Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Fatemeh Moghaddam Tabrizi 1
- . Rahim Sharafkhani 2
- . Zeynab Heydari 3
- . Abdolah Khorami Markani 4
- . Najaf Ahmadi Aghziyarat 5
- . Hamid Reza Khalkhali 6
1 Reproductive Health Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
2 Department of Public Health Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran
3 Department of Noncommunicable Diseases, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
4 Department of Nursing, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran
5 Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
6 Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is not much information about high‑risk behaviors in young groups, especially
students. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of high‑risk behaviors in students of
universities of medical sciences in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, by network scale‑up (NSU) method.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross‑sectional study was performed on 450 students from the
universities of medical sciences. A researcher‑developed checklist was used to collect the data.
We considered number 16 for the social network size of students according to a previous study.
Based on the response of individuals to each of the high‑risk behaviors (including cigarette smoking,
hookah use, opium consumption, alcohol drinking, tramadol/ecstasy taking, and extramarital sex)
in their social network, the prevalence of these behaviors was estimated. The required calculations
were performed using the NSU method. Furthermore, 95% uncertainty interval (UI) was calculated
using the bootstrap method.
RESULTS: Totally, 196 (44%) participants were male. The mean age (standard deviation) of the
participants was 22 ± 2 years. Results showed that hookah use (20% 95% UI [18.9–21.1]) and
opium consumption (0.4% 95% UI [0.24–0.6]) had the highest and lowest frequencies, respectively.
Cigarette smoking (17% 95% UI [15.8–18]), alcohol use (8.3% 95% UI [7.5–9.1]), extramarital
sex (8.2% 95% UI [7.4–9]), and tramadol/ecstasy taking (4% 95% UI [6.4–4.6]) were the next most
common high‑risk behaviors, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Given that hookah use and cigarette smoking are the most common high‑risk
behaviors in students, especially males, appropriate cultural activities and educational programs
should be employed by relevant authorities to reduce these behaviors.
Keywords
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