Introduction: Although it is discouraged, community pharmacy customers can obtain oral corticosteroids (OCSs) without prescriptions from some community pharmacies in Iraq. Medication abuse is defined as the use of medication for non-medical reasons. Objectives: The study aimed to determine demographics, beliefs, and perceptions associated with the abuse of oral corticosteroids for non-illness reasons among community pharmacy customers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in fall 2018 in four provinces in Iraq. Customers of 19 community pharmacies asking for OCSs for themselves without a prescription were administered a paper survey. This study used the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to measure the relationship between the motivational factors and the abuse of OCSs. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between the use of OCSs for non-illness and six TRA factors: Normative belief, behavioral belief, evaluation of the behavior, motivation to comply, subjective norms and attitude toward behavior. Results: The study enrolled 141 participants (98 women and 43 men) taking asking for OCSs without prescription. Dexamethasone was the most commonly used OCSs (59.6%). Friends were the primary recommenders for corticosteroids abuse (28.4%). The main reasons for using OCSs were to increase appetite and gain weight (53.9 %). Approximately one-third (36.2 %) of the participants gained weight after using OCSs. The regression analysis of the TRA variables showed two factors were significantly related to the abuse of OCSs. Age had a significant inverse relationship with the abuse of OCSs and the "good appearance" belief had a significant positive association with OCS abuse. Conclusion: Some Iraqi community pharmacy customers use non-prescribed oral corticosteroids to increase appetite and gain weight. Improve body appearance represents the dominant incentive that urges people to use OCSs without prescription. Health officials and healthcare practitioners need to promote people's awareness about the risks of misusing OCSs through education programs and advertisements in public health settings, media, and social media. Article Type: Original Research
Background: The early detection of oral cancers gives the greatest chance of curing and the delay in presentation has a significant impact on the associated morbidity and mortality. The lack of general dental practitioners (GDP) knowledge in early cancer detection has been shown to contribute to delays in referral and treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the oral cancer awareness among a group of GDP by assessing their knowledge of detection and prevention of oral cancer. Materials and methods: A questionnaire based study was designed. The questionnaire was delivered to 200 GDP assessing oral examination method, knowledge of oral cancer risk factors, clinical appearance and the most common site, point of referral and requests
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The aim of this study was to prepare rebamipide ocular inserts in order to extend its release on the ocular surface for dry eye treatment. Solubility study was applied to the drug with or without l-arginine using different solvents. Solvent casting technique was used to prepare the inserts; l-arginine was used to solubilize the drug, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose grades (E5 and K15M) and poly ethylene glycol 200 were used as excipients. The inserts were evaluated for their physical and mechanical properties, moisture loss% and absorption %, surface pH, and in-vitro drug release. The use l-arginine exhibited an enhancement of rebamipide solubility in both deionized water and phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) by a
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The research seeks to explain the role of the international auditing standard (3402) in the auditor's procedures, where the importance of the research stems from the adoption of international auditing standards in the Iraqi environment, including the standard (3402) of assurance engagements that the external auditor performs by submitting reports on the design of control tools and their operational effectiveness in a service facility that provides the beneficiaries with a service. To provide useful information for service organizations The control tools are of great benefit in rationalizing decisions, and many recommen
This research aimed to evaluate the level of readiness to teach science in the light of the information, media, and technology skills among undergraduate students at the Faculty of Edu-cation, King Khalid University. To achieve this goal, a descriptive and analytical approach was used. A list of readiness to teach science was prepared in the light of Information, media, and technology skills, and in the light of this list, a cognitive test, observation sheet, and attitude scale were prepared to assess readiness to teach science in its three aspects, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional. The sample of the research consisted of (42) students enrolled in field training courses at the sixth, seventh and eighth levels. Research tools were app
... Show More(Use of models of game theory in determining the policies to maximize profits for the Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola in the province of Baghdad)
Due to the importance of the theory of games especially theories of oligopoly in the study of the reality of competition among companies or governments and others the researcher linked theories of oligopoly to Econometrics to include all the policies used by companies after these theories were based on price and quantity only the researcher applied these theories to data taken from Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola In Baghdad Steps of the solution where stated for the models proposed and solutions where found to be balance points is for the two companies according to the princi
... Show MoreBackground: Oil refinery workers are continuously exposed to numerous hazardous materials. Petroleum contains the heavy metals as a natural constituent or as additives. These metals induce the production of ROS which associated with an oxidative damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids. This study was conducted to assess the salivary levels of heavy metals, salivary oxidative status, oral immunological activity (salivary sIgA) and assessment of the oral findings among the workers of Al-Daura oil refinery in Baghdad city. Subjects, Materials and Methods: This study was done in Al-Daura oil refinery; samples consist of 60 workers involved in refinery processes (study group) and 20 non-workers (control group). Oral examination and saliva collection
... Show MoreBackground: Recently epigenetic alterations have received increased attention because of theirimportant role in the process of tumerigenesis. It has been found that more than half of genetic changes were epigenetic. Epigenetic alterations are catalyzed by DNMTs enzymes. Increased knowledge about this molecular event may achieve progress in the war against cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the expression of DNMT3B among oral, laryngeal and skin SCC. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on (120) formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks, histopathologically diagnosed as oral, laryngeal and skin SCC). Immunohistochemical staining of DNMT3B antibody was performed on each case of this study. Results: The immunoh
... Show MoreAbstract The purpose of the study is to develop self-attendance fear measures for table tennis players and tennis players with disabilities, as well as to gauge how severe these fears are in both groups. The authors propose that there are no statistically significant differences in the level of fear of self-attendance for players of ground tennis and table tennis for the disabled between the arithmetic mean and the hypothetical mean. In keeping with the nature of the current study, we adopted a descriptive methodology, and the sample comprised 62 players of table tennis and tennis for the disabled. The authors make use of the Al-Taei prepared scale (fears of selfattendance). The statistical package for educational sciences (spss v 26)
... Show MoreRecently, it has been revealed that Toxoplasmosis may be associated with some factors related to type 2 diabetes, such as glucose, insulin, the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistant (HOMA-IR), and Fatty acid binding protein (FABP). Therefore, the current study aimed to specify how Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) infection affects glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and FABP among adolescents. From October to December 2022, this study was carried out at Al Madain Hospital in Baghdad. For a group of adolescents visiting the hospital, an ELISA test was performed to check their anti-T.gondii antibodies. Ninety adolescents were selected to participate in the study on the basis of this examination. They were divided into two groups: those who te
... Show MoreBackground: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic disease of childhood. Increased prevalence of periodontal disease and dental caries in juvenile idiopathic arthritis is due to difficulties in executing good oral hygiene. This study was conducted to assess oral health status in patients with Juvenile idiopathic arthritis according to age and duration of illness. Materials and methods: A research was conducted among Juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients attending Baghdad Teaching Hospital with different age and both gender, underwent a clinical evaluation of their dental and oral condition. Diagnosis of dental caries was done according to the criteria of WHO (1997). Dental plaque, gingival condition, calculus were assessed by PI/
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