Assessing Risk Behaviours in the Iranian General Population: Results From the Iranian Mental Health Survey; [Evaluation Des Comportements a Risque Dans La Population Generale Iranienne: Resultats De L’Enquete Iranienne Sur La Sante Mentale] Publisher



Aminesmaeili M^{1, 2} ; Baheshmat S^{2, 3} ; Tarrahi MJ⁴ ; Motevalian SA⁵ ; Sharifi V⁶ ; Hajebi A⁷ ; Mojtabai R¹ ; Rahimimovaghar A²
Source: Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal Published:2021

Abstract

Background: The Islamic Republic of Iran is a majority Muslim country, with a culturally low acceptance of high-risk behaviours. Aims: To investigate co-occurrence of risk behaviours in the Iranian general population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from a random subsample of 3508 participants in the Iranian Mental Health Survey conducted in 2011 who completed a self-administered questionnaire about risk behaviours. The latent class analysis was performed on 7 behaviours consisting of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, opium use, use of other illicit drugs, having multiple sexual partners, imprisonment, and running away from home. Unordered multinomial logistic regression was performed to examine characteristics of participants in the latent classes. Results: In the past 12 months, the rates of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, opium use, and use of other illicit drugs were 19.4%, 6.3%, 4.4%, and 4.2%, respectively. Three classes were identified: 1, a large class with low prevalence of risk behaviours [89.2%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 88.2–90.2%]; 2, high prevalence of all risk behaviours except drug use (6.1%; 95% CI: 5.3–6.9%); and 3, high prevalence of all risk behaviours (4.7%; 95% CI: 4.1–5.5%). Men and individuals with psychiatric disorders were over-represented in both classes 2 and 3. Conclusion: Alcohol consumers and opium users were at risk of other risky behaviours. © World Health Organization (WHO) 2021. Open Access. Some rights reserved.