Substance use disorders are a widely recognized problem among hepatitis C-infected patients; moreover, substance abuse by intravenous injection is a common mode of transmission of the hepatitis C virus worldwide. The frequency of substance use disorders and their relation to hepatitis C infection are still unknown in Iraq. This cross-sectional study, conducted among a sample of hepatitis C- infected patients attending the Gastrointestinal Tract Center in Baghdad Medical City, aimed to examine the prevalence of substance use disorders, the sociodemographic characteristics of the abusers, and the relation between intravenous

Metabolic syndrome has emerged as an important health concern globally, especially in developing countries where urbanization and lifestyle changes are rapidly increasing. No reliable epidemiological information regarding the prevalence and risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome is available among Iraqi adults in primary health care (PHC) clinics. This study was designed to determine the prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome and identify potential risk factors among adults attending PHC centers in Baghdad. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study design was used, targeting 412 adult subjects selected randomly from multiple PHC centers in Baghdad. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, anthropometric, and biochemical data were col

Mental disorders (MDs) are a common problem in Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs). Many people with serious MDs are challenged by symptoms and disabilities that result from the disease and by stereotypes and prejudice due to misconceptions about mental illness. This study aims at evaluating the knowledge, and attitude toward mental health concepts and services and causes of the reluctance to seek those services among people attending PHCCs. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The random sampling technique was used to include (10) of Directorates of Health (DoHs) coverage north, middle, and south of Iraq. The study was executed in (50) selected PHCs, (5) PHCCs in each DoH involved randomly selected (30) people attending th

Smoking and central obesity have both been linked to periodontitis, but their combined relationship with periodontal disease may be influenced by demographic and behavioral factors. This cross-sectional study analyzed records of 420 adult dental patients attending the College of Dentistry at the University of Baghdad. Data included demographic characteristics, smoking status, periodontal clinical findings, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Periodontitis was defined according to the 2018 classification framework, and logistic regression models were used to examine the associations of smoking and obesity-related indicators with periodontitis. The overall prevalence of periodontitis was 36.4%. Participants with p

In this paper, image compression technique is presented based on the Zonal transform method. The DCT, Walsh, and Hadamard transform techniques are also implements. These different transforms are applied on SAR images using Different block size. The effects of implementing these different transforms are investigated. The main shortcoming associated with this radar imagery system is the presence of the speckle noise, which affected the compression results.

Background: The rising rate of cesarean deliveries has generated concern about whether all procedures are medically justified. Limited data exist on how well first-time mothers understand the indications for their cesarean section in Iraq. Objective: To assess maternal knowledge of the medical reasons for the first cesarean delivery and its relationship with sociodemographic, obstetric, and neonatal characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2023 among 158 Iraqi women who underwent their first cesarean delivery. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered online questionnaire that assessed demographic, obstetric, and knowledge-related factors. Results: Less than half of the

Introduction/Aim. Seminal fluid analysis (SFA) plays a crucial role in helping infertility clinics diagnose the underlying reason of male infertility. The aim of the study was to investigate seminal fluid patterns of male partners of an infertile couple with apparently fertile female partners. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2019 and December 2022. Patients were attending consultations for delayed conception for more than 12 months with apparently fertile female partner. Results. Four hundred fifty-three patients were included in the study. The distribution of patients according to age groups showed that 277 patients were young, aged 21 - 30 years (61%). Two hundred sixty-two (58%) patien

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia purpura is an autoimmune bleeding disorder that accounts for approximately one-third of clinical hemorrhagic diseases. Pathophysiologically, it involves a complicated imbalance in the immune system. OBJECTIVES: This study focuses on evaluating the levels of the immunomodulatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-35, interleukin-10, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF)-β in patients with refractory idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia undergoing treatment with romiplostim. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study encompassed 78 individuals with idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia and conducted measurements of different immunomodulatory cytokines in response to different responses of idiopath