Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de santé de la Méditerranée orientale = al-Majallah al-ṣiḥḥīyah li-sharq al-mutawassiṭ
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Jul 2007
Prevalence and predictors of smokeless tobacco use among high-school males in Karachi, Pakistan.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 towns in Karachi, Pakistan to investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with the use of smokeless tobacco among 772 high-school adolescent males. A structured questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic factors and history of cigarette and smokeless tobacco use. Prevalence of smokeless tobacco use (gutka, snuff, niswar) was 16.1% (95% CI: 13.5%-18.9%). On multiple logistic regression analysis, the factors significantly related to smokeless tobacco use among the sample were: attending government school [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 6.3], smoking cigarettes (OR 3.2), not seeing anti-tobacco advertisements (OR 1.5), family history of tobacco use (OR 3.9), use of betel quid (OR 2.9) and use of areca nut (OR 3.2).
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Jul 2007
Safe injection practice among health-care workers in Gharbiya Governorate, Egypt.
We assessed safe injection practices among 1100 health-care workers in 25 health-care facilities in Gharbiya Governorate. Questionnaires were used to collect information and 278 injections were observed using a standardized checklist. ⋯ Reuse of used syringes and needles was reported by 13.2% of the health-care workers and 66.2% had experienced a needle-stick injury. Only 11.3% had received a full course of hepatitis B vaccination.
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Jul 2007
Epidemiology of tuberculosis among Afghan immigrants in Fars province, southern Islamic Republic of Iran.
Rates of tuberculosis are high among migrants from high-incidence countries. This study determined the epidemiology of tuberculosis among Afghan immigrants in Fars province, southern Islamic Republic of Iran. ⋯ Of the 278 new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, 157 (56.5%) were sputum smear-positive and 121 (43.5%) were sputum smear-negative. The incidence of tuberculosis per 100 000 Afghan population in Fars province was estimated at 96.2, 88.2 and 63.5 in 2000, 2001 and 2002 respectively.
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Jul 2007
Environmental risk factors for refractive error among Egyptian schoolchildren.
This study evaluated the preventable environmental risk factors of refractive error (RE) among 1292 Egyptian schoolchildren aged 7-15 years, chosen from 12 schools using multistage random sampling. A questionnaire was completed, covering personal, medical, social and environmental data. Statistical analysis revealed that living in an area with many sources of environmental pollution, age, sex, family history of RE, socioeconomic status, ocular problems, school level and amount of near-work (hours/day) were significantly associated with RE. Logistic regression, after adjustment for sex, found that school level, near-work, socioeconomic status and family history were associated with RE.