Background: Drug addiction is known as one of the health, medical and social problems of the present century. Beyond the harmful physical and mental consequences for addicts, drug abuse can cause serious social problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate drug and alcohol abuse in individuals aged 15 yr and over in Iran in 2015. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done on individuals aged 15 yr and older who lived in urban and rural areas of Iran. Overall, 36,600 individuals were selected by systematic and cluster random sampling. The postal code was used to access the samples in 31 provinces of Iran. In each province 1200 individuals (50% men, 50% women) were evaluated. The used instrument was the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), and data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The results showed 4.6% of individuals used Opium and its derivatives, 0.4% used Cannabis, 0.4% used Amphetamine stimulants, 6.1% used Sedative drugs, and 2.6% used Alcoholic beverages on a regular basis. Within the last 12 months, 3.9% of individuals used Opium and its derivatives, 0.4% used Cannabis, 0.3% used Amphetamine stimulants, 5.8% used Sedative drugs, and 1.9% used Alcoholic beverages. With the exception of Sedatives drugs men used more drugs than women and residents of rural areas used more opium and its derivatives than other groups of drugs. Based on the provincial distribution, Kerman and Qom used the highest and lowest prevalence percentage of Opium and its derivatives respectively. Conclusion: Overall, 2340000 individuals were addicts used Opium and its derivatives in 2015, therefore, medical and health officials should take all necessary measures to deal with these serious social problems.
Background: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of domestic and non-domestic violence (outside home) in Iran during 2015. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals aged 15 and older living in urban and rural areas of Iran. A total of 36,600 people from 31 provinces of Iran were selected by systematic and cluster random sampling using the postal code available in the country’s post office software. A researcher-made survey questionnaire was used for evaluating violence. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20. Results: A total of 23.1% of individuals have admitted domestic violence towards their families in the last 12 months, and 8.1% have admitted non-domestic violence in the past 30 days. The prevalence of domestic and non-domestic violence was higher among males than females and in urban areas than rural places. In addition, the highest prevalence rate of domestic violence in the last 12 months was related to Lorestan province. Tehran province had the highest prevalence rate of non-domestic violence during the last 30 days. However, the lowest prevalence rate of domestic and non-domestic violence was related to Qom province. Conclusions: Based on the results, the prevalence rate of 23.1% of domestic violence and 8.1% of non-domestic violence necessitates preventing and treating this social problem. Therefore, health authorities need to take necessary action to raise awareness and reduce the risk-taking behaviors of the population in Iran.
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