Reasons for parental hesitancy or refusal of childhood vaccination in Türkiye

Background: Although vaccines play a critical role in the control of infectious diseases and disease outbreaks, vaccination rates have been declining in recent years because of vaccine hesitancy or refusal. Aims: We aimed to determine the rates and reasons for parental hesitancy or refusal of vaccination for their children in Türkiye. Method: A total of 1100 participants selected from 26 regions of Türkiye were involved in this cross-sectional study conducted between July 2020 and April 2021. Using a questionnaire, we collected data on the sociodemographic characteristics of parents, the status of vaccine hesitancy or refusal for their children, and reasons for the hesitancy or refusal. Using Excel and SPSS version 22.0, we analysed the data with chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and binomial logistic regression. Results: Only 9.4% of the participants were male and 29.5% were aged 33–37 years. Just over 11% said they were worried about childhood vaccination, mainly because of the chemicals used in manufacturing the vaccines. The level of concern was greater among those who got information about vaccines from the internet, family members, friends, TV, radio, and newspapers. Those who used complementary health services were considerably more hesitant about vaccination than those who used mainstream services. Conclusions: Parents in Türkiye have several reasons for hesitating or refusing to vaccinate their children, key among which are concerns about the chemical composition of the vaccines and their ability to trigger negative health conditions such as autism. This study used a large sample size across Türkiye, although there were differences by region, the findings would be useful in designing interventions to counter vaccine hesitancy or refusal in the country.

Sociocultural contexts of attempting suicide among Iranian youth: a qualitative study

This paper seeks to illuminate the sociocultural contexts of attempting suicide among Iranian youth. A qualitative approach was employed to uncover the social and cultural dimensions of attempting suicide. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 participants aged 14-17 years who attempted suicide and were admitted to 2 of the hospitals in Isfahan. A thematic analysis approach was employed. The main themes identified were failure in love, family problems, study, pressure of high expectations and poverty. The findings suggest significant sociocultural influence on attempting suicide in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Exploring sociocultural aspects of suicide is critical in providing effective and culturally-sensitive suicide prevention and care programmes

Bone mineral density in Egyptian adolescents and adults with short stature: results of a national survey

Little is known about bone mass acquisition among stunted adolescents who did not achieve their growth in height. A national survey was made of bone mineral density among stunted adolescents and adults. A multistage stratified random sample of 2500 families [8476 adolescents and their parents] was selected from 6 governorates in different geographical areas of Egypt. Clinical history, anthropometry and measurement of bone mineral density using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was done. Mean T-scores were significantly lower among both adults and adolescents with short stature compared with those of normal height. The predictors of bone status among adolescent boys were age, body mass index [BMI], height attained [z-score] and maternal T-score and for girls were BMI, age at menarche, paternal T-score and z-score. Stunted adolescents suffered from low bone mass density and low stature adults suffered a high prevalence of osteoporosis