinoma, is recommended.     

Prevalence of positive recto-vaginal culture for Group B streptococcus in pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of gestation

Background

Recto-vaginal colonization of Group B streptococcus (GBS) has been known as an important issue in mother and newborn''s health, which is getting frequent in developing countries. Screening test have been introduced and utilized in many countries and is recommended by many researchers. However, due to lack of information in prevalence of GBS, especially in Iran, there are doubts and controversies regarding whether it is necessary to execute any effort to run screening tests. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of positive recto-vaginal culture for GBS in pregnant women between 35-37 weeks of pregnancy in Tehran.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, pregnant women in 35^th-37^th week of pregnancy were included. All hospitals in Tehran, Iran, were stratified and clustered, and the sampling was done randomly. All recto-vaginal samples were referred to Firoozgar Hospital''s pathology laboratory in less than an hour and the results were reported afterwards. Other demographic information and pregnancy and neonatal-related complications such as previous pre-term delivery, PROM (Premature rupture of membrane) and neonatal sepsis and maternal infection were evaluated.

Results

The prevalence of positive GBS cultures was 22.76% (234 Out of 1028). No significant difference was found in positive cultures with mother''s age, educational level, and history of pregnancy, maternal complications, and previous neonatal sepsis.

Conclusion

Due to similar results with other countries, recto-vaginal GBS culture screening is recommended in Iranian urban pregnant women regarding high prevalence and higher neonatal complication.     

Tuberculosis trends over a five-year period at a tertiary care university-affiliated hospital in Singapore

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis (TB), a potentially fatal infectious disease, poses significant health problems. The objective of this study was to analyse trends among newly diagnosed TB patients seen at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

METHODS

This study was a retrospective case record review of notified TB patients at SGH between 2006 and 2010 (inclusive).

RESULTS

A total of 1,979 cases of TB were notified over the five years. The number increased from 368 in 2006 to 407 in 2010 (p = 0.51), in tandem with the increasing number of patients seen at the hospital and the rising population in Singapore. Singaporean residents accounted for 82.8% of the cases, while non-Singaporean residents and non-residents made up the remainder. The year-to-year percentage of non-Singaporean residents and non-residents notified remained stable throughout the five years (p = 0.783). The number of male Singaporean residents (70.7%) notified was more than twice that of female Singaporean residents (29.3%). The majority of patients infected with TB (31.9%) were elderly patients aged > 65 years. Although testing for the human immunodeficiency virus increased from 43.8% (2006) to 64.2% (2010), the number detected with coinfection remained stable (14 and 12 patients in 2006 and 2010, respectively). Mortality rates also remained stable at 12.0%.

CONCLUSION

We cannot afford complacency, as there was no downward trend in the number of notified TB cases at SGH from 2006 to 2010. As the elderly contribute significantly to the TB burden, increased efforts are required to manage this vulnerable population.     

Mass rearing of Lucilia sericata Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Objective

To carry out an experimental study with the main objective of mass rearing of sheep flies (Lucilia sericata).

Methods

Hand collection and beef- or cattle liver-baited net traps were used for field fly sampling from April, 2010 to November, 2010. The samples collected from different places were placed in properly labeled tubes and sent to the Entomology Laboratory. Since maggot identification is important in inducing mortality, they were kept under insectary condition to develop to adult stage and identified using systematic keys.

Results

A total of 218 flies were collected in three rounds of sampling from the field of Tehran and Karaj Counties. In the first generation, 433 flies including 135 (31.17%) male, and 298 (68.82%) female were yielded. The female/male of parent ratio was calculated as 1.72 in Tehran and in Karaj areas, whereas it was 2.20% and 1.81%, respectively in F1 and F2 generations, respectively.

Conclusions

During this study, the mass rearing of sheep blow fly has been established at the School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and can be used for producing flies for maggot therapy.     

Trend of diseases among Iranian pilgrims during five consecutive years based on a Syndromic Surveillance System in Hajj

Background

Every year more than 2 million people depart from Iran to Saudi Arabia for Hajj ritual whichcan be faced with some different diseases. There are not much information about frequencies and trend of diseasesin Hajj. The main objective of this study was to determine the trend of prevalent diseases during five consecutiveHajj rituals among Iranian pilgrims.

Methods

We established a specific surveillance system for all Iranian pilgrims who had participated in Hajjfrom 2004 to 2008. We monitored the pilgrims’ health status before departure, through their journey. The understudieddiseases were 19 selected types of diseases in the Hajj. The occurrences of diseases were recorded on aresearchers-made questionnaire. We used chi-square test for analysis with the alpha lower than 5% to reject thenull hypothesis.

Results

During 5 consecutive periods, a total of 254,823 of Iranian pilgrims were monitored for more commondiseases with this system. The most prevalent diseases were as follows: at least one type of respiratory involvement(71.26%), common cold like syndrome (47.15%), and musculoskeletal disorders (18.67%), The frequencyof respiratory involvement was lower in 2006 than other years (p <0.001).There were statistically significantdifferences between the numbers of hospitalization and patients who were referred back to Iran with theyear of Hajj (p <0.001).

Conclusion

Health managers should be informed about trend and frequency of more prevalent diseases inHajj. Easy access to health information via such surveillance system can be possible.