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Saeed B, Namiq O. Substance Use, Alcohol Consumption, and Smoking Prevalence Amongst Medical Students in Erbil, Iraq. Cureus 2024; 16:e60614. [PMID: 38894789 PMCID: PMC11184626 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A significant proportion of medical students engage in the illicit use of drugs and indulge in heavy alcohol consumption. The utilization of substances during medical school frequently has repercussions on both the personal and professional lives of students. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the extent of substance use, alcohol consumption, and smoking among medical students in Erbil City. METHODS An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at Hawler Medical University (HMU) for this purpose. The study involved 368 students from stages one to six. The questionnaire covered sociodemographic information, Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scales. The data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26 (Released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). RESULTS A total of 368 students were involved in the study. The mean age (SD) of the respondents was 20.92 (2.01) years; 191 (51.9%) participants were males. Thirty-two (8.7%) students have used substance in the last 12 months; 10 (31.2%) of them were non-problematic drug users, 20 (62.5%) were problematic drug users, and 2 (6.3%) were dependent users. Twenty-nine (7.9%) students were alcohol users; 17 (58.7%) were categorized as low-risk users, 5 (17.2%) as hazardous users, and 7 (24.1%) as dependent users. Regarding smoking, 45 (12.2%) students were smokers, among this group, 27 (60%) were categorized as having low dependence, and 18 (40%) had high dependence. CONCLUSION The findings suggest a worrying trend of substance misuse among university students. There is a critical need for targeted preventive interventions that address these issues to enhance student health and educational outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banaz Saeed
- Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, IRQ
| | - Omar Namiq
- Medicine, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, IRQ
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Prevalence of Use and Knowledge about Tobacco Products and Their Harmful Effects among University Students in Southern Croatia. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11050771. [PMID: 36900776 PMCID: PMC10001000 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11050771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding students' attitudes toward smoking and tobacco products is essential for effective smoking prevention interventions. This questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey aims to determine the prevalence of use and knowledge about cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes and their harmful effects among university students. The survey was conducted using a self-administered online questionnaire among 1184 students. Questions were related to the respondents' demographic characteristics, tobacco use patterns, and opinions about exposure to health warnings and tobacco product advertising messages. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear regression analysis. The results showed that 30.2% of the students use tobacco products (74.5% smoked conventional cigarettes; 7.9% used electronic cigarettes; and 17.6% used heated tobacco products). The median (interquartile range) score of the students' knowledge (maximum = 27) was 16 (12-22). The results showed that students from technical, social, humanities, natural, and biotechnology scientific programs had lower levels of knowledge about tobacco products and their harmful effects than biomedical students (p ≤ 0.001). In addition, past and current use of tobacco products was significantly associated with higher overall knowledge of tobacco products and their harmful effects (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.90, % confidence interval (CI) 1.09-3.31, p = 0.023; OR 1.41, CI 1.08-1.84, p = 0.011). The research findings confirm the lack of knowledge and misconceptions about the harmful effects associated with tobacco product use. They also emphasize the need for better prevention and awareness of the harmful effects of smoking on human health.
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Badr el Dine FMM, Attia MH. Assessment of knowledge, perception, attitude, and use of performance-enhancing substances among students of Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt: a pilot study. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s41935-022-00290-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The market for performance enhancement substances (PESs) is currently one of the fastest expanding sectors. Most studies have always concentrated on athletes in terms of PESs’ misuse, ignoring a critical segment of the community: the future health-care workers. Thus, the aim of the study was to probe the knowledge, perception, and attitude of medical students regarding the misuse of PESs in sports and medical academic study. A cross-sectional study was conducted among students of Alexandria Faculty of Medicine, Egypt. Data were collected via self-administered electronic survey from 208 students of both sexes (aged from 18 to 26 years old). Analysis of factors affecting the consumption of PESs like gender differences, and their prior knowledge and perception was performed using logistic regression models.
Results
More than half of the participants have no idea about law concerning the use of doping substances. There were no significant disparities in knowledge and perception between males and females. Female students, on the other hand, consistently reported having a better understanding of the negative impacts of PESs’ misuse. Surprisingly, females are more prone to consume PESs for cognitive enhancement rather than the physical performance.
Conclusions
The study is the first to explore the awareness of the medical students, their attitude, and perception towards different ethical scenarios confronted in the daily practice. This finding pinpoints that the common trend of striving for fitness and an ideal body shape and weight has produced a shift in the prevalence of the PESs use according to gender in Egypt. Moreover, females in medicine academics are more prone to use PESs to improve the cognitive functions albeit it is nonsignificant statistically. Therefore, efforts should be directed to raise the awareness of medical practitioners of diverse categories of these substances, health hazards, laws, and penalties. More importantly, policy measures for their production, marketing, and misuse among university students should be reconsidered by the government.
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Kabbash IA, Zidan OO, Younis EA. Drug use among students of Tanta University: prevalence and correlates. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2022.2120430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Ali Kabbash
- Public Health & Community Medicine, Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Omar Omar Zidan
- Public Health & Community Medicine, Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Eman Ali Younis
- Public Health & Community Medicine, Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
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Kabbash IA, Atalla AO, Atlam SA. Perception of the problem of tobacco smoking and drug use among Kafr El-Sheikh University students, Egypt. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2022.2047805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim A. Kabbash
- Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Asmaa O. Atalla
- Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Salwa A. Atlam
- Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
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ElShahawi HH, Amin GR, Khalil SA, Morsy MH, Farwiez MG, Nawara MM. Prevalence of tobacco smoking in a sample of general secondary school students in Cairo and its correlation to other psychiatric disorders. MIDDLE EAST CURRENT PSYCHIATRY, AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY 2022; 29:87. [PMCID: PMC9558021 DOI: 10.1186/s43045-022-00252-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Background Tobacco smoking is considered currently a global public health concern among youth especially school students. There is a scarcity of data about the impact of this global phenomenon in Middle Eastern countries. This study assesses the prevalence of tobacco smoking, including conventional cigarettes, E-cigarettes, and water pipe and its sociodemographic and psychiatric correlates among a sample of general secondary school students in Cairo, Egypt. Results A convenient sample of 391 Egyptian general secondary students from different areas of Greater Cairo were assessed using the Socioeconomic scale, Fagerstrom Test For Nicotine Dependence, The Lebanon Water pipe Dependence Scale, questionnaire for electronic cigarette use, Barratt impulsivity scale 11, and The MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents. 12.8% (n = 50) were smokers. There is a significant relation between family history of smoking and substance use and smoking and significant relation between smoking, impulsivity, and mood symptoms. Conclusions Prevalence of tobacco smoking in Egyptian adolescents was 12.8% with significant relation between smoking and impulsivity and mood symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba Hamed ElShahawi
- grid.7269.a0000 0004 0621 1570Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ghada Refaat Amin
- grid.7269.a0000 0004 0621 1570Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sherien Ahmed Khalil
- grid.7269.a0000 0004 0621 1570Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Hassan Morsy
- grid.7269.a0000 0004 0621 1570Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Gamal Farwiez
- grid.7269.a0000 0004 0621 1570Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt ,grid.7269.a0000 0004 0621 1570Okasha Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, 22, Dair Al-Malak, Abbassia, Cairo, 11657 Egypt
| | - Mayar Medhat Nawara
- grid.7269.a0000 0004 0621 1570Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
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Pundir V, Devi EB, Nath V. Arresting fake news sharing on social media: a theory of planned behavior approach. MANAGEMENT RESEARCH REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1108/mrr-05-2020-0286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the collective impact of awareness and knowledge about fake news, attitudes toward news verification, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, fear of missing out (FoMO) and sadism on social media users’ intention to verify news before sharing on social media.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study’s conceptual framework is developed by a comprehensive literature review on social networking and the theory of planned behavior. The data for samples were collected from 400 respondents in India to test the conceptual framework using the partial least square–structural equation modeling technique.
Findings
The results show that awareness and knowledge, perceived behavioral control, attitudes toward news verification and FoMO are significant predictors of intention to verify news before sharing.
Research limitations/implications
The present study concludes implications for managers of social media companies and policy actors that want to take steps toward arresting the spread of fake news via social media.
Originality/value
Academic investigation on fake news sharing on social media has recently gained traction. The current work is unique because it uses the theory of planned behavior as a basis for predicting social media user’s intention to verify news before sharing on social media.
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Anwar MM, Senosy SA. Pattern and quitting of tobacco smoking among Egyptian university students. Int J Adolesc Med Health 2020; 33:523-532. [PMID: 32543450 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2019-0237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES University students are at high risk of practicing the smoking habit being exposed to smoking peers and easier cigarette availability. METHODS This study aims to explore prevalence, attitude and pattern of tobacco smoking and quitting among Beni-Suef University students. A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2019. A total of 4,599 students were selected by using randomized multi-stage sampling using self-administered questionnaire for data collection. RESULTS The mean age of students found to be smokers was 20.8 ± 1.42 years. Males: Females' ratio was 2:1 (66 vs.34%). Prevalence of smoking was 17.4%. Students of non-medical and non-health colleges showed a significant high smoking rate (18.8 and 18.3% respectively) than students in health faculties (15.2%); p=0.017. Participants believed that they might smoke because of: peers' pressure (73.3%), stress (71.4%), imitating popular figures (61.7%) and availability of money (60.4%). Regarding smoking provinces; 86.1% did smoke in coffee-shops, 73.1% in university yards and only 16.87% used to smoke at home Regarding the attitudes of smokers and nonsmokers towards smoking; the acceptance of indoor smoking was significantly higher (85.6%) among smokers than non-smokers (6.42%); p=0.0001. Of note; 51.2% of smokers versus 86.3% of non-smokers agreed to ban smoking in public places (P=0.001). Majority of smokers (72.1%) had the desire to stop smoking while (57.8%) tried to stop smoking but failed. CONCLUSIONS Smoking is becoming a habit among university students and initiative of a smoke free environment should be encouraged and subject and method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal M Anwar
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Shaimaa A Senosy
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
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