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Background: The rapid growth of social media has profoundly transformed communication, community building, and information sharing worldwide. In Afghanistan, the proliferation of social media platforms has significantly impacted the social, cultural, and political landscape, particularly among the youth. Objective: This multi-disciplinary study aims to explore the diverse effects of social media on Afghan youth, focusing on usage patterns, mental health implications, entertainment-driven time allocation, financial expenditures, exposure to explicit content, and academic performance. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between September and December 2023, gathering responses from 1556 participants (67% males, 33% females) through various social media platforms. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, employing statistical tests such as ANOVA and Chi-Square to examine relationships between social media usage and its impacts. Results: The study reveals significant links between social media usage and demographic, behavioral, and mental health factors. Key findings include Facebook as the most used platform (83.6%), with the majority of participants spending 1-3 hours daily on social media. Age differences in time spent were significant (F=15.64, p<0.001). Entertainment was the primary use (45.5%), with gender differences in engagement levels. High anxiety (78.5%) and moderate depression (38.3%) were reported. Significant associations between social media use and mental health were found (eg, χ2=591.87, p<0.001 for nervousness). Excessive use negatively impacted study habits, with 25.7% feeling it hindered their academic performance. Conclusion: This study highlights the multifaceted impacts of social media on Afghan youth, including both positive aspects like enhanced communication and empowerment and negative aspects such as mental health issues and academic challenges. The significant relationships between social media usage and various life aspects underscore the need for targeted interventions to promote healthy digital habits and mitigate adverse effects. Further research is recommended to explore long-term impacts and effective strategies for managing social media use among Afghan youth.
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Introduction: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the mouth's most common and painful inflammatory ulcerative condition, also called aphthae or canker sores. Its prevalence is about 20% and predisposition factors involve genetics, environmental factors, and immune dysfunctions. Objective: Reviewing the literature and no study was found to show the prevalence and associated factors of recurrent aphthous ulceration in the context of Afghanistan. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the lifetime prevalence and associated factors of recurrent aphthous ulceration among dentistry students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Afghanistan. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out among 223 dentistry students. A descriptive and inferential analysis was performed to find the association. Results: The prevalence of (RAS) in our sample group was 30%. (68.7%) of participants had one or more family members who experienced aphthous ulcers and the association was found to be significant (X 2 = 134.940; p < 0, 05). (81%) of participants experienced the condition to eating certain types of food (X 2 = 165.906; p < 0, 05) and (53.7%) of them reported the same about trauma (X 2 = 99.958; p < 0, 05). Regarding stress the difference was also statistically significant (X 2 = 56.830; p < 0, 05). Conclusion: We found that a considerable proportion of the study sample had experienced recurrent aphthous ulceration. Family history, stress, trauma, and dietary factors have an impact on the occurrence of RAS with no association with gender and smoking.
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The aim of this study is to assess factors that influence the uptake of short-term contraceptives among married women aged between 15 and 49 years in Afghanistan. The cross-sectional Afghanistan 2015 Demographic and Health Survey provided the dataset for this analysis. We included 22,974 women and applied multivariable logistic regression to investigate the influencing factors for the uptake of short-term contraceptives. 92% of Afghan women knew at least one type of short-term contraception but only 17% were using short term contraceptives. Short term contraceptive use was most prevalent among women in the age group between 30 and 40 who were educated, employed, and rich. Most of the users were living in the western parts of Afghanistan and women from the Balooch and Pashtun ethnic groups were most likely to use short-term contraceptives. Media exposure and women empowerment were also positively associated with the use of short-term contraceptives. We did not find an association with living in urban or rural settings. Contraception promotion in Afghanistan requires multisectoral efforts, tailored to the needs of women from low and middle socioeconomic strata. Health promotion activities, empowering women, strengthening education, and training of service providers on effective counseling are options that should be considered to improve the current situation.