Epidemiology and Determinants of Self-Injury Among High School Students in Iran: a Longitudinal Study.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents is a major health concern globally. The epidemiology and determinant of NSSI have not been studied extensively in Iran. Thus, this longitudinal study sought to investigate the prevalence, incidence and contributing factors of NSSI among adolescents in Iran. This study was conducted at high school students aged 14-18 years old in the metropolitan city of Tabriz, located in north western Iran. Data were collected from 6229 10th-grade students at two time-points, with 12 months interval in October and November 2017 and 2018. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic, NSSI and cigarette and hookah smoking from the study participants. The results showed that lifetime prevalence of NSSI among students was 6.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.7 to 6.9) at the first assessment. Scratching and hair pulling were the most and least common methods of self-injury, respectively. Over the one year, 206 students (3.6% CI 95%: 3.1-4.1) reported the onset of NSSI. Tobacco smoking and previous year average grade were related to the incidence of NSSI. Although gender was significantly associated with the prevalence of NSSI, the relationship between gender and incidence of NSSI was not significant. Although the prevalence of NSSI was low among adolescents, the incidence rate was considerable. Further studies are required to understand the risk factors of NSSI in Iran.

Survey of the Relationship between Extroversion and Transition in Cigarette and Hookah Smoking Stages in High-School Students in Tabriz: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: Smoking is a public health problem that affects the adolescent population's health. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between extroversion (compared with introversion) and transition in cigarette and hookah smoking stages in high-school students to use the results in smoking prevention programs. Methods: A sample of 2312 students aged 15-16 years in Tabriz were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, cigarette, hookah smoking status, and Eysenck's extroversion questionnaires were completed by all students in the selected schools. Eight months later, cigarette and hookah smoking status were assessed again to determine transition in smoking stages. The marginal homogeneity (MH) test was used to compare the smoking status at the beginning and 8 months later. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) method with the ordinal link was applied to estimate the effect of extroversion on transition in smoking stages. Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of the students participating in the study was 15.5 (0.5) years. MH test results showed that, in general, transmission in the stages of both cigarette and hookah smoking in 8 months was significant in students (P-value < 0.0001). Extrovert personality had a significant positive effect on the transition from lower stages to higher cigarette and hookah smoking stages according to the GEE with ordinal link (P = 0.01). In cigarette and hookah smoking, extrovert persons transited to higher stages 1.64 and 1.55 times more than introvert persons. Conclusions: Being an extrovert person had a significant effect on the transitioning to higher stages of smoking cigarettes and hookah. In designing cognitive programs to prevent people from smoking or encourage them to quit smoking, considering this dimension of personality trait can be useful in the efficacy of the program.

Status of Inflammatory and Coagulation Factors in COVID-19 and Its Relation with the Disease Severity.

Background: The role of activation of inflammatory processes in the exacerbation of COVID-19 disease has been fully confirmed. In addition, the occurrence of thromboembolic events in patients with COVID-19 is expected even long after recovery from the disease. However, which factors are essentially prognostic for this disease is still not theoretically agreed upon. What we did in the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of some inflammatory and coagulation factors in predicting the severity of COVID-19 disease. In this study, the need for ICU admission was considered as a symbol of disease severity. Materials and Methods: Forty-six cases were studied in this cross-sectional study. Patients over 18 years of age with a definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 were assessed in terms of coagulation profiles and inflammatory and cytokine markers. Regarding laboratory data, serum levels of D-dimer, protein S, protein C, FDP, and fibrinogen were measured using an automated coagulation analyzer, and serum levels of interleukin-6 were measured using the ELISA technique. Results: In total, 21 patients (45.7%) were admitted to the ICU due to the severity of the disease. In comparing inflammatory and coagulation factors between the two groups of patients, with and without ICU admission, a significant difference was revealed between fibrinogen (P=0.023), D-dimer (P=0.047), protein C (P=0.001), and protein S level (P=0.014). The decrease in protein C level had the highest value for predicting the severity of the disease and therefore the need for ICU admission. Conclusion: Among various inflammatory and coagulation factors, the role of fibrinogen, D-dimer, protein C, and protein S in predicting the severe form of COVID-19 and the patient's need for ICU admission was confirmed.

Relationship between Extraversion and Tobacco Smoking Among High School Students.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information about the relationship between extraversion, as a personality trait, and the modes of tobacco smoking. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between extraversion and cigarette and water-pipe smoking among a representative sample of Iranian high school students. METHODS: A sample of 2,312 tenth-grade students in Tabriz (Northwest of Iran) was selected through multistage proportional cluster sampling. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire including information on cigarette smoking, water-pipe smoking, extraversion, socioeconomical information, as well as demographic characteristics. An ordinal logistic regression model was used for data analysis. RESULTS: In total, 4.2% and 3.5% of the students were regular cigarette and water-pipe smokers, respectively. The adjusted odds ratios were 1.10 (95% CI: 1.04-1.15, P < 0.001) and 1.10 (95% CI: 1.06-1.15, P < 0.001) for the relationships between extraversion and the stages of cigarette smoking and water-pipe smoking status, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that extraversion is in a positive relationship with a cigarette and water-pipe smoking among adolescents. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the effect of this personality trait on the modes of tobacco smoking and the transition in the stages of cigarette and water-pipe smoking in adolescents.