Background: Depression, anxiety, and stress related to diabetes create psychosocial distress. In Mongolia, although the prevalence of diabetes has been rapidly increasing in recent years, studies on psychosocial and mental health–related clinical factors among people with diabetes are limited. To study some psychosocial and mental health–related changes occurring in people with diabetes in relation to disease complications and control indicators. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using an analytical cross-sectional design, including 172 adults with diabetes. Standard assessment tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Diabetes Distress Scale questionnaires were used to collect data. Cases that tested positive on two or more instruments were defined as having “composite psychosocial distress.” Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with composite psychosocial distress, and additional statistical models were developed for each outcome. Result: The mean age of participants was 58.3±10.4 years, and 57.6% were female. The mean HbA1c value was 9.0% (IQR 7.5–11.0), and the average duration of diabetes was 10 years (IQR 6–16). Among all participants, 16.9% had composite psychosocial distress. One chronic complication related to diabetes was observed in 47.7% of participants, while 17.0% had two or more complications. Scores of depression, anxiety, and diabetes-related distress were positively correlated (all p<0.001). In univariate analysis, with each additional chronic complication, composite psychosocial distress increased (OR=1.93, 95% CI 1.31–2.87; p=0.001). In univariate regression analysis, higher HbA1c significantly increased the risk of composite psychosocial distress (for each 1% increase, OR=1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.28; p=0.040). In multivariate analysis including number of chronic complications and HbA1c, the number of chronic complications remained an independent factor increasing risk (adjusted OR=1.92, 95% CI 1.21–3.05; p=0.005), while HbA1c was not statistically significant. The prevalence of composite psychosocial distress tended to increase depending on complications. Among participants without chronic complications, it was 8.9%; among those with one complication, 19.2%; and among those with two or more complications, 37.9%. The prevalence of moderate to severe depression, anxiety, and high levels of diabetes-related distress also increased similarly with the number of chronic complications. Conclusion Composite psychosocial distress is present in 1 out of every 6 adults with diabetes. The presence of chronic complications increases the risk of composite psychosocial distress by 3.5 times.

Background: Substance use remains a critical public health and social concern, closely linked to increased sexual risk behaviors and a heightened vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly HIV and syphilis. International and national evidence suggests that individuals who use drugs often experience impaired judgment during intoxication, leading to unprotected intercourse, casual sexual encounters, and multiple sexual partners. In Mongolia, empirical data regarding sexual risk behaviors within this population remain scarce. Therefore, there is a pressing need to determine the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors and identify the specific factors influencing these patterns among drug users. Materials and Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional analytical design involving 181 participants who use drugs. Data were collected via structured questionnaires. Sexual risk behavior was evaluated using two approaches: as a dichotomous categorical variable and as a cumulative sexual risk score. Statistical analysis was performed using frequency distributions, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The associations between variables were tested using the (chi square test, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression models. Results: The findings revealed that 12.2% of participants exhibited high-level sexual risk behaviors, with a mean cumulative risk score of 8.13 ±4.40. Engaging in sexual intercourse while under the influence of alcohol, the frequency of intoxicated sex (reported as "often" or "always"), and a history of casual sexual encounters were significantly associated with sexual risk behaviors. Furthermore, gender, cohabitation status, condom use during the first sexual experience, and the frequency of alcohol-involved sexual encounters were statistically significant predictors of the cumulative risk score. A weak positive correlation was observed between the number of sexual partners in the past year and the cumulative sexual risk score, which remained a significant positive predictor in the linear regression model. Conclusion Sexual risk behavior among people who use drugs is more closely associated with behavioral factors—such as alcohol-influenced sexual activity, casual encounters, lack of condom use during sexual debut, and multiple partnership—than with basic socio-demographic characteristics. Consequently, risk reduction interventions should move beyond general awareness. Efforts must prioritize reducing substance- and alcohol-related sexual risks, promoting consistent condom use, and enhancing the accessibility of STI screening and counseling services tailored to this high-risk group.

Background: Drug use is closely associated with sexually transmitted infections, especially syphilis and HIV, through unsafe sexual practices, multiple partners, and high-risk patterns of substance use. Prisoners with a history of drug use represent a particularly vulnerable subgroup. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of rapid syphilis test positivity and selected associated factors among incarcerated people who use drugs. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted among 105 prisoners. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and a finger-prick rapid dual test. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Fisher exact tests were used, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of participants was 29.1±8.4 years; 78.1% were male. A history of STI was reported by 16.2%, STI-related symptoms during the last 12 months by 19.0%, STI testing during the last 12 months by 39.0%, and STI testing while incarcerated by 45.7%. However, 79.0% had received STI-related education or information. Among 81 participants with valid rapid syphilis test results, 27 were positive, giving a prevalence of 33.3%. Syphilis positivity was significantly higher among those using more than one route of drug administration (41.4% vs 13.0%, p=0.018) and among those with a prior STI history (70.0% vs 26.6%, p=0.011). No significant associations were found with sex, age, education, marital status, cohabitation, income, syringe use, recent STI symptoms, casual sex before arrest, or overall sexual risk behavior. Conclusion These findings suggest that targeted syphilis screening, counseling, and linkage to confirmatory testing and treatment should be strengthened among incarcerated people who use drugs, particularly those with multi-route drug use and a previous STI history.

BACKGROUNDAccording to WHO statistics of 2013, daily 371,124[1] births, annually 135.5 million [1] births occur worldwide which tends to increase in the following years. In Mongolia, studies that evaluaterelationship between fluid intakes of pregnant women and preterm delivery risk have not been conducted so far to our knowledge. Thus, we aimed to determine this relationship by evaluating first and second trimester fluid intakesof pregnant women in Mongolia.METHODS35 and above years old pregnant women of 24-32 gestational weeks have been included in the study where body measurements and fluid intake were collected via questionnaireand examination.RESULTSWhen we studied the relationship between average fluid intake and preterm delivery risk, having inadequate fluid intake in the first trimester increased the risk of preterm delivery by 5.98 (CI95% 0.89-40.08, p<0.01) fold whereas having inadequate fluid intake in the second trimester increased the risk of preterm delivery by 4.03 (CI 95% 1.06-15.21, p<0.01) foldrespectively.CONCLUSIONSOur results show that low fluid intake in first and second gestational trimesters results in increased risk of preterm delivery significantly in Mongolia.