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
This research is concerned with the re-analysis of optical data (the imaginary part of the dielectric function as a function of photon energy E) of a-Si:H films prepared by Jackson et al. and Ferlauto et al. through using nonlinear regression fitting we estimated the optical energy gap and the deviation from the Tauc model by considering the parameter of energy photon-dependence of the momentum matrix element of the p as a free parameter by assuming that density of states distribution to be a square root function. It is observed for films prepared by Jackson et al. that the value of the parameter p for the photon energy range is is close to the value assumed by the Cody model and the optical gap energy is which is also close to the value
... Show MoreThe world is keeping pace with evolution in all its fields as a result of scientists' pursuit of continuous scientific and technological development. This evolution included the sports field, which had a large space in the aspect of development and for all disciplines, Therefore, it's reflected today in what we see of records and advanced achievements in sporting events and activities. The development in the field of sports was the result of scientific research (Hussein and Jawad., 2022), where the interest in the training process has become one of the most important pillars of the development of achievement (Neamah and Altay., 2020). The shooting sport has also witnessed a remarkable development due to the diversity and development of its
... Show MoreCurrent research aims to find out:
- Effect of using the active learning in the achievement of third grade intermediate students in mathematics.
- Effect of using of active learning in the tendency towards the study of mathematics for students of third grade intermediate.
In order to achieve the goals of the research, the researcher formulated the following two hypotheses null:
- There is no difference statistically significant at the level of significance (0.05) between two average of degrees to achievement
Provides the style of benchmarking the best possible use whenevaluating the performance and evaluation, as well as improved performance,due to its consistency with the principles of good evaluation of theperformance, an extension of the completion of several functions of the timeand cost less, thereby increasing the efficiency of the management of theinstitutions, especially institutions, the media, as it became public the future ofthe message sender to the same time Zaorosaúl new media is challenging thetraditional media of what distinguishes this new interactive media and mass ledto this transition . However, the media Aljdidhoosaúl traditional mediacontinue to coexist and reinforce each Menhmaalakhr, for his wealth offreedom of opin
... Show MoreThe study aimed to explore the effectiveness of using rational judgment strategy in teaching science to develop scientific thinking for second-grade students. The researcher utilized the quasi-experimental approach based on (the pre/post designing) of two groups: experimental and control. As for tools: a test of scientific thinking prepared by the researcher that proved its verification of their validity and reliability. The test applied on a random sample of (66) students, divided into two groups: (34) experimental, and (32) control. The results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-application of the scientific thinking test, In each skill separately, and in the total skills. The study recommende
... Show MoreThis study aims to analyze the spectral properties of plasma produced from rice husk(Rh) using the laser breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) method. The plasma generation process used the fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) is a man-made crystalline material. The laser fired pulses with a duration of 10 ns and a repetition rate of 6 Hz. Thus, the energy outputs achieved were 50–200 mJ at the wavelength of 1064 (nm). The silica content in the rice hulls was verified using an XRF measurement, which revealed the presence of silica in the rice hulls in a high percentage. Precise beam focusing was achieved by focusing the laser on the target material. This target material is placed with
... Show MoreThe research aims to demonstrate the impact of tax techniques on the quality of services provided to income taxpayers by studying the correlational and influencing relationships between the exploited variable (tax techniques) and the dependent variable (the quality of services provided to income taxpayers), and in line with the research objectives, the main hypothesis of the research was formulated (there is a relationship Significance between tax techniques and the quality of services provided to income taxpayers) a number of sub-hypotheses emerged from this hypothesis that were stated in the research methodology, and a number of conclusions were reached, the most important of which were (through the use of the correlation coeff
... Show MoreOne of the scientific education aims, preparing a student able to keep up with the scientific developments and innovations around him and make him contribute, adapt, investment and continue development. The concepts of nanotechnology from scientific innovation open up an important area of thinking and intervention in the field of chemistry applications in daily life, the technological changes lead to social, political and economic changes which result that the students to have the knowledge, understanding, awareness, appreciation and sense in applications of modern technology for their use optimally, in order to cope with these scientific and technological changes. The research aims at finding out the correlation between the acquisi
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