ATTITUDES TOWARDS AND PRACTICE OF SEXUALITY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN LEBANON.

Sexuality is still a taboo in Middle Eastern countries, and Lebanon is no exception. This study's objective was to evaluate attitudes towards sexuality and its practice among university students in Lebanon and assess their respective correlates. The cross-sectional study was carried out among students selected from seventeen universities across Lebanon. The participants received a self-administered standardized questionnaire that assessed their attitudes towards sexuality. It included questions on socio-demographic factors, risk-taking, risky behaviours and sexuality-related questions. Among 3384 students, 2700 (79.8%) answered the questions on sexuality. Around 15% had engaged in sexual activity, while 20% were regularly sexually active. Among males, 34.8% had never had sexual activity, 29.9% had tried it and 35.3% were regularly sexually active. Among females the results were respectively 85.1%, 5.3% and 9.6% (p<0.001). Only 36% regularly used condoms during their relationships. A liberal attitude towards sex, male sex, motives for risky behaviours, current cigarette smoking and problematic alcohol consumption were associated with sexual activity. Realizing that risky behaviours are dangerous, health concerns related to sexual relationships and a liberal attitude towards sex were associated with regular condom use. However, being bothered by condoms and female sex were inversely associated with condom use. Finally, participants who had motives for, and those who felt excited about risky behaviours, and those reporting current cigarette and waterpipe smoking and problematic alcohol consumption (ß=0.600; p=0.002) embraced a more liberal attitude towards sex. Conversely, females (ß=-7.58; p<0.001) and individuals who considered risky behaviours as dangerous reported an unfavourable attitude towards sexuality. A substantial proportion of Lebanese university students have regular sexual activity, but a low percentage use condoms for protection. Interventions are required among males in particular in view of these attitude and behavioural changes towards sexuality.

Risk perception, motives and behaviours in university students.

Risky behaviours among young people are relatively frequent, with several motives and attitudes lying behind. Our objective was to evaluate the role of risk perception, attractiveness and motives for risk behaviour taking among university students in Lebanon. A cross-sectional study was carried out using a proportionate cluster sample of Lebanese students in public and private universities. Items of risk intake and perception scale, attractiveness of risky behaviours, and motives for risky behaviours were assessed, in addition to cigarette and waterpipe smoking and dependence, alcohol problematic consumption and mental distress scale. After verifying the validity of scales and reliability in the university students' population, we found that risk perception was associated with lower risk intake, while risk attractiveness was a driver for it. Moreover, motives differed in their driving of risky behaviour, a particular point was that women indicated more goal achievement objectives, the latter concept was associated with lower risk taking. University students in Lebanon, women in particular, demonstrated wiser behaviour and may benefit from heath education programme to increase their awareness about risky behaviours. Identifying other personal, environmental, social and psychological predictors may also be important to improve effectiveness of these programmes.

Waterpipe dependence in university students and effect of normative beliefs: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to measure the correlates, including normative beliefs, associated with waterpipe (WP) and cigarette smoking prevalence and dependence. SETTING: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a proportionate cluster sample of Lebanese students in 17 public and private universities. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 4900 distributed questionnaires, 3384 (69.1%) were returned to the field worker. All available students during break times were approached, with no exclusion criteria. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: sociodemographic variables, detailed active and passive smoking, in addition to items of the tobacco dependence scales were all evaluated. RESULTS: Correlates to WP smoking were studying in a private university (adjusted OR, aOR=1.50 (1.26 to 1.79); p<0.001) and ever smoking cigarettes (aOR=1.80(1.44 to 2.26); p<0.001); friends' and societal influence were found on smoking behaviour and dependence. Although the role of parents was not visible in decreasing the risk of smoking WP, their protective influence seemed more important on WP dependence (ß=-1.09(-1.79 to -0.28); p<0.001), a behaviour that is considered more deleterious for health. Parents' and friends' disagreement with smoking had a protective effect on cigarette smoking and dependence (aOR<1; p<0.01), while thinking that idols and successful people smoke increased the risk of both cigarette smoking and dependence (aOR>1; p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, WP smoking and dependence are influenced by parents' and friends' opinions, and idols' smoking status. Future research is necessary to further improve our understanding of motives for WP smoking and dependence.

Transient subluxation of the femoral head after total hip replacement.

Dislocation is a common and well-studied complication after total hip replacement. However, subluxation, which we define as a clinically recognised episode of incomplete movement of the femoral head outside the acetabulum with spontaneous reduction, has not been studied previously. Out of a total of 2521 hip replacements performed over 12 years by one surgeon, 30 patients experienced subluxations which occurred in 31 arthroplasties. Data were collected prospectively with a minimum follow-up of two years. Subluxation occurred significantly more frequently after revision than after primary hip replacement, and resolved in 19 of 31 cases (61.3%). In six of the 31 hips (19.4%) the patient subsequently dislocated the affected hip, and in six hips (19.4%) intermittent subluxation continued. Four patients had a revision operation for instability, three for recurrent dislocation and one for recurrent subluxation. Clinical and radiological comparisons with a matched group of stable total hips showed no correlation with demographic or radiological parameters. Patients with subluxing hips reported significantly more concern that their hip would dislocate, more often changed their behaviour to prevent instability and had lower postoperative Harris hip scores than patients with stable replacements.

[Smoking among Lebanese mothers: knowledge, attitudes and practices]. / Tabagisme chez les mères libanaises: connaissances, attitudes et pratiques.

Smoking among women is increasing, especially in women of reproductive age. In a cross-sectional study of 1000 Lebanese mothers, we evaluated their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding cigarette smoking. We found that the amount of tobacco smoked by Lebanese mothers was related to age, educational level, profession and knowledge regarding smoking. A woman was more likely to stop or decrease smoking during pregnancy if she were more knowledgeable about the effects of smoking on the baby, if she smoked less, and if she had a higher degree of education. Knowledge about the effects of smoking on the smoker did not seem to affect this practice.

Use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect serum antibody responses of volunteers who received attenuated influenza A virus vaccines.

Sera from volunteers who received live influenza A wild-type or ts recombinant virus were tested by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, neuraminidase inhibition (NI) assay, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine which assay system was the most sensitive in detecting an immunological response to infection. The ELISA was performed with inactivated whole virus antigen, and the optical density at each of five serial twofold dilutions of pre- and postimmunization sera was measured. The difference in the amount of ELISA antibody in pre- and postinoculation serum specimens was taken to be proportional to the area between the respective titration curves. The ELISA was more sensitive than the HI or NI test in detecting a seroresponse in volunteers infected with A/Hong Kong/123/77 (H1N1), A/New Jersey/8/76 (Hswine N1), or A/Alaska/6/77 (H3N2) ts recombinant virus. These results suggest that the ELISA should be used to determine the frequency of infection with attenuated viruses as well as the 50% human infectious dose of candidate live influenza A vaccine viruses.

Measurement of rotavirus antibody by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay blocking assay.

A new method for the measurement of rotavirus antibody is described, utilizing the system of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this method, serum is incubated with a fixed amount of rotavirus antigen, and the amount of antibody is determined by measuring the amount of unneutralized antigen. Such an assay system proved to be as efficient as the other available rotaviral antibody systems. The ELISA blocking assay also has the advantages of not requiring purified or gnotobiotic antigen and of being able to measure rotaviral antibody in all animal species.

Renal damage in systemic lupus erythematosus with normal renal function.

Renal biopsies were performed on 12 patients with definite systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with normal renal function. Three had had previous nephropathy which responded to treatment, with return of urinalysis and function to normal. Specimens were studied using light microscopy (LM), immunofluorescence (IF), and electron microscopy (EM). Mild to moderate abnormalities were found in all patients. Changes by LM (primarily hypercellularity) were found in 11 specimens (no glomeruli were obtained in one) and classified as inactive. IF studies were positive in eight of the 12 biopsies with either focal or diffuse distribution of IgG, IgM, and/or C3. EM changes were observed in all cases and were of mild to moderate severity. They included focal to multifocal glomerular hypercellularity, basement membrane thickening, foot process fusion, and mesangial and intramembranous electron dense deposits. No subepithelial or subendothelial deposits were found. Microtubular structures were present in three specimens. These data suggest that careful study of renal biopsy specimens may reveal evidence of kidney involvement in all patients with SLE.