Background : Drug abuse is one of the important challenges in the field of mental health and adolescence health promotion. Because of the social and medical cost of drug abuse and its consequences among youth people, it is necessary to intervene effectively. This theoretical based study explained predictability of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) on drug abuse related behaviours. Methods : This cross-sectional study was conducted in Hamadan City, western Iran, in 2011 among 650 male high school students, recruited randomly. All data were gathered by using self-report written questionnaires include attitudes, subjective, norms, and intention not to use drugs as theoretical constructs of TPB and drug abuse related behaviours. Results : According to the logistic regression analysis, attitude and subjective norms were the most influential predictors of intention to drug abuse. There was a significant relationship between drug abuse smoking experience (OR=27.24 95% CI: 10.25, 72.40; P=0.001), having parents of drug users (OR=8.63 95% CI: 3.42, 21.81; P=0.001), and having friends who had experienced drug (OR=11.06 95% CI: 4.24, 28.85; P=0.001). Conclusion : Drug abuse preventative programs need to apply comprehensive theoretical based efforts for drug abuse preventative manipulations in school settings.  Theory of planned behaviour can be used properly and effectively for planning and implementing drug abuse prevention programs in adolescents.

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Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Drug Abuse Related Behaviors among Adolescents

Substance abuse in relation to religiosity and familial support in Iranian college students

Risk-taking behaviors have negative consequences on adolescent and young adult's health. The aim of this study was to identify the subgroups of college students on the basis of risk-taking behaviors and to assess the role of demographic characteristics, religious beliefs, and parental support on membership of specific subgroup. The cross-sectional study took place in Tabriz (northwest of Iran) in April and May of 2011. The randomly selected sample consisted of 1,837 college students. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Latent class analysis was performed to achieve the study's objectives. Four latent classes were identified: (a) low risk, (b) cigarette and hookah smoker, (c) sexual and drinking risk-takers (for males)/sexual risk takers (for females), and (d) high risk. Notably, 13.3% of the males and 4.3% of the females were in the high-risk class. The results identified evidence of protective influence of familial support and religiosity on risky behaviors. A fair number of college students, males in particular, were identified as high risk-takers. Design and implementation of preventive interventions for this segment of the population are necessary. Higher level of familial support and religiosity may serve as preventive factors in risk-taking behaviors.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1557988313483540

Risk-Taking Behaviors and Subgrouping of College Students: A Latent Class Analysis

Background: The use of methamphetamine and other drugs among young adults has been a theme of growing interest and concern on the part of researchers and health associations. This paper reports recent use of methamphetamine and its relation with some demographic variables among substance users in west of Iran. Method s: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 559 substance users of Hamadan, western Iran recruited through a snowball sampling method in 2012. The participants received a self-administered questionnaire contained questions regarding substance use, reasons of drug abuse and pattern of MA use. Data were analyzed using SPSS software using Chi-square, Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression methods. Results : A number of 248 (44.4%) people reported a history of having ever used methamphetamine and the mean drug abuse initiation age was 17.8 (SD= 3.9). According to the history, reducing effect of previous drug and resurfacing of new drug were common reasons associated with the changes in previous drug to use of methamphetamine. In multivariate analysis, ‘being single’ and higher school were obtained as independent predictors of methamphetamine use ( P <0.001). Conclusion: Methamphetamine use is common among adult substance abusers in Iran. Demographic, behavioral and psychosocial correlates of methamphetamine use identified in this research may be helpful for the development of preventive interventions.

Prevalence and factors associated with methamphetamine use among adult substance abusers

Background: Hookah smoking has increased worldwide especially among youth and young adults and has been identified as an emerging threat to public health. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of hookah use and related factors in a sample of Iranian college students. Methods: This study took place in Tabriz (northwest of Iran) in April and May 2011. The randomly selected sample consisted of 1837 college students. Data was collected in a survey. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure religious belief, parental support and risk taking behaviors including hookah smoking. Logistic regression model was performed in data analysis. Results: The prevalence of hookah smoking was 8.5% (CI95%: 7.3-9.9). After adjustment, being male (OR= 2.01), living in single house in comparison with living with parents (OR= 2.22), smoking (OR= 5.96) and ever drug abuse (OR= 3.02) were factors associated with students’ hookah use. Conclusion : Our results showed a low prevalence of hookah smoking in Iranian college female students and revealed some of its associated factors. We demonstrated the co-occurrence of risky behaviors which emphasizes the importance of interventions aimed at reducing or preventing different high risk behaviors simultaneously.

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Prevalence of Hookah smoking in relation to religiosity and familial support in college students of Tabriz, northwest of Iran.

Background: In the current study, pattern of substance abuse among adolescence and early adulthood that have experienced one or more substances was assessed, and also parental support, religiosity, and locus of control were measured. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Hamadan City, Iran in 2006. All subjects were selected from Hamadan City (urban area), Iran based on snowball sampling method. Participants were males who used alcohol and illicit drugs in their life (n=398), completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Approximately half of the participants were used to smoke, drink, take marijuana and/or use opium regularly, and one in ten had taken ecstasy or heroine in the last weeks. Tobacco and alcohols were most common substance as a gateway and consequently marijuana and opium were the next substances. Initiation age result for using substance was ages 13 to 18 years. More than 90% classified as group who suffering familial support, 60.8% as low level of religiosity, and 51.5% of participants was external locus of control. Conclusion: Our findings were similar to western countries pattern except that for opium. The high rate substances use by adolescents and changes in pattern of use suggests that all drug use need to be taken into account when addressing adolescents' substance use. Moreover, research is needed to identify possible mechanisms underlying the association between binge drug uses in the vulnerable groups.

Lifetime pattern of substance abuse, parental support, religiosity, and locus of control in adolescent and young male users

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H. Mahjoub

Papers

Lifetime pattern of substance abuse, parental support, religiosity, and locus of control in adolescent and young male users

Pattern and Inclination of Adolescents Towards Substance Abuse