Background & Objective: Self Confidence, is a continuous evaluation of an individual on himself. Hence it is important regarding the mental health and the personality balance. Due to the problems that low self-confidence brings about especially during the youth age and regarding the prevalence of this problem among adolescents, the present research was conducted in order to investigate the level of self-confidence among students.

 Methods: Self-confidence of 500 students was determined using Eysenck test. Multistage sampling was employed to select 7 out of 15 boys high schools randomly In each grade of study the required numbers were chosen randomly proportionate to the number of students in that grade. Scores more than 21 showed high self-confidence, 14-21 average and less than 14 indicated low confidence. To analyze the data, Chi- square and Mantel- Hanzel tests were used, with 95% significance.

 Results: 29.6% of students have had high self-confidence, 57.8% of them had average self-confidence while 12.6% of them had lower level of self-confidence. No significant relationship was seem among the rank of birth and the literacy of parents with the level of self-confidence. However there was a significant relationship between the number of siblings (P=0.0135) and study grade (P=0.0018) with the level of self-confidence. As a result, 11.5% of the students in the first grade, 6.6% in the second grade and 20.5% in the third grade had low self-confidence.

 Conclusion: The prevalence of�low self-confidence among third grade high school students, warns that they should be paid much attention by their parents and their school officials.

  Background & Objective: Hyperlipidemia is one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases which have a high mortality throughout the world. Consumption of products containing specific strains of microbes as probiotics, produces positive effects in the host by balancing the flora of the digestive system. L.casei is a probiotic and the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of consumption of milk containing L.casei on serum lipid profile of rats fed high lipid diet.

  Methods : This was an experimental study in which 30 male albino wistar rats with a body weight of 200 ± 15 gr were randomly allocated to two groups of treatment and control each containing 15 rats and adapted to a high lipid diet (11.47%) and water containing milk (25%). Rats in both groups received high lipid diet and water containing 25% milk for 48 days with the difference that rats in the treatment group received water containing L.casei considering that water consumption is created throughout the experiment, the amount of L.casei added to milk was calculated to each rat consumed 10⁹ CFU bacteria per day.

  Results : Independent t-test revealed that at a level of α= 0/05 mean levels of total cholesterol and LDL-C of rats in the treatment group was significantly lower than that of control group (p<0/05), but the mean levels of triglyceride, HDL-C and VLDL-C was not significant. Also increase in body weight was significantly higher in the treatment group compared to the control group (p<0/01).

  Conclusion : Long term daily consumption of milk containing L.casei improve serum lipid profile by lowering total cholesterol level and also increase the rate of body growth.

 Background & Objectives: Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonosis parasitical disease. Infection with Toxoplasma gondii in transmission of parasite to fetus or its reactivation among immune-compromised persons can lead to server clinical symptoms. The aim of study was to determine immune level of Toxoplasmosis among women who were to get married and have referred to Health Center of Ardabil.

  Methods: In this study 272 blood samples of women who had referred to health center of Ardabil in 2007 were collected. Samples were tested with ELISA method to detect Anti-Toxoplasma IgM and IgG Antibodies.

  Results: The tests showed that 42.3% of women were IgG Positive, 57.2% were IgG negative and 2.6% women were IgM positive and also IgG positive. They have ( IgG positive women) 11.3% family history of abortion, 96.5% eating raw vegetables, 92.2% eating half cooked meat, 89.6% not washing the vegetables with disinfectants, 29.6% animal contact, 57.4% contact with raw meat and 94.8% used piped water.

  Conclusion: Since 57.7% of women who were to marry in Ardabil city were negative from the view point of Toxoplasmosis, health education for elimination of risk factors especially within pregnancy period seems mandatory.

  Background & Objectives: Postpartum depression is one of the most important problems during post partum. Several new medications have been introduced for treatment, but considering their side effects and also breast feeding women's desire for dietary complements rather than chemical drugs, this research was done to determine comparison of effectiveness of Omega-3 fatty acids with placebo in treatment of mild to moderate postpartum depression.

  Methods: This double-blind randomized placebo controlled trial study was done on 120 women with postpartum depression, who had the required criteria. First by using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in women who gave birth 2 weeks to 3 months before, postpartum depression approved for determining the severity of depression, Beck Depression Inventory scale (BDI) was used. Women with mild to moderate depression who had a score 46 on the (BDI) and did not have any tendency to use anti-depressant drugs under the supervision of the psychiatrist, enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to receive either 1gr of Omega-3 capsules or placebo for 8 weeks. Severity of depression was measured before treatment and weekly during treatment in both groups. The data analyzed through T-Test, repeated measurements of one way ANOVA and chi square test in SPSS 14/Win.

  Results: There were no significant differences between two groups with respect to demographic characteristics. Results show that Mean Depression Scores before treatment in Omega-3 group (35.4 ± 9.2) decreased after treatment (17.7 ± 7.0), which was significant (p<0.0005). Mean Depression Scores before treatment in placebo group (34.2 ± 3.4) decreased after treatment (33.6 ± 9.3) which wasn't significant (p=0.57). There was a significant difference between reductions of Depression Scores in two groups(P<0.001).

  Conclusion: According to research results, use of Omega-3 1gr/day for 8 weeks improves postpartum depression.

  Background and Objectives: Tobacco usage is one of the most common problems in human societies that, In addition of getting several social, economic and health effects, it can cause respiratory, digestive and bladder cancer, also chromosomal and blood factors changes. Little study has been done about hookah effects on human. The aim of this study was to evaluate pulmonary function tests in hookah users in Ardabil city.

  Materials & Methods: In this case – control study, 133 male subjects which have used hookah 3 times a day for at least 3 years or more, were selected from Coffee house of ARDABIL city and then pulmonary function tests were carried out at least triplicate. For comparison of pulmonary parameters, the same number of healthy subjects without hookah consumption in the same age and socioeconomic status were used and spirometery was done. The data were analyzed with SPSS 11 software program and presented as mean ± SD. Statistical significance was assayed by student’s t-test for unpaired data and the differences were considered to be significant at the p<0.05 level.

  Results: Age range of hookah smokers and normal subjects was 17-78 and 20-82 years old, respectively. Age average of hookah smokers and normal subjects was 44.37 ± 14.9 and 41.54 ± 14.46 years old, respectively .Mean differences of age was not statistically significant. The average of PEF, FEV1%, FEV1, FEF25-75 and FEF 25 in hookah smokers were: 7.73, 83.11%, 3.56, 3.81, 6.32, respectively and in normal subjects was: 8.51, 85.69%, 3.78, 4.35, 7.29 respectively. The mean differences between two groups were statistically significant in each parameter (p < 0.05). In this study, there were 27 (20%) COPD patients in hookah smokers. Ten percent of hookah smokers had FEV1% less than 70.

  Conclusion: The results showed that using hookah disrupts pulmonary function parameters. So as cigarette, using hookah may have devastating effects on respiratory system. Knowing about effects of hookah to people, especially to young is necessary.