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
Copper, and its, alloys and composites (being the matrix), are broadly used in the electronic as well as bearing materials due to the excellent thermal and electrical conductivities it has.
In this study, powder metallurgy technique was used for the production of copper graphite composite with three volume perc ent of graphite. Processing parameters selected is (900) °C sintering temperature and (90) minutes holding time for samples that were heated in an inert atmosphere (argon gas). Wear test results showed a pronounced improvement in wear resistance as the percent of graphite increased which acts as solid lubricant (where wear rate was decreased by about 88% as compared with pure Cu). Microhardness and
... Show MoreBackground: The present study aimed to assess the distribution, prevalence, severity of malocclusion in Baghdad governorate in relation to gender and residency Materials and Methods: A multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used in this investigation to make the sample a representative of target population. The sample consisted of 2700 (1349 males and 1351 females) intermediate school students aged 13 years representing 3% of the total target population. A questionnaire was used to determine the perception of occlusion and orthodontic treatment demand of the students and the assessment procedures for occlusal features by direct intraoral measurement using veriner and an instrument to measure the rotated and displaced teeth. Results a
... Show MoreObjective(s): To assess the level of depression and anxiety among school age children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia under chemotherapy treatment and to find out the relationship between the level of depression and anxiety among the affected children and their demographic characteristics.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on school age children both gender having acute lymphoblastic leukemia under chemotherapy treated and their age between 6 years to 12 years. The study started from the period of September, 19th 2020 to March,1st 2021. Non-probability (Purposive) sample of (114) children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia under chemotherapy was selected in attending hospital wards, outpatient and counseling clinics
Background: Recent advancements in molecular techniques have identified over 450 genotypes of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), classified into low- and high-oncogenic risk categories. The rise in high-oncogenic risk HPV genotypes has been linked to various cancers, including those affecting the oral, oropharyngeal, and nasopharyngeal regions in both pediatric and adult populations. Methods: In this study, a cohort of 102 tonsillar tissue samples was included. This comprised 40 specimens from pediatric patients aged 4 to 9 years with nasopharyngeal adenoid hypertrophies, and 42 specimens from pediatric patients aged 5 to 12 years with palatine tonsillar hypertrophies. Among the 82 tonsillar tissue samples analyzed, 38 were from pediatric patients
... Show MoreThe research aims to demonstrate the dual use of analysis to predict financial failure according to the Altman model and stress tests to achieve integration in banking risk management. On the bank’s ability to withstand crises, especially in light of its low rating according to the Altman model, and the possibility of its failure in the future, thus proving or denying the research hypothesis, the research reached a set of conclusions, the most important of which (the bank, according to the Altman model, is threatened with failure in the near future, as it is located within the red zone according to the model’s description, and will incur losses if it is exposed to crises in the future according to the analysis of stress tests
... Show MoreThe self-evident truth existing in today's business environment is the continuity of change and its continuity and turmoil, also its increase over time as it is more abundant, abundant, wide and complex than ever before, and it is the dominant feature in the business environment, as different organizations and operating units can find themselves shifting from the top to the bottom. And then it requires its departments to strive to adapt to these rapid and turbulent shifts and changes by bringing about a series of organizational and adaptive changes that are not limited to one organizational aspect only but rather include all organizational components. Accordingly, this research came to determine the readiness of public organizations to chan
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy and reluctant had an important obstacle in achieving protection and population immunity against coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). It is essential to achieve high COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rates among medical students and health care workers to provide recommendations and counseling vaccine hesitant population. AIM: This study aims to identify level of COVID-19 hesitancy, attitude, knowledge, and factors that affect vaccination decision. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done among medical students in Al-Kindy College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. Data collection was done through an online Google Forms questionnaire during 2021 from 810 medical students.
... Show MoreIntroduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a common protozoan disease in Iraq characterized by localized ulcers, primarily on exposed skin. This study aimed to investigate the hematological parameters of infected patients using a complete blood count (CBC) in the endemic area of Diyala Governorate, northeast of Baghdad. This has been studied in newly diagnosed, untreated individuals and patients receiving sodium antimony gluconate. Methodology: Hematological screening was performed on blood samples from 161 patients with microscopically diagnosed cutaneous leishmaniasis before and after treatment. Anti-Leishmania IgG was also assessed by ELISA in seropositive and seronegative subjects. Results: The newly diagnosed, untreated pati
... Show MoreMultiple linear regressions are concerned with studying and analyzing the relationship between the dependent variable and a set of explanatory variables. From this relationship the values of variables are predicted. In this paper the multiple linear regression model and three covariates were studied in the presence of the problem of auto-correlation of errors when the random error distributed the distribution of exponential. Three methods were compared (general least squares, M robust, and Laplace robust method). We have employed the simulation studies and calculated the statistical standard mean squares error with sample sizes (15, 30, 60, 100). Further we applied the best method on the real experiment data representing the varieties of
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