Estimating the prevalence of high-risk behaviors using network scale-up method in medical university students
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. MA...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Education and Health Promotion |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=356;epage=356;aulast=Moghaddam |
| _version_ | 1811200330822582272 |
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| author | Fatemeh Moghaddam Tabrizi Rahim Sharafkhani Zeynab Heydari Abdolah Khorami Markani Najaf Ahmadi Aghziyarat Hamid Reza Khalkhali |
| author_facet | Fatemeh Moghaddam Tabrizi Rahim Sharafkhani Zeynab Heydari Abdolah Khorami Markani Najaf Ahmadi Aghziyarat Hamid Reza Khalkhali |
| author_sort | Fatemeh Moghaddam Tabrizi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:03:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f413718f6d564c3e8037cbaadf33a4f1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2277-9531 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:03:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Education and Health Promotion |
| spelling | doaj.art-f413718f6d564c3e8037cbaadf33a4f12022-12-22T03:52:38ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Education and Health Promotion2277-95312022-01-0111135635610.4103/jehp.jehp_920_21Estimating the prevalence of high-risk behaviors using network scale-up method in medical university studentsFatemeh Moghaddam TabriziRahim SharafkhaniZeynab HeydariAbdolah Khorami MarkaniNajaf Ahmadi AghziyaratHamid Reza KhalkhaliBACKGROUND: 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.http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=356;epage=356;aulast=Moghaddamdangerous behaviorhealth occupation studentsprevalence |
| spellingShingle | Fatemeh Moghaddam Tabrizi Rahim Sharafkhani Zeynab Heydari Abdolah Khorami Markani Najaf Ahmadi Aghziyarat Hamid Reza Khalkhali Estimating the prevalence of high-risk behaviors using network scale-up method in medical university students Journal of Education and Health Promotion dangerous behavior health occupation students prevalence |
| title | Estimating the prevalence of high-risk behaviors using network scale-up method in medical university students |
| title_full | Estimating the prevalence of high-risk behaviors using network scale-up method in medical university students |
| title_fullStr | Estimating the prevalence of high-risk behaviors using network scale-up method in medical university students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimating the prevalence of high-risk behaviors using network scale-up method in medical university students |
| title_short | Estimating the prevalence of high-risk behaviors using network scale-up method in medical university students |
| title_sort | estimating the prevalence of high risk behaviors using network scale up method in medical university students |
| topic | dangerous behavior health occupation students prevalence |
| url | http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=356;epage=356;aulast=Moghaddam |
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