Introduction: Although it is discouraged, community pharmacy customers can obtain oral corticosteroids (OCSs) without prescriptions from some community pharmacies in Iraq. Medication abuse is defined as the use of medication for non-medical reasons. Objectives: The study aimed to determine demographics, beliefs, and perceptions associated with the abuse of oral corticosteroids for non-illness reasons among community pharmacy customers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in fall 2018 in four provinces in Iraq. Customers of 19 community pharmacies asking for OCSs for themselves without a prescription were administered a paper survey. This study used the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to measure the relationship between the motivational factors and the abuse of OCSs. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between the use of OCSs for non-illness and six TRA factors: Normative belief, behavioral belief, evaluation of the behavior, motivation to comply, subjective norms and attitude toward behavior. Results: The study enrolled 141 participants (98 women and 43 men) taking asking for OCSs without prescription. Dexamethasone was the most commonly used OCSs (59.6%). Friends were the primary recommenders for corticosteroids abuse (28.4%). The main reasons for using OCSs were to increase appetite and gain weight (53.9 %). Approximately one-third (36.2 %) of the participants gained weight after using OCSs. The regression analysis of the TRA variables showed two factors were significantly related to the abuse of OCSs. Age had a significant inverse relationship with the abuse of OCSs and the "good appearance" belief had a significant positive association with OCS abuse. Conclusion: Some Iraqi community pharmacy customers use non-prescribed oral corticosteroids to increase appetite and gain weight. Improve body appearance represents the dominant incentive that urges people to use OCSs without prescription. Health officials and healthcare practitioners need to promote people's awareness about the risks of misusing OCSs through education programs and advertisements in public health settings, media, and social media. Article Type: Original Research
The road network serves as a hub for opportunities in production and consumption, resource extraction, and social cohabitation. In turn, this promotes a higher standard of living and the expansion of cities. This research explores the road network's spatial connectedness and its effects on travel and urban form in the Al-Kadhimiya and Al-Adhamiya municipalities. Satellite images and paper maps have been employed to extract information on the existing road network, including their kinds, conditions, density, and lengths. The spatial structure of the road network was then generated using the ArcGIS software environment. The road pattern connectivity was evaluated using graph theory indices. The study demands the abstraction and examin
... Show MoreThe road network serves as a hub for opportunities in production and consumption, resource extraction, and social cohabitation. In turn, this promotes a higher standard of living and the expansion of cities. This research explores the road network's spatial connectedness and its effects on travel and urban form in the Al-Kadhimiya and Al-Adhamiya municipalities. Satellite images and paper maps have been employed to extract information on the existing road network, including their kinds, conditions, density, and lengths. The spatial structure of the road network was then generated using the ArcGIS software environment. The road pattern connectivity was evaluated using graph theory indices. The study demands the abstractio
... Show MoreBackground: Mothers are considered as the key role in effect on child's dental behavior. So it is important to involve her in oral health promotion program to prevent early childhood dental caries from occurring in early age. Objectives: To identify the knowledge, practice and attitude of mothers about the oral health of their children. And to measure the change in oral hygiene of children aged (4-7) years old after one month of interventional program on their mothers. Type of study: Non-randomized interventional.Methods: Non-randomized interventional study for one month in Al Shaab area in Baghdad to 65 mothers who have children aged (4-7) years .A modified administrated questionnaire is given to assess mothers’ knowledge, practice an
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a clinical syndrome that occurs when there is gradual decline in renal operation overtime.
Objective: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression among medical students at university of Baghdad, college of medicine in Iraq and the association between some variables and depression.
Aim: This study aimed to identify the impact of tobacco use in the etiology of chronic renal failure among Sudanese patients in Omdurman Military Hospital and Omdurman Kidney Dialysis Center
Materials and methods: This descriptive community-based study was conducted in Khartoum State. A random sample of 100 cases with chronic renal failure and 100
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The research examined with the importance banking merger to address the situation of Troubled banks in Iraq, Through The use of Logistic Regression Model. . The study attempted to present a conceptual aspect of banking merger and logistic regression, as well as the applied aspect which includes a sample consisting of six private Iraqi banks, and the hypothesis of the study is that the promotion of mergers among banks has positive impacts on improving the efficiency of performance of troubled banks, which contributes to the increase of banking services, raise of their financial indicators and the high liquidity and profits of the new banking entity as it is a way to overcome the prevailing banking crises.
... Show MoreIn this research, the possibility of using waste wooden materials (reed and sawdust) was studied to produce sustainable and thermal insulation lightweight building units , which has economic and environmental advantages. This study is intended to produce light weight building units with low thermal conductivity, so it can be used as partitions to improve the thermal insulation in buildings. Waste wooden materials were used as a partial replacement of natural sand, in different percentages (10, 20, 30, and 40) % . The mix proportions were (1:2.5) (cement: fine aggregate) with w/c of 0.4. The values of 28 days oven dry density ranged between (2060-1693) kg/m3.The thermal conductivity decreased from (0.745 to 0.2
... Show MoreSince the emergence of the science of international relations as an independent academic scientific field, various theories and trends have appeared and have tried to understand and explain the international reality and give a clear picture of what is happening within the international system of interactions and influences and the search for tools for stability and peace in international relations. Among these theories is the feminist theory, which is a new intellectual trend on the level of international relations theories, which tried to give an explanation of what is happening in world politics and in international relations in particular. The main issue that feminist theory is concerned with is the lack of women’s subordination
... Show MoreThe research aims to identify the impact of using the electronic participatory learning strategy according to internet programs in learning some basic basketball skills for middle first graders according to the curricular course, and the sample of research was selected in the deliberate way of students The first stage of intermediate school.As for the problem of research, the researchers said that there is a weakness in the levels of school students in terms of teaching basketball skills, which prompted the researchers to create appropriate solutions by using a participatory learning strategy.The researchers imposed statistically significant differences between pre and post-test tests, in favor of the post tests individually and in favor of
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