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BackgroundSubstance use is a major mental health concern among university students. It may result in behavioral and academic problems, psychiatric disorders, and infectious diseases. Thus, this study investigated the risk and protective factors of substance use among Iranian university students.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study. A number of 7330 students were selected from 30 universities in Iran. The participants completed a researcher-designed questionnaire. It measured life time, previous year and previous month’s substance use, demographic characteristics, and a body of risk and protective factors including, religious beliefs, self-esteem, stress and psychological pressure, sensation seeking, attention seeking, anger and aggression, depression and anxiety, parents’ positive attitude towards substance use, lack of intimacy between family members, plus substance use, smoking cigarettes or hookah, alcohol consumption, and prescribed medications use by their family members, easy access to illegal drugs, peers’ positive attitude towards substance use, peers’ drug use, perceived prevalence of substance use among students, and negative attitude toward university. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsParticipants’ anger and aggression, depression and anxiety, participants’ positive attitude towards substances, low level of religious beliefs, peers and family member’s substance use, and parent’s positive attitude towards substance significantly and strongly predicted using cigarette/hookah, alcohol, hard drugs, and prescribed medications. Having a negative attitude toward university significantly predicted using all types of substance (except for prescribed medications). Low self-esteem predicted using cigarette/hookah, and alcohol use. Perceived availability of illegal drugs predicted hard drugs and prescribed medications’ consumption. Finally, peers’ positive attitude toward drugs anticipated cigarette/hookah use.ConclusionPrevention programs are most needed among Iranian students. They should be comprehensive in nature and focus on students’ psychoeducation about substances and their related negative consequences, plus promotion of students’ life skills, and integrate family- and peer-based preventive interventions.

Background: Hypertension is a chronic condition that its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. Findings on the association between dairy consumption and hypertension are conflicting and few data are available in the Middle East. Aim: To assess the association between dairy consumption and hypertension among a large population of university students. Materials and Methods: The current study was performed in the framework of the Mental and Physical Health Assessment of University Student (MEPHASOUS) project. Overall, 67,011 university students with complete information were included in the statistical analysis. To assess dairy consumption, a self-administered dietary habits questionnaire was employed. Blood pressure was measured using a standard protocol. The systolic/diastolic blood pressure of ≥140/90 mmHg was considered hypertension. Results: Hypertension was prevalent among 6.9% of students. A significant inverse association was found between dairy consumption and the odds of hypertension; such that after taking potential confounders into account, individuals in the highest levels of dairy consumption had 85% lower odds for having hypertension compared with those in the lowest levels (odds ratio (OR): 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13-0.18). Such an inverse association was also seen among males (OR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.11-0.18) and females (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.12-0.21), normal-weight students (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.12-0.18) and those with overweight or obesity (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.11-0.21), and individuals with (OR: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.11-0.16) and without (OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.17-0.35) family history of hypertension. Conclusion: Our results support the previous findings on the inverse association between dairy consumption and hypertension among university students.

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BackgroundThe physical health assessment of university students in Iran is a national large scale assessment examining health behaviors among tertiary education students. Understanding risky health behaviors which are the major sources of global mortality and morbidity in adulthood is the key objective of this assessment.MethodsIn academic year of 2012–2013, newly admitted students (N = 151,671) at 74 governmental eligible universities that had health center from 28 provinces were invited to participate in the health assessment program. The physical health behaviors of the students were evaluated by using questionnaire. The test-retest reliability method was applied to estimate the reliability of physical health questionnaire. After filling out the questionnaires, students were led to the examination room for the measurement of height, weight and blood pressure.ResultsFrom the total study population, 84,298 student’s ages between 18 and 29 years old, were participated in the health assessment. The mean response proportion was 63%. The mean age of students was 21.5 ± 4.01, with 49.20% percent being <20 years old. 32.31% were between 20 and 24 years, 13.44% between 25 and 29 years, 69% of the participants were undergraduate 34.9% were master’s students, and 2.9% were Ph.D. students. The mean BMI for total students was 22.5 ± 4.0 and regarding to gender, the mean BMI for male and female were 23.0 ± 4.1 and 22.2 ± 3.8 respectively.ConclusionAnalysis of student’s findings will generate multiple studies which report different aspects of physical health of Iranian university students who constitute a large proportion of young adult aged 18–29 years in the country. This assessment also provides opportunity to compare Iranian student’s behavioral patterns with the behavioral pattern of students worldwide.

Background: The prevalence of smoking and contributing factors among Iranian university students has been paid little attention. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of smoking in Iranian university students and its association with health-related behaviours. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 82 806 Iranian university students admitted in 2012-2013. Information on demographic characteristics and health-related behaviours, including physical activity, sleep pattern, use of electronic devices and dietary habits, were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Weight and height were measured using a standard protocol and body mass index calculated. Smokers were defined as students who smoked ≥ 1 cigarette per week. Results: Smoking was prevalent among 6.0% of university students (males 6.6%, females 5.6%). Moderate physical activity was inversely associated with odds of smoking. A significant positive association was also found between obesity and odds of being a smoker. Higher intake of fruits and dairy products were associated with lower odds of smoking. However, intake of vegetables, fast foods and carbonated beverages was positively associated with smoking. Breakfast consumption was also associated with greater odds of being a smoker. Conclusions: Demographic characteristics and health-related behaviours, including marital status, occupation, economic status, sleep pattern, physical activity, use of electronic devices and dietary intake, were significantly associated with smoking.

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