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Sun exposure and health safety practices of high school students in an urban population of Iran.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Skin cancer attributed to sunlight exposure has an increasing trend worldwide, resulting in increased problems for healthcare services. This study aimed to evaluate the health safety practices of high school students in Saveh, Iran according to a sun protection guideline produced locally for Iran. METHOD:This cross-sectional study was done in 31 government and private high schools of Saveh, a central city of Iran. A sun protection questionnaire was designed in accordance with Iran sun protection guideline which has been developed based on the World Health Organization and US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The questionnaire consists of four sections of demographic information, knowledge, attitude, and protection behavior. A total of 504 students were selected by simple random sampling method. Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were used to assess the correlation between knowledge, attitude and behavior of the participants. RESULTS:The mean score of the students' knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding harmfulness of ultraviolet radiation was 50.79?±?14.64, 60.41?±?15.04, and 45?±?11.59, respectively. A significant association was observed between attitude and knowledge, behavior and knowledge as well as attitude. There was a significant correlation between sex and protective behaviors, sex and knowledge (p???0.001), and education level and knowledge (p?=?0.002). CONCLUSION:students who protected themselves from sunlight less than others believed that their protection level was adequate. Health concerns related to sun exposure suggest the need for increasing the student's awareness in sun protection area. As behavior is influenced by cultural aspects, implementation of the current guideline can be effective in reducing the health effects of sun exposure.

SUBMITTER: Janjani H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6933744 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sun exposure and health safety practices of high school students in an urban population of Iran.

Janjani Hosna H Nedjat Saharnaz S MasoudYunesian Nasseri Simin S Haghighat Doost Fatemeh F Nabizadeh Ramin R

BMC public health 20191226 1

<h4>Background</h4>Skin cancer attributed to sunlight exposure has an increasing trend worldwide, resulting in increased problems for healthcare services. This study aimed to evaluate the health safety practices of high school students in Saveh, Iran according to a sun protection guideline produced locally for Iran.<h4>Method</h4>This cross-sectional study was done in 31 government and private high schools of Saveh, a central city of Iran. A sun protection questionnaire was designed in accordanc ...[more]

PMID: 31878908

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Project description:BackgroundIn recent years waterpipe smoking has become a popular practice amongst young adults in eastern Mediterranean countries, including Iran. The aim of this study was to assess waterpipe smoking perceptions and practices among first-year health sciences university students in Iran and to identify factors associated with the initiation and maintenance of waterpipe use in this population.ResultsOut of 371 first-year health sciences students surveyed, 358 eight students completed a self-administered questionnaire in the classrooms describing their use and perceptions towards waterpipe smoking. Two hundred and ninety six responders met study inclusion criteria. Waterpipe smoking was common among first-year health sciences university students, with 51% of students indicating they were current waterpipe smokers. Women were smoking waterpipes almost as frequently as men (48% versus 52%, respectively). The majority of waterpipe smokers (75.5%) indicated that the fun and social aspect of waterpipe use was the main motivating factor for them to continue smoking. Of waterpipe smokers, 55.3% were occasional smokers, using waterpipes once a month or less, while 44.7% were frequent smokers, using waterpipes more than once a month. A large number of frequent waterpipe smokers perceived that waterpipe smoking was a healthier way to use tobacco (40.6%) while only 20.6% thought it was addictive. Compared to occasional smokers, significantly more frequent smokers reported waterpipe smoking was relaxing (62.5% vs. 26.2%, p = 0.002), energizing (48.5% vs. 11.4%, p = 0.001), a part of their culture (58.8% vs. 34.1%, p = 0.04), and the healthiest way to use tobacco (40.6% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.005).ConclusionsSocial and recreational use of waterpipes is widespread among first-year health sciences university students in Iran. Women and men were almost equally likely to be current waterpipe users. Public health initiatives to combat the increasing use of waterpipes among university students in Iran must consider the equal gender distribution and its perception by many waterpipe smokers as being a healthier and non-addictive way to use tobacco.

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Sun exposure and health safety practices of high school students in an urban population of Iran.

Publications

Sun exposure and health safety practices of high school students in an urban population of Iran.

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