Beliefs Regarding Waterpipe Smoking Among Iranian Men of Turkmen Ethnicity: A qualitative study conducted in Golestan Province.

OBJECTIVES: Waterpipe or hookah smoking has grown considerably in popularity over the past two decades; however, consumers often have misconceptions regarding this practice. This study aimed to determine common beliefs related to waterpipe smoking among Turkmen in Iran. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted between February and June 2018 in Golestan Province, Iran, utilising data from a previously published study. A total of 26 male Turkmen waterpipe smokers of different ages, occupations and education levels underwent in-depth semi-structured interviews. A content analysis of beliefs regarding waterpipe smoking was performed. RESULTS: Five categories of beliefs were extracted during the content analysis, including beliefs related to addiction, health-related beliefs, preferential beliefs for waterpipe versus cigarette smoking, beliefs related to the social function of waterpipe smoking and beliefs attributed to waterpipe smoking. Several misconceptions were identified, including the idea that waterpipe smoking was not addictive, prevented the use of other more dangerous drugs (i.e. cannabis and opium) and was not as harmful as cigarette smoking. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that Turkmen in Iran hold several misconceptions regarding the use of waterpipe smoking. Educational programmes are essential to correct such misconceptions and to control the prevalence of this habit in Iran.

Cluster of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (Leishmania major) in European travelers returning from Turkmenistan.

We report a cluster of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major in four immunocompetent travelers returning from Western Turkmenistan and having atypical and/or multiple lesions. Treatments with pentamidine or fluconazole were effective. Physicians should be aware that some virulent strains of L major currently circulate in Central Asia.

Oesophageal cancer in Golestan Province, a high-incidence area in northern Iran - a review.

Golestan Province, located in the south-east littoral of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, has one of the highest rates of oesophageal cancer (OC) in the world. We review the epidemiologic studies that have investigated the epidemiologic patterns and causes of OC in this area and provide some suggestions for further studies. Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) constitutes over 90% of all OC cases in Golestan. In retrospective studies, cigarettes and hookah smoking, nass use (a chewing tobacco product), opium consumption, hot tea drinking, poor oral health, low intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, and low socioeconomic status have been associated with higher risk of OSCC in Golestan. However, the association of tobacco with OSCC in this area is not as strong as that seen in Western countries. Alcohol is consumed by a very small percentage of the population and is not a risk factor for OSCC in this area. Other factors, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, N-nitroso compounds, drinking water contaminants, infections, food contamination with mycotoxins, and genetic factors merit further investigation as risk factors for OSCC in Golestan. An ongoing cohort study in this area is an important resource for studying some of these factors and also for confirming the previously found associations.

[Seasonal dynamics of the indices of humoral immunity in children aged 3 months to 1 year in relation to nutrition in an arid zone]. / Sezonnaia dinamika pokazatelei gumoral'nogoimmuniteta detei v vozraste ot 3 mes do 1 goda s uchetom pitaniia v usloviiakh aridnoi zony.

The paper reports seasonal data on humoral immunity of 245 Turkmen and 240 European infants aged 3-12 months. Allowances were made for climatic conditions of the arid zone and essential feeding. In summer there were reduced levels of IgM, IgG in the serum and insufficient supply with thiamine and ascorbic acid. IgA serum level was the lowest in spring. IgA strongly correlated (r = 0.7-0.8) with thiamine and ascorbic acid intake in spring, IgM and IgG with retinol and thiamine in summer. The above changes in humoral immunity in summer are associated with growing incidence of intestinal diseases and lower body mass in the infants in the condition of arid zone.

[Influence of urbanization level on the lethal load and on the intensity of natural selection in the Turkmen population]. / Vliianie urbanizatsii na letal'nuiu otiagoshchennost' i intensivnost' estestvennogo otbora v Turkmenskikh populiatsiiakh.

Dynamics of genetic load in aboriginal population of the Turkmen SSR was studied using two approaches to calculate "lethal" equivalents. Intensity and structure of natural selection were measured using the Crow's index and its components. All statistics indicated were determined using the data obtained in Ashkhabad city and in two rural populations of Ashkhabad region (Yasman and Nokhur) within the time interval prior to 60s and after 70s. The results obtained made it possible to subdivide the populations under study into three different groups according to different stages of demographic process: 1) urbanized population; 2) rural (transient) population; 3) "relict" rural population.

[Genetic structure of the population of Ashkhabad City of the Turkmen SSR]. / Populiatsionno-geneticheskaia struktura naseleniia g. Ashkhabada Turkmenskoi SSR.

Some genetical demographic characteristics of population of Ashkhabad city were studied by direct interviewing of women aged over 18 years. The influence of urbanization on the basic genetical-demographic indices was found, the indices being essentially different from those of rural population studied elsewhere. Analysis of intensity and the structure of marriage migrations showed considerable ethnic subdivision in Ashkhabad population and stability of marriage policy in an every ethnic group. The level and structure of inbreeding as well as positive marriage assortativity are of the same order as in the Turkmen rural population.