Epidemiology
Hamed Delam; Omid Soufi; Ahmadreza Eidi; Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan
Abstract
Background and aims: Self-medication, as the most common method of self-care, is one of the major problems in treatment in many countries in the world. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of self-medication and identify the factors associated with casual medication use among students ...
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Background and aims: Self-medication, as the most common method of self-care, is one of the major problems in treatment in many countries in the world. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of self-medication and identify the factors associated with casual medication use among students of Larestan University of Medical Sciences in Iran in 2020. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study conducted in 2020. The study was conducted at Larestan University of Medical Sciences and 147 students entered the study through convenience sampling. The data collection tool was a researcher-made self-treatment questionnaire. After collecting the data, the SPSS software version 25.0 was used to analyze the data. Fisher’s exact test, independent t test, and chi-square test were used to investigate the relationship between the variables. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of self-medication was 62.5%. The most common sources of self-medication were pharmacies and previous prescriptions. The most common illnesses treated with over-the-counter medications include colds, headaches, and digestive problems. The most important over-the-counter medications include painkillers, anti-colds, antibiotics, iron pills, calcium supplements, and antihistamines. A comparison of students’ attitudes towards medication showed that attitudes “I feel my problem has been treated with over-the-counter medications” and “I feel I have enough information about diseases and how to treat them” (the group who did have self-medication and the group who did not have self-medication) had a significant difference between the two groups (p <0.05). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed a high prevalence of self-medication among students. We recommend holding special training classes for the communities in order to provide information about the irreparable effects of self-medication and create new policies for prescribing and delivering medicine.
Epidemiology
Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan; Nasrin Shokrpour; Hamed Delam
Abstract
Background and aims: Leishmaniasis is one of the most overlooked diseases in tropical areas, which can lead to many deaths and illnesses. The present study was designed to determine the trend of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the south of Fars Province (south of Iran) during 2007-2016. Methods: ...
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Background and aims: Leishmaniasis is one of the most overlooked diseases in tropical areas, which can lead to many deaths and illnesses. The present study was designed to determine the trend of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the south of Fars Province (south of Iran) during 2007-2016. Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of all people with cutaneous leishmaniasis referring to the Center for Infectious Diseases in Larestan, Gerash, Evaz, and Khonj in the south of Fars Province during 2007-2016. The incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis was analyzed using the Cochrane-Armitage trend test, and the significance level was considered 5%. Results: In general, 4602 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported from 2007 to 2016. The highest and lowest incidence rates (659.1 versus 88. 3 per 100 000 people) were observed in 2008 and 2012, respectively. In addition, the incidence of the disease significantly reduced (P Trend = 0.003). Finally, the 0-4 age group had the highest incidence of the disease (69.64 per 100 000 people), and the hands were the most common organ affected by cutaneous leishmaniasis (37%). Conclusion: According to the research findings, the incidence rate of cutaneous leishmaniasis is declining although leishmaniasis is still one of the endemic diseases in the region. Therefore, preventive and controlling interventional programs can be effective in reducing new cases of the disease, including the education of individuals, especially children, environmental cleanup, and extermination and control of stray dogs and rodents in the suburbs.
Social Epidemiology
Mohammad-Rafi Bazrafshan; Hamed Delam
Abstract
Dear Editor, Methods that people use to overcome problems are called coping strategies. The concept of coping was first introduced by Lazarus in 1966. He believed that stress involves three stages. First, there is the initial assessment, which is to observe a risk. The second stage involves ...
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Dear Editor, Methods that people use to overcome problems are called coping strategies. The concept of coping was first introduced by Lazarus in 1966. He believed that stress involves three stages. First, there is the initial assessment, which is to observe a risk. The second stage involves the evaluation, which is the search for an answer in the mind, and the third stage is to find the answer to the problem, which is called a coping strategy.1,2 Numerous studies have examined the causes of dangerous behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and self-harming behaviors in individuals; however, many people who are exposed to difficult psychological distress do not tend to engage in such dangerous behaviors. These people have abilities that other people do not.3 Therefore, the differences between people who engage in dangerous behaviors and those who do not show such reactions in facing the problems can be traced to the coping methods used by these individuals when faced with difficult psychological conditions. However, if the coping strategies that a person uses to face with problems are effective, it creates a sense of self-control and therefore the person can finally solve the problem or cope with it, and if the strategies are ineffective, it will eventually lead to the use of ineffective coping strategies and sometimes dangerous behaviors.4 In a study on COVID-19 in China, researchers found that many people who confronted with COVID-19 pandemic have experienced high levels of psychological distress and that many people have used negative coping strategies for adapting to this crisis.5 Finally, it can be stated that the occurrence of dangerous behaviors in such critical situations is not a behavior without introduction. Therefore, some of the characteristics of people could be deduced such as their inability to find solutions to the problems, lack of coping strategies to manage stressors, and inflexibility and limitation of the number of solutions provided by them. To conclude, strengthening effective defense mechanisms by mental health professionals can reduce the incidence of such destructive behaviors in community members.