International Journal of High Risk Behaviors and Addiction
Year:2016 | Volume:5 | Issue:2|Papers Count:10

Background: Different factors can be responsible for the increased prevalence of dental caries and missing teeth in HIV-positive patients.Objectives: This study evaluates dental health status and its relationship with social, behavioral, and medical factors in HIV-positive patients under the coverage of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in Southeast Iran.Patients and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the dental health status of 119 HIV-positive patients was assessed in accordance with WHO indices and included decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT). A questionnaire on different social, behavioral, and medical variables was filled out for every case and the relationship and correlation of the variables to dental health status were investigated using One-way ANOVA, the Kruskal Wallis test, the t-test, the Mann-Whitney test, Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient, and Pearson correlation.Results: The mean value of DMFT index was 11.878.08, where the mean values of decayed and missing teeth were 8.425.44 and 3.43 4.07, respectively. DMFT index, decayed, and missing teeth correlated only with age (P<0.0001, P=0.009, P<0.0001) and duration of HIV involvement (P=0.004, P=0.031, P=0.007).Conclusions: The dental health status of HIV-positive patients in this region was almost inappropriate. Most social, behavioral, and medical factors had no influence on dental health; only a correlation between dental health, age, and duration of HIV involvement was observed.

Background: Treatment motivation has always been an important issue in substance abuse treatment. In recent decades, several instruments have been developed to measure this concept.Objectives: In this study, cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Persian version of the circumstances, motivation and readiness scale (CMR) are illustrated in a sample of Iranian addicts.Materials and Methods: The translation process followed Beaton et al.’s (2000) guideline for the cross-cultural adaptation of self administered questionnaires, including the steps of translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, and pretesting.The final version of the Persian CMR was assessed for internal consistency and construct validity (n=203).Results: There was one eliminated item in the cross-cultural adaptation process. Also, four items that had low correlation with the total score were excluded from the questionnaire during the initial analysis. Using the remaining items, Principle axis factoring with Promax rotation was performed and three factors, circumstance, motivation, and readiness, were identified. The secondary order three factor model provided a good statistical and conceptual fit for the data. Internal consistency met the criterion for a reliable measure (Cronbach’s alpha=0.840). The range for these identified factors was 0.597 to 0.837.Conclusions: Although the CMR was originally designed for use in TC treatment, this study suggests that it is also applicable, with some modifications, in short-term residential camps. Also, it is concluded that the Persian translation of the CMR can be applied for studies among Persian addicts.

Context: Recent years have produced many articles about women’s addiction and its risk factors and the consequences of substance use and misuse in the emotional, social, psychological, and economic domains of life. Family vulnerabilities are one of the most important variables contributing to addiction among women. Thus, the purpose of this article is to investigate areas of family life that lead to women’s taking up and maintaining drug and alcohol abuse.Evidence Acquisition: A database search of PubMed, Science Direct, Springer, and Google Scholar was conducted using the following key word: “women and addiction”, “women addiction and family”, “addiction”, “substance abuse” and “family”. For the first step, we chose studies that were conducted between 2000 and 2015, and for the second step, studies conducted before 2000. We categorized all search results into three main groups: processes related to family disturbances, factors related to parenting styles, and variables related to partners.Results: Partners, parenting styles, and family disturbances are three main factors affecting children growing up in a family and their inclination toward addiction. Some of these pathways are complicated and indirect, and some are straightforward.Conclusions: Future research should pay more attention to the mechanisms and pathways mediating or moderating the relationship between family risk factors and addiction in women. Clinicians and researchers should keep in mind these vulnerabilities and take into consideration factors special to processes related to addiction in women.

Background: Suicidal attempt and non-suicidal self-injury are very common in adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment. By identifying correlates of these kinds of high-risk behaviors, it is possible to prevent and decrease completed suicide.Objectives: The aims of this study were: 1) to compare adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment with non-suicidal self injury (NSSI) or past suicidal attempt in terms of suicide probability, and 2) to investigate the association between NSSI, forms of self-criticism, emotion regulation difficulties, and suicide probability.Patients and Methods: Participants were 169 adolescents living in Iranian social welfare centers who had a history of childhood maltreatment. The Suicide Probability Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Forms of Self-criticism, and the Non-Suicidal Self injury (NSSI) checklist were used for assessment.Results: Adolescents with NSSI and suicidal attempts had higher rates of suicide ideation than adolescents with NSSI-only (P< 0.05). Feelings of inadequacy, self-hatred, difficulty with impulse control, and frequency of NSSI can predict 50% variance of suicide probability (P<0.001).Conclusions: Adolescents with histories of suicidal attempts and NSSI, compared with adolescents with NSSI-only, were moreprone to suicide. Self-criticism, poor impulse control, and the frequency of NSSI were the main risk factors associated with suicide probability in adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment.

Background: Smokeless tobacco chewing is one of the known risk factors for oral cancer. It is consumed widely by residents of southeastern Iran.Objectives: In this study, salivary free and total sialic acid, and total protein were compared in paan consumers and non-consumers.Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, unstimulated saliva of 94 subjects (44 paan consumers and 50 non-consumers) who were referred to the oral medicine department of the dentistry school of Zahedan were collected. Salivary free and total sialic acid, and total protein concentration were measured by standard biochemical methods, and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 20 through the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test.Results: The concentration of salivary free sialic acid (23.2118.98 mg/L) was significantly increased in paan consumers. The concentration of salivary Total sialic acid (TSA) (39.57 26.58 mg/L) and total protein (0.77  0.81 mg/mL) showed increases in paan consumers, however, the results were not statistically significant.Conclusions: Salivary free and total sialic acid, and total protein were higher in the paan consumers compared to non-consumers.Due to the carcinogenic effect of smokeless tobacco, measurement of these parameters in saliva may be useful in early detection of oral cancer.

Background: Iran has one of the lowest alcoholic beverage use rates in comparison with other countries, because it is legally forbidden and because of religious beliefs. Even so, unrecorded and noncommercial alcohol remains a considerable concern, which needs special attention.Objectives: In the current research, we have studied the general composition of noncommercial alcohol samples to identify potentially toxic components in the context of the city of Mashhad in IR Iran.Patients and Methods: Using a descriptive study, chemical composition records of alcohol samples obtained from Mashhad and its suburbs (from March 2013 to March 2014) were evaluated in terms of ethanol percentage and methanol percentage using gas chromatography. Likewise, the pH of the alcohol and the location of the sample were also considered. Some substances, such as inorganic elements, were not included because there was no information about these substances in the records.Results: Of 877 reports of alcohol samples, more than 50% were obtained from Mashhad and the rest were from the suburbs. Of the reports, 57.5% were in the spring and summer, followed by 42.5% in the fall and winter. The mean (min-max) of ethanol percentage was 30.04% (0 - 98.4). In four cases, methanol was detected. The mean (min-max) of methanol percentage was 23% (4 - 95).The majority of the samples had an acidic pH.Conclusions: The composition of unrecorded samples did not raise major toxicological concern beyond ethanol in alcohol products. However, concentration levels of methanol in some unrecorded alcohol samples made these samples detrimental for human consumption.

Background: As the most populated Persian Gulf country, in Iran, engagement with drug injection and unsafe sex are the main routes of HIV transmission among some drug-dependent women.Objectives: The current study explored the barriers that a group of drug-dependent women reported in accessing and adhering to HIV services in drug use treatment.Patients and Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 47 Persian women at five outpatient drug treatment centers between January and December 2011. Five focus group interviews were conducted with ten key informants (KI). The interviews made use of a semi-structured interview guide, which facilitated discussion regarding the barriers. The interview transcripts were analyzed thematically using Atlas-ti software.Results: The interview accounts highlighted a number of barriers, including stigmatization, a considerable lack of knowledge about free HIV centers in the community, previous traumatic events, misconceptions about the quality of HIV services, and a poor supportive referral system among drug treatment and HIV centers.Conclusions: The findings highlight a need for removing stigma and providing high quality women-only HIV services. Increasing trust and knowledge of available HIV services are needed for this group of women. Increasing staff knowledge is a priority. An integrated supportive network among drug treatment and HIV centers is suggested in Iran.

Background: Addiction is characterized differently among women and men, and they begin using drugs for different reasons and motives.Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the gendered experiences and patterns of illicit drug use initiation in an Iranian context.Patients and Methods: A total of 29 participants (15 men and 14 women) took part in in-depth interviews conducted at a HIV triangulation clinic (for men and women) and drop-in-center for women in Kerman in 2011.Results: The results of the study suggest that patterns of drug use are different among among Iranian men and women. Men often transit to drug use from cigarette smoking, whereas women’s drug use practices often begins with opium. Unlike women, men who used drugs were often single at their drug use debut.Conclusions: Different patterns of first exposure to drug use among men and women highlight the role of gendered expectations and socio-cultural norms in shaping drug use experiences of people who use drugs and call for gender-specific harm reduction interventions.

Background: Drug addiction triggers the infliction of a variety of diseases. Various subjects have indicated that during the withdrawal syndrome period, the immune system is weakened.Objectives: This studyaimedto investigate the changes inserumlevels of interferon-gamma (IFN-g) andinterleukin-17 (IL-17) during the morphine withdrawal syndrome induced by 8 weeks of moderate exercise and their effects on the immune system function.Materials and Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats (220  10 g) were divided into four groups (n=6): healthy control (HC), addicted control (AC), healthy trained (HT), and addicted trained (AT) groups. AC and AT groups were made addicted to morphine sulfate (0.4 mg/mL) in 21 days. To ensure their dependence on morphine, naloxone (3 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected into the body of a number of the rats. HT and AT groups were made to run on a treadmill 5 days per week for 8 weeks while time and speed gradually increased. Both prior to the exercises and 24 hours after the last training session, blood samples were collected from all the animals, and serum IFN-gand IL-17 serum levels were measured using the ELISA method. This research was performed at the Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran.Results: After 8 weeks of exercise, a significant increase was observed in the serum IFN-g level in the HT group (251.17  13.045) in comparison with the HC group (234 12.884) (P=0.045). Furthermore, the serum IFN-g level in the AT group (218.33  5.164) in comparison to the AC group (190.678.477) showed a significant increase (P=0.000). In addition, the serum level of IFN-g in the HT group showed a significant increase compared to the AT group (P=0.000). After 8 weeks of exercise, there was a significant decrease in the serum IL-17 level in the HT group (22.674.46) compared with the HC group (38.177.68) (P=0.005). In addition, a significant decrease was observed in serum IL-17 in the AT group (42.177.41) in comparison with the AC group (57.177.83) (P= 0.007). In addition, the serum IL-17 level in the HT group significantly decreased in comparison with the AT group (P=0.001).Conclusions: Moderate exercise for 8 weeks increased the IFN-g and decreased the IL-17 serum levels in the morphine-dependent rats. For this reason, this type of exercise can improve the function of the immune system during morphine withdrawal syndrome.

A teeth-cleaning twig or twig toothbrush– commonly known as a miswak or derum depending on the society and/or culture– is a tool made from a tree that has antimicrobial properties. This traditional tooth brush, or chewing stick, has been used since ancient times. The earliest twig toothbrushes have been found in China dating from 1600 B.C., in an Egyptian tomb from 3000 B.C., and in Babylonia from 3500 B.C...