Author/Authors :
Pirdehghan, Azar Department of Community and Preventive Medicine - School of Medicine - Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan , Poor Rezaee, Mahdi Department of Community and preventive Medicine - School of Medicine - Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd , Mirzababaee, Bibiraziyeh Department of Community and preventive Medicine - School of Medicine - Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd
Abstract :
Background: Substance abuse in adolescents and its outcomes is one of the important public health concerns.
Objectives: The present study aimed at estimating the prevalence of substance abuse and evaluating some of its associated factors
in Iranian adolescents.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 730 randomly selected students with a mean age of 17.60.61 years
during a cross sectional study in Yazd, a central province of Iran, during 2014. Theaimof the questionnairewasto obtain information
on substance abuse and socioeconomic information. Logistic regression model and Chi-square, or Fisher exact test were used for
statistical analysis using SPSS; and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The highest frequency of one time and more than one time drug usage among students pertained to hookah 41.1% and
31.1%, cigarette 17.5% and 8.1%, alcohol 10.8% and 7.5%, Opiates 4.1% and 0.8%, hashish, bang or marijuana 1.9% and 0.7%, stimulants and
hallucinogens 3.4% and 0.8%, and glue and lighter gas 0.8% and 0.7%, respectively. Based on the results in logistic regression models,
male gender (AOR:3.02), mathematical physics (AOR:1.8), hookah and alcohol experience (AOR:14.4 and 3.4) for regular smoking in
Model 1; male gender(AOR:2.7), cigarette and hookah experience (AOR:3.2 and 7.6) for ever use of alcohol in Model 2; and male gender
(AOR:2.5), mathematics course studding (AOR:1.6), poor educational condition (AOR:1.7), high level of father education (AOR:3.9),
and tranquilizer experience (AOR:5.8) for ever use of illicit drugs in Model 3 were considered as predicting factors. For all the abovementioned,
p-values were less than 0.05.
Conclusions: In the present study, it was found that drug abuse is at a warning rate. The findings pointed to the need for interventional
plans to improve adolescents’ health with regards to substance abuse. Conducting more studies on this population is
necessary to approve the observed results of the present study.
Keywords :
Adolescents , Iran , Prevalence , Smoking , Substance Abuse
